New Sandisk Wd Blue Sn5100 Nvme SSD Review 2025

Thanks to an exceptional improvement in NAND flash tech, the SN5100 is leaps and bounds superior to its predecessor. For those not following SSD development, though, this drive is wickedly quick for a PCIe 4.0 drive, pricing is a bit erratic, mind you. It can be the ultimate bargain or "just another SSD", depending on the time of year.

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Prices for SSDs are not very stable right now. While not hit anywhere near as bad as memory, we're seeing price increases on many SSDs on a pretty regular basis. So if the prices here don't match up when you read this, that's likely why. We recommend using a price checker tool, such as CamelCamelCamel, to see if you're still getting a good deal.

It's been one year since I first reviewed the (now Sandisk) WD Blue SN5000, and boy oh boy, what a year it's been. That drive, at the time, didn't have a lot going for it. It was hot. It was slow. It was beaten by cheaper options, and thanks to using aging QLC NAND flash, it didn't quite deliver on the promises it made in a way that it needed to. Thankfully, the brand spanking new Sandisk WD Blue SN5100 I have here on review remedies practically every single one of my initial complaints.

From a newer, refined controller to far more advanced (though still QLC) NAND flash package with higher densities and better all-around performance, it makes a damn good argument for being one of the best SSDs money can buy, at least if the price is right. So much so that it enjoys a lovely 21% increase in score over the OG SSD.

Now, interestingly, Sandisk isn't pitching the SN5100 at gamers. It sees it primarily as a creator drive. An SSD designed for those looking for affordable mass storage, to house those pesky 4K video files and gigantic RAW photography archives we're all secretly hoarding somewhere, probably. In fact, it was a challenge to even get the PR team to send me a sample (Hey Toby!), as they were adamant it wasn't for gamers. Well, let me tell you, Sandisk, you couldn't be more wrong. Why am I so convinced of that? Let me explain.

The big change between this and the SN5000 comes in the form of what Sandisk has done with the NAND.

Capacity: 2 TBInterface: PCIe 4.0 x4Memory controller: Sandisk Polaris 3Flash memory: Sandisk 218-layer BiCS8 3D QLC NANDRated performance: 7,100 MB/s sust

Source: PC Gamer