Western Digital’s new flagship leaks ahead of its official announcement: the WD_Black SN8100 reaches speeds of up to 14,900 MB/s and stands out as one of the most powerful PCIe 5.0 SSDs on the market.
Western Digital seems to be ready for its next big release in the high-performance storage segment: the WD_Black SN8100, an M.2 SSD that pushes the practical limits of the PCIe 5.0 x4 standard, with sequential read speeds of up to 14,900 MB/s and write speeds of up to 14,000 MB/s.
Although the company has yet to make an official announcement, various European retailers and Amazon Germany have already listed the unit in their catalogs, revealing both images and detailed specifications. The most notable leak comes from the 4 TB model (reference WDS400T1XHM), which also promises over 2.3 million IOPS. The 1 TB model, on the other hand, will be somewhat more modest, with write speeds of 11,000 MB/s and 1.6 million IOPS.
SM2508: An External Controller Instead of a Proprietary One
One of the most striking details is that Western Digital has opted for the SM2508 controller from Silicon Motion, rather than using a proprietary solution as seen in previous generations of the WD_Black range. This same chip has been recently used in the Kingston Fury Renegade G5, Lexar NM1090 Pro, and Adata Mars-980, suggesting a firm commitment to this controller in the new wave of PCIe 5.0 SSDs.
Manufactured using a 6 nm process, the SM2508 allows for significantly lower consumption: around 7 watts on average under load, greatly improving efficiency compared to previous generations based on controllers like the Phison E26 (12 nm).
Competition Comparison
With these figures, the WD_Black SN8100 positions itself in the upper segment of the market, directly competing with units like the Samsung 9100 Pro, which reaches 14,800 MB/s in read speeds and 13,400 MB/s in write speeds, with up to 2.6 million IOPS. In terms of energy efficiency, the SN8100 also stands out, approaching the conceptual model that Western Digital presented in 2024: a PCIe 5.0 unit capable of reaching 15 GB/s with only 6.5 watts of consumption.
Models, Launch, and Estimated Price
Currently, Amazon Germany already allows pre-order of the 1 TB model for around 200 euros, with estimated availability by May 30, 2025. While the 2 TB and 4 TB models are not yet listed on this platform, it seems likely that they will be available at the official launch.
| Model | Sequential Read | Sequential Write | Estimated IOPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 TB | Up to 14,900 MB/s | Up to 11,000 MB/s | Up to 1.6 million |
| 2 TB | Up to 14,900 MB/s | Up to 14,000 MB/s | Over 2.3 million |
| 4 TB | Up to 14,900 MB/s | Up to 14,000 MB/s | Over 2.3 million |
Is the WD_Black Brand Disappearing?
Another element to consider is the potential internal reorganization at Western Digital. Recently, the company announced that its consumer storage division would operate under the SanDisk brand, raising questions about whether WD_Black will continue to exist as a standalone line or if it will be absorbed under another brand.
Furthermore, SanDisk had previously indicated plans to launch new SSDs with BiCS8 memory starting in the second quarter of 2025, which could coincide with the launch of the SN8100 and lead to a redefinition of the lineup and brand.
Conclusion
The WD_Black SN8100 is shaping up to be one of the most powerful and efficient SSDs of the year, pushing the boundaries of the PCIe 5.0 standard in terms of speed and thermal efficiency. Its launch, though not yet officially confirmed by Western Digital, promises to change the game in high-performance storage for enthusiast PCs, workstations, and extreme gaming.
If the figures and the favorable performance-to-consumption ratio are confirmed, this unit could become one of the most balanced references on the market in 2025.