WD Black SN850P review: one to grab on sale
WD Black SN850P: One-minute review
As a big supporter of the WD Black SN850, I can’t deny that I’m a little disappointed with the WD Black SN850P. While faster on paper, I found that the SN850P actually lagged behind the older SN850 in real-world performance – even scoring slightly lower in tests. PS5internal storage benchmark. The design has also taken a step back this time around, as the SN850P ditches its predecessor’s cool but admittedly somewhat impractical LEDs in favor of a more austere look that’s probably cheaper to make.
This wouldn’t be a big problem, but the SN850P is not only a little more expensive than the SN850, but also more expensive than some Best SSD for PS5. When officially licensed alternatives such as Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5 The SN850P is cheaper and runs better, there’s no reason to choose the SN850P over the others. Unless you manage to find a 1TB or 2TB model in one of the fairly regular discounts, where price cuts of up to $50/£30 make these products more competitive.
There are also higher capacity models to consider. SeagateThe licensed drive capacity is no more than 2TB, so if you want to keep it official at that size, the SN850P is one of the only options. The 8TB version is also one of the few 8TB PS5 SSDs from major brands currently on the market, and the price is quite reasonable. If you’re considering any of these versions, please add half a star to the score above.
Other than that, the WD Black SN850P doesn’t impress overall. This is an excellent PS5 SSD, but it doesn’t stand out due to its slightly exorbitant price tag.
WD Black SN850P: Price and Availability
- 1TB for $119.99/£107.99
- 2TB for $189.99/£184.99
- 4TB for $319.99/£329.99
- 8TB for $749.99/£705.99
The 1TB WD Black SN850P retails for $119.99/£107.99, but is available in online stores such as Amazon. 2TB costs $189.99/£184.99, although you may get a lower price if you buy online.
Sales aside, both models are slightly more expensive than their PS5 counterparts, the Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD ($99.99/£99.90 for the 1TB model, and $159.99/£159.90 for the 2TB model) – Again, this drive performed slightly better in my tests.
The cost increases significantly when you move to the 4TB model, which costs $319.99/£329.99, or the 8TB model, which costs $749.99/£705.99. Although it’s a recent arrival, the 8TB is already discounted by around $50/£50, which puts the price in line with most other 8TB PS5-compatible SSDs, making it a good option if you can afford it.
WD Black SN850P: Specs
| price | US$119.99/£107.99/AU$199 (1TB), US$189.99/£184.99/AU$339 (2TB), US$319.99/£329.99/AU$699 (4TB), US$749.99/AU$705.99/approximately AU$1,170 (8TB) |
| capacity | 1TB/2TB/4TB/8TB |
| Quote reading speed | 7,300 MB/sec (8TB: 7,200 MB/sec) |
| Reference write speed | 6,600MB/sec |
| Durability | 600TBW (1TB) |
| Warranty | 5 years |
WD Black SN850P: Design and features
- The design is inferior to SN850
- Cooler ready to use right out of the box
- 5 year limited warranty
In my opinion, the design of the WD Black SN850P is a step down from the WD Black SN850P. SN850. It has a similar overall look, with a sleek black heatsink made of metal that feels very solid, but lacks the small LED on top of the SN850. This was never a huge selling point, after all, you can’t exactly see it when it’s plugged into the PS5. But it still makes the SSD look cheaper overall.
Otherwise, you have the same white WD Black branding, plus a small label stating the product name. One noticeable difference is the introduction of a white PlayStation logo on the right side, which matches everything nicely.
While it looks very similar from a distance, the heatsink has actually been redesigned with a slightly different shape and a few more gaps for heat dissipation. Given that I’ve never experienced any noticeable thermal throttling on the SN850, I can’t say this seems necessary, but it definitely doesn’t hurt. It’s also great for PS5 or PS5 Pro.
In the box, you receive the SSD in a small clamshell package, along with some warranty and service information. You’re covered by a five-year limited warranty, which really gives you peace of mind and means that if you choose to buy this drive, it’ll likely last you the rest of your PS5’s life.
WD Black SN850P: Performance
- Performance could be better
- Initial benchmark scores were very poor
- Reasonable results from actual testing
When I first plugged in the WD Black SN850P, the PS5’s internal benchmark measured it at an alarmingly low 5,966 MB/s. That’s still higher than the console’s recommended SSD specs, but well below the advertised 7,300 MB/s or what you’d reasonably expect from a drive at this price. Fortunately, when I reformatted the drive and ran the test again later, it scored a more reasonable 6,338 MB/s, so I’ll chalk that first number up to chance.
That second number is still lower than I’d like, though, as the SN850 (which actually advertises read speeds of 7,000 MB/s) hit numbers in the 6,400 MB/s range on my machine. It also lags behind the Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5, which recorded a speed of 6,459 MB/s.
Thankfully, the WD Black SN850P performed quite well in a series of real-world tests. Moved from PS5’s internal storage to drive, 23.24GB copy Vampire Masquerade: Swan Song It was copied in just 12.61 seconds. 33.35GB installed Lord of the Fallen Then it took 15.89 seconds while 45.98GB was installed Crew Racing Festival It took 21.02 seconds.
Tested with some larger files, 101.9GB Far Cry 6 Copying took 43.74 seconds, while copying multiple games totaling 226.9GB took 3 minutes and 14 seconds. These numbers are both adequate and not a few seconds behind equivalent transfers on the Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5.
Copy back to PS5, 21.30GB Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rise Ready to play in 1 minute 27 seconds, and Star Bladethat is, 32.41GB, which takes 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Finally it is 38.34GB Little Tina’s Wonderland Copied back after 2 minutes and 34 seconds. These numbers are both entirely adequate and are actually more dependent on the PS5’s internal write speeds.
Ultimately, you won’t encounter any performance issues with the WD Black SN850P. Every game I tested was smooth, with decent load times and no noticeable slowdowns. Keep in mind that you can get a more affordable drive unless you buy it on sale.
Should I buy the WD Black SN850P?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also considering…
Wondering what to choose instead of the WD Black SN850P? Check out these alternatives. You can also check out our guide The best PS5 external hard drive For some external options.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | WD black SN850P | Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5 | Kingston Fury Renegade SSD |
| price | US$119.99/£107.99/AU$199 (1TB), US$189.99/£184.99/AU$339 (2TB), US$319.99/£329.99/AU$699 (4TB), US$749.99/AU$705.99/approximately AU$1,170 (8TB) | US$116.75/£98.99/approximately AU$180 (1TB)/US$159.99/£183/approximately AU$250 (2TB) | US$95.59 / £94.99 / ~AU$150 (1TB), US$154.99 / £147 / ~AU$240 (2TB) / US$299.99 / £273.71 / ~AU$460 (4TB) |
| capacity | 1TB/2TB/4TB/8TB | 1TB/2TB | 500GB/1TB/2TB/4TB |
| Quote reading speed | 7,300 MB/sec (8TB: 7,200 MB/sec) | 7,300MB/sec | 7,300MB/sec |
| Reference write speed | 6,600MB/sec | 6,000MB/sec | 7,000MB/sec |
| Durability | 600TBW (1TB) | 1275 TBW (1TB) | 1000 TBW (1TB) |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
How I test the Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5
- Use as primary PS5 SSD
- After a week of testing
- Tested on a range of titles
I put the WD Black SN850P to the test for a week, using it as my primary PS5 SSD drive and playing a variety of games. During my time with the drive, I carefully looked for any noticeable impact on performance compared to the console’s internal storage.
I also evaluated the drive’s performance using the built-in PS5 Storage Benchmark and by copying a large library of games to measure elapsed time. I compared my experience with real-world testing of other PS5 SSD models, including Samsung 990 ProWD Black SN850, Seagate Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5, etc.
The first review will be in December 2024.
