Samsung 980 Pro vs WD Black SN850: The Best Gen4 NVMe SSD?

Samsung 980 Pro is one of the best PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs out there. One of its main competitors is the WD Black SN850. The data read/write speed of both these SSDs is almost similar. So, if you are looking to get a PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD and are confused between these two both, I am going to help you pick the right one here in this article.

First of all, let’s discuss the theoretical read/write speeds of both.

So, the Samsung 980 Pro can reach up to 7000MB/s and 5000MB/s sequential data read/write speed.

WD Black SN850 can reach up to 7000MB/s and 5300MB/s sequential data read/write speed.

Theoretically, the WD Black SN850 is offering a better data write speed while the read speed of both is the same. But, there are several other things to consider before you buy an SSD. Especially these PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSDs which are way too expensive, you should pay close attention to each detail.

So, let’s compare everything which is important and by the end of this article, I will give my genuine opinion on this comparison.

If you are OK with an SSD that doesn’t have any encryption, WD Black SN850 is a good option for you. WD Black SN850 comes with a higher sequential write speed, higher MTBF, 2 extra controller channels and better overall performance.

Let’s talk some more about it.

Theoretical Specifications (Comparison)

First of all, let’s compare all the main specifications that the brands are offering with their products. So, let’s do a quick Samsung 980 Pro vs WD Black SN850 theoretical specs comparison below.

Specification	Samsung 980 Pro	WD Black SN850
Storage Variants	250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB	500GB, 1TB, 2TB
Theoretical Read Speed (Max.)	7,000 MB/s	7,000 MB/s
Theoretical Write Speed (Max.)	5,000 MB/s	5,300 MB/s
Random Read (4K, QD32) (Max.)	Up to 1,000,000 IOPS	Up to 1,000,000 IOPS
Random Write (4K, QD32) (Max.)	Up to 1,000,000 IOPS	Up to 1,000,000 IOPS
Form Factor/Interface	M.2 (2280)/PCIe® Gen 3.0 x4, NVMe™ 1.3c	M.2 (2280)/PCIe Gen 4.0 x 4, NVMe 1.3
MTBF (Reliability)	1.50 Million Hours	1.75 Million Hours
Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
T.R.I.M.	Supported	Supported
S.M.A.R.T.	Supported	Supported
Encryption	AES 256-bit Encryption	No hardware encryption
Heatsink Option	Available	Available
Image
Availability	Check Price	Check Price

Almost all the specifications are similar in both SSDs. So, we can’t come to any conclusion here. Now, let’s compare other things to make this comparison much clear.

Synthetic Benchmark Scores (Comparison)

The testbench is utilizing an Intel Core i5 12700K CPU along with a 4200MHz DDR5 16GB RAM kit. The motherboard is MSI Z590-A Pro. These tests are done on the 1TB variants of both SSDs.

PCMark 10 Trace Tests

PCMark 10 is one of the most popular benchmark software especially used by professionals. The quick system drive benchmark test is a smaller test utilizing smaller tests with softer real-world traces. This test is actually made for the drives which can’t handle the heavy load of Full System Drive Benchmark. The Full System Drive Benchmark, on the other hand, is full of heavy real-world traces from various popular applications. I have done both these tests and the comparison is as follows.

Anvil Storage Utility Scores

Anvil’s Storage Utilities is our next benchmark software with a pretty simple interface. It runs all the tests automatically and give you a final score. A higher number means better performance. It runs a wide array of tests including Seq 4MB, 4K, 4K QD4, 4K QD16, 32K, and 128K, in both read and write formats

AS SSD Benchmark Scores

AS SSD is another very popular storage benchmarking software. It again runs some random tests to test sequential and random performance. You can set the test size from 1GB to 10GB. It will give you a score that can be helpful to compare the performance of two different SSDs.

CrystalDiskMark 8.0.1 Synthetic Benchmark Scores

CrystalDismMark is another simple-to-use storage benchmark software. It is generally used to run sequential and random system tests using different file sizes. The default sequential read/write test is 1M at Q8T1 and Q1T1. The default random read/write test is 4KB at Q32T1 and Q1T1. You can easily change these test types along with the total test file size.

Benchmark Results Analysis: All the benchmark tests are won by WD Black SN850. The differences are minimal. But, still, the winner is the winner.

Game and Software Loading Time

Here, I would like to recommend you watch this great comparison video from the SkuezTech YouTube channel. You will find how long these SSDs are taking to load some software and games. So, make sure to watch this comparison.

Endurance and TBW

It is very important to know the overall endurance ratings of your SSD before buying it. Here, we are talking about two of the most popular SSDs out there in the market. So, it becomes important to discuss how long there are going to last with you. So, let’s see and compare.

The TBW ratings of both these SSDs are the same. Also, both come with the 5 years limited warranty period. However, the WD Black SN850 has got a little higher MTBF.

If you don’t know what MTBF is, it stands for Mean Time Between Failure. It indicates the estimated time for how long your SSD is going to work.

Technical Specifications (Comparison)

In my point of view, this is the most important part of this comparison. If you are aware of your SSD’s technical specifications, you can easily say whether it is going to work well for you or not. Here, we are going to compare both Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850’s technical details.

Another thing to discuss here is that Samsung 980 Pro comes with the SLC Write cache which enhances the data write speed more than the actual limits. They call it Intelligent TurboWrite Technology. The size of this SLC cache is different in different SSD variants but it actually helps a lot when you are writing data. You can know more about it here.

The WD Black SN850 has also got the SLC Cache which you can know more about here. but, the total size of this SLC cache is a little lesser as compared to that of the Samsung 980 Pro.

The main thing to talk about here is Samsung’s misleading NAND name. They can their NAND 3-bit MLC which is basically a TLC NAND Flash. So, don’t get confused by these terms. The kind of NAND used in both SSDs is the same.

Price

Price is the next big factor here. Although, these SSDs are not easy to afford and users only with a good budget will be looking for these. But, still, you should check the current prices because there could be a substantial difference sometimes.

Which one should you buy? Samsung 980 Pro or WD Black SN850

In my opinion, you will not regret buying any of these SSDs. But, if you want the best performance in longer runs with server-level storage performance, just go for the WD Black SN850.

However, if you are going to buy your SSD for personal use, the Samsung 980 Pro is a good pick for you.

As we discussed earlier, if you are serious about the encryption and want it on your SSD, there is no choice except Samsung 980 Pro because WD Black SN850 is missing it. In other areas like sequential/random data read/write performance, synthetic benchmarks, and reliability, WD Black SN850 beats the Samsung 980 Pro.

So, in terms of performance and reliability, WD Black SN850 has a lot of better things to offer.

Bonus: Other Gen 4 NVMe options

Kingston KC3000		7000/5000 MB/s Intelligent TurboWrite Technology TLC NAND 256-bit Encryption	Check Price
Seagate Firecuda 530		7300/6900 MB/s DDR4 DRAM TLC NAND 256-bit Encryption	Check Price

Let me know what you think about it in the comments!