Both WD Blue 3D and Samsung 870 EVO as SATA SSDs. The WD Blue 3D comes in both 2.5″ and M.2 Form factors whereas the 870 EVO just has the normal 2.5″ variant available in the market.
But, if we talk about the features, both have the same TLC 3D NAND and various other similar specifications. Also, the companies claim the same 560/530 MB/s theoretical read/write speed in both.
All these similarities put the buyers in a confusion and they generally find it tough to make a wise decision. So, I am here again to give you a clear answer. In this article, I will compare all the possible aspects of these SSDs so that you can reach a definite solution. So, without any further delays, let’s get started.
1. Theoretical Specifications (Comparison)
| Specification | WD Blue 3D (1TB) | Samsung 870 Evo (1TB) |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential Read Speed | 560 MB/s | 560 MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | 530 MB/s | 530 MB/s |
| Random Read (IOPS) | 95K | 98K |
| Random Write (IOPS) | 81K | 88K |
| TBW | 400 TBW | 600 TBW |
| Interface | SATA/AHCI | SATA/AHCI |
| Form Factor | 2.5″ and M.2 SATA | 2.5″ SATA |
| Capacities | 250 GB to 4 TB | 250 GB to 4 TB |
| Warranty | Limited 5-Years | Limited 5-Years |
| Check Availability | Amazon | Amazon |
With this comparison, you can observe that both of these SSDs are offering almost similar features. But, the 870 EVO has better reliability because of its 600 TBW as compared to WD Blue’s 400 TBW. However, if we look at the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure), the WD Blue 3D has 1.75 Million hours and Samsung 870 EVO has 1.50 Million Hours. Overall, with this comparison, these both look almost similar. So, let’s proceed further to find some more differences.
2. Synthetic Benchmark Scores (Comparison)
The test PC used an Intel Core i5 8th Gen processor along with a 3200 MHz DDR4 8GB RAM. The software was CrystalDiskMark 8 as usual.
| Parameter | WD Blue 3D 2.5″(1TB) | Samsung 870 EVO (1TB) |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential Read | 471 MB/s | 492 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 453 MB/s | 471 MB/s |
| Random 4K Read | 37.8MB/s | 63.2 MB/s |
| Random 4K Write | 92.1 MB/s | 114.9 MB/s |
| Deep Queue 4K Read | 339.9 MB/s | 347.2 MB/s |
| Deep Queue 4K Write | 324.1 MB/s | 331.7 MB/s |
These all are the average results that were calculated after multiple tests done on the CrystalDiskMark software. Obviously, these results are not going to be the same everywhere on all the computers. The total speed will vary on the overall specifications of your computer/laptop. Also, the total space filled by your SSD and its storage variant will also impact the overall read/write speed.
If we talk about the results, the Samsung 870 EVO was clearly beating the WD Blue 3D in all aspects.
3. OS and Software Booting (Comparison)
SSDs are known for their great features for reducing the overall software and system booting times. SATA SSDs don’t do a lot in reducing that time but their offerings are surely way better than what you get with the normal HDDs. Let’s see what you can expect from these SSDs.
| Software/OS | WD Blue 3D (1TB) | Samsung 870 EVO (1TB) |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 Home (Ready to use) | In 24 Seconds | In 19 Seconds |
| Fortnite (Chapter 2) | 44 Seconds | 39 Seconds |
| Adobe Photoshop CC | 18 Seconds | 14 Seconds |
| Adobe Premiere Pro | 31 Seconds | 32 Seconds |
| Google Chrome | Within 5 Seconds (First Boot) | Within 4 Seconds (First Boot) |
| Blender (Animation Software) | 35 Seconds | 32 Seconds |
Not very big differences but the Samsung 870 EVO is again outperforming the WD Blue 3D SSD.
4. Technical Specifications
You should consider checking the technical specification while doing any SSD purchase or a simple comparison. It will always help you to make a fine decision no matter what the companies have to say about their products. Let’s see the main tech specs of these SSDs and compare them.
| Specifications | WD Blue 3D | Samsung 870 EVO |
|---|---|---|
| NAND Type | Sandisk’s TLC 3D | Samsung’s TLC 3D |
| NAND Layers | 64 | 128 |
| Cache Type | DRAM Cache | DRAM Cache |
| Controller | Marvell 88SS1074 | Samsung MKX |
| Controller Configurations | Dual-Core, 4-Channels | Three-core, 8-Channels |
| T.R.I.M. | Yes | Yes |
| S.M.A.R.T. | Yes | Yes |
| Encryption | Not Available | AES 256-bit Full Disk Encryption |
You can see that although these both are using the TLC (Triple-Layer Cell) NAND, the 870 EVO has more layers and this is an advantage. The DRAM cache is surely better in Samsung 870 EVO and so are is the controller. So, you can say that the 870 EVO is able to perform better because of its faster 128 layers NAND, LPDDR4 DRAM Cache, and three-core controller.
5. Price
The Samsung 870 EVO is definitely providing you with the best features in all terms. We saw that in the sections above. But, as you can imagine, the price of this SSD is also going to be higher. Although, there is not a very huge difference, still, you will have to pay a little bit more to buy Samsung 870 EVO. The prices keep changing and the biggest deciding factor for the price will be your geographical location.
Conclusion: Which one should you buy?
I would not say you should buy Samsung 870 EVO directly because I know WD Blue 3D is a completely perfect product as well. But, here the Samsung 870 EVO was winning. So, if you want just the performance and Samsung’s reliability, you can go for 870 EVO by paying a little bit more.
However, the WD Blue 3D is available for a cheaper price and still has all the required specifications to compete with the 870 EVO Plus. So, it can be a good fit for the budget builds and upgrades.
Thanks for reading!
