Both WD Blue SN570 and WD Blue SN550 are budget NVMe SSDs. If you ever try to find a good NVMe SSD from WD, you will get to see these recommendations for sure. So, it is very easy to get confused.
But, here in this article, I will highlight the differences and help you make your final decision without any worries. For your information, both of them are DRAM-Less SSDs.
If you look at the theoretical speeds, the Blue SN570 can reach up to the read/write speed of 3500 and 3000 MB/s.
Whereas the Blue SN550 can offer you the read/write speed of up to 2600 and 1800 MB/s.
We are here talking about the top storage variants i.e. 1TB of SN570 and 2TB of SN550. This comparison is going to specifically focus on the 1TB variants. However, you can easily consider this information for other variants as well. So, without any further delays, let’s get started.
1. Theoretical Specifications (Comparison)
| Specifications | WD Blue SN570 | WD Blue SN550 |
|---|---|---|
| Available Variants | 250GB – 1TB | 250GB – 2TB |
| Interface/Form Factor | x4 PCIe 3.0/NVMe/M.2 2280 | x4 PCIe 3.0/NVMe/M.2 2280 |
| Seq. Read Speed | Up to 3500 MB/s | Up to 2400 MB/s |
| Seq. Write Speed | Up to 3000 MB/s | Up to 1950 MB/s |
| Random Read 4K, QD32 (IOPS) | 250GB: Up to 190K 500GB: Up to 360K 1TB: Up to 460K | 250GB: Up to 165K 500GB: Up to 250K 1TB: Up to 345K 2TB: Up to 360K |
| Random Write 4K, QD32 (IOPS) | 250GB: Up to 210K 500GB: Up to 390K 1TB: Up to 450K | 250GB: Up to 160K 500GB: Up to 175K 1TB: Up to 385K 2TB: Up to 384K |
| Power Consumption | 5.3 W Maximum | 3.5 W Maximum |
| Warranty Period | 5 Years | 5 Years |
| Other Specifications | Product Datasheet | Product Datasheet |
| Image |  |  |
Price | Check Amazon | Check Amazon |
You can see that the SN570 is better in terms of speed and performance. However, if you are looking for a higher storage variant i.e. 2TB, only SN550 can offer you the same.
Read Brief SSD Buying Guide 2022
2. Synthetic Benchmark Scores (Comprison)
The test bench is equipped with an Intel Core i5 12600K CPU along with a 16GB DDR4 4800MHz RAM kit. The motherboard is MSI Pro Z690-A DDR5. Both the SSDs are 100% empty during the tests and 1TB variants are utilized to run the benchmark tests. Other variants may have different performance results.
Sequential Read/Write Performance Scores
For these tests, I have used the CrystalDiskMark software.
Random Read/Write Performance Scores
AS SSD Benchmark Scores
PCMark 10 Benchmarks
3. Software Booting Time (Comparison)
I tried using both SSDs on my Intel i5 8th Gen computer. It has 8GB DDR4 RAM. Then I tried firing up some software and games multiple times. Then I took an average of these results and created this comparison table to help you more with the selection.
| OS/Software | WD Blue SN570 | WD Blue SN550 |
|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | Within 4 Seconds | Within 3 Seconds |
| Adobe Photoshop | 11 Seconds Seconds | 14 Seconds Seconds |
| Fortnite | 38 Seconds | 44 Seconds |
| Blender Software | 22 Seconds | 25 Seconds |
| Tomb Raider | 21 Seconds | 27 Seconds |
Again, the WD Blue SN570 is able to open these software at a very fast pace. The SN550 is also not very behind but there is surely some difference.
4. Endurance
| Version (Capacity) | WD Blue SN570 (TBW) | WD Blue SN550 (TBW) |
|---|---|---|
| 250GB | 150 | 150 |
| 500GB | 300 | 300 |
| 1TB | 600 | 600 |
| 2TB | Version not available | 900 |
| Parameter | WD Blue SN570 | WD Blue SN550 |
|---|---|---|
| MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) | 1.5 Million Hours | 1.7 Million Hours |
| Warranty Period | 5 Years | 5 Years |
You can see that everything including the warranty period and TBW (Total TB Written) limits are exactly the same except the MTBF. The SN550 is surprisingly giving us a higher MTBG rating which means it will be comparatively long-lasting.
5. Technical Specifications (NAND, Cache, Controller)
| Specification | WD Blue SN570 SSD | WD Blue SN550 SSD |
|---|---|---|
| NAND Type | Sandisk’s TLC 3D NAND | Sandisk’s TLC 3D NAND |
| NAND Layers | 112 Layers | 96 Layers |
| Controller | WD Proprietary | WD Proprietary |
| Controller Configurations | – | Tri-core, Quad-Channels |
| Cache | SLC Cache | SLC Cache |
| DRAM | No | No |
The controller configurations of WD Blue SN550 are not disclosed by the company. However, all other technical specifications are either similar or the SN570 has better ones.
6. Price
Impressively, the price difference between these SSDs isn’t that much if you look at the specifications. Whether you buy them online or offline, the SN550 is going to be the cheaper one. But, again, the extra amount you are paying for the SN570 is completely worth it.
Which one to buy? WD Blue SN550 or WD Blue SN570
The best SSD in terms of performance is surely the WD Blue SN570. However, the SN550 is also offering great read/write speed. But, if you look at the difference in performance and the price, the SN570 will surely be a good pick for you. The SN550 is a good option for normal users, students, office workers, and even for some high-end tasks such as light gaming.
On the other hand, the SN570 is good for gamers, video editors, and other professionals who need very high data read/write speeds.
Keep a thing in mind that both of these are DRAM-Less SSDs. So, there could be some speed limitations when it comes to the random read/write operations. You can have a look at some of the popular DRAM NVMe SSD below.
Also Read: Best SSDs to upgrade your laptop in 2022
Some Alternatives to WD Blue SN550 and SN570
The main drawback of both these SSDs is the lack of DRAM. So, let’s have a look at some DRAM NVMe SSDs which will fulfill this requirement as well at almost a similar price.
| Image | Model | Features and Specs | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Samsung 970 Evo Plus (NVMe) | Capacity: 250GB – 2TB Interface: PCIe 3.0 Speed: 3500/2500 MB/s Endurance: 1200 TBW | Check Price! |
 | Kingston A2000 (NVMe) | Capacity: 250GB – 1TB Interface: PCIe 3.0 Speed: 2200/2000 MB/s Endurance: 600 TBW | Check Price |
 | Crucial P5 (NVMe) | Capacity: 250GB – 2TB Interface: PCIe 3.0 Speed: 3400/3000 MB/s Endurance: 1200 TBW | Check Price |
Thanks for reading!
