Recent computing equipment typically supports the 16Gbps PCIe 4.0 protocol as its baseline data transfer/SSD storage technology.
While Gen 4 is slowly being supplanted by 32Gbps PCIe 5.0 (most computers mix the two), the difference in real-world performance is not as great as you might think. A lot of software, which unfortunately includes Windows, can’t take full advantage. Alas, PCIe 5.0 still demands a hefty surcharge.
WD Black SN7100 SSD/SanDisk Optimux GX 7100
As to surcharges… At the time we were bringing this article up to date, SSD prices were soaring and availability shrinking — thanks in large part to the AI gold rush. Hence, the newly researched prices shown below will not match the older ones in the linked reviews.
The recommendations below represent the cream of the nearly three dozen PCIe 4.0 SSDs that we’ve reviewed, best suited for a variety of needs. Whether you want to upgrade or add more storage, there’s a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD for you. Read on to learn more, including what to look for.
Why you should trust PCWorld for PCIe 4.0 SSD reviews and buying advice: We’re not called PCWorld for nothing. Our reviewers have been testing PC hardware for decades. Our storage evaluations are exhaustive, testing the limits of every product — from performance benchmarks to the practicalities of regular use. As PC users ourselves, we know what makes a killer product stand out. Only the best SSDs have made our list of picks.
Those looking for top sequential performance for a bit less money should be all over the WD Black SN7100, which is still available under that name but will be sold as the SanDisk Optimux GX 7100 going forward. (SanDisk was acquired, then recently divested by WD.)
We were wowed by the 2TB SN7100’s host memory buffer (HMB) performance, though it was supplanted as number one by an extremely narrow margin by the Lexar Play 2280. However, unlike the latter, we were still able to find the Black SN7100 for sale online at the time of this writing, hence it’s our best of pick.
There’s a trade-off with HMB (host memory buffer) design SSDs, such as the SN7100. They use the host system’s memory for primary caching duties, which can actually result in slightly faster sequential transfers, but weaker random performance. In other words, DRAM drives offer significantly better random/4K file performance if that’s what you’re looking for.
Why might you want better random performance? For a slightly snappier OS experience, though this can be very hard to spot with the naked eye.
The Black SN7100 carries the industry standard five-year warranty / 600TBW rating (terabytes that can be written) per TB, and you’re looking at probably the best PCIe 4.0 SSD for average users as well as gamers.
Read our full
WD Black SN7100 review
It’s hard to describe any SSD these days as “budget,” but you will currently save quite a few bucks with this DRAM-less (HMB/Host Memory Buffer) design. Once available at 2TB for $150, that drive is now $285. Thanks, OpenAI. That said, the SN5100, now remonikered as the SanDisk Optimus 5100, is still available which can’t be said for a lot of the competition.
The WD Blue SN5100 is the successor to our former bargain pick — the WD Blue SN5000. The newer drive does better in most tests, most markedly in sustained/sequential throughput. At the moment, the pricing is exactly the same, so we say go with the faster of the two.
In our testing, the Blue SN5100 ranked third among all the HMB SSDs we’ve tested — and was first by a large margin writing our 450GB file. You lose nothing in sequential performance these days with HMB.
