WD Black SSD M.2 WDS256G1X0C 256 GB

higher mathematics

WD Black SSD M.2 is one of the cheapest "true" M.2 drives that work through PCI-E 3.0 x4 (NVMe) interface. The manufacturer claims read and write speeds of 2050 and 700 Mbps, respectively. And if the first figure in fact turned out to be even higher (2150 MB / s), then the second is true only for files with a volume of less than 3 GB, which, however, was to be expected based on the low price. The reason for the drawdowns in write speed is SanDisk planar TLC memory (taken over by Western Digital) with a high speed for its class, but low by the standards of NVMe drives — 200 MB / s. And already the virtual SLC-array raises this figure to the claimed 700 MB / s.

Critical temperatures

The Marvell 88SS1093 smart controller, like the controllers of other NVMe SSDs, turned out to be pretty damn hot in fact. During continuous active operation, the temperature of the disk rises to 70°C, after which an emergency reduction in speeds begins. To prevent this from happening, we recommend getting a motherboard with a heatsink for an M.2 slot, or simply pointing a case fan at the drive.

It is not worth it

As a result, the WD Black M.2 turned out to be, undoubtedly, a very fast SSD with a five-year warranty, but at the same time too “capricious”. We can recommend it for purchase, perhaps, only to avid computer enthusiasts who like to brag about the performance of benchmarks to like-minded friends. For the rest, it is better to take a closer look at the less fast, but problem-free and exactly the same compact SATA-M.2 WD Green drive. In addition, Green, unlike Black, is guaranteed to be compatible with laptops with an M.2 slot that works exclusively in SATA mode.