SSD WD Blue SN500 WDS500G1B0C

High-in-class sequential read and write speeds, even for large files. Very high IOPS.

The top model of the 3rd generation consumer M.2 SSD in the WD Blue series. It has an impressive capacity (500 GB), designed for connection to an M.2 port with a PCI-E 3.0 2x interface (with full support for NVMe 1.3). Made in the form of a frameless M.2 2280 form factor device. It is positioned as a product of the middle price category of the 2019 model year, designed for mid-range personal computers, laptops, mini PCs and top HTPC systems.

As a hardware basis, a SanDisk multi-channel bufferless controller is used, which works in conjunction with a 64-layer 3D TLC NAND BiCS3 flash memory from SanDisk. The WD SN500 2280 M.2 WDS500G1B0C SSD supports SMART monitoring, NCQ, TRIM, and high-speed SLC write caching with a 3GB static buffer. The performance of the device is quite enough for the vast majority of scenarios for domestic and professional use. Provides fast loading of the operating system, browsers (including those with many open windows), resource-intensive professional applications and games.

sky blue

The WD Blue SN500 is the epitome of the 2019 generation of low-cost SSDs. Against the background of its predecessors, it favorably stands out for its moderate price with a solid volume and fairly high speed. After all, this M.2 SSD does not work on the old slow SATA bus, but on the more advanced PCI-E 3.0 x2. Only the expensive PCI-E 3.0 x4 SSDs and the recently announced, but not yet commercially available PCI-E 4.0 SSDs are faster than it.

home kitchen

The Blue SN500 is a standard 2280 with a B&M key, making it suitable for desktop PCs and laptops, with the exception of some ultrabooks with a shortened 2242 or 2260 slot. This SSD is based on SanDisk's proprietary 20-82-10018-A1 controller (recall that WD bought SanDisk a few years earlier).

compromise solution

The 3D TLC flash memory chips are also made by SanDisk. But a separate buffer RAM chip is not provided in order to save money. But it's good that the Blue SN500 does not eat away part of the system-wide RAM, as some other SSDs do (Host Memory Buffer technology). A small RAM cache is integrated directly into the controller.

Ups and downs

Claimed sequential read and write speeds are 1700 Mbps (which is the practical maximum of the PCI-E 3.0 x2 bus) and 1450 Mbps, respectively. Naturally, the 3D TLC type of flash memory is forced to reduce the write speed of very large files after the virtual array is full. Fortunately, even after a decrease, the write speed remains quite high — about 700 – 800 MB / s (most competitors sag as much as 500 MB / s).

Little aristocrat

All in all, the WD Blue SN500 is one of the fastest PCI-E 3.0 x2 SSDs on the market. Due to the high sequential write speed outside the virtual array (a merit of selected flash memory), as well as in terms of IOPS up to 300K (already a merit of a powerful controller), it can already compete with many SSDs in a class and price higher — PCI-E 3.0 x4. The warranty is also extended, more typical of flagship SSDs — five years.