WD Black NVMe SSD PCMark 8 Storage Benchmark Results
The PCMark 8 Storage benchmark tests the performance of SSDs, HDDs and hybrid drives with traces recorded from Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office and a selection of popular games. It can test the system drive or any other recognized storage device, including local external drives. Unlike synthetic storage tests, the PCMark 8 Storage benchmark highlights real-world performance differences between storage devices.
Despite having some write performance issues with our WD Black NVMe SSD, the drive still got an overall impressive score. I may need to test the drive further (with other systems) or hopefully get another one.
Price and Availability
The WD Black 3D NVMe SSD is now available; its MSRP are as follows: $109.99 for the 250GB, $199.99 for the 500GB and $399.99 for the 1TB. WD is offering a 5-year limited warranty, regardless of the capacity; or when maximum endurance (TBW) limit is reached, whichever comes first.
WD Black 3D NVMe SSD 1TB Review: Conclusion
I am impressed! Finally a WD Black drive that we deserve. The 2018 WD Black NVMe SSSD is definitely much better than what the company released last year – the WD Black PCIe NVMe SSD (2017) with blue PCB. The actual read and write performance are (very) impressive, despite having some write issues with the drive that we got. The only thing that I regret here is I wasn’t able to test and compare the drive with Samsung’s offering. But I reckon that this new WD Black NVMe SSD will be able to hold its ground just fine.
The use of WD’s in-house controller paired with 64-layer BiCS 3D TLC NAND; and the unique circuitry and design of the WD Black NVMe SSD is what enables this drive to achieve such blistering speeds. WD’s R&D has definitely paid off with this drive and it now poses a (serious) threat to other NVMe SSDs in the market.
I also appreciate that WD considered using a black PCB this time. This makes the drive aesthetically look pleasing and would blend nicely on a motherboard. The 600 TWB (for the 1TB capacity) and limited 5-year warranty is also much appreciated as well. However, I would like to see WD placing some data security features like AES 256-bit full disk encryption. Regular users or PC gamers may not need this feature, but there are some that consider this feature a must, especially if they are handling confidential data.
Finally, if you are looking for a fast, really fast storage drive for your system, WD got you covered with their new WD Black 3D NVMe SSD drives. It may lack a security feature compared to what others is offering, but we can’t ignore its impressive performance and competitive pricing. You really can’t go wrong with this drive.
