Computer hard drive manufacturer Western Digital is releasing two new solid state drives with a focus towards gamers. The two new additions are joining the gaming specific WD Black line of products.

Western Digital originally spearheaded the WD Black line to combat the fatigue of needing to delete games to install new ones. When the original products launched the average gamer just didn’t have enough space to keep everything installed. As games continued to require more and more installation space it quickly came down to a choice of whether or not to bother playing something new.

Or, thanks to Western Digital, buying storage devices designed to hold way more than a standard console could.

“We’re inspired by the unique ways in which players experience their games and are committed to working with the best technology partners to develop solutions that help them break barriers,” said Western Digital’s Rob Soderbery. “Our diverse WD Black portfolio ensures that gamers are equipped to conquer today’s games and prepared for what’s next.”

The two new SSDs cover both internal and external storage needs, so choosing which one is right for you depends entirely on you.

The drives

WD Black SN850X NVMe SSD. This internal PCIe Gen4 SSD offers read speeds of up to 7,300 MB/s. It’s designed for minimized latency, predictive loading and adaptive thermal management. It utilizes the Windows-only WD Black Dashboard so gamers can play, stream and record gameplay. The SN850X comes in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities, and the 1TB and 2TB models have an optimal heatsink. It also comes with RGB lighting built in. The drive starts at $189.99 and will be available in July 2022.

One thing to note about the SN850X: PCIe Gen 4 has specific motherboard needs to reach maximum speed. Make sure you’ve got the goods before you throw down on this monster of a drive. The SN850X is also backwards compatible with PCIe Gen3 motherboards, as well.

WD Black P40 Game Drive SSD. This is the portable option of the new releases. The P40 runs a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface, and offers read speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s. It’s also got RGB built in, and the WD Black Dashboard lets gamers fully control the lighting. It can also be synched up with lots of RGB ecosystems to fit in with any gamers particular setup. The P40 is designed to be sleek and shock resistant to protect against the bangs and bumps that come with gaming on the go. It will have 500GB, 1TB and 2TB options, starting at $119.99 and launching in the summer of 2022.

It’s shameful to admit, but my home PC setup doesn’t even have an SSD. I’ve been rocking the same 1TB HDD from computer to computer since, like, 2010. The stats on the SN850X have me absolutely salivating.

It might be time for an upgrade.

By: DocMemory
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