Say goodbye to load times with Sandisk's fastest SSD yet

Sandisk has just thrown down the gauntlet in the storage world, unveiling what it's calling the "world’s fastest PCIe Gen 5.0 NVMe SSD". The rather menacingly named WD Black SN8100 NVMe SSD. This drive is aimed squarely at high-performance users, promising face-melting speeds of up to 14,900 MB/s read and capacities stretching all the way up to a whopping 8TB. If your gaming rig, content creation workstation, or AI setup is crying out for a speed boost, this SSD might be the answer.

This new drive isn't just about raw speed; Sandisk is also highlighting its power efficiency, stating it's 100% more power efficient than their previous high-performance PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD. The WD Black SN8100 leverages advanced Sandisk BiCS8 TLC 3D CBA NAND technology, which contributes to this performance and efficiency, all while maintaining a low-power profile and optimised thermal performance to keep things from getting too toasty inside your machine.

For those demanding peak performance, the 2TB and 4TB models boast sequential read speeds up to 14,900MB/s and write speeds up to 14,000MB/s, with over 2,300,000 IOPS for random performance. That’s a serious jump, offering a 2x performance improvement in read speeds over Sandisk’s previous PCIe Gen 4.0 offerings. It's built to handle intense tasks like gaming with the latest graphics, editing high-quality 4K and 8K content, and running demanding AI applications, with an endurance rating of up to 2,400TBW for the 4TB model.

Sandisk is also offering an optional version of the WD_BLACK SN8100 that comes with an integrated, low-profile passive heatsink made from anodised aluminium; no noisy fans needed here. Plus, for those who love a bit of visual flair, the heatsink version includes customisable RGB LED lighting to match your rig's style.

The WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD is available for purchase now through leading IT reseller partners and e-commerce platforms. The 1TB model starts at Rs 17,499. The heatsink version will follow this fall, with the 1TB heatsink model priced at Rs 18,999. Both standard and heatsink versions in 2TB and 4TB capacities are also on the way, with an 8TB monster version for both types expected later this year.