This morning at its What’s Next Western Digital Event, the company unveiled the latest additions to its WD_BLACK gaming SSD lineup. Looking to offer gamers more options for upgrading their PC or console storage capabilities, WD unsheathed the new WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD and WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive SSD with the latest PCIe technologies and latency optimizations. Head below the fold for a look at the additions to the WD_BLACK gaming SSD lineup.
New WD_BLACK gaming SSD models unleashed today
The WD_BLACK already makes a number of notable external solutions for gamers with Game Drive products as well as some of our favorite internal storage options for your PC battle station – like the SN850 NVMe Internal gaming SSDs. And today, the brand has introduced the world to the latest additions in both SKUs.
Living at the intersection of technology and entertainment, the WD_BLACK brand provides innovative, custom-built storage solutions that offer the ultimate in performance and style.
First up is the WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD. This WD_BLACK gaming SSD is “optimized for hardcore gamers looking for unparalleled performance” with an internal PCIe Gen4 architecture and “breakneck” speeds up to 7,300 MB/s. From there, you’ll also find predictive loading and adaptive thermal management with an optional heat sink on the 1TB and 2TB models as well as RGB lighting and more controlled through the Game Mode 2.0 WD_BLACK Dashboard.
With minimized latency, predictive loading and adaptive thermals management, gamers can expect an incredible gaming experience with fast load-times, rich visual experience, and uncompromising thermal performance. The downloadable WD_BLACK Dashboard with its new Game Mode 2.0 (Windows only) unlocks PC performance-boosting features so gamers can play, stream, record, and dominate at the top of their game.
The new internal gaming SSD comes in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities starting from $189.99 and will begin selling in July 2022.
Next up in Western Digital’s new gaming SSD lineup is the latest addition to its external Game Drive family: the WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive SSD. As expected, this one is aimed at folks looking to bolster portable storage with up to 2,000MB/s speed ratings, a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface, and similar customizable RGB lighting via the WD_BLACK Dashboard that can be synced with existing RGB ecosystems.
Created for gamers looking for portable storage with both performance and style, the WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive SSD features a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface and blazing read speeds of up to 2,000MB/s paired with customizable RGB lighting (Windows only). The downloadable WD_BLACK Dashboard gives full control over the LED light display and can be synced with many existing RGB ecosystems for a setup that can be personalized to any gamer’s style. With a sleek, compact, and shock-resistant design, it’s the perfect option for gaming on the go.
The P40 Game Drive WD_BLACK gaming SSD will launch in “summer 2022” with 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities starting at $119.99 shipped.
Electronicsforward’ Take:
The WD_BLACK gaming SSD lineup has always been a notable option for gamers looking to bolster their battle stations with gaming-focused storage medium. With the new WD_BLACK SN850X models maxing out at a particularly fast 7,300MB/s – which is about as fast it gets from the competition, especially in this price range – gamers will certainly have to consider building or upgrading machines with this model in mind come July. While the Game Drive lineup has seemingly always been a little pricier than more generic portable SSDs from other top brands while delivering most of the same functionality, you’re certainly not going to find the customizable RGB lighting on most of the nongamer focused products out there.
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