Forward-looking: The faster a drive is, the more power it typically consumes. However, SanDisk appears to have cracked the code with a new PCIe 5.0 SSD that pushes the current interface to its speed limits while maintaining power consumption on par with modern Gen4 drives.
SanDisk, the flash storage division of Western Digital, unveiled a pair of new SSD platforms at an investor event last week. These are designed to strike a balance between performance and value.
Leading the premium tier is a new flagship drive poised to push the PCIe 5.0 interface to its limits. According to Tom’s Hardware, this SSD is expected to deliver blistering sequential read and write speeds of 14,500 MB/s and 14,000 MB/s, respectively, in its 2TB configuration. But here’s the real kicker – it achieves those speeds while consuming just 7 watts of power.
To put that efficiency into perspective, most current Gen4 drives hover around the 7W mark, while the fastest Gen5 offerings on the market often draw closer to 10W under peak loads. Sources suggest this new drive could be powered by Silicon Motion’s highly efficient SM2508 controller.
The as-yet-unnamed drive will share SanDisk’s performance-oriented TLC NAND platform with the existing WD Black gaming SSD family. Capacities will range from 512GB to a spacious 4TB when it launches in Q2 2025.
SanDisk is also introducing a new value-focused QLC-based SSD platform that retains PCIe 4.0 connectivity, with storage capacities topping out at 2TB. One drive based on this platform is the Western Digital PC SN5100S, which delivers a 53 percent boost in random read speeds and a 44 percent improvement in random write performance compared to its predecessor, the SN5000S.
When it comes to QLC NAND, SanDisk has ambitious plans to ramp up adoption of this higher-density (but shorter-lived) flash. The company aims to have QLC technology power 75 percent of its storage lineup by 2028 to maximize capacity. At the same time, it is preparing for a full transition from PCIe Gen4 to the Gen5 standard within the same time frame.
Both of these new SSD families will leverage Western Digital’s latest 3D BiCS8 NAND flash to push performance boundaries even further.
All in all, while SanDisk may have a fresh coat of paint, its commitment to flash storage innovation shows no signs of slowing down.