Western Digital has unveiled its latest innovation, the 8TB SN850X SSD, pushing the boundaries of storage technology. This new model not only offers substantial capacity but also raises questions about its practical applications in an era dominated by rapid internet speeds and cloud storage solutions.
The SN850X features a proprietary Sandisk controller and Kioxia's advanced 162-layer BiCS6 TLC NAND, delivering impressive sequential read speeds of around 7,100 MB/s and write speeds of 6,590 MB/s. However, its random 4K performance lags behind competitors, with read speeds of just 72 MB/s, making it less ideal for gaming.
Despite its high capacity and impressive specs, potential users must consider reliability and data management. The risk of data loss on a single large drive could outweigh the convenience it offers. As prices for SSDs continue to drop dramatically, the future of storage technology looks promising, with hopes for even larger capacities at more affordable prices.