Why You Can Trust CNET WD's first super-fast Black PCIe solid-state drive jumps ahead to the new normal at CES
The new M.2-design drive is many times faster than traditional SATA-based SSDs.
The WD Black PCIe solid-state drive.
WD announced today at CES 2017 the availability of its new WD Black PCIe solid-state drive, which is the first WD-branded PCIe SSD since the company bought SanDisk in 2016.
More from CES 2017
WD says the new drive supports the PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe standard and has a top sequential read speed of up to 2,050MBps and a write speed of up to 800MBps, many times faster than any SATA SSD, such as the WD Blue it announced late last year.
Shop for WD Black PCIe SSD (512GB)
See all pricesKeep in mind that this drive requires an M.2 slot, which is a new upcoming interface standard that's expected to replace SATA completely in the future. Many laptops and new desktop motherboards now have an M.2 slot built in. Some existing desktops can be upgraded to it via a PCIe add-on card.
WD says the WD Black PCIe SSDs will be available in 256GB and 512GB capacities in the first half of 2017 at a suggested price of $109 and $200, respectively. That converts to about £90 and £160 or AU$150 and AU$275. The drive will carry a five-year warranty.
See all CNET's CES 2017 coverage here.
