Head-to-head · Best PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSDs

Corsair MP700 Pro SE vs WD Black SN8100

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

Verdict is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page are affiliate links — if you click through and buy, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Our ratings are sourced from independent publications, not sponsors.

The short answer

WD Black SN8100 comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.4 vs 4.5). The gap is mostly about Buyers who want the fastest, coolest-running Gen5 drive without a bulky heatsink — read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #3 in Best PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSDs

Corsair MP700 Pro SE

4.4

8 sources$699.99as of Aug 1

The Corsair MP700 Pro SE comes within reach of the fastest consumer NVMe SSD crown, tying with the Crucial T705. PCWorld's Jon Jacobi found it only slightly behind the competition, with a 2GBps speed boost coming from upgraded 2,400MT/s NAND. The warranty runs a generous 5 years at 750TBW per TB of capacity, and an optional heatsink cooler is available. At $625 for 4TB it sits at the high end, though not outrageously so given the performance and warranty. Enthusiasts and power users who demand peak performance are the fit; casual users will find better value elsewhere.

Strengths

— Achieved near-top performance, tying with Crucial T705 for fastest consumer NVMe SSD tested
— Upgraded 2,400MT/s NAND delivers 2GBps faster speeds than previous MP700 Pro model
— Includes 5-year warranty with 750TBW per TB capacity, exceeding industry standard

Watch-outs

— Priced at $625 for 4TB model, making it expensive for a PCIe 5.0 SSD
— No pricing available for base 2TB version, though Hydro X series is $355
— Not the outright fastest: PCMag ranks it the second-fastest internal SSD it has tested, behind the Crucial T705

$699.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSDs

WD Black SN8100

4.5

3 sources1 derived$399.99as of Aug 1

Consumer PCIe 5.0 has a new performance benchmark in the WD Black SN8100, made by SanDisk. Tom's Hardware called it 'the fastest overall consumer SSD ever made,' and StorageReview measured it topping sequential charts at up to 15 GB/s reads and 14.1 GB/s writes, 'edging out even the Crucial T705 and Samsung 9100 Pro.' Efficiency is what sets it apart: the Silicon Motion SM2508 controller on a 6nm process draws far less power than the Phison E26 silicon in most rivals, so DongKnows (8.5/10) found it 'never became hotter than 85C, much less hot than the heatsink version of the Crucial T705.' Add record PCMark 10 scores and a 5-year, 1,200 TBW warranty and it is the most complete drive in this group. The catches are premium pricing and the need to supply your own cooling.

Strengths

— Fastest consumer SSD tested: up to 14,900 MB/s sequential reads and ~2.3M random read IOPS edge out the Crucial T705 and Samsung 9100 PRO
— Best-in-class power efficiency, drawing only 6.5W on reads, so it runs cooler than rival Phison E26 drives
— Silicon Motion SM2508 controller on a TSMC 6nm process avoids the heat problems that plague E26-based Gen5 SSDs

Watch-outs

— Premium flagship pricing, the only drawback Tom's Hardware listed against it
— Sold as a bare drive, so you still need motherboard or aftermarket M.2 cooling for sustained loads
— Gen5 speeds are overkill for gaming, where the gap over a good Gen4 drive is negligible

$399.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Corsair MP700 Pro SE

The Corsair MP700 Pro SE is the value enthusiast pick among the Phison-controller drives, effectively tying the Crucial T705 for top-tier consumer speed while adding a 5-year, 750-TBW-per-TB warranty and an optional cooler. It shares the hot-running Phison controller with the Crucial T705 and Seagate FireCuda 540, so it trails the cooler, faster WD Black SN8100, and it is pricier than the Crucial T705 at 4TB. It lacks the Samsung 9100 PRO's 1GB-per-TB DRAM. Pick it over the Crucial T705 for the warranty and cooler bundle; pick the WD Black SN8100 if thermals and outright speed lead.

WD Black SN8100

The WD Black SN8100 is the fastest drive in this group, beating the Crucial T705 and Samsung 9100 PRO in sequential throughput while drawing dramatically less power, so it runs cooler than the Corsair MP700 Pro SE and Crucial T705 without a fan. It uses a newer Silicon Motion controller, where the Corsair MP700 Pro SE, Crucial T705, and Seagate FireCuda 540 all share the same hotter Phison controller. It trades the Samsung 9100 PRO's 1GB-per-TB DRAM and Samsung's Magician ecosystem for higher peak speed and efficiency. Choose it over the Seagate FireCuda 540 if outright speed and thermals matter more than the FireCuda's data-recovery warranty.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Corsair MP700 Pro SE	WD Black SN8100
Interface	PCIe 5.0 x4	PCIe 5.0 x4 (NVMe 2.0)
Form Factor	2280	M.2 2280
NAND Type	TLC	SanDisk BiCS8 TLC 3D
DRAM Cache	2GB per TB	—
Capacity	1TB, 2TB, 4TB	—
Controller	Phison PS5026-E26	Silicon Motion SM2508 (6nm)
Warranty	5 years/750TBW per TB	5 years / 1,200 TBW (2TB)
Sequential Read	—	Up to 14,900 MB/s
Sequential Write	—	Up to 14,000 MB/s
Capacities	—	1TB, 2TB, 4TB

← See the full ranking of best pcie gen5 nvme ssds