Both these devices have a storage capacity of up to 2 TB, they are compatible with PlayStation 5 and have a sequential read speed of 7000Mb/s, besides having equal TBW (find below).
Here the Samsung 980 Pro offers a flexible product range ans is only compatible with PCIe 4.0 and 3.0.
On the other side, the lighter in weight, WD Black SN850 is compatible with windows 8.1, 10, PCIe 4.0 and 3.0, and backward Compatible with many previous versions of PCIe.
This device will also write files comparatively faster to the drive, let’s see why.
Table of Contents
Side By Side Comparison:
| Technical Specs | Samsung 980 Pro | WD Black SN850 |
| Device type | SSD | SDD |
| Interface | PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 1.3c | PCIe Gen4 x4 |
| Hardware platform | Laptop, PC | PC, Mac |
| Warranty | 5 | 5 |
Overview of Samsung 980 Pro:
This device offers high-performance bandwidth for strong applications in gaming, graphics, etc.
It has an enhanced power competence perfect for building high-performance computing systems.
Additionally, PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD helps in delivering 2x the data transfer rate of PCIe 3.0.
It lacks behind its competitor in terms of compatibility with the windows version and sequential write speed.
Features of this device:
- Compatibility with PCIe 3.0 enables a 2x faster data transfer rate.
- Elpsis controller is designed to synchronize the flash memory and the interface for higher speed.
- Offers high-performance bandwidth and output for durable applications in gaming, data analytics, etc.
- It’s idyllic for high-performance systems.
- Consistent thermal control ensures constant performance.
- Supply operative thermal control of the NAND chip due to nickel coating.
Overview of WD Black SN850:
On the flip, this is an SSD that has a quite innovative speed.
It constitutes a PCIe Gen 4 technology suitable for your laptop and PC that helps in loading files quickly with read/to write speeds up to 7000/5300MB/s.
But it lacks behind its contender for being inflexible in its product range.
Features of this device:
- Next-gen PCIe Gen4 technology optimized for top-tier gaming.
- Ridiculously fast write speeds up to 5300MB/s (1TB).
- Modified and organized gaming experience with downloadable Western Digital Black Dashboard software (windows only).
- Tailored RGB lighting (Windows Only).
- The smooth heat sink model curtails thermal (Desktop PCs and PlayStation 5).
Common Features of Both:
- M.2 2280 form factor allows easy connectivity.
- Efficient performance with up to 2TB of storage capacity.
- Ridiculously fast read speeds up to 7000MB/s (1TB).
What their Design and Temperature Analysis Tell Us?
Samsung 980 PRO is rectangular with a black glossy background and sharp edges.
To the right corner, company’s name is written while just opposite to it on the top left model no. with meta descriptions of interface, form factor, and website information is written.
Both SSDs have almost the same dimensions with 980 Pro being relatively higher than its competitor.
Both SSDs have an equivalent form factor of M.2 (2280). Varying codes for M 2 determine the width and length of a specific module. “2280” denotes a component with 22 mm width and 80 mm length.
It is used in internally installed storage expansion cards. It competes with the industry specifications and is intended to empower high-performance storage in thin, power-constrained devices.
The more NAND flash chips can be fixed with longer drives hence enabling more capacity.
Both SSDs have a reliable operating temperature of 0°C to 70°C means both have an equivalent permissible temperature operating range.
| Parameter | 980 Pro | Black SN850 (non-heat sink) |
| Dimension in inches ( Lx W x D) | 0.87 × 3.15 × 0.09 | 0.86 × 3.14 × 0.09 |
| Weight, g | 8.22 | 7.5 |
| Color | Black | Black |
| Form factor | M.2 (2280) | M.2 (2280) |
| Operating temperature | 0 to 70°C | 0 to 70°C |
Which one is more endurable? (TBW Analysis)
TBW acronym for Tera Bytes written indicates the amount of data written to the SSD during its lifespan. It can also be stated as endurance.
The TBW parameter is important to monitor when buying an SSD as it shows how long a driver can be functioning before replacing it. Both contenders have an equivalent TBW.
Hence both will require replacement after the same amount of time and will operate for an alike period.
| Parameter | 980 Pro | Black SN850 |
| TBW (2TB) | 1200TB | 1200TB |
Differences in their Sequential Read/Write Speed:
Sequential read/write measures the speed at which the larger files can be read from or written to the drive. The higher the speed, the faster will be the transmission of files.
The sequential read speed of both SSDs is the same. But the sequential write speed of SN850 is higher than its opponent SSD. Hence it will write files comparatively faster to the drive.
| Parameter | 980 Pro | Black SN850 |
| Sequential Read Speed (1TB) | 7000Mb/s | 7000Mb/s |
| Sequential Write Speed (1TB) | 5000Mb/s | 5300Mb/s |
System Compatibility
Both contenders are compatible with PlayStation 5 which is an interactive gaming console designed primarily for entertainment. It is one of the most powerful productions of Sony to date.
It also hosts an ultra-fast SSD hard drive, authorizing lightning-fast loading speeds with a completely new experience.
The prime feature of windows 8.1 enables you to assess multiple start screen apps and move them to different parts of the screen and allows you to move and resize easily making it faster and better. It is only compatible with WD SN850.
Windows 10 is an improved version of the features of preceding version features.
It is inclusive, incorporated, and provides an enduring security defense to ensure safety.
It is only compatible with WD SN850.
PCIe, an acronym for The Peripheral Component Interconnect Express is a high-speed interface standard for linking supplementary graphics cards (GPUs), LAN ports, NVME SSDs, USB ports, and added hardware components to a processor’s motherboard.
PCIe compatibility of different versions has a variance of having different data transfer rates amongst them.
Its versions are only backward compatible with WD SN850 means it can use data and interfaces from former versions of the system while Samsung 980 Pro is only compatible with PCIe 4.0 and 3.0.
| Parameter | 980 Pro | Black SN850 |
| PlayStation 5 | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | No | 8.1, 10 |
| PCIe | PCIe 4.0 and 3.0 | Backward Compatible with: PCIe Gen3 x2 PCIe Gen3 x1 PCIe Gen2 x4 PCIe Gen2 x2 PCIe Gen2 x1 |
Storage Capacity
Both SSDs have a storage capacity of up to 2TB.
Whereas, 980 pro is more flexible in product range as compared to its competitor. It has four different sizes available while its competitor has only three sizes.
Hence, Samsung 980 pro provides you with a more flexible range (250 GB, 500GB ,1 & 2 TB) compared to Black SN850 (500GB, 1 & 2 TB).