Western Digital Releases 4TB Version of SN5000, But with QLC Flash Particles

Western Digital has updated its popular WD Blue SN5000 series with a new 4TB version, in addition to the existing 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB models. However, this new version uses WD BiCS 6 QLC flash particles, which may raise some concerns.

It's worth noting that the other capacity versions of the SN5000 use TLC flash particles, while QLC flash particles have been less popular among consumers due to concerns about their lifespan. Therefore, if you're planning to purchase this product, it's essential to understand the characteristics of QLC flash particles.

The SN5000 4TB version uses a WD controller chip with 4 channels but no DRAM, and has an M.2 2280 form factor with NVMe protocol. Western Digital claims that this drive provides better performance than the other capacity versions of the SN5000.

In general, QLC flash particles may have lower performance under high loads compared to TLC flash particles. However, the SN5000 other versions use BiCS 5 TLC 112-layer particles, and it's unclear whether the improved performance is due to the BiCS 6 QLC technology.

In any case, we want to remind everyone that if you're considering purchasing a solid-state drive with QLC particles, you should carefully understand the characteristics of these particles and estimate your usage. We don't need to discuss the QLC controversy, but it's not necessarily a bad choice if you're not expecting extremely high read and write volumes.

Here are the main specifications of the SN5000 4TB version:

• Model number: WDS400T4B0E
• Controller chip: WD 4-channel without DRAM
• Protocol: PCIe 4.0
• Flash particles: WD BiCS 6 QLC
• Sequential read: 5,500MB/s
• Sequential write: 5,000MB/s
• Random read: 690K IOPS
• Random write: 800K IOPS
• Peak power: approximately 6.3W (uncertain)
• Cache module: with SLC cache
• Encryption: TCG Pyrite encryption
• Warranty: 5 years
• Drive life: 1,200TBW / 0.16 DWPD
• Retail price: $280