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BIWIN Black Opal NV7400 Gen4 SSD 1TB vs WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against NVMe SSDs at a similar price

The WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB scores 7.1/10 overall, ahead of the BIWIN Black Opal NV7400 Gen4 SSD 1TB at 6.2/10.

The BIWIN Black Opal NV7400 Gen4 SSD 1TB leads on efficiency and thermals.

The WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB leads on performance, endurance and warranty.

They score the same on software.

Black Opal NV7400 Gen4 SSD

BIWIN Black Opal NV7400 Gen4 SSD 1TB

6.2/10verdict: wait for deal

The Black Opal NV7400 is a PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 drive for builders who want fast sequential speeds and a 5-year warranty. It suits gaming PCs, workstations and laptops where a single-sided drive with a bundled thermal pad is useful. It is less suited to anyone who needs steady writes under heavy sustained load or strong small random I/O.

Typically about £268.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD, 1TB, without heatsink

WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

7.1/10verdict: buy

The SN850X 1TB without a heatsink is for buyers who want a fast PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 drive for a desktop or a PS5. It suits people who already have a motherboard heatsink or good case airflow. It is less suited to anyone who needs Linux or macOS drive tooling or has no cooling for the drive.

Typically about £178.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightBIWIN Black Opal NV7400 Gen4 SSD 1TBWD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB
Performance35%6/108/10
Endurance20%6/107/10
Warranty15%8/109/10
Efficiency and thermals15%6/105/10
Software15%5/105/10
Overall6.2/107.1/10

Specifications

SpecBIWIN Black Opal NV7400 Gen4 SSD 1TBWD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB
InterfacePCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 2.0PCIe 4.0 x4
Sequential read7400 MB/s per manufacturer spec table for 1TB; manufacturer headline and Amazon listing say up to 7450 MB/s7,300 MB/s
Sequential write6500 MB/s6,300 MB/s
Endurance (2TB)1000 TBW (1TB)600 TBW
Form factorM.2 2280, single-sidedM.2 2280
Warranty5-year limited warranty with free replacement5-Year Limited Warranty

Strengths and weaknesses

BIWIN Black Opal NV7400 Gen4 SSD 1TB

  • + Rated 7400MB/s read and 6500MB/s write
  • + 5-year warranty with free replacement
  • + Single-sided M.2 2280 with graphene thermal pad
  • − DRAM-less, and writes slow once cache is exhausted
  • − Weaker small random I/O than a rival
  • − Reliability reports mixed and anecdotal

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who need steady write speed under long sustained loads
  • Anyone whose workload leans on small random I/O
  • Buyers who need documented firmware update tooling
Read the full BIWIN Black Opal NV7400 Gen4 SSD 1TB review ›

WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

  • + Rated 7,300 MB/s read and 6,300 MB/s write
  • + 5-year limited warranty
  • + Owners report easy installation and PS5 compatibility
  • − Owners report it runs hot without a heatsink
  • − WD_BLACK Dashboard is Windows only
  • − Owners note a price premium over cheaper drives

Skip it if:

  • Buyers with no heatsink or airflow for the M.2 slot, who may prefer the heatsink version
  • Linux or macOS users who want vendor firmware tooling
  • Budget buyers who would rather pay less for a cheaper drive
Read the full WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB review ›

More comparisons

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