It now runs automatically, detecting when games are loaded. WD claims it improves game loading times courtesy of a so-called 'read look-ahead' algorithm, which predictively caches game data. Rather more specific to this WD drive is the latest 2.0 version of the company's Game Mode drive management software. It improves game loading times courtesy of a so-called 'read look-ahead' algorithm, which predictively caches game data. What’s more, WD’s in-house controller chip, provided by compatriot SanDisk, has been revised, though detailed specifics aren't provided. But the 1TB model reviewed here is now the entry-level option. We’re talking four lanes of PCIe Gen 4 connectivity in the now ubiquitous M.2 2280 form factor. In many other regards, this X model is a dead ringer for the SN850. This SSD runs quite a bit cooler than even its forebear, the WD Black SN850. Our review configuration is clad head-to-toe in WD’s signature armour-style cooling, but it needn't have bothered. SK Hynix's Platinum P41 might just have the edge on performance, but the lead is so negligible that the less expensive SN850X is our pick of the current SSD crop. And it's the best one out there right now. Enter, therefore, the WD Black SN850X, something of a last hurrah for Gen 4 SSDs.
Your current PC almost certainly doesn’t have a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot. PCIe Gen 5 is now a thing on both AMD and Intel platforms.
