FEBRUARY 2020 PCWorld 63
48GB tests, but the SN550 is a compelling
improvement on its predecessor—and
considering the price, plenty fast enough.
BOTTOM LINE
The WD Blue SN550’s price, and its suitability
for the average user, are undeniable. It’s
definitely one of the top options in the
bargain NVMe market and from a trusted
brand name. Compare to the Kingston
KC2000 and the Addlink S70 (go.pcworld.
com/as70).
WD Blue SN550 NVMe M.2 SSD
PROS
- Extremely affordable at the 1TB capacity.
- Good everyday performance.
CONS - Drops to 835MBps during long copies.
BOTTOM LINE
A 1TB drive for $100 is easy to like, and we were
nearly all smiles with this notable improvement on
the Blue SN500. Only the slightly skimpy amount of
SLC cache wrinkled our brows. Note that the 250GB
capacity maxes out at 950MBps writing, rather than
the 1.75GBps at which we clocked the 1TB version.
$124
48GB Write
48GB Read
48GB copies
(Seconds)
LONGER BARS INDICATE BETTER PERFORMANCE
402
346
Tot al
48GB Folder Write
48GB Folder Read
In real-world copies, the SN550 matched the Addlink S70, but was off the pace of the Kingston KC2000.
Addlink S70
WD Blue SN550 WD Blue SN500
Kingston KC2000
347
305
137
141
126
121
155
148
143
128
65
28
45
28
45
29
33
28