PC World - USA (2020-02)

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