Best PCIe 3.0 Western Digital TLC SSDs
There are 6 PCIe 3.0 Western Digital TLC SSDs compared here. The fastest is the Western Digital WD BLACK™ AN1500 NVMe at 6500 MB/s read, and the highest-rated for endurance is the Western Digital SN750 (1200 TBW). Sequential reads across the group span 1450–6500 MB/s.
Why this configuration
A PCIe 3.0 Western Digital TLC SSD is an affordable NVMe step up from SATA. Gen3 is roughly six times SATA's throughput yet often costs little more, making it the easy default for a first NVMe drive or a laptop that only supports Gen3. Western Digital specifically tends to be chosen here for its firmware track record and warranty support.
Usually chosen for: budget builders, laptop upgraders and anyone leaving SATA behind.
Good fit: everyday all-rounder use, from OS drive to game library.
Ranked list
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Digital WD BLACK™ AN1500 NVMe 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Top-tier | SANDISK 20-82-00705 (WD Custom Con | 6500 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 2 | Western Digital SN750 1TB, 2TB | High-end | SANDISK 20-82-0070 10 (3 Core ARM- | 3470 | 1200 | Find on Amazon |
| 3 | Western Digital BLACK SN750 250GB, 500GB | High-end | SANDISK 20-82-0070 10 (3 Core ARM- | 3430 | 300 | Find on Amazon |
| 4 | Western Digital SN530 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Value | — | 2400 | 400 | Check price on Amazon |
| 5 | Western Digital BLUE SN550 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Value | SANDISK 20-82-0070 10 (3 Core ARM- | 2400 | 600 | Find on Amazon |
| 6 | Western Digital BLUE SN500 250GB, 500GB | Value | SANDISK 20-82-0070 10 (4MB de DRAM | 1450 | 300 | Find on Amazon |
The parts, explained
PCIe 3.0 x4 reaches about 3,500 MB/s — plenty for everyday use and gaming, and cheaper than Gen4.
TLC NAND is the mainstream choice — a solid balance of endurance, speed and cost.
Staying with Western Digital means consistent firmware, tooling and warranty handling across the range.