Side-by-side: Crucial T710 1TB ($264) vs WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB ($249). $/TB winner, specs, real-world picks for September 2026.
This is a generational matchup at 1 TB: the older-gen drive offers proven reliability and better $/TB, while the newer-gen sibling brings raw bandwidth that most users never tap.
Hardware-wise, the Crucial T710 1TB runs on the SMI SM2508 — a 6nm Gen 5 controller running notably cooler than first-gen Phison E26 designs. The WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB pairs the proprietary WD G2 silicon, optimized for the WD_BLACK line.
Read speeds favor the Crucial T710 1TB: 14,900 MB/s versus 7,300 MB/s for the WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB, a 51% advantage. Sequential-heavy workloads notice; transactional workloads don't.
The Crucial T710 1TB writes about 48% faster (12,000 MB/s vs 6,300 MB/s). Whether that matters depends entirely on what you write to the drive — gameplay capture and large project saves benefit, browsing and gaming do not.
PS5 owners get no measurable benefit from either drive's peak speed because Sony's internal NVMe controller throttles to ~5,500 MB/s; treat Crucial T710 1TB and WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB as interchangeable here and let price decide. Comparing across generations always invites the same question: does the bandwidth gap convert into user-visible improvements? Honest answer for the Crucial T710 1TB vs WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB pairing: only for sustained sequential reads of multi-GB files. Heavy write workloads — video editing, RAW photo libraries, backup operations — favor the Crucial T710 1TB's 12,000 MB/s sustained write speed. Both drives use the 2280 form factor, which is too long for Steam Deck or ROG Ally — you'd need a 2230 variant if either manufacturer offers one, or a dedicated handheld-format drive instead.
Market context: the Crucial T710 1TB ranks #6 of 6 Gen 5 1 TB drives we track by $/TB, while the WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB ranks #3 of 4 Gen 4 1 TB drives. Neither cracks the top of the value table, so it's worth glancing at the alternatives below before picking either.
As of September 7, 2026, these tracked drives undercut both the Crucial T710 1TB and WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB on $/TB:
Go with the Crucial T710 1TB for meaningfully faster reads (14,900 MB/s), and higher sustained writes (12,000 MB/s). Crucial drives benefit from being a direct Micron product — the same NAND that powers competitors' drives, but at lower margins.
Go with the WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB for the lower retail price ($249 vs $264), and better $/TB economics ($249.00/TB). WD_BLACK's SN850X earned its reputation through consistent sustained performance under gaming workloads — fewer micro-stutters during open-world streaming than budget alternatives.