Samsung 9100 PRO 4TB ($1079) vs WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB ($849). $/TB analysis, performance, and use-case recommendations.
Samsung 9100 PRO 4TB and WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB are direct competitors — same generation, same capacity. Choose by controller behavior under sustained load, DRAM/HMB cache strategy, and $/TB economics.
Hardware-wise, the Samsung 9100 PRO 4TB runs on the proprietary Samsung Presto silicon found only in the 9100 PRO line. The WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB pairs SMI's SM2508 silicon, which became the default Gen 5 controller for power-conscious flagships.
The cheaper drive — WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB at $212.25/TB — saves you $57.50 per TB versus the Samsung 9100 PRO 4TB. Worth it if you're capacity-constrained; either works if you just want one fast drive.
Heading to a PlayStation 5? Both drives drop into the console's M.2 bay and report identical real-world benchmarks since the PS5 caps storage at PCIe 4.0 speeds. The WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB wins this matchup on $/TB. For content creators routinely rendering 4K or 8K video, the Samsung 9100 PRO 4TB's 13,400 MB/s sustained write is the deciding factor — multi-GB project files land noticeably faster than on the alternative. Note for handheld gamers: M.2 2280 is the desktop/laptop standard. Steam Deck and the ROG Ally line need 2230 drives — neither Samsung 9100 PRO 4TB nor WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB fits without modification.
Zoom out from this pair for a moment. Among the 6 Gen 5 4 TB drives we track, the Samsung 9100 PRO 4TB ranks #6 by $/TB and the WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB ranks #4. 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 Samsung 9100 PRO 4TB and WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB on $/TB:
The Samsung 9100 PRO 4TB is the right call if higher sustained writes (13,400 MB/s) matter to you. Among consumer SSD makers, Samsung's PRO series consistently scores highest on long-term reliability surveys (Backblaze, Puget Systems Q1 2026 data).
The WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB is the right call if the lower retail price ($849 vs $1079), and better $/TB economics ($212.25/TB) matter to you.