Compare WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB and WD Blue SN5100 1TB: prices, speeds, $/TB. Which to buy in July 2026? Full spec breakdown.
Both run on Gen 4 hardware but at different capacities: 2 TB for the WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB versus 1 TB for the WD Blue SN5100 1TB. Whether the larger drive's $/TB advantage justifies the higher upfront cost depends on how much you actually need.
Hardware-wise, the WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB runs on SanDisk's A101 controller, used in newer WD_BLACK SKUs after the SanDisk spinoff. The WD Blue SN5100 1TB pairs the SanDisk controller.
There's a modest pricing advantage for the WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB: $145.00/TB compared with $182.00/TB. For typical gaming and productivity, this becomes the deciding factor when specs are close.
WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB earns higher TBW ratings (1,200 vs 600 TBW) — relevant for sustained write workloads, irrelevant for everything else.
If this purchase is for a PS5 storage expansion, the comparison flattens — Sony's PCIe Gen 4 controller normalizes both WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB and WD Blue SN5100 1TB to roughly equal in-game load times. The cheaper drive is the smart pick. For content creators routinely rendering 4K or 8K video, the WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB's 6,900 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 WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB nor WD Blue SN5100 1TB fits without modification.
Market context: the WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB ranks #3 of 11 Gen 4 2 TB drives we track by $/TB, while the WD Blue SN5100 1TB ranks #1 of 4 Gen 4 1 TB drives. That puts at least one of them near the top of the value table — a reasonable head-to-head to be choosing from.
Pick the WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB if you value better $/TB economics ($145.00/TB), higher sustained writes (6,900 MB/s), and a higher TBW endurance rating (1,200 TBW).
Pick the WD Blue SN5100 1TB if you value the lower retail price ($182 vs $290).