Compare WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB and TeamGroup MP44 4TB: prices, speeds, $/TB. Which to buy in July 2026? Full spec breakdown.
WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB vs TeamGroup MP44 4TB pits two different generations against each other at 4 TB. The question isn't which is faster on paper — that's settled — it's whether the bandwidth gap shows up in your specific workload.
Hardware-wise, the WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB runs on an SMI SM2508 controller that drew industry attention in 2024 for finally taming Gen 5 thermals. The TeamGroup MP44 4TB pairs a MAP1602 controller built specifically for DRAM-less HMB designs.
Price separates these two meaningfully. The TeamGroup MP44 4TB costs $128.25/TB versus $175.00/TB for the WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB — a 27% premium that needs justification in real benchmarks, not just spec-sheet bragging.
In the read department, the WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB leads by roughly 7 GB/s. The difference is more academic than practical for typical use, but it does matter for video editors moving multi-GB project files.
Write performance separates them too. The WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB sustains 11,000 MB/s writes versus 6,000 MB/s for the TeamGroup MP44 4TB — a real advantage for video editors and anyone doing heavy file operations.
The WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB carries a dedicated DRAM chip for FTL (Flash Translation Layer) mapping; the TeamGroup MP44 4TB relies on HMB (Host Memory Buffer), borrowing 64 MB from system RAM. The practical gap shows up only under sustained random write loads.
If this purchase is for a PS5 storage expansion, the comparison flattens — Sony's PCIe Gen 4 controller normalizes both WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB and TeamGroup MP44 4TB to roughly equal in-game load times. The cheaper drive is the smart pick. The leap from Gen 4 to Gen 5 doubles peak throughput on paper but produces single-digit-percent improvements in game load times, OS boot, and most productivity benchmarks. The TeamGroup MP44 4TB is the better default unless you have a specific workload that needs the extra lanes. For content creators routinely rendering 4K or 8K video, the WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB's 11,000 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 SN8100 4TB nor TeamGroup MP44 4TB fits without modification.
Market context: the WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB ranks #3 of 6 Gen 5 4 TB drives we track by $/TB, while the TeamGroup MP44 4TB ranks #2 of 6 Gen 4 4 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.
As of July 27, 2026, these tracked drives undercut both the WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB and TeamGroup MP44 4TB on $/TB:
Pick the WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB if you value meaningfully faster reads (14,900 MB/s), higher sustained writes (11,000 MB/s), and a dedicated DRAM cache chip.
Pick the TeamGroup MP44 4TB if you value the lower retail price ($513 vs $700), and better $/TB economics ($128.25/TB). The TeamGroup MP44 4TB captures the value tier well: same NAND class as flagships, paired with a DRAM-less controller that costs less and uses HMB for the address-mapping table.