Side-by-side: WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB ($220) vs Crucial T500 2TB ($369). $/TB winner, specs, real-world picks for July 2026.
Both run on Gen 4 hardware but at different capacities: 1 TB for the WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB versus 2 TB for the Crucial T500 2TB. Whether the larger drive's $/TB advantage justifies the higher upfront cost depends on how much you actually need.
Hardware-wise, the WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB runs on WD's G2 controller — manufactured by SanDisk and tuned for low-latency gaming workloads. The Crucial T500 2TB pairs the Phison E25 — a refined Gen 4 controller widely used in mid-range NVMe drives.
Prices favor the Crucial T500 2TB by $35.50/TB ($184.50/TB versus $220.00/TB). Not a huge gap, but enough to be the tiebreaker if performance is similar.
Endurance leans toward the Crucial T500 2TB at 1,200 TBW (versus 600 TBW for the WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB). For most consumers this never becomes a real concern — 600 TBW lasts a decade of normal writes — but heavy daily writers should weight it.
For PS5 expansion, both are PCIe Gen 4 M.2 2280 drives that meet Sony's minimum spec (7,300 MB/s read). The console can't take advantage of speeds beyond that, so save money by choosing the Crucial T500 2TB. Video editors will gravitate toward the Crucial T500 2TB for its write headroom (7,000 MB/s sustained). Project saves and proxies move faster, which compounds across a workday. Heads-up — these are full-length 2280 drives. Steam Deck and most current handhelds require shorter 2230 modules, so check capacity-specific 2230 variants if that's your target platform.
Market context: the WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB ranks #2 of 4 Gen 4 1 TB drives we track by $/TB, while the Crucial T500 2TB ranks #9 of 11 Gen 4 2 TB drives. Neither cracks the top of the value table, so it's worth glancing at the alternatives below before picking either.
Go with the WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB for the lower retail price ($220 vs $369). Among Gen 4 flagships, the SN850X strikes a sweet spot — premium silicon at sub-Samsung pricing, with WD's established RMA process to back it up.
Go with the Crucial T500 2TB for better $/TB economics ($184.50/TB), and a higher TBW endurance rating (1,200 TBW). Crucial drives benefit from being a direct Micron product — the same NAND that powers competitors' drives, but at lower margins.