The Western Digital Blue (1TB) SSD Review: WD Returns to SSDs

Sequential Read Performance

The sequential read test requests 128kB blocks and tests queue depths ranging from 1 to 32. The queue depth is doubled every three minutes, for a total test duration of 18 minutes. The test spans the entire drive, and the drive is filled before the test begins. The primary score we report is an average of performances at queue depths 1, 2 and 4, as client usage typically consists mostly of low queue depth operations.

While the SanDisk X400 tied the best MLC SSDs for sequential read speed, the WD Blue is merely average overall.

The WD Blue draws slightly less power than the X400, but given the size of the performance regression the WD Blue is actually less efficient for once.

WD Blue 1TBCrucial BX100 1TBCrucial BX200 960GBCrucial MX200 1TBCrucial MX300 1050GBOCZ Trion 150 960GBOCZ VX500 1TBOCZ Vector 180 960GBSamsung 850 EVO 1TBSamsung 850 Pro 1TBSanDisk Extreme Pro 960GBSanDisk X400 1TB

The WD Blue seems to hit a performance plateau that is a bit shy of saturating the SATA link, and then it slows down at the highest queue depths.

Sequential Write Performance

The sequential write test writes 128kB blocks and tests queue depths ranging from 1 to 32. The queue depth is doubled every three minutes, for a total test duration of 18 minutes. The test spans the entire drive, and the drive is filled before the test begins. The primary score we report is an average of performances at queue depths 1, 2 and 4, as client usage typically consists mostly of low queue depth operations.

The WD Blue has a faster sequential write speed than the X400, but doesn't quite catch up to the OCZ Trion 150. Most MLC and 3D TLC drives are significantly faster than the planar TLC drives.

The WD Blue draws more power than the SanDisk X400 during the sequential write test, but it is justified by the improved performance. Efficiency is still only good by planar TLC standards.

WD Blue 1TBCrucial BX100 1TBCrucial BX200 960GBCrucial MX200 1TBCrucial MX300 1050GBOCZ Trion 150 960GBOCZ VX500 1TBOCZ Vector 180 960GBSamsung 850 EVO 1TBSamsung 850 Pro 1TBSanDisk Extreme Pro 960GBSanDisk X400 1TB

The WD Blue's sequential read speed is constant across all queue depths, without even an increase from QD1 to QD2.