WD Black SN770 2TB - DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (2026)

Name: Western Digital Black SN770 2 TB
Brand: Western Digital
SKU: western-digital-black-sn770-2-tb
Rating: 3.8 (12 reviews)

Posted on May 17, 2026 by Raymond Chen

The WD Black SN770 2TB is Western Digital's value-oriented PCIe 4.0 NVMe - DRAM-less HMB design tuned for 5,150 MB/s reads, single-sided 2280 form factor, and a 1,200 TBW endurance ceiling.

WD Black SN770 2TB - DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

Controller & Memory

The WD Black SN770 2 TB pairs an in-house WD-designed four-channel PCIe 4.0 controller with four packages of SanDisk-branded 112-layer BiCS5 3D TLC NAND. There is no on-board DRAM cache - the SN770 leans on Host Memory Buffer (HMB), borrowing a small slice of system RAM for the logical-to-physical mapping table. That choice keeps cost and component count down, and on a modern Windows or Linux system the HMB tax is small for everyday workloads. The PCB is a thin single-sided M.2 2280, which makes the drive a clean fit for PS5 expansion bays, single-sided laptop slots, and any thermal-constrained system that cannot accept a double-sided module.

WD offers the SN770 in 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB capacities. Sequential reads scale up to 5,000-5,150 MB/s across the range, while writes peak at 4,900 MB/s on the 2 TB and 1 TB, drop on 500 GB, and fall to 2,000 MB/s on the entry 250 GB SKU. The 2 TB also doubles the TBW endurance versus the 1 TB and gives the drive enough spare blocks to keep the SLC pseudocache larger and writes faster for longer.

The SN770 2 TB targets buyers who want a name-brand PCIe 4.0 drive at near-PCIe-3.0 prices and do not need the absolute peak rated speeds of a Samsung 990 Pro or Crucial T500. Its main competitors are the Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB, Samsung 980 (non-Pro) 1 TB - which the SN770 outperforms on writes - and the Kingston NV2 2 TB. No heatsink ships in the retail box; on a desktop motherboard with an M.2 cooler that is fine, and the drive's modest power draw means the bare PCB is rarely a thermal liability on its own.

Storage Comparisons:

Top 2 TB SSDs Best PCIe 4.0 SSD Drive Best Deal of 1 TB SSDs NVME

Black SN770 Performance & Benchmarks

Manufacturer ratings for the SN770 2 TB are 5,150 MB/s sequential reads and 4,900 MB/s sequential writes, with random performance up to 650,000 read and 800,000 write IOPS at high queue depths. Independent reviewers at Tom's Hardware, TechPowerUp, StorageReview, PCMag and TweakTown consistently measure CrystalDiskMark sequential reads within a few percent of the rated value, and the drive shows the random response curve typical of a well-implemented HMB design - low latency at QD1 small reads, scaling cleanly through QD8 and QD16.

Performance comparison

Western Digital Black SN770 2 TB vs M.2 4.0 x 4 peers

Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 4.0 x 4 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.

Patriot Viper PV593 1 TB: 14,500 MB/s read, 14,000 MB/s write
Patriot Viper PV593 2 TB: 14,500 MB/s read, 14,000 MB/s write
Patriot Viper PV593 4 TB: 14,500 MB/s read, 14,000 MB/s write
Patriot Viper PV573 2 TB: 14,000 MB/s read, 12,000 MB/s write
Western Digital Black SN770 2 TB (this drive): 5,150 MB/s read, 4,900 MB/s write

Sustained writes are the area where the 2 TB capacity quietly outperforms the 1 TB. WD allocates a generous dynamic SLC cache; reviewers find that the 2 TB can absorb roughly 400-500 GB of continuous writes before the cache exhausts, after which throughput falls to a TLC direct-write rate of around 1,400-1,800 MB/s. For boot, gaming, and application workloads that profile is invisible. For large video transfers or backup restores the cache size matters - and the 2 TB has more of it than any smaller SN770 SKU. DirectStorage operates as expected on a supported PCIe 4.0 platform, and game level loads track higher-tier drives such as the WD Black SN850X and Samsung 990 Pro to within a few hundred milliseconds.

Western Digital Black SN770 vs Competitors

See how the Black SN770 stacks up against other M.2 4.0 x 4 drives in our database:

Compare with rival drives:

ADATA XPG Gammix S50 2 TB Addlink S90 2 TB Apacer AS2280Q4 2 TB

Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Western Digital backs the SN770 2 TB with a 1,200 TBW endurance figure over a five-year limited warranty, whichever comes first. The TBW scales linearly with capacity in this series, at 600 TBW per terabyte - the 1 TB SKU is 600 TBW, the 500 GB is 300 TBW, and the 250 GB is 200 TBW. At a heavy 50 GB/day sustained workload, the 2 TB endurance lasts roughly 65 years; a typical desktop user writing 10-20 GB/day will never approach the ceiling, and the warranty period will lapse first. The published MTTF is 1.75 million hours, a population-level reliability statistic rather than a per-drive promise. Western Digital handles consumer RMA directly through its support portal once a serial number is registered, and the drive supports remote SMART diagnostics via the Western Digital Dashboard utility.

Western Digital Black SN770 2 TB Specifications

Category	Value
Capacity [?]	2 TB
Interface [?]	M.2 4.0 x 4
Controller [?]	SanDisk
Memory type [?]	SanDisk 112-L Bics5
DRAM [?]	No (HMB)
Read speed (MB/s) [?]	5150
Write speed (MB/s) [?]	4900
Read IOPS [?]	650000
Write IOPS [?]	800000
Endurance (TBW) [?]	1200
MTBF (million hours) [?]	1.75
Warranty (years) [?]	5

Verdict: Is the Black SN770 Worth It in 2026?

The WD Black SN770 2 TB is the obvious pick for a buyer who wants a name-brand PCIe 4.0 NVMe at the price of a mid-pack PCIe 3.0 drive, with the bonus of a slim single-sided PCB that fits any PS5 or laptop slot. Buyers chasing absolute peak benchmark scores should step up to the WD Black SN850X 2 TB or Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB - both offer higher sequential writes, faster random performance, and DRAM caches at a price premium. Skip the SN770 if your workload is sustained large-file writes greater than 400 GB at a time, or if you specifically need on-drive DRAM for heavy random-write workloads. As a mainstream PCIe 4.0 boot, gaming, and game-library drive at 2 TB, the SN770 remains one of the cleanest value picks in the segment.

+ Pros

5,150 MB/s rated sequential reads on PCIe 4.0
1,200 TBW endurance with 5-year warranty
Single-sided 2280 PCB fits PS5 and thin laptops
SanDisk 112-layer BiCS5 TLC NAND
Generous SLC cache absorbs 400+ GB of writes
Strong price-per-gigabyte at the 2 TB tier

- Cons

DRAM-less HMB design lags on heavy random workloads
4,900 MB/s rated writes trail Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB
No included heatsink in the retail box
No hardware encryption support
650,000 random read IOPS lower than flagship tier

3.8 / 5 · 12 votes

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Video Review

WD Black SN770 SSD Review – Mid Range Gaming Greatness?

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the SN770 2 TB is a sound gaming choice for most builders. The drive delivers 5,150 MB/s sequential reads on PCIe 4.0, which is fast enough that real-world game load times trail flagship drives like the Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB or WD Black SN850X 2 TB by only a few hundred milliseconds in most titles. DirectStorage GPU decompression works as expected on a supported platform. The 2 TB capacity holds 25-35 modern triple-A games, which is enough for a primary gaming library. Buyers who run heavy mods, capture gameplay locally, or maintain a 50+ game library could also consider the 4 TB Crucial T500.

Yes. The PS5 expansion slot needs a PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive rated at 5,500 MB/s or higher sequential reads, dimensions within 110 x 25 x 11.25 mm including heatsink, and the M.2 2280 form factor. The SN770 2 TB falls just under Sony's recommended 5,500 MB/s threshold at 5,150 MB/s, which means the PS5 firmware accepts it but Sony does not formally recommend it. Most community PS5 compatibility lists confirm the drive works in the slot; expect game install times within a few seconds of officially recommended drives. The single-sided 2280 PCB makes heatsink fitment trivial.

No, the SN770 is a DRAM-less design that uses Host Memory Buffer (HMB) instead. HMB borrows a small slice of system RAM, typically 64 MB, to hold the logical-to-physical mapping table that a dedicated DRAM cache would otherwise hold. The trade-off is cost: WD uses the savings to offer the SN770 at a noticeably lower price than a DRAM-equipped peer such as the WD Black SN850X. The practical penalty is modest on modern Windows or Linux platforms - light random workloads see little difference; very heavy sustained random writes will lag a DRAM-equipped drive.

Western Digital rates the 2 TB SN770 at 1,200 TBW over the five-year warranty. The TBW figure scales linearly across the series at 600 TBW per terabyte of capacity, so the 1 TB SKU is 600 TBW, the 500 GB is 300 TBW, and the 250 GB is 200 TBW. At a heavy 50 GB/day sustained write workload the 2 TB endurance lasts about 65 years - far longer than the realistic service life - and an average desktop user writing 10-20 GB/day will never approach the limit. The figure is competitive with the Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB and lower than the WD Black SN850X 2 TB at 1,200 vs 2,400 TBW.

The SN850X 2 TB is WD's flagship and outperforms the SN770 on every spec line: 7,300 MB/s sequential reads versus 5,150 MB/s, 6,600 MB/s writes versus 4,900 MB/s, 1.2 million random read IOPS versus 650,000, and a 2,400 TBW endurance versus 1,200 TBW. The SN850X also adds a dedicated DRAM cache. In return, the SN770 costs less and runs cooler under load. If absolute peak performance and heavy random-write workloads are the priority, the SN850X is the clearly faster drive; if you want the best PCIe 4.0 value at 2 TB, the SN770 is the more sensible buy.

Usually no in a desktop with a motherboard M.2 cooler, and yes under sustained writes without one. The SN770 is a four-channel HMB design, which means its power draw and heat output are markedly lower than an eight-channel DRAM-equipped flagship such as the SN850X or Samsung 990 Pro. Reviewers consistently find the drive avoids thermal throttling under normal gaming and application loads even bare. PS5 owners must add a third-party heatsink that fits the 11.25 mm height budget; the single-sided 2280 PCB ensures any standard PS5 heatsink will install cleanly.

Yes. The SN770 2 TB ships on a slim single-sided M.2 2280 PCB - controller, NAND packages, and supporting components all mounted on one face of the board. That layout is essential for ultraportable laptops that accept only single-sided modules, including some Dell XPS revisions, the Steam Deck, the ROG Ally, and the Microsoft Surface family. It also keeps the drive within the PS5 expansion slot's combined PCB-plus-heatsink height budget when paired with a thin third-party heatsink. All four SN770 capacities use the same single-sided layout.