Western Digital Redefines the Next-Gen Gaming Experience With Expanded WD_BLACK Portfolio

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) is helping gamers enhance their setups and adapt to the evolving gaming landscape heralded by the next generation of games with today’s (Oct. 8, 2020) introduction of three new and upcoming products for its WD_BLACK portfolio of storage solutions. These include its first NVMe solid-state drive (SSD) with next-gen PCIe® Gen4 technology, a fully bootable Gen3 x8 add-in-card and a Thunderbolt 3-powered NVMe SSD gaming dock, each offering eye-catching RGB lighting options.

The latest and upcoming WD_BLACK gaming portfolio includes:

WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD – Designed to feature the unprecedented performance of PCIe Gen4 technology, this future-ready product will deliver fast read/write speeds up to 7000/5300MB/s¹ (1TB model). Built with the WD_BLACK G2 controller and optimized for top-tier and high-intensive gaming (not intended for NAS or server environments), the WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD will help gamers achieve supreme PC performance. It reduces game load times and transfers files faster than its predecessor while using brand new cache technology³. In addition to high performance, the WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD also delivers improved low queue-depth performance over its predecessor, allowing both gaming and everyday users to experience smoother loading of applications. And, for the ultimate in aesthetics and customization, there will be an optional RGB-enabled heatsink model that cuts down on thermal throttling. The WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD non-heatsink version will be available in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities² starting at $149.99 (MSRP USD).

WD_BLACK AN1500 NVMe SSD Add-in-Card – For gamers looking to achieve next-gen performance in a current-gen setup, this fully bootable plug and play add-in card is one of the fastest PCIe Gen3 x8 solutions on the market. Powered by two internal SSDs in RAID 0 and PCIe Gen3 x8 technology, gamers can experience read speeds up to 6500 MB/s¹ and write speeds up to 4100MB/s¹ (2TB and 4TB models), giving them lightning fast gameplay so they can spend less time waiting and more time playing. Customizable RGB lighting (Windows® only) complements your current rig while an integrated heatsink combats thermal throttling to help maintain peak performance. The WD_BLACK AN1500 NVMe SSD Add-in-Card is available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities² starting at $299.99 (MSRP USD).

WD_BLACK D50 Game Dock NVMe SSD – This compact, high-performance gaming dock SSD, with heatsink design, transforms a Thunderbolt 3-compatible laptop into an integrated and immersive gaming station. An optimal solution for gamers looking to streamline their setup, the dock offers superfast speeds with NVMe technology, more capacity for games, and multiple ports for accessories – all powered by a single Thunderbolt 3 cord. The WD_BLACK D50 Game Dock NVMe SSD is complete with customizable RGB lighting controlled through the WD_BLACK Dashboard (Windows® only). The WD_BLACK D50 Game Dock NVMe SSD is available in a 1TB capacity² starting at $499.99 (MSRP USD). A non-SSD option, the WD_BLACK D50 Game Dock, is also available for purchase for $319.99 (MSRP USD).

Availability

• The WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD standard non-heatsink model is expected to be available for purchase before the end of October 2020. The WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD heatsink model is expected to be available for purchase in the first calendar quarter of 2021.

• The WD_BLACK AN1500 NVMe SSD Add-in-Card is now available for purchase at select Western Digital retailers, e-tailers, resellers, system integrators and the Western Digital store.

• The WD_BLACK D50 Game Dock and WD_BLACK D50 Game Dock NVMe SSD is now available for pre-order at select Western Digital retailers, e-tailers, resellers, system integrators and the Western Digital store.

Tune in to our WD_BLACK Digital Event at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET today for a deeper look into these products. To view the livestream, and for more information on the full WD_BLACK portfolio currently available, visit www.WDBLACK.com.

About Western Digital
Western Digital creates environments for data to thrive. As a leader in data infrastructure, the company is driving the innovation needed to help customers capture, preserve, access and transform an ever-increasing diversity of data. Everywhere data lives, from advanced data centers to mobile sensors to personal devices, our industry-leading solutions deliver the possibilities of data. Our data-centric solutions are comprised of the Western Digital®, G-Technology™, SanDisk®, and WD® brands.

¹ As used for transfer rate, 1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. IOPS = Input/Output Operations Per Second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.
² As used for storage capacity, 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.
³ Based on internal testing using PCMark10 software to compare 1TB WD_BLACK SN750 and 1TB WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSDs.

© 2020 Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

Western Digital, the Western Digital logo, G-Technology, SanDisk, WD, WD_BLACK and the WD_BLACK logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Western Digital Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. NVMe™ is a trademark of NVM Express, Inc. PCIe® is a registered trademark and/or service mark of PCI-SIG in the United States and/or other countries. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries. Windows is a trademark or registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Product specifications subject to change without notice. Pictures shown may vary from actual products. Not all products are available in all regions of the world.

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Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements, including the expected availability, benefits, capabilities, capacity, performance and/or other features of the WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD, WD_BLACK AN1500 Add-in-Card, and WD_BLACK D50 Game Dock products. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate including, among others: changes to specifications from standards organizations, future responses to and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, volatility in global economic conditions; business conditions and growth in the storage ecosystem; impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance and cost of commodity materials and specialized product components; actions by competitors; unexpected advances in competing technologies; our development and introduction of products based on new technologies and expansion into new data storage markets; risks associated with acquisitions, divestitures, mergers and joint ventures; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties listed in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company’s most recently filed periodic report, to which your attention is directed. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.