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Western Digital SN770 1TB NVMe SSDDRIVE

DRIVEStorage·Western Digital

Western Digital SN770 1TB NVMe SSD

4.3
Shed ScoreEditorial rating out of 5, based on specs, build quality and value in its class.
  • Blazing Gen4 speeds
  • Compact single-sided design
  • Budget-friendly performance

The WD SN770 1TB is a strong value-oriented PCIe Gen4 SSD that delivers impressive speeds for gaming, OS drives, and everyday computing tasks.

  • Capacity1TB
  • InterfacePCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe
  • Sequential Read SpeedUp to 5,150 MB/s
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// Datasheet

Technical specifications

SN770-1TB-NVME-SSD5 fields
Capacity1TB
InterfacePCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe
Sequential Read SpeedUp to 5,150 MB/s
Sequential Write SpeedUp to 4,900 MB/s
Form FactorM.2 2280

// Verdict

Our take

4.3

The WD SN770 1TB is a strong value-oriented PCIe Gen4 SSD that delivers impressive speeds for gaming, OS drives, and everyday computing tasks. While it lacks DRAM and sustained write performance of premium drives, its affordability, compact design, and solid real-world responsiveness make it an excellent choice for budget-conscious builders and laptop upgrades.

// Trade-offs

Pros and cons

+What we like

  • Excellent sequential read/write speeds for a mid-range Gen4 drive
  • Compact single-sided design fits ultrabooks and small form factor PCs
  • Competitive pricing compared to other Gen4 NVMe options
  • Low power consumption ideal for laptops
  • Reliable WD firmware and software support
  • Great random read/write performance for everyday responsiveness

−Watch out for

  • No DRAM cache may affect sustained heavy workloads
  • Performance can throttle under prolonged large file transfers without adequate cooling
  • No included heatsink, which may concern PS5 users needing one
  • Lower endurance rating compared to higher-end WD_BLACK SN850X

// Feature set

Key features

  • 01PCIe Gen4x4 interface with up to 5,150 MB/s sequential read speed
  • 02WD_BLACK-derived controller optimized for gaming and multitasking
  • 03DRAM-less design using HMB (Host Memory Buffer) technology
  • 04M.2 2280 single-sided form factor for compact builds and laptops
  • 05WD SSD Dashboard software for health monitoring and firmware updates
  • 065-year limited warranty with up to 600 TBW endurance

// Long read

Full review

The Western Digital SN770 1TB NVMe SSD is a Gen4 PCIe solid-state drive built for gamers and PC builders who want serious performance without a premium price tag. Housed on a compact M.2 2280 single-sided design, it slots cleanly into modern motherboards and laptops that support PCIe 4.0, while remaining backward compatible with PCIe 3.0 systems for broader upgrade flexibility. Western Digital leverages its own in-house NAND and controller design here, pairing TLC flash with an HMB-based architecture that skips a dedicated DRAM chip yet still delivers sequential read speeds up to roughly 5,150 MB/s and write speeds near 4,900 MB/s, numbers that translate into snappy boot times, fast level loads, and smooth large-file transfers.

For custom PC builds, the SN770 shines as either a primary boot drive or a dedicated games drive, especially for users who want NVMe-class speed without the premium-tier Gen4 price of enthusiast flagship drives. Its single-sided M.2 form factor makes it an excellent fit for small form factor builds, mini-ITX rigs, and laptops with limited internal clearance, since it doesn't require the extra board space that double-sided drives demand. Western Digital also includes an integrated nanometer-class controller optimized for thermal efficiency, which helps the drive maintain consistent performance during extended gaming sessions or large data transfers without needing a bulky heatsink in most standard case airflow configurations.

Backed by a five-year limited warranty and WD's reputation for reliability in both consumer and enterprise storage, the SN770 1TB offers an endurance rating suitable for everyday heavy use, including game installs, video editing scratch disks, and general OS operations. It supports NVMe 1.4 features such as low power states for better energy efficiency, making it a sensible choice for both desktop builds and gaming laptops where battery life matters. Paired with WD's Dashboard software for health monitoring, firmware updates, and drive diagnostics, the SN770 1TB rounds out as a well-balanced, no-compromise storage upgrade for anyone assembling or refreshing a PC build around fast, dependable NVMe performance.

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