WD Blue SN8100 1TB SSD Review: Performance for SA Streamers

Dropping frames while recording your Apex stream? Or maybe your game takes forever to load, leaving your viewers staring at a loading screen... again. For South African streamers, every second counts. A sluggish drive can be the difference between a smooth broadcast and a frustrating one. Enter the WD Blue SN8100 1TB SSD, a drive promising PCIe Gen4 speeds without the premium price tag. But can it handle the heat of a local gaming stream? Let's find out.

[OEM] Dahua V800 256GB 2.5" SATA 3.0 6 Gb/s 3D NAND Solid State Drive / Read Speed Up to 540 MB/s / Write Speed Up to 170 MB/s / High-Quality Wafer-Level Chip / TRIM & NCQ Performance Boost / Low Power Consumption / Safe & Reliable Data Transfer / Stable 24/7 Read-Write for XVR (No Frame Loss) / DHI-SSD-V800S256G

R699.00In Stock

Kingston 1000G NV3 NVMe SSD / Up to 6,000MB/s Read / Up to 4,000MB/s Write / PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe / M.2 2280 Form Factor / SNV3S/1000G

R1999.00In Stock

ORICO i7500 M.2 NVMe SSD - 1TB / 3D NAND Flash / PCIe Gen4.0 x4 / Up to 7,200MB/s Read and 6,100MB/s Write Speeds / ORICO-i7500-1TB-GD-BP

R2349.00In Stock

Teamgroup T-Force VULCAN Z 1TB SSD / Up to 550MB/s Sequential Read Speed / Up to 500 MB/s Sequential Write Speed / Shock + Vibration-Resistant, and Reduced Noise Interference / T253TZ001T0C101

R1899.00In Stock

Corsair MP600 PRO NH 8TB PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe M.2 SSD – High-Density TLC NAND – M.2 2280 – DirectStorage Compatible - Up to 7,000MB/sec - No Heatsink - Black / CSSD-F8000GBMP600PNH

R22999.00In Stock

Kingston XS1000 2TB SSD / Pocket-Sized / USB 3.2 Gen 2 / External Solid State Drive / Up to 1050MB/s / SXS1000/2000G

R2899.00In Stock

What Makes the WD Blue SN8100 Tick?

At its core, the WD Blue SN8100 1TB SSD is a DRAM-less NVMe drive that leverages the PCIe 4.0 interface. What does that mean for you? Think of it as a wider highway for your data. This allows for significantly faster file transfers and game load times compared to older SATA SSDs and traditional hard drives.

While it might not top the charts against enthusiast-grade drives, its sequential read and write speeds are more than enough to eliminate the most common bottlenecks for content creators. Installing your OS, favourite games, and editing software on this drive means a snappier, more responsive system from boot-up to shut down. ✨

Real-World Performance for SA Streamers 🚀

Benchmarks are one thing, but how does the WD Blue SN8100 1TB SSD perform when you're live? We looked at three key areas crucial for South African streamers.

Game Loading & Asset Streaming

In titles like Warzone and Baldur's Gate 3, which are notorious for long load times, the SN8100 makes a massive difference. You're in the game faster, and in open-world titles, you'll notice less texture pop-in as the drive quickly serves assets to your graphics card. This keeps your gameplay smooth and your stream looking professional.

Teamgroup CX2 2TB SATA Internal Solid State Drive / Up to 540 Read Speed / Up to 490 Write Speed / Advanced SLC Caching technology / T253X6002T0C101

R2199.00In Stock

Kingston XS1000 2TB SSD / Pocket-Sized / USB 3.2 Gen 2 / External Solid State Drive / Up to 1050MB/s / SXS1000/2000G

R2899.00In Stock

Kingston KC3000 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 1TB SSD - High-Performance Storage for Desktop and Laptop PCs / SKC3000S/1024G

R2799.00In Stock

Crucial P310 2TB NVMe Internal Solid State Drive SSD / Sequential read/write speeds up to 7,100/6,000MB/s / Integrated power loss immunity / Error correction code (ECC) / CT2000P310SSD8

R3799.00In Stock

Corsair MP600 PRO NH 4TB PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe M.2 SSD – High-Density TLC NAND – M.2 2280 – DirectStorage Compatible - Up to 7,000MB/sec - No Heatsink - Black / CSSD-F4000GBMP600PNH

R7499.00In Stock

Corsair MP700 PRO with Air Cooler 2TB M.2 PCIe Gen5 x4 NVMe 2.0 SSD – M.2 2280 – Up to 12,400MB/sec Sequential Read – High-Density TLC NAND – Black / CSSD-F2000GBMP700PROS

R6699.00In Stock

High-Bitrate Recording & Editing

This is where a fast NVMe drive truly shines. The SN8100 can easily handle high-bitrate screen recording via OBS or ShadowPlay without stuttering. When it's time to edit your clips for YouTube or TikTok, scrubbing through 1080p and even 4K timelines is fluid. The drive's quick response time means less waiting for previews to render and more time creating.

Is the SN8100 the Right Drive for Your Rig?

For a South African streamer on a budget, the WD Blue SN8100 1TB SSD hits a sweet spot. It offers a significant performance uplift over older storage solutions, directly improving your workflow and the quality of your content.

KLEVV CRAS C930 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4x4 Internal Gaming SSD with Heatsink, Compatible with PS5, up to 7400MB/s with DRAM Cash / K02TBM2SP0-C93

R3999.00In Stock

KLEVV CRAS C930 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4x4 Internal Gaming SSD with Heatsink / Compatible with PS5 / up to 7400MB/s with DRAM Cash / K01TBM2SP0-C93

R2299.00In Stock

Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 1.92TB External SSD | FIPS 197 | XTS-AES 256GB Encrypted | Touch Screen PIN | Secure Data Protection | IKVP80ES/1920G

R6999.00In Stock

ORICO e7400 M.2 NVMe SSD - 2TB / PS5 Compatible / PCIe Gen4.0 x4 / Up to 7,400MB/s Read and 6,600MB/s Write Speeds / ORICO-e7400-2TB-GD-BP

R3699.00In Stock

KingSpec X500 4TB NVMe Internal Solid State Drive / 3D NAND Flash Memory / PCIe Gen 5.0, M.2 2280, Up to 14 00MB/s/13 000MB/s Read/Write Speeds / X500-2280-4TB

R7899.00In Stock

Kingston KC3000 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2TB SSD - High-Performance Storage for Desktop and Laptop PCs -SKC3000D/2048G

R3999.00In Stock

Of course, the market is packed with great options. While the SN8100 delivers impressive results, it's worth comparing it to strong competitors like the Klevv CRAS C925G 1TB Gen4 NVMe SSD, which offers compelling performance. Brands like Klevv South Africa are constantly pushing the boundaries of value and speed.

Ultimately, the best choice comes down to the current deals and your specific needs. The SN8100 is a reliable workhorse perfect for a primary OS and game drive, proving you don't need the most expensive hardware for a pro-level experience. Before you pull the trigger, browse the full range of SSDs to find that perfect balance of price and performance for your rig.