We test using AS SSD and CrystalDiskMark, then back that up with real-world copying of a single large 20GB file, as well as a 20GB mix of smaller files and folders.ДЄs you can see below, thereвЂ™s not a whole lot of difference between the Ultra 3DвЂ™s performance and that of MLC drives. We threw an extra 320GB data set at it to make sure it could sustain the pace. ThatвЂ™s what everyone else does, but apparently WD is either better at it, or uses more cache. WD/Sandisk claims this is due to a more multi-tiered caching technique combining TLC and TLC treated as SLC. The Ultra 3DвЂ™s good performance is notable for not suffering the write performance penalty you see when similarly priced TLC NAND-based drives run out of cache. All capacities are covered by a 3-year warranty. Perhaps itвЂ™s not over-provisioned as heartily-in other words, thereвЂ™s not as much extra NAND on board to replace worn-out cells.

WeвЂ™re not sure why the TBW rating for the largest capacity would drop from 40 percent per GB to 25 percent. If youвЂ™re filling out the storage on a gaming rig with clear panels, that could be a consideration. Though most users will only see the Ultra 3D when installing it in a computer, we should note that the Ultra 3D is a notch above the average drive in appearance-black, with a classy red logo. (The closely related WD Blue 3D-Western Digital owns Sandisk-also ships in the M.2 form factor, if thatвЂ™s what you need.) Being only 7mm thick means itвЂ™s suitable for upgrading a number of mid-sized and desktop replacement laptops. The Sandisk Ultra 3D comes in the standard SATA 6Gbps, 2.5-inch, 7mm-thick form factor thatвЂ™s the norm for the category these days.

Using the same 3D (stacked, or layered) TLC NAND found in the WD Blue 3D SSD we also tested (WD owns Sandisk) it offers the capacity of TLC without the write performance penalties weвЂ™ve experienced previously. There are still lots of PCs out there that would take on new life with a simple hard-drive-to-SSD upgrade, and SandiskвЂ™s Ultra 3D is one of the best, if not the best SSD for the job.

Sandisk ssd u100 performance