The WD Blue SN580: Improved Performance and Efficiency for a Budget NVMe SSD
The WD Blue SN580 is essentially an updated version of the SN570, and it improves on that drive in every meaningful way. The budget NVMe SSD is a reliable choice for an affordable upgrade, but its price is crucial, as it’s only as good as it costs.
The SN580 improves on the SN570 in a few key areas, namely the PCIe 4.0 interface and nCache 4.0 caching scheme. The Western Digital SSD also uses an updated SSD controller, NAND package, and power management integrated circuit (PMIC), but the changes aren’t particularly drastic.
Western Digital uses its own controller technology and 112-Layer TLC flash to create the WD Blue SN580, and it incorporates nCache 4.0, which improves the SSD’s burst performance and efficiency. The caching scheme differs from the original Blue NVMe SSDs and sets the SN580 apart from its predecessor.
It’s not a revolutionary new drive, but the WD Blue SN580 is a worthy contender for our best SSDs list. The warranty and software selection remain the same, but the drive’s performance, efficiency, and capacity are all better than before.
The Western Digital SN580 is available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities, and it has endurance ratings of 600TB written per TB of flash. That’s a lot of writes, but the company uses the same SmartSSD technology found in the SN570, so it’s worth paying attention to the warranty.
WD Blue SN580 Specs
Here are the WD Blue SN580 specs:
The WD Blue SN580 price is competitive, but you shouldn’t expect to find it at MSRP. In fact, the company recommends that you “shop around for the best price”, and the official retail listings are simply reference points.
The WD Blue SN580 price depends on capacity and retailer, with MSRPs ranging from $27.99 to $109.99. We’ve seen the SSD for as little as $25, but other listings are more expensive, so it’s worth checking out what’s available on Amazon.
In terms of performance, the WD Blue SN580 specs are fairly typical, but the company uses four-channel controller tech, which is more typical of high-end drives. Overall, the specs are good, but the drive isn’t as fast as other 4.0 drives in its class.
WD Blue SN580 Benchmarks
The WD Blue SN580 benchmarks include:
The WD Blue SN580 features the following:
The WD Blue SN580 is a solid M.2 2280 NVMe SSD, and it’s only available in the same form factor as its predecessor. That’s right, the company hasn’t updated the PCB and the controller isn’t compatible with other form factors.
The WD Blue SN580 isn’t available in smaller or larger form factors, which might be a deal-breaker for some. The company previously used different PCBs for the SSDs, but it now uses the same controller for all M.2 SSDs.
WD Blue SN580 Performance
The WD Blue SN580 benchmarks include:
Again, the WD Blue SN580 benchmarks are mostly in line with what you’d expect from a budget NVMe SSD, but the drive is reliable nonetheless.
