Western Digital has announced another addition to its line-up of blazing-fast NVMe SSDs.

The freshly announced PCIe gen 4 SN850X NVMe has fast read speeds (of up to 7,300 MB/s), but also is optimised for hardcore gamers with the claim of "unparalleled performance". 

At first glance, the WD_Black SN850X looks similar to the company's previous releases, but aside from the x in the name, there are some other changes too. 

The WD_Black SN850X has several enhancements designed to keep PC gamers happy, these include:

  • Predictive loading
  • Adaptive thermal management
  • Minimised latency

An NVMe SSD is already a great way to make the most of your gaming experience as it'll ensure faster load speeds and solid performance but the WD_Black SN850X claims to go further with these game boosting features. 

Western Digital says you'll be able to download the WD_Black dashboard and activate Game Mode 2.0. This will then unlock "performance-boosting" features that will help you not only game but also stream, record and win your games. 

What makes the WD_Black SN850X interesting is that "predictive loading" which apparently uses an intelligent tech to predict what you're going to do and load assets as required.  So not only is the WD_Black SN850X faster, but it's also smarter. 

Improved thermals should help with performance too and there's going to be a heatsink version (as with previous models) to keep it cool under pressure. 

This drive will be available from the  Western Digital Store from July 2022 and will come in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB formats with pricing to be confirmed nearer launch.