Released in 2018, the Western Digital PC SN720 is a high-end NVMe solid-state drive (SSD) designed for OEM and client computing applications. It is similar to the PC SN730 successor WD Black SN750, but uses BiCS3 NAND instead of BiCS4, resulting in slightly lower performance.
Technical Specifications
| WD PC SN720 | 256GB | 512GB | 1TB | 2TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model Number | SDAPNTW-256G | SDAPNTW-512G | SDAPNTW-1T00 | SDAPNTW-2T00 |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 (single-sided) | M.2 2280 (single-sided) | M.2 2280 (single-sided) | M.2 2280 (single-sided) |
| Interface | PCIe Gen3 x4, NVMe v1.3 | PCIe Gen3 x4, NVMe v1.3 | PCIe Gen3 x4, NVMe v1.3 | PCIe Gen3 x4, NVMe v1.3 |
| Sequential Read (MB/s) | 3,000 | 3,400 | 3,400 | 3,400 |
| Sequential Write (MB/s) | 1,600 | 2,400 | 2,800 | 2,800 |
| Random Read (IOPS) | 225K | 400K | 500K | N/A |
| Random Write (IOPS) | 185K | 330K | 400K | N/A |
| Endurance (TBW) | 200 | 300 | 400 | 500 |
| Peak Power (A) | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 |
| Active Power (mW) | 110 | 110 | 140 | N/A |
| PS3 Power (mW) | 70 | 70 | 100 | N/A |
| PS4 Sleep (mW) | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
The PC SN720 uses the PCIe Gen3 x4 interface with NVMe 1.3 protocol, delivering sequential read speeds up to 3,400 MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 2,800 MB/s in its highest capacity configurations.
Controller & Cache
The PC SN720 is based on Western Digital’s first in-house controller, likely a variant of the 8-channel “Triton MP28” controller found in the SN730, but paired with 64-layer BiCS3 flash memory. A DDR4 DRAM cache is included, and the drive also employs a dynamic pseudo-SLC cache that writes to SLC (single-level cell) blocks for improved performance. The SLC cache size is is not officially disclosed but is typically variable depending on capacity.
NAND Type
What mainly sets the SN720 apart from the SN730 and SN750 is the BiCS3 (Bit Cost Scaling 3rd generation) NAND, developed by Western Digital/SanDisk and Kioxia (formerly Toshiba). This 64-layer 3D TLC (Triple-Level Cell) NAND operates at bus speeds of 400-533 MT/s.
Professional Reviews
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