Newegg is currently offering the WD Green SN3000 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe Solid State Drive for $129.48. This price is achieved by applying the coupon code "15USAFF" at checkout, which includes free shipping. The same drive is listed for $160 on Amazon.
Drive Performance and Compatibility
The WD Green SN3000 is a DRAM-less PCIe 4x4 drive utilizing SanDisk's QLC 3D NAND memory. It boasts sequential transfer speeds of up to 5,000MB/s for reads and 4,200MB/s for writes. While positioned as a budget-friendly M.2 SSD, it is also compatible with the PlayStation 5 console. Sony's official recommendation for PS5 internal SSDs is a minimum speed of 5,500MB/s, meaning the WD Green SN3000 falls slightly short of this benchmark. However, the difference in speed is unlikely to be noticeable outside of potentially longer game installation times when transferring large files.
PlayStation 5 Storage Considerations
Upgrading the internal storage of a PlayStation 5 with an M.2 SSD is a straightforward process that does not void the console's warranty. Given that many modern games exceed 100GB, the PS5's native 1TB storage, which offers approximately 667GB of usable space, can fill up quickly. Players often find the need for additional storage, with some avid gamers even filling up 2TB drives.
Heatsink Recommendation
While not strictly mandatory, Sony officially recommends the use of a heatsink for M.2 SSDs installed in the PlayStation 5. The WD Green SN3000 does not come with a heatsink pre-installed. However, standalone M.2 SSD heatsinks are available from retailers like Amazon for around $6 and are generally simple to attach using adhesive backing.