WD thinks we need more SSD colors now...

[Elixer]

These new SSDs naturally borrow SanDisk 15nm TLC flash but drive that flash with aftermarket controllers. The Blue employs a Marvell 88SS1074 controller while the Green will use a Silicon Motion SM2256S. The Blue will have the typical SATA 6Gbps saturating specs seen in modern SSDs, while the Green will be derated a bit.

They got rid of the green for HDs, made them all blue, yet, they bring back green for SSDs that will be slow?
Sigh.

More info here as well http://www.anandtech.com/show/10748/western-digital-introduces-wd-blue-and-wd-green-ssds

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yeah, can't make SSDs that are too fast, I mean, people might stop buying HDDs! Sigh, indeed.

(Are the "Green" SSDs, rated at 5400RPM-equivalent performance?)

 

[EXCellR8]

Because all of us consumers are absolute kindergartners and need colors to help us tell stuff apart...

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Green, Blue, Black.

750, 850, 960.

i3, i5, i7.

Blah blah blah.

S^2, D^2.

 

[master_shake_]

it's so purty.

 

[Charlie98]

*scratches head* Say what?

 

[JimmiG]

The "Green" SSD will probably be less green than the blue one. Slower = more time spent acessing the flash = more total power used.

 

[Elixer]

What is the logic of doing that, they save what, $5 max?

As the reviews already show, the WD blue SSD isn't really any better than other SSDs out there and the other SSDs are faster, and cheaper.
So, if a WD green SSD is even slower & has even worse performance, all that does is solidify that green is crap, but, as we all know, the WD green HD was migrated to WD blue HD line, so... WD really screwed up here.

 

[aigomorla]

Because all of us consumers are absolute kindergartners and need colors to help us tell stuff apart...

lolol....

AMD = Red
Intel = Blue
Nvidia = Green

WD the only company which has harmony on all three of those colors!

 

[Puffnstuff]

I think that their marketing should team up with Crayola and bring us even more colors. They could even bring a skittles ssd with something for everyone with a slogan of "taste the data rainbow'". All joking aside the blue has good performance https://www.wdc.com/products/solid-state-drives/wd-blue-ssd.html.

 

[rchunter]

That's news to me that they're even doing ssd's lol. Must be something brand new.

 

[EXCellR8]

lolol....

AMD = Red
Intel = Blue
Nvidia = Green

WD the only company which has harmony on all three of those colors!

That's a little different... those are brand image colors and not a line of products by the same manufacturer.

Maybe WD will put racing stripes and flames on their fastest drives, and maybe some aero bits

 

[Puffnstuff]

I wonder when they'll release a black ssd with the highest performance specs?

 

[corkyg]

Bring on the silver, gold, and platinum!

 

[Puffnstuff]

The specs on the blue drive are very good including the write life which is well above the norm for this price point. WD has always given me good service and their RMA process is quite easy when needed.

 

[VirtualLarry]

The specs on the blue drive are very good including the write life which is well above the norm for this price point. WD has always given me good service and their RMA process is quite easy when needed.

All good points to consider. Perhaps, with it's brand image, and warranty service, WD could give Samsung a run for it's money. Or at least, be competitive enough to cause Samsung to lower prices. (Doesn't 3D V-NAND cost less, supposedly? Why is it selling for a premium still?)

 

[John Carmack]

All good points to consider. Perhaps, with it's brand image, and warranty service, WD could give Samsung a run for it's money. Or at least, be competitive enough to cause Samsung to lower prices. (Doesn't 3D V-NAND cost less, supposedly? Why is it selling for a premium still?)

The 950 Pro uses 40nm MLC and the 256GB drive is actually half the price per GB I paid for my 34nm MLC G2 X25M years ago. You can't expect them to get as low as the TLC junk drives a lot of companies are putting out.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

All good points to consider. Perhaps, with it's brand image, and warranty service, WD could give Samsung a run for it's money. Or at least, be competitive enough to cause Samsung to lower prices. (Doesn't 3D V-NAND cost less, supposedly? Why is it selling for a premium still?)

Costs less than what? It's a larger process, so it's cheaper because the fabs where its made are already paid for and use older equipment.

But it's also a larger process, which means lower areal density on the wafer, and which means you get fewer chips out of the same amount of wafers. And fab prices often come back to wafer costs and yields.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Costs less than what? It's a larger process, so it's cheaper because the fabs where its made are already paid for and use older equipment.

But it's also a larger process, which means lower areal density on the wafer, and which means you get fewer chips out of the same amount of wafers. And fab prices often come back to wafer costs and yields.

I'm just saying... Samsung kind of bragged to the tech press, as I remember right, that their advanced 3D V-NAND was or was going to be the most cost-efficient per bit of storage, while having all of the other advantages that they tout for that technology too. Only, it's so cost-efficient, that they are using Planar TLC for their "budget" 750 EVO drive line. Guess things didn't turn out as well as planned.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I'm just saying... Samsung kind of bragged to the tech press, as I remember right, that their advanced 3D V-NAND was or was going to be the most cost-efficient per bit of storage, while having all of the other advantages that they tout for that technology too. Only, it's so cost-efficient, that they are using Planar TLC for their "budget" 750 EVO drive line. Guess things didn't turn out as well as planned.

You probably have a point.

I figure stuff is rarely as awesome and revolutionary as companies want to convince people it is. See also: Stock price.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Green, Blue, Black.

750, 850, 960.

i3, i5, i7.

Blah blah blah.

S^2, D^2.

I kind of agree this is a standard sales practice. Good, Better, Best. Three choices.

 

[Brado78]

I could see maybe in Q2 or Q3 of 2017 WD releasing a WD Black SSD, that will be a match or rival the 850 evo..

 

[ronbo613]

I'm holding out for camo

 

[Gunbuster]

And that's the best they could do for the label? Did they give an intern two hours to do it using only PowerPoint?

 

[mv2devnull]

Life was so easy when one only had a "WD Blue", but now:
WD Blue PC SSD
WD Blue SSHD PC Desktop Hard Drive
WD Blue PC Desktop Hard Drive
WD Blue PC Mobile Hard Drive

I've even seen the word "Blue" omitted on some listings.