The WD_Black SSD is one of the best SSD options for workstations, gaming PCs, PlayStation 5 consoles, and other devices that require high-performance storage. However, you’ll soon notice that they’re being marketed under a new name: SANDISK Optimus. Western Digital used to own the SanDisk brand, but when the company split into two entities in 2025, the SSD business was transferred to the newly formed SanDisk. The new SanDisk continues to use the Western Digital name for some existing products, such as the WD_Black SSD, but this name is now being phased out.
Goodbye, WD_Black and WD Blue! SanDisk Launches a New SSD Brand, “SANDISK Optimus”
To help consumers better understand product performance tiers at a glance and choose the product that best suits their needs—where higher numbers still indicate better performance—the SANDISK Optimus product portfolio features a clear product line segmentation with terminology to guide you:
- SANDISK Optimus
With benchmark performance at the core of its design, this product is built specifically for content creators seeking a faster, smoother computing experience, balancing speed and affordability. The product line, formerly known as WD Blue—including the WD Blue SN5100 NVMe SSD—will be renamed SANDISK Optimus 5100. - SANDISK Optimus GX
Unlock the limitless possibilities of esports and meet gamers’ demands for ultra-fast loading times, massive storage capacity, and high energy efficiency. Previously launched under the WD_BLACK brand, this series—including the WD_BLACK SN7100 NVMe SSD—will be renamed the SANDISK Optimus GX 7100. - SANDISK Optimus GX PRO
As the flagship model in the SANDISK Optimus product lineup, the SANDISK Optimus GX PRO represents the pinnacle of performance. Combining cutting-edge storage technology with higher-capacity configurations, this series is designed for developers, professionals, and gamers seeking the latest technological breakthroughs and ultimate performance, making it the ideal choice for building AI PCs, workstations, or high-end computers. The original brand name was WD_BLACK; products in this series, including the WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD, will be renamed SANDISK Optimus GX Pro 8100.
Importantly, the hard drives themselves haven’t changed at all. They have new names, but in every other respect they’re identical to the WD_Black models, and SanDisk plans to introduce more hard drive options in the same Optimus series in the future.
This rebranding comes at a time when prices for NVMe drives are skyrocketing due to demand from AI data centers, as well as for RAM, entry-level SATA SSDs, graphics cards, and other components that rely on flash memory. According to a price-tracking service Keepa According to the data, the 4TB version of the WD_Black SN8100 (now known as the SanDisk Optimus GX Pro 8100) hit an all-time low of $380 in October 2025, before quickly rising to its current price of $550. The 2TB entry-level WD Blue SN5100 (now known as the SanDisk Optimus 5100) has risen from $120 in October to its current price of $215.
You’ll start seeing the new SSDs in stores in the “first half of 2026”; unfortunately, prices may have risen even further by then.
Source: KOCPC Chinese