Western Digital Blue SN5100 500GB
The current Western Digital Blue SN5100 500GB price from retailers, its key specifications, and how it performs for each job.
Western Digital · SSD · PCIe 4.0
Works well for: System Drive
Trade-offs: Current offer is above the strong-value threshold (~$109); check the price on Amazon
- Capacity
- 500 GB
- Interface
- M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
- Sequential read
- 6600 MB/s
- Sequential write
- 5600 MB/s
- Endurance
- 300 TBW
- Form factor
- M.2-2280
Move a slider and the page re-scores this product against the same market frame.
What does it cost today, and is that a good price?
Market confidence: LowConsider: Western Digital SN7100 500GB offers stronger value around $96.Compare
Prices & availability
Western Digital Blue SN5100 500GB: current price and offers
Compare the offers we track for this model, across variants and retailers.
2 tracked offers · 2 retailers
| Variant | Store | Condition | Price (snapshot) | Value · Balanced | Checked | Offer link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Digital Blue SN5100 500GB | Amazon | New | Check on Amazon | 79 | 2026-11-14 | View offer → |
| Western Digital Blue SN5100 500GB | CentralComputer | New | $120 | 72 | 2026-11-14 | View offer → |
Prices are dated snapshots, not live quotes — confirm the final price at the store. New, refurbished and used offers are listed separately; used offers carry warranty and seller risk.
Performance and where it ranks
Two different questions, side by side. Performance compares what the hardware can do; Value compares what that capability costs at today’s price. A product can rank high on one and low on the other — that gap is the point.
Performance Balanced
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#78 of 252 graded solid state drives
- #75 KingstonKingston DC2000B 480GB 47
- #76 SamsungSamsung PM9A3 3.84TB 46
- #77 Western DigitalWestern Digital SN7100 500GB 46
- #78 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN5100 500GB 44
- #79 CrucialCrucial P310 500GB 44
- #80 KingstonKingston NV3 4TB 40
- #81 KingstonKingston NV3 2TB 40
Value Balanced
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#9 of 252 currently priced solid state drives
- #6 CrucialCrucial T710 1TB 81
- #7 Western DigitalWestern Digital WD Green SN3000 1TB 80
- #8 Western DigitalWestern Digital Black SN770 500GB 80
- #9 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN5100 500GB 79
- #10 LexarLexar Professional NM1090 PRO 1TB 77
- #11 TeamGroupTeamGroup FORCE G50 512GB 76
- #12 CrucialCrucial T705 2TB 75
Performance System Drive
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#78 of 252 graded solid state drives
- #75 KingstonKingston DC2000B 480GB 47
- #76 SamsungSamsung PM9A3 3.84TB 46
- #77 Western DigitalWestern Digital SN7100 500GB 46
- #78 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN5100 500GB 44
- #79 CrucialCrucial P310 500GB 44
- #80 KingstonKingston NV3 4TB 40
- #81 KingstonKingston NV3 2TB 40
Value System Drive
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#4 of 252 currently priced solid state drives
- #1 Western DigitalWestern Digital SN7100 500GB 100
- #2 CrucialCrucial P510 1TB 87
- #3 CrucialCrucial T710 1TB 86
- #4 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN5100 500GB 79
- #5 KingstonKingston NV3 500GB 78
- #6 SamsungSamsung 9100 PRO 1TB 78
- #7 LexarLexar Professional NM1090 PRO 1TB 76
Performance Game
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#203 of 252 graded solid state drives
- #200 PatriotPatriot P220 512GB 3
- #201 PatriotPatriot P210 512GB 3
- #202 Western DigitalWestern Digital SN7100 500GB 3
- #203 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN5100 500GB 3
- #204 CrucialCrucial P310 500GB 3
- #205 KingstonKingston NV3 500GB 3
- #206 Western DigitalWestern Digital Black SN770 500GB 3
Value Game
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#88 of 252 currently priced solid state drives
- #85 PNYPNY CS2241 2TB 69
- #86 PNYPNY CS2241 500GB 69
- #87 CrucialCrucial T700 2TB 69
- #88 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN5100 500GB 69
- #89 Western DigitalWestern Digital WD_Black SN850X 4TB 69
- #90 TeamGroupTeamGroup Force Vulcan 1TB 68
- #91 PNYPNY CS2150 2TB 67
Performance Heavy Creative Work
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#72 of 252 graded solid state drives
- #69 Western DigitalWestern Digital SN7100 500GB 41
- #70 CrucialCrucial T500 2TB 41
- #71 CrucialCrucial T500 1TB 41
- #72 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN5100 500GB 40
- #73 CorsairCorsair MP600 ELITE PS5 1TB 39
- #74 CorsairCorsair MP600 ELITE 1TB 39
- #75 Western DigitalWestern Digital Black SN850 2TB 36
Value Heavy Creative Work
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#32 of 252 currently priced solid state drives
- #29 ADATAADATA Legend 960 1TB 67
- #30 KingstonKingston KC3000 1TB 66
- #31 Western DigitalWestern Digital SN7100 2TB 65
- #32 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN5100 500GB 65
- #33 LexarLexar NM790 1TB 65
- #34 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN5000 1TB 64
- #35 TeamGroupTeamGroup MP44Q 2TB 64
These ladders follow the preset scenario shown above. Your own weights re-score this product, not the whole field.
What it is good for
| Scenario | this productCapability grade · Value at current price | Higher capability | Higher Value with current priorities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced (all-round)Weighted all-round view | GradeNo grade Value79 | — | Higher Value with current priorities Western Digital SN7100 500GB 100 +3% capability |
| System DriveScenario capability | GradeS
Value79 | — | Higher Value with current priorities Western Digital SN7100 500GB S 100 +3% capability |
| Game & File StorageScenario capability | GradeC
Value69
| Higher capability Silicon Power A55 1TB B 79 +100% capability | Higher Value with current priorities Western Digital SN7100 500GB C 82 +0% capability |
| Heavy Creative WorkScenario capability | GradeB
Value65 | — | Higher Value with current priorities Western Digital SN7100 500GB B 83 +4% capability |
Balanced has no letter: it is a weighting preset, not a capability rubric. A grade answers “how well does this handle that job?” — price is never part of it. Relative Value puts the current market price back in.
Compare these grades with the full tier list
Browse shortlists for different uses
Trade-offs
Works well if
- System Drive is your main prioritygraded S for System Drive on the same rubric as the tier list
- Strong-value threshold: ~$109$109 is where Relative Value reaches 80 with Balanced priorities, in the 2026-11-09–2026-11-14 offer frame
Consider other options if
- Current offer is above the strong-value threshold (~$109); check the price on Amazon$109 is where Relative Value reaches 80 with Balanced priorities, in the 2026-11-09–2026-11-14 offer frame
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelWestern Digital SN7100 500GB holds Relative Value 100 against its 79 with Balanced priorities, at $96
- Not the pick if Game & File Storage is your main useit grades only C there
Works well if
- System Drive is your main prioritygraded S for System Drive on the same rubric as the tier list
- Strong-value threshold: ~$109$109 is where Relative Value reaches 80 for System Drive, in the 2026-11-09–2026-11-14 offer frame
Consider other options if
- Current offer is above the strong-value threshold (~$109); check the price on Amazon$109 is where Relative Value reaches 80 for System Drive, in the 2026-11-09–2026-11-14 offer frame
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelWestern Digital SN7100 500GB holds Relative Value 100 against its 79 for System Drive, at $96
- Not the pick if Game & File Storage is your main useit grades only C there
For the selected scenario this is not a strong fit — the grade above is the reason, and the models below suit it better.
Works well if
- Game is not actually your main job — System Drive isit grades C for Game, but S for System Drive
- Strong-value threshold: ~$95$95 is where Relative Value reaches 80 for Game, in the 2026-11-09–2026-11-14 offer frame
Consider other options if
- Not the pick if Game is your main useGraded C; Silicon Power A55 1TB reaches B. Check on Amazon.
- Current offer is above the strong-value threshold (~$95); check the price on Amazon$95 is where Relative Value reaches 80 for Game, in the 2026-11-09–2026-11-14 offer frame
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelWestern Digital SN7100 500GB holds Relative Value 82 against its 69 for Game, at $96
Works well if
- Heavy Creative Work is your main prioritygraded B for Heavy Creative Work on the same rubric as the tier list
- Strong-value threshold: ~$72$72 is where Relative Value reaches 80 for Heavy Creative Work, in the 2026-11-09–2026-11-14 offer frame
Consider other options if
- Current offer is above the strong-value threshold (~$72); check the price on Amazon$72 is where Relative Value reaches 80 for Heavy Creative Work, in the 2026-11-09–2026-11-14 offer frame
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelWestern Digital SN7100 500GB holds Relative Value 83 against its 65 for Heavy Creative Work, at $96
- Not the pick if Game & File Storage is your main useit grades only C there
Every line states the fact it was derived from, for the scenario selected above. Thresholds are calculated points on our value curve — information about where the maths turns, not instructions about what to pay.
Similar options to the Western Digital Blue SN5100 500GB
Chosen for Balanced
Chosen for System Drive
Chosen for Game
Chosen for Heavy Creative Work
Alternatives stay near this product’s price range. Step-up options may exceed the standard budget envelope when the capability gain is meaningful.
More head-to-head comparisons in this category
Upgrade planner
Judge the change in the active scenario, then make the cash gap explicit.
Using page scenarioWhat are you upgrading from? These are the axes we compare on, and where this product stands in the current market.
Capability differences are expressed as tiers and index points, not as benchmark percentages we did not measure.
Specifications and compatibility
What this product is, and what to check before it goes into your build.
Performance
- Sequential read
- 6600 MB/s
- Sequential write
- 5600 MB/s
- Random read
- 660000 IOPS
- Random write
- 1100000 IOPS
- Controller
- SanDisk Custom
Media
- Capacity
- 500 GB
- NAND type
- QLC 3D CBA NAND
- DRAM cache
- None (DRAM-less)
Power / Interface
- Interface
- M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
- Form factor
- M.2-2280
Physical / Outputs
- Heatsink included
- No
Show all specifications
Endurance & warranty
- Endurance
- 300 TBW
- Warranty
- 5 years
Hover any value to see where it came from: a manufacturer specification, or a figure TheComparator.Tech calculated.
Sources: Comparator offer frame 2026-11-09–2026-11-14
What to check in your build
M.2-2280
The slot must take M.2-2280
M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot for full speed
PCIe 4.0 — runs in older slots at their speed
Fits under an M.2 shroud
Bare drive — it fits under a motherboard M.2 shroud
Meets the PS5 expansion requirements
M.2 2280 NVMe, PCIe 4.0, 6600 MB/s read — meets Sony's published requirements; a heatsink is required
Found an error? Report this specification Email the field, corrected value and an optional source.
Compatibility guidance is practical help, not a score. Missing data is shown as unknown, never invented.
Summary
Western Digital Blue SN5100 500GB offers a balanced view across an all-round mix of priorities. It ranks #78 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 6600. The main limitation appears when Game & File Storage becomes the priority, where it grades C.
Western Digital Blue SN5100 500GB offers S-grade capability for System Drive. It ranks #78 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 6600. The main limitation appears when Game & File Storage becomes the priority, where it grades C.
Western Digital Blue SN5100 500GB offers C-grade capability for Game. It ranks #203 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 6600. The C grade is the decisive limitation for this workload.
Western Digital Blue SN5100 500GB offers B-grade capability for Heavy Creative Work. It ranks #72 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 6600. The main limitation appears when Game & File Storage becomes the priority, where it grades C.
FAQ
Why does Relative Value change when I choose another scenario?
Each scenario changes the weights applied to capability, price and the other published factors. The hardware facts stay fixed, but the value question changes, so its score and rank can change too.
Useful links & sources
offer frame 2026-11-09–2026-11-14 · formula ssd-value-v6.1 · facts facts-2026-11-14 · Relative Value is an estimate from our current dataset, the selected weights and dated market prices — not an official product rating and not a price forecast. Target prices are calculation thresholds, not predictions. Methodology We are not a shop. Affiliate links may earn us a commission; they never change the calculations or the ranking.