The long wait is over! Western Digital solid state drives are now available in the country. There are currently 2 models available: Green and Blue.

So, why has it taken the company so long to release SSDs? The answer is simple: WD wanted to ensure that they were not “just another” manufacturer, but one that sets the standard against which all other brands will now be measured.

‘Having matured in purchasing decisions, the South African market is now looking for sizable storage with the added advantage of speed and increased reliability. “This is where WD SSDs come in. The Green drive is the ultimate mix of performance and value for money. Suitable for everyday use, it’s ideal to enhance the lifecycle and supplement the performance of an aging laptop or desktop,” explains Kalvin Subbadu, Western Digital Storage Technology sales manager for SA, “while the Blue drive is aimed at DIY computing enthusiasts, gamers and content creators because these kinds of users are looking for a high-performance drive to meet their demands for speed,”’

Specs

“For those in search of instant-on responsiveness, durability, low power consumption in an ultra-mobile form factor, we believe that WD SSDs would be the ideal match for their storage needs and performance demands,” says Subbadu.

WD Green SSD

  • Great option for the first-time SSD user offering affordable performance and sizeable storage options.
  • Available in 120GB and 240B capacities, and in both 2.5-inch/7mm case or M.2 2280 form factors.
  • Capable of ultra-low power-draw to enable PC usage for longer periods between battery charges.
  • Delivers sequential read and write times at 540MB/s and 405MB/s and endurance at 40TBW for 120GB drive and 80TBW for 240GB drive.

WD Blue SSD

  • Optimised for multitasking, creating the ability to run resource-heavy applications simultaneously without experiencing system slow-down.
  • Perfect in either a notebook or desktop PC, WD Blue SSDs are available in 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB capacities, and in both 2.5-inch/7mm case or M.2 2280 form factors.
  • Delivers sequential read and write times at 540MB/s and 500MB/s for the 250 GB drive and 545MB/s and 525MB/s for the 500 GB and 1TB drive, with endurance times at 100 TBW (250 GB), 200 TBW (500 GB) and 400 TBW (1TB).

Pricing and Availability

WD Blue SSD

WD Blue SSDs are available in 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB capacities, and in both 2.5-inch/7mm case OR M.2 (designed for hybrid and Ultra books) 2280 form factors.

WD Blue SSDs have a recommended retail price starting from of R1429.00 and are currently available at selected retail outlets.

WD Green SSD

WD Green SSDs are available in 120GB and 240B capacities, and in both 2.5-inch/7mm case OR M.2 2280 (designed for hybrid and Ultra books) form factors.

WD Green SSDs have a recommended retail price starting from R799.00 and are currently available at selected retail outlets.