Bucket Tech: WD Storage Solutions

Western Digital announced it has released several new Flash storage solutions to help pros and consumers get ready for the holidays. Whether looking for the perfect gift, or planning a new venture in the New Year, the innovative products from its award-winning SanDisk® and WD_BLACK™ brands reach new levels of speed, reliability, and capacity, serving a diverse set of digital storage needs.

High Performance, Super Capacity Portable SSDs

The expanded SanDisk portfolio of portable SSDs includes two offerings that feature next-generation SSD speeds and help defy the limits of durability. The new drives are perfect for pros or creators and anyone else who needs to store large amounts of data on the go in the toughest of climates:

SanDisk Extreme PRO® with USB4® high-performance portable SSD - As one of the first portable SSDs in the market to feature a USB4 interface, the SanDisk Extreme PRO® with USB4® is great for pros who need exceptional speed and performance. It has lightning-fast USB4 connectivity with speeds up to 3,800 MB/s read and up to 3,700 MB/s write, providing users with incredibly fast file transfers that keep workflows moving, instant access to content, and smooth 3D rendering. The drive features a rugged silicone shell and forged aluminum chassis to help protect data from everyday wear and tear, allowing users to seamlessly access files without compromising reliability. Its IP65 water and dust resistant design helps withstand splashes, rain, and even spills. For those accidental drops, the SanDisk Extreme PRO with USB4 is drop protected up to two meters. The drive is also backwards compatible with USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 devices and supports Thunderbolt™ 4. The SanDisk Extreme PRO with USB4 is expected to be available in early 2025 in 2TB and 4TB.

8TB SanDisk Extreme® Portable SSD - Great for anyone creating massive files or backing up huge content libraries on the go, the 8TB SanDisk Extreme® Portable SSD is the perfect blend of speed, durability, and capacity to keep up with content demands and active lifestyles. The drive offers up to 1050MB/s read and up to 1000MB/s write speeds. The 8TB SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is now available at SanDisk.com and select retailers.

Uplevel Gaming with Higher Performance, More Storage

The purpose-built gaming line, WD_BLACK, now features two new products aimed to deliver amazing performance and capacity so gamers can play at their best:

WD_BLACK™ SN7100 NVMe™ SSD - Building on its reputation for speed, WD_BLACK is introducing a new high-performance PCIe® Gen 4x4 DRAMless NVMe SSD that is perfectly suited to help mainstream gamers take full advantage of today’s highly visual and immersive games that continue to grow in file size. Built with Western Digital’s latest TLC 3D NAND, this new SSD delivers speeds up to 7,250MB/s read and 6,900MB/s write  (1-2TB models), providing up to a 35% performance boost over our previous generation SSD. For mainstream gamers who are looking for more capacity, the WD_BLACK™ SN7100 NVMe™ SSD provides massive storage options for current game libraries with space left over for new games, future updates, and downloadable content. This high-performing NVMe SSD was engineered with laptops and gaming handhelds in mind and provides up to 100% more power efficiency at maximum speed over the previous generation. It also boasts up to 1,200TBW  (2TB model) of endurance for gameplay streaming, speedrun captures, and creating with the latest game engines and for gamers who often write and delete a lot of data off of their drives. Available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities , the WD_BLACK™ SN7100 NVMe™ SSD is expected to be available for pre-order today at SanDisk.com for U.S. MSRPs ranging from $59.99 – 159.99. A 4TB model is expected to be available next year.

2TB 1 WD_BLACK C50 Expansion Card for Xbox® - With more games than ever exceeding 100GB, the new 2TB WD_BLACK C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox provides the space gamers need.  The WD_BLACK C50 NVMe SSD’s core delivers exceptional speeds, while its integration with Xbox features like Xbox Velocity Architecture and Quick Resume provide a truly seamless experience. It’s the fast and easy way to give the Xbox Series X|S a big capacity boost and keep more titles installed. Just plug this officially licensed card directly into the console for similar performance as Xbox internal storage. The drive also includes one month of Game Pass Ultimate and one month of Discord Nitro. The 2TB WD_BLACK C50 Expansion Card for Xbox retails for U.S. MSRP $199.99 and is available now at SanDisk.com and select retailers.

Bucket Tech: Igniting the future of South African gaming

PC gaming has become a beloved pastime for many South Africans, with the ability to access a vast library of popular AAA-classified titles. However, the growing demand for complex, graphically-intensive games has presented new challenges for local gamers. As game install sizes continue to balloon, sometimes exceeding 200GB, players are faced with issues like lengthy boot times, slow load speeds, and performance bottlenecks during multiplayer sessions.

The Growing Demand for Complex Games

The growing demand for complex games in South Africa mirrors global trends.. With each update, more features such as 4K textures, complex graphics, and audio are added, thereby increasing the size of the game, which will further adversely impact the load time. To address this problem, investing in a reliable and high-performing storage device is essential to enhance the gaming experience. Popular operating systems may require 20 GB of space, but when you download as many as three to four AAA-classified games, the storage capacity must be increased.  This is where the solid-state drive (SSD) storage devices plays a crucial role.

The Benefits of SSD Storage

An SSD provides smooth gameplay, especially for South African gamers who enjoy complex titles. Many such games perform a large number of tiny read and write operations during gameplay, which usually result in hundreds of megabytes of data transfer. While upgrading to an SSD may not increase frames per second (FPS), it can enhance the performance of open-world titles with game engines that load new areas and textures. The larger bandwidth and low latency of SSDs help in accelerating and thereby processing the command. The latest NVMeTM technology-based SSDs, such as those offered in the WD_BLACKTM portfolio, should help to resolve these issues for gamers.

The Future of Gaming Storage

As the industry grows and the demand for complex games increases, storage devices are also evolving. For example, there is NVMeTM, which enables faster speeds on SSDs. The technology not only allows a faster installation of a game, thereby letting the gameplay begin almost instantly, but also further aids in recording. For e-sports players, recording gameplay is a vital part of the entire journey; thus, the technology makes it easier to edit videos, which can be quickly streamed.

The Rise of Professional Gaming in South Africa

The rise of professional gaming in South Africa has further underscored the importance of optimised storage. As the country's esports scene continues to grow, aspiring players are recognising the need for powerful, customisable PC setups that can handle the demands of loading, recording,  and editing gameplay. NVMeTM,-based SSDs, such as those in the WD_BLACK portfolio, are well-equipped to meet these requirements, empowering South African gamers to take their skills to the next level.

As the gaming industry evolves, storage technology must keep pace. Innovations like NVMeTM, are paving the way for a future where lightning-fast load times, seamless gameplay, and effortless content creation become the norm. By embracing these advancements, South African gamers can unlock new levels of performance and immersion, solidifying the country's position as a rising force in the global gaming landscape.

Bucket Tech: Western Digital 2.5" Portable HDD

With the explosion of digital content, people need bigger and more robust solutions to help access and preserve it all. Western Digital today is introducing a portable HDD expansion across its WD®, WD_BLACK™ and SanDisk® Professional product lineups, boasting the world’s highest storage capacity in a 2.5” portable HDD. The WD My Passport portable HDD line, WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive and SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE® ArmorATD™ will all now be available in 6TB* capacities.

“Expanding our portfolio with the world’s first 2.5” 6TB* portable hard drive is an incredible technological achievement, and it enables us to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible,” said Nitin Kachhwaha, Director of Product Management at Western Digital. “Offering up to 6TB* in such a small form factor and accessible price point gives everyone—from students, gamers, professional videographers, and more—greater flexibility to create and keep even more of their essential content in one portable drive.”

The new, record-breaking 6TB* capacity point is now available across Western Digital's premier brands, offering a more robust, purpose-built solution for consumers, gamers and pros:

Confidently Back Up Your Next Journey with WD

With up to 6TB* capacities now available for the WD My Passport hard drive line, adventurers can store more and effortlessly backup their digital memories with peace of mind. The My Passport Ultra™ drive is a trusted, portable storage solution that is equipped with USB-C™ technology and a modern metal design. It is ready right out of the box and features a convenient, slim form factor that is easily transportable. Its password protection with 256-bit AES hardware encryption helps keep precious content safe and secure. The My Passport hard drives are available in a variety of different colors to suit any style.

Enhancing Your Competitive Edge in Gaming with WD_BLACK

The WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive allows gamers to furnish their console or PC with performance-enhancing tools to keep up with the pace of today’s complex AAA titles. With the 6TB* capacities now available that can store up to 150 games, the drive is built for players looking to upgrade the storage of their console or PC and enjoy gaming without having to compromise which games to delete or updates to forgo to make room for new titles.

Get the Perfect Shot with SanDisk Professional

With SanDisk Professional’s G-DRIVE ArmorATD drive, consumers get an all-terrain drive with shock, IP54 rain and dust, and crush resistance2 to help protect valuable footage from out in the wild to back in the studio. The 6TB* SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE ArmorATD provides a trusted and portable way to back up photos, video footage and files wherever adventure leads.