SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850X 4TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280

The SanDisk Optimus GX PRO is a 4TB Gen 4 NVMe drive with best-in-class random performance and a monster 4,800 TBW endurance rating. It's expensive, with US prices ranging from USD 850 to USD 1,578, so shop carefully. Worth it for heavy users who need capacity and longevity, not for casual buyers.

Sequential speeds are excellent at 7,300 MB/s read and 6,600 MB/s write, landing in the 89th percentile for speed. Random IOPS hit 1.2M read and 1.2M write, which is 96th percentile territory, basically best-in-class for Gen 4 drives. The DRAM cache and SanDisk nCache 4.0 tech keep things snappy under load. Endurance is a standout too at 4,800 TBW, 95th percentile, so this drive should outlast most builds. DirectStorage support means it's ready for games that lean on fast storage. No real performance complaints here, just know that Gen 5 drives exist if you want more headroom.

Against the Western Digital Black SN850X, the Optimus GX PRO trades blows on speed but adds more endurance and capacity headroom. The Samsung 9100 PRO is a Gen 5 drive, so it'll beat this on raw sequential numbers, but you'll pay for it and likely get less endurance per dollar. The Kingston FURY Renegade G5 and Crucial T500 are both strong Gen 4 options that often undercut SanDisk on price. The Seagate FireCuda 530R is another solid alternative with similar specs. If you want the best endurance and capacity combo, this SanDisk is compelling. If you want the best price per gigabyte, the Crucial or Kingston might win.

Value is where this drive gets complicated. Affordability sits in the 6th percentile, which is rough. US listings range from USD 850 to USD 1,578, a spread of USD 728 depending on where you shop. The low end of that range is the one to chase if you're buying. At USD 850, you're paying a premium for capacity and endurance, but it's defensible for a 4TB drive with this kind of speed. At USD 1,578, you're getting fleeced. Shop around before you commit.

The SanDisk Optimus GX PRO is a 4TB PCIe 4.0 drive aimed at gamers and creators who want big capacity without giving up speed. It hits 7,300 MB/s read and 6,600 MB/s write, which puts it near the top of the Gen 4 pile. TLC NAND, DRAM cache, and hardware encryption round out the package.

Our database scores it 88.9 out of 100 overall, with workstation use at 91.3 and laptop use at 89.1. The weak spot is portability at 22.9, which makes sense for a 2280 M.2 drive. It's built to live inside a desktop or laptop, not bounce around in your bag.

Skip this if you're building a budget PC or just need a boot drive. The price is brutal for what most people actually need. If you're not writing terabytes of data regularly, you're paying for endurance you'll never use. Also skip it if you want a portable drive, this thing is meant to stay inside a machine. And if you're chasing the absolute fastest sequential speeds, a Gen 5 drive like the Samsung 9100 PRO will beat it, though you'll pay even more.

Buy this if you need a 4TB workhorse for a gaming rig or creator PC and you plan to hammer it with writes for years. The endurance rating alone makes it a smart pick for video editors and people who churn through large files. It's overkill for casual users who just want a boot drive. And if you're on a budget, look elsewhere, because this drive does not care about your wallet.