Crucial P3 Plus vs WD Black SN770: Which One to Choose?

Both Crucial P3 Plus and WD Black SN770 are very popular entry-level DRAM-less SSDs. Both SSDs target normal users because of their competitive pricing and average specifications. Both are PCIe 4.0 drives with almost similar features, except for the NAND flash. The Crucial P3 Plus has the QLC NAND flash, whereas the SN770 comes with the TLC NAND flash. It is a big difference and can greatly impact your decision between the two. If you ask me to choose between the two, without other conditions, I would choose the SN770 right away. I have two reasons. The first is the TLC NAND flash, and the second is SN770’s better TBW.

The Crucial P3 Plus is considered a budget-friendly and entry-level drive. However, the SN770 is a mid-range drive. People are confused between both because of their similar price tags, the same PCIe generation, and targeted audience, i.e., normal users. You should choose the one with the best offerings for you.

There are reasons to choose both drives in different scenarios, and we are going to cover each of them. Let’s start off the article by comparing the theoretical specifications and then proceed further.

Theoretical Specifications

The WD Black SN770 has higher read and write speeds, especially in random IOPS performance. The theoretical sequential read/write speed is higher in the WD Black SN770. There are some variations in the sequential and random performance in different variations. You can confirm them here and here. Being a Gen 4.0 NVMe targeted at normal users, the Crucial P3 Plus doesn’t have a 250GB variant, which I find a little disappointing. However, if you want a higher storage variant, i.e., 4TB, the SN770 doesn’t have one for you.

Benchmark Scores

The benchmark scores are collected from third-party websites like TomsHardware, PCWorld, TechPowerUp, etc. However, I am fully responsible for the accuracy of the data. The links to the review pages are given at the end. The benchmarks are of the 2TB variants of both drives.

PCMark 10 Benchmark

The PCMark 10 Benchmark replicates or simulates real-world workloads on SSDs like launching applications, copying files, loading operating systems, etc. The PCMark 10 doesn’t give you the peak performance numbers, but the overall performance scores of what you can expect from a drive when used in real-world scenarios. I have gathered the benchmark scores, i.e., full drive benchmark, bandwidth, and latency.

In the Full System Drive Benchmark, the WD Black SN770 beats the Crucial P3 Plus. It delivers around 35% higher overall PCMark 10 score (3,962 vs. 2,932) and 42% more bandwidth (689 MB/s vs. 484 MB/s), meaning faster data handling. The SN770 also has approximately 22% lower latency (46µs vs. 59µs), which results in quicker system responsiveness, especially important for everyday tasks and launching applications.

3DMark Benchmark for Gamers

The 3DMark Storage test for gamers simulates real-world gaming activities such as game loading/saving/installing and recording live games/streaming.

In the 3DMark Storage Benchmark, the WD Black SN770 achieves around 7% higher overall score (3,516 vs. 3,276) and nearly identical bandwidth (566 MB/s vs. 563 MB/s). However, the SN770 shows an advantage in latency, coming in 13% lower (48µs vs. 55µs),

These scores simply mean you can expect better gaming performance with the SN770. The difference is not very big, and it will be hard to detect any performance difference in the real world. But numbers are numbers, and the SN770 seems to be a good pick for gaming PCs and laptops.

DiskBench File Transfer Rate

DiskBench is a popular benchmark software that tests your drive’s capabilities for moving raw data in both read and write scenarios. In this test, we are comparing the copy transfer rate and read transfer rate of the drives.

In file transfer tests, the WD Black SN770 again outpaces the Crucial P3 Plus. It shows a 22% faster 50GB copy transfer rate (1,482 MB/s vs. 1,217 MB/s), which means quicker handling of large file moves. For the 6.5GB zip file read, the SN770 is about 20% faster (3,367 MB/s vs. 2,815 MB/s), offering snappier access to compressed or archived data.

Power Consumption

In terms of power efficiency, both SSDs have the same average power draw of 3W during active use. However, the WD Black SN770 draws slightly more under load, with a maximum of 5W compared to 4W on the Crucial P3 Plus. The idle power consumption is also higher on the SN770 at 1,013mW, versus 736mW on the P3 Plus—about 38% more, which may impact battery life slightly in laptops during idle periods.

We can say that there can be more refinements, but this higher power consumption is mainly due to higher random and sequential performance numbers. The number that we should have an eye on is the average power consumption, which is the same in both, i.e., around 3 watts. This indicates that you perform better with the SN770, but with a higher thermal output and power consumption. I would admit that the Crucial P3 Plus is much more refined if we look at its thermal efficiency. The SN770 easily hit 80 degrees Celsius during sustained write operations. Again, it would be good to use a heatsink if your work includes heavy loads for long durations.

CrystalDiskMark Peak Sequential Performance

CDM Peak Sequential performance benchmark is useful to test your drive’s capabilities when working with large datasets of specifically the sequential data.

In sequential read/write tests, the WD Black SN770 beats the Crucial P3 Plus (2TB) across all queue depths. At QD8, it delivers around 6% faster reads (5,224 vs. 4,921 MB/s) and 11% faster writes (4,871 vs. 4,380 MB/s). The gap increases more at QD1, where the SN770 achieves a 54% faster read (4,874 vs. 3,156 MB/s) and 11% higher write speed (4,870 vs. 4,379 MB/s), making it especially responsive in low-concurrency scenarios like boot-ups or light workloads.

CrystalDiskMark Peak Random Performance

In the CDM peak random performance test, the drives are tested for their performance when working with small and non-contiguous blocks of data. This test depicts the normal day-to-day scenarios but in the form of a synthetic test. Meaning, you get only the number in MB/s or IOPS to interpret. However, a higher random performance generally mean a better everyday performance.

In Q1T1 4K random performance, which is considered to be critical for everyday responsiveness, the WD Black SN770 shows a notable 41% advantage in read speed (83 MB/s vs. 59 MB/s) over the Crucial P3 Plus. Write speeds are nearly identical (228 MB/s vs. 223 MB/s).

Endurance, TBW, and Warranty Period

Only the warranty period is the same in both, i.e., 5 years. However, the problem is with the TBW (Terabytes Written), which is way lower in the Crucial P3 Plus. This is because the QLC NAND flash inherently has the lowest lifespan of the SLC, MLC, and TLC NAND flash. The mean time between failures is better with the SN770, which is again a good thing. Now, because the TBW is lower, the DWPD (Drive Writes Per Day) would also be lower in the P3 Plus. All these things are there to tell you about the reliability and endurance of an SSD. Now, because the SN770 has better numbers would generally mean it will have better reliability as well.

Technical Specifications

The NAND flash and controller are both better in the SN770. Hardware encryption is missing in both, which is a threat to data protection. The operating temperature is higher in the SN770, as we discussed above. Both drives use the Host Memory Buffer to compensate for the on-chip DRAM.

Price Difference

Which one should you choose: WD Black SN770 or Crucial P3 Plus?

I would choose the WD Black SN770 over the Crucial P3 Plus any day. The only time I may change my decision is if I am getting a very attractive discount on the price. Otherwise, the SN770 would be my choice because of its better performance, NAND flash, and higher TBW.

The Crucial P3 Plus can still be better for normal users and can work for years without any issues. You may save a good amount of money, especially during the sales season. But if your work demands random read/write performance or if you are a gamer, the SN770 is a better pick for you.

I would also add that there are comparatively better options than both these drives, like the Samsung 980 Pro, Crucial P5 Plus, and Samsung 990 EVO. The prices may not be the same, but you should always look around for all the available options in the same generation.

Resources

https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/crucial-p3-plus

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-p3-plus-ssd-review-capacity-on-the-cheap/2

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wd-black-sn770-ssd-review/2