Although it plays more of a background role, internal storage is a very important aspect of your gaming PC. Without it, there would be nowhere to keep your gaming library, your extensive saves, or any of your content. A gaming PC without storage is just a very expensive box. Thankfully, fast and ultra-reliable storage solutions, like WD, exist. Come with me, as I tell you why it’s great to Build it with Blue.
Why Build It with Blue
If you are new to PC gaming, then WD (Western Digital) are one of the biggest names in storage hardware. They make both hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs), in a variety of capacities. Staying at the edge of innovation, storage technology is constantly being refined and improved to provide us – the humble gamer – with ultra-fast and incredibly reliable products. WD product ranges are characterised by colour; drives perfect for NAS are Red, heavy workloads are no problem for Black, and Blue drives strike a wonderful balance between performance and capacity that’s just perfect for gaming.
The WD Blue range covers both HDDs and SSDs, each coming in two distinct form factors. In fact they have every base covered, for PC and laptop gamers alike.
This specific range of HDDs and SSDs performs at impressive speeds whilst also providing you with ample storage for all your important files. You know, the other stuff you keep on your PC as well as gaming files.
HDDS
We all know that hard drives are made of a spinning disk where your data is read and written. They are hard disk drives after all. Whilst they made be slower than their SSD counterpart, hard drives still have a massive selling point going for them. Their capacity. As the technology is still cheaper to produce, you can get HDDs with mind-blowing capacities and the WD Blue range does not buck this trend. The 2.5” model is available with between 500GB and 2TB, whilst the 3.5” model comes available with between 1TB and 6TB. Just think of how many games you’ll get on there!
Traditionally, the 3.5” form factor is the standard for desktop PCs. Regardless of form factor, most cases come equipped with at least one storage bay designed to hold a 3.5” drive. Even SSF cases. Often, these smaller chassis will come with an adapter bracket to support the 2.5” form factor. Otherwise, these are more often used in boosting your gaming laptop’s byte capacity.
Interfacing via SATA port on your motherboard, WD Blue HDDs transfer your data at speeds up to 215MB/s, depending on the model and other factors. Sure, you will want faster speeds for your games and operating system, but for holding and accessing the bulk of your files? WD Blue hard drives are a perfect choice.
SSDS
Moving onto SSDs, there are two connection options within the WD Blue range: SATA and NVMe. Of the SATA drives, there are also two form factors, leaving you spoiled for choice. Using the same interface as their HDD counterparts, the SATA SSDs are not as fast as the PCIe SSDs due to using the older technology. However, they are still over twice as fast and your data isn’t at risk from knocks damaging the hardware. The available form factors are 2.5” and M.2 2280.
The second type of SSD – NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory express) – is where the real speed happens. Interfacing via PCIe Gen 3, this solid state drive can achieve transfer speeds up to 2,400MB/s. Excuse me while I try to wrap my head around how fast that is. To experience this amazing performance, all you need is the new WD Blue SN570 NVMe SSD. In the M.2 2280 form factor, this is up to four times faster than SATA SSDs. Slow boot times are going to be a thing of the past with this drive in your gaming PC.
Both models have ample space, as well, with the SATA models going up to 4TB and the NVMe models going up to 2TB. Plus, with this high capacity comes enhanced reliability as WD have cleverly reduced cell-to-cell interference. WD Blue has the speedy SSD waiting to boost your storage solution.
Best of Both Worlds
Of course, for the best performance, you want to combine a Blue HDD and a Blue SSD. That way you get the boost to your capacity and speed with incredible reliability. Because why pick when you can have both? Both is good.
Say It With Me: Build it with Blue
Whether you are using a Blue HDD to boost your storage space, a Blue SSD to speed up loading times, or a combination of the two to completely streamline your gaming PC; WD Blue is the cornerstone of reliable systems. Equip your gaming PC with these drives, and you won’t regret it. Check out all the available models at Overclockers UK, right now.
- 5 min read
Emily Haylock
Author
Emily is a board and cosy gamer, keyboard obsessive, and content copywriter for Overclockers UK. She has been with Overclockers UK since 2020, writing about everything from noblechairs to 8Pack PCs. She writes from within her desk nest with a foster pup at her feet. (What, a desk duvet is a totally normal thing!) In her downtime, she likes to play board games, farming sims, and old-school Final Fantasy. IX to be specific. It is the best, and that is a hill she will die on.
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