Western Digital confirms degraded SSD performance after memory replacement

In recent days, the Internet’s collective enthusiasts have been furious that new copies of the Western Digital SN550 Blue are performing significantly worse than before. The degraded performance is only noticed when the device’s 12 GB SLC cache runs out, after which the write performance is specified at 390 MB / s instead of 610 MB / s as before.

In June 2021, we replaced the NAND in the WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD and updated the firmware. At the time, we updated the product data sheet. For greater transparency going forward, if we make a change to an existing internal SSD, we commit to introducing a new model number whenever any related published specifications are impacted. We value our customers and are committed to providing the best possible solutions for their data storage needs.

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Now Western Digital takes the magazine by the mouth and confirms that the Blue SN550 was equipped with a different type of NAND memory and got a new firmware in June. The company does not state why, but a probable cause is the current shortage of circuits which means that many companies take what they get. In connection with the memory change, Western Digital quietly updated the specifications on its own website.

Western Digital is one of a number of players that have marketed SSDs, where new copies have suddenly had a degraded performance as a result of switching to another storage memory. To avoid future confusion, Western Digital promises to change the model number of the device in question as the specifications change.

Have you bought a product where a deteriorating property has been sneaked into later store copies?

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