We recently tested the convincing WD Blue with 250 GB. Now we have the technical twin SanDisk Ultra 3D with 500 GB with us. The better technical data due to the larger memory suggest a fast SSD. But how the SSD actually performs and whether it can stand out against the competition, this test will show.
Accessories
The SSD comes without physical accessories. In addition to the SSD, only information about the warranty and the “SanDisk SSD Dashboard” software is included. This can be obtained via the SanDisk website. The SanDisk SSD Dashboard program can display, among other things, available capacity, operating temperature, and SMART attributes.
Technical Data of the SanDisk Ultra 3D
The SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD is available in four different memory sizes in a 2.5-inch form factor. SATA III 6 Gbit/s is used as the interface. Technically, the SanDisk Ultra 3D SSD is identical to WD Blue.
| Form factor | 2.5 inch |
|---|---|
| Available capacities | 250 GB / 500 GB / 1 TB / 2 TB |
| Cache | 256 / 512 MB DDR3 |
| Controller | Marvell 88SS1074 |
| Chipart | 3D-TLC-NAND |
| Read (according to manufacturer) | 550 / 560 MB/s |
| Write (according to manufacturer) | 525 / 530 MB/s |
| MTTF | 1.75 million hours |
| TBW | 100 / 200 / 400 / 500 TB |
| Manufacturer warranty | 5 years |
| Scope of Delivery | SSD, SSD-Dashboard (Download) |
| Price | 250 GB for € 38.26 *, 500 GB for € 61.20 *, 1 TB for € 90.02 *, 2 TB for € 138.77 * |
Test System
All tests are performed with the following hardware:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600 Processor
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3000MHz C15 XMP 2. 2.0 High Performance Desktop Memory Kit, black
- Mainboard: AsRock AB350 Gaming K4
- Operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit, DSP/SB – DVD (english)
Benchmark Results
- AS SSD Benchmark
- AS SSD Benchmark Score
- AS SSD Compression-Benchmark
- AS SSD Copy-Benchmark
- Crystal DiskMark
- ATTO Disk Benchmark
- HD Tune
- Access times
Everyday Experience
The SanDisk Ultra 3D has after formatting under Windows over 465 GB of usable storage space.
As the benchmark tests show, the SSD is very fast in every situation and is limited in some places by the SATA interface. Like the WD Blue, SanDisk uses a cache to improve the performance of the SSD. If this cache is full, the write speed of the SSD can decrease, among other things.
In our test case an approx. 20 GB zip file was copied to the SanDisk Blue. It is interesting to note that the write speed is more than 1 GB/s for some time and then drops to about 480 MB/s. This is the fastest way to write a file. After 9 GB, the write rate drops moderately to approx. 415 MB/s, which can be maintained until the end.
Conclusion on SanDisk Ultra 3D
The SanDisk Ultra 3D with 500 GB tested here is a very convincing SATA SSD. The SSD’s long stated durability of 200 TB, as well as its high and consistent write and read rate, speak for themselves. Due to the size of the memory and the resulting better performance, the SanDisk Ultra 3D is faster than the one we already tested WD Blue. The permanent writing speed is even more than twice as high. Due to the technical limitation of the cache or the SATA interface, only the access time of a successor can be improved.
The SanDisk Ultra 3D is priced among the slightly faster Samsung SSDs. Those who want to save a few Euros can therefore safely reach for SanDisk Ultra 3D.
SanDisk Ultra 3D 500 GB
Access Times
Transfer Rate (read)
Transfer Rate (write)
Value for Money
Affordable and fast SSD
The SanDisk Ultra 3D is a very fast SATA-SSD, which can convince in the test.
