Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

UPDATE - I was unable to edit/correct my review for some reason, but I'm trying again. This review is primarily about the 1TB version, not the 500gb version, but the basics apply regardless of which drive you purchase. I originally posted a quick response to one of the popular reviews here, but I'm adding my own review here to offer a different perspective on what people might be buying. My comments can still be found under another post, but here is the gist of what I said in my original (unedited) response/comments so it's not buried. 1) Several knowledgeable review sites give this drive a definite "pass", or simple "not recommended" rating. I would suggest that all customers search out objective sites and read reviews before purchasing this product. Be careful though, many sites out there will say positive things about almost all gear, and their glowing reviews may not tell you what you're really buying. Read reviews on technical sites that actually understand SSDs and their specifications (a.na.nd.tech. co m) is one such site you might consider, but there are several others too. 2) Today's price (in October 2016) makes the WD Blue a poor choice when the warranty, performance, and competition are all considered. The WD Blue is just a relabeled Sandisk x400 drive with some firmware tweaks, more over provisioning, and an increased TBW (Terabytes written) rating. Contrary to what some other reviewers have stated, the asking price is actually poor. WD has raised the price of the X400 by more than 10% since taking over Sandisk earlier this year, ostensibly to make this new drive more palatable, or simply to try and justify its untenable price. Unfortunately, I can think of no case today in which this Blue drive should be considered over the X400, which still costs less, has a better 5-year warranty, better performance, and a very high 320 TBW rating. This drive's performance when measured against almost all similar drives, is at best average, and often below average or near the bottom in almost every measurable category. Surprisingly, it even falls below its parent drive - the X400 -- yet the price clearly defies reason and is near the top of the category. The Blue drive is almost as expensive as a Samsung 850 Evo ( 1TB 850 is $25 more). However, the 850 is a superior drive that's as close to a consumer-level SSD "gold standard" as you can get today. The 850 out performs this drive in nearly every measurement, has a better 5-year warranty (though admittedly a lower TBW spec), and is considered the top consumer level SSDs today. Note: Don't mistakenly ascribe the 850's positive characteristics to Samsung's 750 evo, which is not the same. The 750 (not the subject of this review) uses older 2d nand, was not meant to be sold in the US, and is also a poor value at today's prices. 3) There is no objective reliability data to suggest that this drive - as reconfigured from the X400 - is any better or worse than any other drive in the consumer-level SSD category. When compared to the X400 though, the Blue's shortened warranty should make one wonder why WD did it, but it's probably just WD's desire to increase profits (at your expense) and reduce future obligations against failed drives. The warranty is important, especially for a drive that is going to hold your data. Remember, warranties are also typically a direct reflection of expected longevity and are factored into the price, so ask yourself, why do we get a shortened warranty for more money? 4) Don't be fooled by the WD name, or reviews based on free products. This mid-level drive may be fine, and I have no reason to think that it isn't, but if you're wise it should be avoided until the price falls by a significant amount, and by that I mean $100 less on sale, or approximately $190-$200 for the 1TB model. There are so many better options out there, including this product's parent/base, the Sandisk x400 (which is cheaper, offers better performance, and has a longer warranty), the Crucial MX300, Samsung 850 Evo, et. al. In summary, there is no compelling reason to buy this drive today. You're better off buying the original Sandisk X400 for less, a Samsung 850 Evo for a little more, or one of the many other choices available in this category from Crucial, Toshiba, Muskin, etc. Just don't buy this, or at least don't buy it until the price is much, much lower. Definitely NOT recommended.