Which is faster in real use?

The SN7100 has the edge on paper, mostly in write speed (6,900 vs 6,000 MB/s). In games and Windows boot the difference is small because both are DRAM-less Gen4 drives; you will notice it most when copying large files.

Is the SN7100 worth the extra money?

Only if the gap is small. At its recorded low of $159.99 on November 2, 2026, it is a fair price for a 1TB Gen4 drive. If the P310 is $15 or more cheaper, the real-world gain does not justify it for gaming.

The SN7100 publishes a 600 TBW endurance rating; Crucial does not list a TBW figure for the P310 in this listing. Both carry multi-year warranties, so check the warranty term at the store before buying.

Will either fit a PS5 or a thin laptop?

The SN7100 is single-sided M.2 2280, which fits the PS5 slot and most thin laptops. The P310 is also M.2 2280; confirm it is single-sided before installing in a tight laptop.

Do these work in a PCIe 3.0 slot?

Yes. Both are backward compatible and will run at Gen3 speeds, roughly half their rated Gen4 numbers. The P310 explicitly advertises this.

Neither ships with a heatsink. DRAM-less Gen4 drives like these run fairly cool, but a motherboard heatsink or a $10 aftermarket pad is worth it for sustained writes.

WD_BLACK SN7100 1TB NVMe SSD vs Crucial P310 1TB NVMe SSD

Both are 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 drives with DRAM-less controllers, so the gap is smaller than the marketing suggests. The WD_BLACK SN7100 is the faster drive on paper (7,250/6,900 MB/s vs 7,100/6,000 MB/s) and has a longer track record with 382 ratings. The Crucial P310 is the value pick if it prices below the SN7100; the SN7100's lowest recorded price was $159.99 on November 2, 2026, and no price was given for the P310.

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