Which one should I put in a PS5?

The WD_Black SN850P. It is licensed and tested by Sony for the PS5 M.2 slot and comes with a heatsink. The WD Red SA500 is a SATA drive and will not work as PS5 expansion storage.

Is the WD Red SA500 faster or slower?

Slower. It uses SATA, which tops out around 560MB/s, while the SN850P is rated up to 7000MB/s over PCIe Gen 4.

They are built for different duty. The WD Red SA500 is designed for NAS boxes running all day. The SN850P is built for game loading in a console. Neither is a better bet for the other's job.

Is the SN850P worth the extra money?

If you own a PS5, yes. It is the only one of the two that works there, and the included heatsink saves a separate purchase. If you are upgrading a NAS, the SN850P is the wrong drive at any price.

Can I use the WD Red SA500 in a laptop?

Only if the laptop has a SATA M.2 slot. Many modern laptops take NVMe drives only, so check the slot before buying.

Yes. The SN850P is listed in 1TB only, and the WD Red SA500 comes in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB.

WD_Black SN850P 1TB PS5 SSD vs WD Red SA500 NAS SSD

Buy the WD_Black SN850P if you are adding storage to a PS5. It is the only one of the two built for that job: PCIe Gen 4, up to 7000MB/s reads, and an all-in-one heatsink that fits the console's M.2 slot. The WD Red SA500 is a SATA drive for NAS boxes and always-on PCs, not a PS5 upgrade. No prices were provided for either drive, so compare current store prices before you buy.

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