Sandisk Optimus is the new SSD brand for PC gamers formerly known as WD_BLACK

At CES 2026, Sandisk unveiled its new Sandisk Optimus line of SSDs for consumers. Well, new in the sense that Sandisk Optimus is the new name for the popular SSDs formerly known as WD Blue and WD_BLACK under Western Digital.

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The Sandisk Optimus GX line-up represents high-performance SSDs for PC gamers that were previously found under the WD_BLACK brand, such as the WD_BLACK SN7100 NVMe SSD.

The flagship Sandisk Optimus GX PRO line is all about the best of the best and cutting-edge PCIe Gen5 speeds. Built for gamers, creators, and professionals, the Sandisk Optimus GX PRO line includes the lightning-fast WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD released in 2025.

• Read more: WD rushes out a firmware fix for SSDs hit by nightmarish Windows 11 24H2 BSoD bug

As for the baseline, the Sandisk Optimus line-up is the more affordable of the two, and includes former WD Blue drives like the WD Blue SN5100 NVMe SSD, built for efficiency and speed, delivering faster load times.

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In addition to the branding change, the Sandisk Optimus range sports a new look compared to the previous WD models, which the company says is inspired by its "relentless focus on delivering innovation that delights end users."

"Millions of people around the world know and trust our internal drives, and the new Sandisk Optimus branding perfectly matches the strength of our portfolio," said Anil Moolchandani, VP Product Management Client at Sandisk. "The family of internal SSD products are engineered to meet the demands of developer workflows and gaming environments for professionals, gamers, and other prosumers alike."

Sandisk confirms that the worldwide rebranding is now underway and that former WD Blue and WD_BLACK SSDs at retailers will start featuring the new Sandisk Optimus naming sometime in the first half of 2026.