WD Black and Blue replaced by Sandisk Optimus branding

Sandisk, which became independent from disk drive maker Western Digital last February is replacing its inherited WD branded SSDs with its own Optimus brand.

Pre-split Western Digital supplied internal-fit SSDs as well as disk drives. There were WD Blue brand M.2 small tablet-sized drives for so-called creative users, and WD Black SSDs for gamers and professional users, both also in the M.2 format. Specifically the WD Blue SN500 used QLC flash, providing its 0.5 to 4 TB capacity at lowish cost, while the Black drives used faster TLC flash for their more performance-conscious users. The SN8100 also used the fast PCIe Gen 5 bus whereas the other Blacks and the Blue drives were slower PCIe Gen 4 products.

Heidi Arkinstall, VP Global Consumer Brand and Digital Marketing at Sandisk, said: “Our products span multiple segments and with this change we are making it easier for consumers to find the right solution for their needs.”

The two brands, WD Blue and Black, become three new brands: Optimus, Optimus GX, and Optimus GX PRO. Here’s a brand replacement diagram;

Optimus is for the creative market, Optimus GX for gamers, and Optimus GX PRO, the flagship as Sandisk puts it, for professional users. The GX PRO drives “are designed for developers, professionals and gamers in the pursuit of the latest technological breakthrough and uncompromising performance who are looking to build AI PCs, workstations, or high-end PCs.”

Anil Moolchandani, VP Product Management Client at Sandisk, said: “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. 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.”

The transition from the WD_BLACK and WD Blue brands to the SANDISK Optimus brand identity begins with today’s announcement, with products featuring the updated branding expected to reach select retailers worldwide in the first half of 2026 for purchase, pre-order or notification.

Bootnote

Optimus is an adjective in Latin meaning “best” or “optimal” and a [popular brand. The Optimus branding is used for Tesla’s humanoid robot and Optimus Prime is the name of a leader in the Autobot Transformers game.