Let’s say you own a really thin and portable laptop, maybe a Macbook Air, but one thing usually with this form factor is that a lot of people skimp on the memory option they go for. Getting an external HDD would obviously get you through that extra storage you need, but it defeats the whole purpose of getting a sleek and thin laptop in the first place, and that’s where the all-new SanDisk Extreme Portable drive plays its critical role.
The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is a solid-state drive (obviously) that takes advantage of the fallen price of SSDs to bring users an affordable storage option, in a compact size and yet rugged, plus pocketable design.
There are a lot of options for these SSDs such as the 250GB, 500GB (the one in this review), 1TB and the 2TB option.
Design
When you take a look at the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD, it instantly reminds you of options like the Samsung T5, even though it might not be as thin, you get about 8.85mm in thickness, meaning this drive would easily slide into your pant’s pocket. This is actually smaller than a lot of smartphones these days as far as the general form-factor is considered.
There was a lot put into consideration while this external SSD was built which include outdoor use. For instance, you are getting an IP55 rating, which is water and dust resistant. This doesn’t mean you should go swimming or playing in the rain with this drive, you could easily damage the extreme portable drive since the USB port isn’t sealed.
You have a general rubber chassis with an orange loop at the top-right corner to latch on a key holder. One of my favorite aspects of this design would be the rounded-off corners and textured top.
Since most devices in recent times use the USB C interface, it is a nice plus here as this also comes bundled with a USB type C port and an adaptable cabling in the little box for either USB C or the traditional USB A ports on computers. This drive can also withstand shock when dropped from up to 2m on a concrete floor without any noticeable damage and having your data intact.
Performance
First off, you have to take note that the USB interface for this drive is a USB 3.1 (Gen 2) port, this clearly lets the drive go up to 550MBps as seen labeled on the packaging (this is actually seen when you have a USB-C to USB-C connection and wasn’t the case in my USB-C to type A speed test).
Below is a BlackMagic Speed Test using a USB-C to USB-A connection on my 2015 Macbook Pro.
You are getting read/write speeds at about the same speeds (426.3MBps/415.2MBps), but lower than what you’d get when it is Type-C to Type-C.
When the SanDisk Extreme Portable comes out of the box, you can see it is formatted in exFAT, which is a format that can be easily readable by both Macs and Windows computers. Not extended-Journal or NTFS for only one of the platforms.
Price
There are 4 options of the SanDisk Extreme Portable with different pricing. The 250GB storage size goes for $72.99, 500GB capacity for $85.99, 1TB for $151.19 and the 2TB option for $289.99 as seen on Amazon. In all, the 500GB option seems to be the sweet spot for a lot of people, but if you have the luxury of shelling out a few more bucks, of course, go for the options with the “T” in storage capacity.
Verdict
The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD offers great value for money in its price range, giving users fast transfer speeds, IP55 rating for dust and water resistance, great shock resistance, portable/compact form factor, and at an affordable price.
What do you think about this SSD? Do let me know in the comment section below.