SanDisk Extreme PRO
A handy portable drive that’s had a big speed boost
$189.99 (500GB) From SanDisk, westerndigital.com
Features Up to 1,050 MB/s read/write speed, USB 3.1 Gen 2, USB–C/USB–A connectors, IP55 rating
In the Spring issue of Mac|Life we tested a plethora of 500GB portable SSDs and came to the conclusion that the Adata SE800 was the best on test. Thing is, SanDisk was a little late to the game that time round, and so the SanDisk Extreme SSD that was part of the test — good as it was — wasn’t able to match the Adata for speed. But SanDisk recently released the PRO version of the Extreme drive, which offers twice the performance — up to 1,050 MB/s read/write transfer rate. It also only costs an additional $60.
Though they might look the same, there are a few key differences in the models: The PRO has a noticeably bigger footprint, a larger corner cutout for hanging it to something like a backpack, as well as a neat orange band around the edge. It’s also a little heavier, though SanDisk doesn’t actually disclose this info, for some reason.
As with the original model, the PRO features an IP55 rating, which gives it some protection against water and dust ingress, but nowhere near as much as the IP68 rating for the Adata SE800, and there’s still no cover for the exposed port. The aluminium body is sheathed in silicon rubber, which is designed to protect it from shocks, but SanDisk doesn’t give any kind of drop rating.
In testing, transferring 4GB of files in the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test using the included USB–C cable, the Extreme PRO achieved a write/read speed of 906 MB/s and 890 MB/s — not quite the top of its capabilities, but it’s slightly quicker than the Adata SE800. That said, you don’t get the Adata’s higher IP rating, and the Extreme PRO is $30 pricier (RRP).
THE BOTTOM LINE. A fast portable SSD, but it’s not quite best in class.