Mini Test: Portable SSDs
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G-Technology G-Drive Mobile SSD From £150/$140 (500GB) https://shop.westerndigital.com
Until recently, this drive was known as the G-Drive Mobile SSD R-Series, and may still be called this at some retailers. Its standout feature is its ruggedised design, which protects the drive against a three-metre drop and 1,000lb of crushing force. The exterior is IP67- rated to resist dust and moisture. Despite this extra exterior protection, the drive’s 95mm x 50mm x 15mm dimensions are only marginally more bulky than the non-ruggedised WD My Passport SSD.
Inside the toughened shell is a fast SSD that G-Technology claims can transfer data at up to 560MBps – impressive stuff. The drive connects via an up-to-date USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C connection; a Type-A converter is included.
Though we couldn’t quite match the drive’s claimed 560MBps max transfer speed, we did clock it at a very respectable 410/353MBps when reading/writing video. Image transfer speeds of 307/298MBps read/write are also hugely impressive. This drive has every base covered.
Samsung Portable SSD T5 From £90/$110 (500GB) www.samsung.com
Samsung’s entry is as sleek as portable SSDs come, with a simple matte aluminium casing that oozes understated quality. Measuring only 74 x 57 x 11mm, it easily slips into a shirt pocket. There are even four colour finishes available (at least in some configurations): black, blue, gold and red. You might not guess it from the stylish exterior, but the SSD T5 is also rated to survive a two-metre drop, and your data can be protected by 256-bit hardware encryption. 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacity options are available, with the 1TB version being particularly good value, costing little more than many rival 500GB drives.
The 2TB option is less competitive.
Hook up the USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection (Type-C and Type-A cables are supplied) and, while the advertised 540MBps transfer speed will be tough to achieve, you’re still assured stellar speeds. We recorded blistering 415/365MBps rear/write speeds when transferring video, and image read/ write speeds of 308/298MBps are equally mighty.
SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD From £130/$120 (500GB) https://shop.westerndigital.com/sandisk
SanDisk already produces the Extreme Portable SSD. This Pro version looks almost identical, with a rugged rubberised exterior that boasts IP55-rated water and dust resistance, along with shock protection. Underneath the uninspiring exterior, however, the Extreme Pro is a very different beast from any previous version when it comes to performance. SanDisk claims up to 1050MBps maximum continuous read speed, compared to ‘just’ 550MBps for the non-Pro drive – quite a boost.
As with a lot of marketing claims, however, you may well struggle to match the numbers on the box. Despite testing with a blazing fast laptop, we could ‘only’ manage a peak 645MBps when reading a large video file (a best-case scenario) and 554MBps when writing it to the drive. Still, that’s hugely fast, and image transfer speeds of 518/509MBps read/write are equally incredible.
Capacities come in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB options, with the notable absence of an entry-level 250GB version.
Transcend ESD250C £136/$170 (960GB) www.transcend-info.com
If you’re after a seriously slim SSD, this offering from Transcend is just the ticket. Measuring a mere 8mm thick, it’s appreciably thinner than a typical portable SSD, and while it’s longer than most at 120mm, it’s only 34mm wide. The matte aluminum outer casing also looks the part, with its space-grey finish especially complementing Apple products.
With the aid of Transcend’s bundled Elite software, the drive can be formatted for Windows or macOS, or you can connect it directly to an Android mobile device that supports USB On-The-Go. USB Type-C to Type-C, along with a Type-C to Type-A cable are included to allow connection to desktop, laptop or phone.
The drive utilises a modern USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface. Its 10 Gbps speed rating is easily enough to max out the drive’s claimed 520MBps max read and 460MBps max write rates. When it comes to capacity, you can have any size you want, as long as it’s 960GB. Pricing is very competitive – in line with most manufacturers’ 500GB SSDs.
WD My Passport SSD
From £68/$80 (256GB) https://shop.westerndigital.com
The My Passport SSD is certainly one of the more stylish portable solid-state drives on the market, with its part metal-effect casing and svelte 90 x 45 x 10mm size also making this one of the smaller portable SSDs you can buy. It’s available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities, with the 512GB version currently offering the price/capacity sweet spot at £80. The USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C connection built into the My Passport SSD ensures fast transfer speeds; for those computers that lack a Type-C port, WD includes a Type-C to Type-A adapter in the box.
Performance is overall very good, if not quite up there with the best. We clocked the My Passport SSD at a very healthy 392MBps when reading a single large video file, though a 201MBps video write rate is much more pedestrian. Likewise, 234MBps read and 198MBps write speeds when transferring multiple image files, while perfectly adequate, is nothing special.
WD My Passport Wireless SSD
From £220/$200 (250GB) https://shop.westerndigital.com
On the one hand, this is a typical – if relatively large – portable SSD available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities. It’s capable of reasonable 350/285MBps read/write speeds during sustained video file transfer, while folders of images shift at an equally rapid 290/256MBps. But this is much more than just an SSD. It’s also a device designed to be used as stand-alone storage in the field: during a shoot you can use it to back up images from your memory card.
Once your shots are on the drive, you can then view them on your smartphone or tablet, as the My Passport Wireless also acts as a wireless media server with its Wi-Fi hotspot. Even raw images stored on the drive are viewable, and the device can wirelessly stream 4K video.
The only drawback with the device is its size: at 135mm-square and 30mm thick, it’s bulky by SSD standards, though you can remove the soft rubber bumper to shed a few millimetres if you can manage without its shock protection.