Small, rubbery, lightweight and with a very comfortable hook at the top, the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD is an interesting solution for the professional who lives on the go, but at the same time needs speed and speed of execution.
Backed by an established brand in the solid state drive branch, SanDisk (now owned by Western Digital), is an important choice (which we had already told you about), which is positioned at the top of the market when it comes to devices. with USB-C and clearly detaches the competition at home given by the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD but also by the My Passport SSD, which is a bit smaller but intended for the consumer market.
SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD, the review
As a keychain
Inside the box, full of features and reference data, we find the actual disk, whose very particular shape you can admire in the images on these pages, a USB-C cable (USB 3.1 Gen 2) and a USB adapter -C to USB-A (using the same cable).
The disc is very light, very few grams, and fits comfortably in the hand with a firm grip since the rubber that covers it in the lower part is quite viscous: leaning against an inclined surface it does not show signs of moving, but it can also be used hanging.
The upper part is given by a plastic surface with the SanDisk writing in slight relief: an orange metal profile surrounds the outer contour and internally where there is the hole for the clothespin, up to the USB-C connector at the bottom.
The metal looks solid and promises not to wear too much in the paint over time, the range would have to be checked if hooked to a bag via a metal ring, but we trust SanDisk, since in the name there is the suffix Pro, there additional care is to be expected.
Field test
Once connected to the Mac we proceeded to format it in APFS, which with the latest versions of the macOS operating system is the best solution for SSD disks: inside there was a disk encryption software, but from what we could see compatible only with Windows 10.
The USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection, together with the NVMe drive inside, promises a nominal speed of up to 1050 MB / s: in our tests the result was very good, because in a real situation, connected to a Mac mini 2018 on port Thunderbolt 3, we got just below results.
This means that the disc is perfectly capable, and even with good results, of acting as an active reservoir for images in RAW format to be processed with Adobe Lightroom or Luminar 4, as well as resources for video editing or for various resources for rendering, without these must be moved to the internal disk in order not to lose speed.
Clearly the shape (contained and very thin) and the weight make it ideal to use even when traveling, without increasing performance: for example, with a MacBook Pro we used it to transfer material even literally “hanging” on the USB-C cable such as dangling unit.
Together with this, the disc is guaranteed against accidental impacts and is also waterproof (to a limited extent, it cannot be submerged) and dust, fundamental aspects for those who use it in very demanding climatic and environmental conditions.
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Considerations
The disk is presented in an impeccable way: the shape is intriguing and the mechanical characteristics (so to speak, since there is nothing mechanical) are important, with real speeds close to 1,000 MB / s (for those with a Mac or PC with USB-C or T3 port).
The fact that it can be used everywhere, in all positions (even hung) and can also accommodate up to 2TB of space (which will arrive shortly, in the meantime the 500GB and 1TB version is available) makes it ideal for all those who often work around and whose internal space is not enough, or who still need a second copy on the fly (literally on the fly, how fast it is).
We close with an applause for the design, which presents a terribly comfortable and practical “hole”, to be connected to the computer backpack as to the camera bag, to a cable as a key ring or even simply to attach the house keys. A refinement that gives luster to those who designed it, certainly someone who has experienced the “pro” needs on their own skin.
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Pros:
• Elegant and practical • Very fast via USB-C • Can be used as a keychain
Cons:
• Orange paint may show time limits
Price
• 169.99 Euros (500 GB) • 319.99 Euros (1 TB)
A zippered case, to be purchased separately, interesting for travelers
SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD is available in computer chain stores, but is also found online both on the Western Digital website and on Amazon currently only in the 500 GB and 1 TB denominations, but a higher 2 TB denomination will also arrive shortly.
We remind readers that the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD version is also available, similar in shape and design but with a significantly lower speed ratio, at a cheaper price. For those who plan to protect the drive while traveling, we suggest the zippered case (which also carries the cable) by Khanka, already available on Amazon.it
