WD_Black P50 is a USB-C external drive with solid state memory (SSD), a close relative of the WD_Black P10 model we wrote about a few months ago and also part of the Western Digital family designed for the gaming world. In reality this is true only from the design point of view because these peripherals can also be useful in different contexts, since performance and design are desirable in every situation. We put it to the test in a review to grasp its strengths and any defects.
WD_Black P50 how it's done
The WD_Black P50 packaging is essential: inside the cardboard box we find the disk and two cables, one USB-C / USB-C and one USB-C / USB-A for full compatibility with practically all computers. Obviously, for the Mac world, USB-C connectivity is interesting, since the latest Apple machines have completely abandoned the USB-A sockets
1 of 3 
The shape is anything but obvious; the shell, in plastic, manifests the spirit of a product designed to be robust and capable of absorbing shocks which, in the world of gamers, are much more frequent than those who may use it in the office or at home.
In comparison to the WD_Black P10 it is smaller. After all we are talking about a 2.5-inch disk against one based on solid state memories: it measures 118 × 62 millimeters (for 14 of thickness), thanks to the internal solid state memory that takes up less space and weighs even less (115 grams in total).
1 of 3 
The technology adopted allows Western Digital to offer a 6-year warranty. The absence of mechanical parts in fact reduces the risk of failures, the shape and type of the case do the rest.
But what is most striking is the design: in a world of products that all have more or less the same shape, the WD_Black P50, indeed of the whole WD_Black line, stands out radically. The style is essential and with references to the industrial world (reminiscent of the containers of cargo ships) accentuated by the font of the writings which in turn wink at the strings of characters that appeared on the terminals of the 80s. For this reason, the record is watched and captures attention.
1 of 6 
For all, for some more
The WD_Black P50 comes in ExFAT format, suitable for use both by macOS and by Windows 10, with no apparent document size limits (as opposed to the FAT32 format, which instead has a limit of 4 GB per document). In any case, since on macOS the ExFAT format does not offer the performance that it would have if formatted specifically for Mac, using Disk Utility we started it in the APFS format, much more performing (but losing compatibility with Windows in this).
1 of 6 
In this way, however, we were able to reach more than good values for an external disk: via USB-C on a 13 ″ MacBook Pro the reading and writing data are close to 900 MB / s, slightly lower than the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD. , which has a purely professional market.
This means that you can not only use the disc for movies, music, photos and various documents, but also as an additional Mac tank for apps or to edit a movie, without having to copy the files to your computer's disc first. A great advantage that becomes key for all those who have a computer with a reduced internal capacity, such as 128 or 256 GB and impossible to expand as in the case of the latest generation Apple laptops.
Very good values, approaching other pro-range USB-C SSD models
Conclusions
Like its brother WD_Black P10, this WD_Black P50 also has its own aesthetic appeal marked by a contained aggressiveness. On the desk it is not bad at all next to an equally aggressive mouse and a respectable audio sector, even if, to be a “gamer” for real, next time we expect some more light.
Also functionally and from the point of view of performance we are faced with a product that can garner interest. Among other things, compared to its brother, this model can be designed for more general use due to the solid state memory that does not suffer from mechanical stress, does not vibrate and can also be used hung, advantages that could account for the higher cost. Too bad for the cut that reaches a maximum of 2 TB; a higher capacity would certainly have expanded the market.
WD_Black P50, above the brother WD_Black P10
Pro:
• Design not discounted • Excellent performance • Double cable in the package
Cons:
• To be a disc gamer, you need lights • Cuts are limited to 2 TB
Price:
• 187.99 Euro (500 GB) • 301.99 Euro (1 TB) • 619.99 Euro (2 TB)
WD_Black P50 and all Western Digital products are available at shopping centers and computer stores. Further information at the official Western Digital website, where it is also possible to make the purchase, as well as on Amazon.it.
