SanDisk Extreme Portable SDD V2 full review

Dorsum in 2018, SanDisk launched a new generation of portable SSDs under the 'Extreme' branding, and they were mostly well received.

They were repackaged SATA SSDs bundled with a SATA to USB three.0 adapter, capping their performance at the same level as SATA-connected internal drives.

At that fourth dimension, fewer PCs and laptops had NVMe Grand.two storage, merely these days it'due south the norm, rather than the exception.

For a system with NVMe primary drives, external storage can be the bottleneck in any transfer between the two, and SanDisk has set out to accost this with new Farthermost and Farthermost Pro variants of its portable drives.

I'm reviewing the Extreme here, a drive that looks remarkably similar the one it replaced until you run some benchmarks.

Design & Build

Out of the box I immediately had déjà vu because, ostensibly, this SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 looks just like the previous production and has an almost identical proper noun.

What compounds this opacity is that the box doesn't mention V2 at all, only 'SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD', precisely the same name as the production it replaces. To exist clear, this isn't the sometime box, since it mentions the new speeds that only the V2 can accomplish.

On shut inspection, and we're talking nearly-forensic, information technology appears that on the new design the hole on the elevation right of the unit is marginally larger on the new model.

The V2 looks very like the original, but is much faster

Subjecting it to the ignominy of digital callipers, the new Farthermost is too a tiny scrap longer, wider, and thicker. Information technology'due south an supposition, simply those companies that product carry cases might need to brand only small if any, adjustments to cope with both designs.

But the patterning on the enclosure, placement of the USB-C port and protective rubberised coating all look the same, although I didn't have a previous model on hand to directly compare them.

What they both share is ii-meter drop protection and IP55 water and grit resistance. I should say that IP55 water resistance is much less than the IP67 and IP68 standards, and the V2 won't handle existence submerged.

SanDisk must be confident that the V2 is more robust every bit it has extended the warranty period from iii years before to five years at present.

The drive and cable combination are remarkably light, at just 80g, making this i of the most lightweight external drives we've tested at Tech Counselor.

Specs & Features

Out of the box, you get the drive, a noticeably short 20cm long cablevision and a small-scale adapter.  The bulldoze has a USB-C port, and an adapter for a USB Blazon-A socket, if you don't take USB-C on your computer.

It needs saying that the engineering science behind the port is the disquisitional factor, non that it is USB-C or USB-A.

The drive comes pre-formatted using the exFAT structure and on the drive are utilities to admission the encryption features from Windows  8 and ten, and also the Apple Mac Bone. Encryption is new for this range and, along with the extra speed, is one of the virtues of choosing the new model.

Laptop users will like this flexible and fast storage

What you don't get are whatsoever tools to sync the contents of folders on the PC to the bulldoze, although it should work with any 3rd-party applications designed to achieve this job.

As these types of activities are what people buy these drives for, that hardware makers don't provide the software to exploit them properly is disappointing.

The quoted speed of the bulldoze is 1050MB/due south reads and 1,000MB/southward writes, making it identical to the Pro version of the original Extreme Portable SSDs.

And, that's nearly it. Information technology is an external USB bulldoze that you can connect and apply every bit you would any other, and it tin can exist used with desktops, laptops, and even some mobile devices.

Benchmarks

The original version of the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD had a quoted speed of 550MB reads, and 500MB writes, as tested by the often optimistic CrystalDiskMark.

And, using the same synthetic benchmark I accomplished 1,027MB/s reads and 958MB/s writes, about exactly double. The performance limitation here isn't the NAND modules inside, but the USB 3.2 Gen ii interface.

It has a total bandwidth resource allotment of 10Mbits, and once the various packaging protocols and error checking overheads are removed, around 1,100-1,000 Mb/s is the absolute limit.

Therefore, when USB iv.0 becomes bachelor, this bulldoze won't become whatsoever faster, as information technology will still be connecting using the USB 3.ii Gen standards.

AJA Benchmark demonstrates how fast the V2 drive is

While I didn't test the Pro version, that design offers 20Mbit USB three.ii Gen 2x2 mode, with double again the bandwidth and resulting operation. Still, ports with Gen 2x2 are rare, and it isn't a style that will be supported nether USB iv.0 when that arrives.

Overall, performance on this drive is decent if you take USB 3.two Gen ii, and almost identical to the first generation Pro drives. It'south certainly worth checking if the devices y'all plan to apply this drive with support Gen 2, otherwise you won't see transfer speeds this fast.

Price

Where the previous version of this product came with a 250GB option, the 'V2' comes in just 500GB, 1TB and 2TB options.

These are priced at £99.99, £164.99 and £304.99 respectively and are bachelor directly from Western Digital's store - WD owns SanDisk, in case you weren't aware. Retailers such as Amazon and Ebuyer haven't picked upwardly the V2 yet but yous can still buy the older model.

SanDisk makes very portable drives

In the USA, the 500GB model is $119.99 (simply discounted to $94.99 when I checked), and the 1TB version is $199.99 (on auction at $149.99). The top-end 2TB costs $354.99 straight from the Western Digital Store, simply was $249.99 in the sale.

For comparison, the previous Extreme 1TB sells for £135 or $139.99, so could be a coin-saving option for those who demand the space and are less interested in the speed and encryption advantages of the V2 model.

Those prices brand the V2 more expensive than the similarly specified Crucial X8 and Samsung T7. But a little cheaper than the LaCie Portable Loftier Operation External SSD, and One thousand-Technology One thousand-Drive Mobile.

Verdict

If yous like what you've seen hither, only brand sure yous're getting the V2 when buying and that the listing quotes 1050/1000MB/s and not 550/500MB/due south.

Putting aside the confusion between onetime and new models, the hardware in the V2 is worth purchasing for those with 10Mbit/south USB-C ports. Without those ports, this drive isn't any quicker than its predecessor, as the 5MBits of USB iii.1 Gen 1 (aka USB iii.0) will cap operation at around 550MB/s.

The problem for SanDisk here is that there is a slew of rival portable SSDs, most notably the Crucial X8, that offer the same performance for less outlay.

The V2 weighs less, but I'd competition it is less harm resistant than the X8. Plus, for those that don't accept a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, the original SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is however available, and more affordable.

Those that want ultimate performance can purchase a Thunderbolt three SSD if they have that port. Or, the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2. Simply those are both more expensive choices, and to go the outstanding performance of the Pro V2 requires a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, something that very few computers have, or e'er volition take.

The SanDisk Farthermost Portable SSD V2 has already dropped in toll a chip since I started this review and I promise this continutes as the external SSD storage marketplace is becoming increasingly competitive, and this is a well-engineered device that performs admirably. Then if you meet it at cheaper prices, it'south an even better deal.

Specs

SanDisk Extreme Portable SDD V2: Specs

  • Capacities: 500GB/1TB/2TB
  • Capacity tested: 1TB
  • Tested 4KB functioning: 43.52/87.12 MB/south
  • Tested sequential performance: 1,027MBs read, 958 MB/s write
  • Quoted sequential performance: 1,050MB/southward read, i,000MB/s write
  • Connexion: USB-C or USB-A
  • Interface: USB 3.ii Gen two (10Gb/southward), down gradable to USB 3.0 or USB 2.0
  • Encryption: 256-bit AES hardware encryption
  • Durability: IP55-rated for h2o and dust resistance
  • Dimensions: 8.95mm x 52.42mm x 100.54mm (WxHxD)
  • Weight: 80g
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Author: Mark Pickavance, Contributor

Mark Pickavance

Mark is an proficient on displays, reviewing monitors and TVs. He besides covers storage including SSDs, NAS drives and portable hard drives. He started writing in 1986 and had contributed to MicroMart, PC Format, 3D Globe among others.