Western Digital has unveiled its new-generation SanDisk Extreme Portable SSDs V2 that combine high performance, rugged design, and advanced security capabilities. In fact, the new SanDisk Extreme Portable Pro SSDs are the world’s highest-performing USB SSDs released to date, but there is a catch: you need a PC that supports a rather exotic USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface.
Since many laptops these days come with soldered-down SSDs that cannot be upgraded, demand for portable high-performance as well as highly-reliable external storage devices is growing among creative professionals who need a lot of storage space. To that end, makers of external storage devices are now investing considerably more in advanced portable SSDs in a bid to offer something that others do not.
Western Digital’s SanDisk Extreme-series drives have been quite a success for the company as the non-Pro models offer capacity and value, whereas the Pro SKUs offer unbeatable performance. Time has come for an upgrade.
- The best SSDs: the top solid-state drives for your PC
- Here's our list of the best cloud storage services around
- Need more space? Check out the best portable SSD
SanDisk Extreme Portable V2
Western Digital’s SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 and SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 come in rugged chassis that are IP55-rated for water and dust resistance and can protect the drives from up to two-meter drops.
The non-Pro version features a silicon shell for extra protection, whereas the Pro models come in forged aluminum enclosures. The drives support password protection and 256-bit AES hardware encryption.
Both SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 and SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 are based on Western Digital’s M.2-2280 NVMe drives with a PCIe interface coupled with a PCIe-to-USB bridge.
The non-Pro version features 1050MB/s read and 1000MB/s write speeds as well as uses a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C interface with a 10Gbps bandwidth. Meanwhile, the Pro version is rated for up to 2000MB/s read and write speeds as well as utilizes a rather unusual USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C interface.
The SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 is not Western Digital’s first drive to use a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C connection.
Late last year the firm introduced its WD_Black P50 drive for enthusiasts using this interface. Usage of USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 for storage devices aimed at photographers and creative professionals looks a bit unusual since there are no notebooks supporting USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 and far not every high-end desktop supports this interconnection these days.
Meanwhile, usage of a USB interface means that the drives are compatible with all USB hosts albeit at different speeds.
All of Western Digital’s SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 drives are covered with a five-year warranty. The Extreme Portable V2 drives are now available in 500GB and 1TB flavours for $120 and $200, respectively. The Extreme Pro Portable V2 SSDs will come in 1TB and 2TB versions. The top-of-the-range model costs $500.
Source: Western Digital
