I reviewed the Crucial X10 portable SSD and while is missing some of the X10 Pro features, I love that it has an 8TB model

Crucial X10: 30-second review

While technically not the first SSD that Crucial produced, the introduction of the X8 in 2019 marked a turning point for this brand and initiated a wildly successful product line.

The more affordable X6 followed shortly thereafter, and then the superior X9 Pro and X10 Pro in 2023. Many consider these to be go-to solutions for portable storage.

Due to its name, the new X10 (non-pro) model may go unnoticed by many, just as the X9 has. These are, in essence, rationalisation solutions that are as much about making popular products cheaper for Crucial (Micron) to manufacture as they are about maintaining profit margins in the face of global economic challenges.

The new X10 features plastic construction rather than metal, but its flash memory matches the performance levels of the X10 Pro, if not slightly better.

It’s also more rugged. Its IP rating was upgraded to IP65 from the IP55 that the X10 Pro had. However, as Crucial gives with one hand, it takes away with the other, as the X10 doesn’t include hardware encryption of the drive —a feature that the X10 Pro offers.

However, in one critical aspect, it surpasses the X10 Pro substantially, in that the X10 offers 6TB and 8TB options, whereas the X10 Pro and X9 Pro were both limited to a maximum of 4TB.

Overall, unless you specifically need hardware encryption, the X10 is a better option than the X10 Pro or X9 Pro, and it comes with up to double the capacity. Crucial undoubtedly deserves to make our list of the best portable SSD with the X10.

Crucial X10: Pricing and availability

• How much does it cost? From $99.99/109.99/€149.26
• When is it out? Is available now
• Where can you get it? Direct from Crucial or through online retailers like Amazon.

Historically, Crucial SSD products have been significantly more expensive in Europe than in the United States. With the X10 Pro, that differential was 40% more for Europeans in 2023.

While the price per TB is still a better deal for America, the cost differences have come down, partly due to the current weakness of the US dollar.

It’s also worth noting that in many cases, the X10 Pro is only a few dollars, pounds, or euros more than the X10 version at the same capacity, and in a few instances, it’s identically priced.

As the X10 has five capacities, and I wanted to quote at least three regional prices, rather than listing each here, I decided to present the prices as quoted on Amazon in the following table.

One curiosity is that the 8TB model in the US is cheaper than the 6TB option. That’s due to an offer that Amazon has marked down the MSRP of $779.99 to just $439.99.

That’s a great deal, and compared with the launch prices of the X10 Pro, the X10 is much cheaper than its predecessor across the board.

When compared to alternative products, the X10 is more affordable than the SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD, with the 2TB model typically costing £182 in the UK and $196 in the USA. It’s also cheaper than the Samsung T9 and Lexar SL500 Portable SSD.

The only products that undercut it are the Kingston XS2000, limited to a 2TB maximum capacity, the ADATA SE880, with 4TB maximum size, and the Netac Extreme Portable SSD, with 2TB as its largest capacity.

The cheaper products, in general, don’t offer the same level of resilience as the X10, and none of them are available in capacities greater than 4TB.

• Value: 4 / 5

Crucial X10: Specs

Crucial X10: Design

• X10 Evolved
• Only USB-C
• IP65 rated

When the X10 Pro and X9 Pro first appeared, they struck a clear and audible note with the tech-buying public. Small and easily pocketable, the metal construction of the X10 Pro felt nice to handle, and it offered decent performance at a reasonable price. These all played into a strong product narrative.

The oddly timed release schedule saw the Pro models appear two years ago; now, the non-Pro models have arrived to provide more choice for Crucial customers.

The X10 is identical in size but subtly altered in shape to the X10 Pro, which lacks the metal construction that made its predecessor something you could confidently throw in a laptop bag.

The shape of the plastic X10 is more rounded and less angular, and the lanyard hole on the corner now passes through the side rather than from front to back. The hole on the X9 Pro and X10 Pro also housed a small activity LED, which was omitted from the X10.

Like all of Crucial’s SSDs these days, it comes with an overly short 20cm long USB-C to USB-C cable, and those with only USB-A ports will need to find or buy an adapter.

When you consider that for the 8TB model, a customer might be parting with a substantial amount of money, it is disappointing that Crucial doesn’t include an adapter that would cost them pennies. The X8 came with one, I recall.

One change that is difficult for most people to quantify is that the X10 has an IP65 rating, whereas the X10 Pro only has an IP55 rating.

The differences between these two standards are subtle, but obviously, IP65 is better overall. IP65 provides more comprehensive protection against dust ingress than IP55. The water protection is better, but even IP65 isn’t rated for submersion.

Something that made me laugh about the X10 Pro originally was that Crucial gave it the ability to withstand a fall of 7.5 feet or 2 meters onto a carpeted floor.

Perhaps I’m being overly critical, but I think any SSD that has no moving parts whatsoever and weighs less than 50g should be able to withstand being dropped onto a carpeted floor from almost any height.

Interestingly, the X10 has had that height boosted to 3m, but the warranty has been reduced from five years in the Pro models down to just three years on the X10. I don’t think those two things are related, but it would be hilarious if they were.

Overall, everything about the X10 suggests cost savings, but the majority of critical features are present, and the asking price is lower, so perhaps the customer wins as much as the makers.

• Design: 4 / 5

Crucial X10: Performance

• Good performance
• No USB 4 support

Since I have all the data from my X9 Pro and X10 Pro reviews, it was tempting to use that for my comparison with the X10. However, with Microsoft’s ongoing attempts to make Windows 11 unusable and various changes to the test benchmarks, I decided against that.

The 2TB model was the only one that Crucial supplied, but according to the manufacturer, all capacities perform equally. However, it’s worth noting that flash storage has wear, typically presented as total bytes written (TBW) over its working life, and this isn’t something Crucial provides for its external SSD storage. However, whatever the TBW of the 1TB model might be, it’s safe to assume that the TBW of the 8TB option is eight times that amount.

Crucial quotes a speed of 2,200MB/s reads and 2,000MB/s writes for this drive, double that of the X9 Pro and X8, which only have USB 3.2 Gen 2 interfaces. This matches the X10 Pro, but it lacks the hardware encryption on that drive, leaving a good reason for Crucial to keep making that model.

The best results show that this drive is a good performer, if not a little bit better than the X10 Pro, when it comes to sustaining write speeds. Even with the tougher tests like AS ASS and AJA, the X10 can hit around 1790MB/s consistently. The X10 Pro managed only 1658MB/s on AJA and 1688MB/s on CrystalDiskMark RealWorld tests.

It would have been wonderful if, alongside the Gen 2x2 support, Crucial had also given the X10 the ability to extract 20 Gbps out of USB4. Alas, that ability does not seem to be in the spec. But, I did notice that I achieved the full 20 Gbps experience using a recent Dell laptop, which claims to have USB4. It may be that a USB 3.2 2x2 controller was included as part of that sub-system,

I strongly suspect that we may need to wait for the X11 or X12 to support true USB4 performance levels, as Crucial has oddly concluded that many people have USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, when in reality, relatively few have that port.

Assuming you have a Gen 2x2 port, this drive performs well. However, if you have USB4, an alternative, such as the Corsair EX400U, can deliver even faster file transfer speeds. The 2TB EX400U costs around $190. That’s an additional cost, and the Corsair drive only comes with 4TB in its biggest configuration.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Crucial X10: Final verdict

To be upfront, I love my Crucial X series drives and use most of them daily, including the X8.

While the X10 isn’t the instant classic that the X10 Pro was, it has enough style and functionality to make it worth considering for those who have USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports.

However, if you have a USB4 or Thunderbolt port or you use hardware encryption, then this isn’t a drive you would logically want.

I do hope Crucial has an X11/12 waiting in the wings, as there isn’t much about the X10, other than the 6TB and 8TB options, that breaks new ground.

Should I buy the Crucial X10?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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