Integral SlimXpress Pro Portable SSD 2TB review

Integral SlimXpress Pro: 30-second review

The Integral SlimXpress Pro Portable SSD 2TB is an incredibly compact portable SSD, offering a substantial storage capacity. Our review sample is 2TB, but it also comes in smaller 500GB and 1TB versions, as well as a larger 4TB version. This drive represents a growing trend of relatively affordable, high-performance drives with ample storage designed to meet the demands of modern life. The drive is simple in design, with BUS power allowing connection to a computer or other device via a single USB Type-C cable.

This simplicity extends to the drive's operation, with no features beyond the storage capacity to add complexity. Consequently, it boasts compatibility with nearly any device that needs extra storage and has the appropriate connector. In our tests, the SlimXpress Pro Portable SSD was used with an Intel NUC 9, MacBook Pro, and Blackmagic 6K video camera, all of which recognized the drive without issues.

We've tested hundreds of the best portable SSDs in our time, and while the performance was good, it did not fully reach the potential indicated in promotional materials, with transfer speeds in all tests less than half the advertised rate. Although simplicity and compactness are advantages, managing content on a drive of this size can be somewhat daunting, particularly without built-in security or software collaboration features. Nevertheless, this drive is an excellent choice if you need to transport general files or require additional storage for your gaming console or TV.

Integral SlimXpress Pro: Price & availability

The SlimXpress Pro Portable SSD is widely available at most electronics stores and outlets. Considering its capacity, size, weight, and speed, the drive is priced in the mid-range for an SSD, with a slight premium due to its compact size.

• Score: 3/5

Integral SlimXpress Pro: Design & build

Portable storage has always been relatively small, especially since the introduction of the 2.5" HDD. However, the advent of SSDs has dramatically changed the size and shape of external hard drives, with external drives not only decreasing significantly in size and weight but also increasing in speed, durability, and now capacity.

Before delving into the size options of this drive, it's worth highlighting its compact size, which measures 74mm x 34mm x 7mm. This size will comfortably fit into a pocket, not just a jacket pocket but even a small shirt pocket. Not only is the size incredibly compact, but it is also paired with a weight of just 28g, excluding the USB Type-C cable, making it impressively light.

On the exterior, there is little to see, but the silver metal casing feels durable, and the rounded edges provide a good tactile feel.

The design is simple yet extremely functional, with the flat sides making it easy to attach Velcro and adhere to the back of a laptop for neat increased storage, or to the back of a TV or console. Its small size and weight make it easy to position and discreet.

Along with the simple aesthetic, there's just a single USB Type-C port on one end that connects to the cable to make the connection with your computer. A small white light indicates that the drive is connected and ready to go. Having this light viewable from both sides would be beneficial, especially if the drive is attached to something or you need to plug it in quickly; it's convenient to have an easy line of sight to the status light to confirm that everything is connected correctly.

One of the best features of the design is the raised detail by the USB port. This allows you to feel which way up the drive is and where the port is located. In normal situations, this might not matter, but there are occasions, such as when linked to the back of a mounted TV or working with video or camera equipment, when you can't always see what's happening. Therefore, being able to feel your way around the device is extremely helpful.

Aside from the design aesthetics, which are simple and functional, there's little else to the build and handling except that Integral has ensured this drive is as straightforward as a plug-and-play storage device can be. 

• Score: 4.5/5

Integral SlimXpress Pro: Features

The Integral SlimXpress Pro Portable SSD has capacities ranging from 500GB to 4TB, making it one of the external SSD drives with the largest capacity ranges available. The latest SSD technology makes this capacity possible, with Integral quoting transfer rates of up to 2000 MB/s for both read and write speeds. To deliver these speeds, the SSD utilizes USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 technology, which also contributes to the drive's small and lightweight profile.

Simplicity is a key feature of the SlimXpress Pro, offering straightforward plug-and-play functionality without the need for setup, software, or any other complications. This ensures the drive's extensive compatibility, allowing it to be used out of the box with Windows and Mac computers, Linux systems, Android devices, Smart TVs, and game consoles. While not a native Thunderbolt drive, it is compatible with Thunderbolt 3.

Design-wise, the SlimXpress Pro is compact, featuring a slim metal case that is durable and ultra-portable. Measuring 74mm x 34mm x 7mm and weighing 28g, it is one of the smallest and lightest storage solutions available, particularly considering the range of storage capacities offered.

In addition to its performance and capacity, the drive comes with a 4-year warranty or coverage until it reaches a maximum of 3000 terabytes written, whichever occurs first.

• Score 3.5/5

Integral SlimXpress Pro: Performance

Every portable SSD has a unique selling point (USP), and the SlimXpress Pro's USP is its sheer simplicity. The large capacity and transfer speeds are impressive, but the drive still needs to be completed.

However, it's important to note that this is strictly a storage drive, lacking extra features like security software; it's essentially a digital cupboard. Plugging it into almost any device instantly recognizes the standard ExFat file system, allowing immediate use of the storage capacity for files on computers, cameras, TVs, and more. While some small intricacies of connections may require consideration, overall use is straightforward.

When used on a MacBook Pro, the drive was instantly recognized and could be reformatted to APFS via Disk Utility, serving as a working drive for Final Cut Pro, Apple's best video editing software. The drive consistently met the demands of the application and workflow, proving sufficient for editing 4K video without proxy media. And overall, a fine companion with any of the best video editing laptops for mobile editors. The drive did warm up during use but maintained consistent performance throughout the day's editing. File transfers were quick, with 140GB moving in about 4 minutes.

Benchmark tests yielded read speeds of 1030.32MB/s and write speeds of 953.79MB/s in CrystalDiskMark, with other tests showing similar results. While these speeds are around 50% of the quoted values from Integral, they are still impressive and more than adequate for most daily tasks.

In real-world applications, such as with a PS5, the SlimXpress Pro's high transfer speeds and large capacity facilitated the easy storage of numerous games and data once it was configured as external storage.

The drive also worked well with a Blackmagic 6K camera, directly storing large 6K raw files, and with an iPhone 15 Pro for storing Apple ProRes files. Additionally, its small size and light weight made it convenient to connect to and position with a Smart TV, where its 2TB capacity served well for storing recordings and a media library.

In conclusion, the SlimXpress Pro delivered an impressive performance across various devices. Although it didn't fully match the quoted transfer rates, its performance was more than sufficient for most use cases.

• Performance: 3.5/5

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