SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

SanDisk sells several different SSDs with the ‘Extreme’ name. In this case it refers to the manufacturer’s high-end external drive lineup from 2018/2019. It is a follow-up on the square-shaped model with the same name and comes with a few additional features. The Extreme Portable SSD is a USB 3.1 drive, meaning that it offers speeds comparable to an internal SATA 6 Gbps SSD.

Features

SanDisk’s Extreme Portable SSD is available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities. All capacities have the same overall specs and feature set. Internally, the drives utilize 64-layer 3D TLC NAND flash (BiCS) and the controller is a Marvell 88SS1074, according to AnandTech. The interface is USB-Attached SCSI (USB-UASP) operating in SATA 6 Gbps mode.

The drives’ main selling points include a ruggedized design that makes it dust- and water-resistant (IP55 rated). It’s also shock- and vibration-resistant. It ships with a USB-C cable and a USB-A adapter.

Compared to other external SSDs, the SanDisk Extreme is very compact and light – weighing even less than the also small Samsung SSD T5. The SanDisk measures 3.79 x 1.95 x 0.35 in  (9.62 x 4.96 x 0.88 cm) and weighs in at 1.44 ounces (39 grams), compared to the Samsung T5’s 1.6 ounces (45.4 grams).

Performance

The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD offers sequential read speeds of up to 550 MB/s. As for sequential write speeds, there is no official figure available, but it has been found to write at around 500 MB/s.  This is consistent with other SSDs using the USB 3.1 Gen 2 and SATA to USB-UASP interface/protocol combination.

Overall performance is therefore comparable to internal SATA SSDs. Actual performance will of course also be affected by the host system’s capabilities.

Warranty and endurance

SanDisk offers a 3-year limited warranty with the Extreme Portable SSD, which is normal for an external drive. No endurance rating in TBW (terabytes written) is provided.

Reviews

AnandTech

Compared to the Samsung T5, it boasts equivalent performance with a lower price and an IP55 rating. The choice of the SanDisk Extreme Portable is a no-brainer for power users.

HotHardware

… the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD comes highly recommended. It provides speedy storage in a durable, compact container and is quite handy for the traveling photographer, videographer, or anyone that needs easy access to lots of data on the road.