Crucial X6 Review: The Tiniest, yet Fast and Spacious Portable SSD

Micron's second entry into portable solid-state drives, the Crucial X6, doesn't have the same bang as the first, the X8. But it has some novelty of its own.

This is one of the tiniest, if not the smallest, 2TB portable storage on the market. (Rumor has that there'll be even a 4TB version soon.) And while it's not the fastest like its older cousin, it proved to be a formidable contender in my testing, among similarly-specced alternatives.

Similar to the X8, the new X6 drive is a frill-free storage device. It has no built-in security, nor does it come with any software bundle. It's just one a little yet spacious and fast portable storage device for you to carry a lot of data on the go.

If that's what you're looking for, the Crucial X6 is well worth its current price of $155 or $285 for 1 TB or 2 TB, respectively.

Crucial X6: The compact, more sudued version of the X8

Out of the box, the Crucial X6 immediately reminded me of the X8. The two drives share the same design, despite the entirely different shapes. Take the latter and make it shorter, yet slightly taller, and you'll get the former.

Since the X8 looks like a chocolate bar, the X6 is now almost a square with round corners. Other than that, the two share the same housing materials. The X6, too, has a unibody made of anodized aluminum.

The drive looks beautiful and feels solid. You can squeeze very hard on it without having to worry about breaking it. Yet it's also super light, weighing at just 1.5 ounces (42 grams).

USB 3.2 Gen 2 support with SATA performance

Like the X8, the X6 features the latest USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) standard with a USB-C port. However, on the inside, it houses a SATA SSD.

USB-C: One port to rule them all

As a result, its performance will cap at 5 Gbps (625 MB/s). Micron gives it a more modest performance rate of some 550 MB/s, but generally, you need to discount that in real-world usage.

Out of the box, the X6 comes with a versatile exFAT file system. You can plug it into any computer, and it will work right away. Note, though, that it comes with just one USB-C cable. So for those with a USB-A port, you'll need to get a converter or a separate cable.

No-frills

The Crucial X6, too, is a straightforward storage device. It has no special features, nor does it come with any bundled software. In other words, it's just bare-bone storage space.

And that can be a good thing since it will work anywhere, be it a computer, a tablet, or a game console. If you want to keep your data safe, though, you can use it with third-party software, such as Windows's Bitlocker Go or macOS's FileVault.

Crucial X6: Hardware specifications

	Crucial X6 Portable SSD
Capacity	1TB, 2TB. 4TB (TBD)
Part Number	CT1000X6SSD9 (1TB)  CT2000X6SSD9 (2TB)
Memory Type	Micron 3D NAND
Product Color	Black
Dimensions	0.43 x 2.71 x 2.52 in  (10.92 x 68.83 x 64 mm)
Weight	1TB: 1.4 oz (139 gram)  2TB:1.5 oz (42 gram)
Copy Speed	Up to 540 MB/s
Interface	USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (10Gb/s)
Backward Compatiblity	USB 3.2 Gen1 (formerly USB 3.0)  (5Gb/s), USB 2.0
Non-operating Shock Resistance	Exposure up to 1500 G/s for 0.5ms
Drop Resistance	Up to 6.5 ft (2 m) on carpeted concret surface
Power Usage	USB Bus Powered  (minimum 5V 1.5A required)
Package Content	Crucial X6 Portable SSD  USB-C Cable
Warranty	3-year limited warranty
Suggested Price (at launch)	$154.95 (1TB)  $284.95 (2TB)

Crucial X6: Detail photos

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Crucial X6: Excellent SATA SSD-based performance

I tested the 2TB version of the X6 using both USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) and USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) and the drive did well.

With the former, it delivered sustained copy speeds of almost 500 MB/s and more than 380 MB/s for reading and writing, respectively. And with the latter, its performance was slightly lower than 490 MB/s and 240 MB/s, respectively.

Overall, though far from the fastest of its type, the Crucial X6 is faster than many other SATA SSD-based portable drive. And it's plenty fast for most applications. By the way, it worked with a USB 2.0 port, too, with the sustained speed averaging some 40 MB/s, similar to most portable SSDs.

It's worth nothing like the drive can handle extended operating without slowing down. Also, it shared the power status with the host in my tests. So, if your computer (or game console) power down and then back up, you won't need to replug the drive for it to work.

Conclusion

Though not a must-have nor is it a smashing success as the previous model, Micron's second portable SSD, the Crucial X6, sure is a valuable option. Its ultra-compact design, spacious storage space, more-than-fast-enough performance will make it worth the friendly pricing. I recommend it.