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Western Digital’s 2020 SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD is not to be taken lightly. It’s the first in the SanDisk Extreme family (including the PRO and non-PRO lineups) that supports the venerable USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 USB standard with a cap speed of 20Gbps.
That, plus using an NVMe SSD on the inside, means the new portable drive is fast. In fact, in my testing, it proved to be the fastest USB portable drive to date. It’s a new grade of performance entirely.
Available in 1TB and 2TB, both sharing a tough casing, the new SanDisk Extreme PRO is an excellent non-compromising portable drive to carry on the go, especially for those working in nature or harsh environments. At the current cost of some $380 for 2TB, it’s an excellent buy. (The 1TB version is currently not yet available.)
SanDisk Extreme PRO of 2020: A New Height of USB portable SSD Performance
The new Extreme PRO is not the first USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 on the market. The first I worked with was the WD Black P50, which came out late last year. Only a few computers supporting this latest standard existed at the time, though, so it was a bit ahead of its time.
(I recently updated the review of the P50 to reflect its actual performance.)
That said, this 2020 Extreme PRO comes out just in time. There are now options to upgrade some desktop computers to USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 via an add-on card. Likely there soon will be laptops that feature this standard.
That said, the support for the 20Gbps USB standard is the main thing that sets this new drive apart from the previous 2019 version. And it makes a huge difference.
SanDisk Extreme PRO’s hardware specifications: 2020 model vs. 2019 model
Other than the USB standards, the 2020 SanDisk Extreme PRO, similar to the 2020 SanDisk Extreme case, also supports Android. As a result, you can use it as the backup drive of your phone.
On top of that, it also comes with hardware encryption and uses the SanDisk Security app to password-protect its content.
Familiar features
The 2020 SanDisk Extreme PRO shares the same look like the 2019 version. On the inside, though, it has the same feature set as that of the 2020 SanDisk Extreme.
Since I’ve written about these in the review of the 2020 Extreme, I’ll highlight them here.
- Rugged yet still compact design: The new Extreme PRO is slightly larger than the non-PRO version but still very compact and light. It has a design that allows you to easily hook it to a key chain or a backpack. It’s rugged and waterproof and will survive the outdoor easily.
- NVMe SDD storage: On the inside, the new Extreme PRO hosts an NVMe SSD, allowing it to deliver fast performance. Built-in hardware encryption with convenient SanDisk Security app: You can password-protect the drive’s content from prying eyes. This feature worked well in my testing.
- Android support: In addition to Windows and Mac computers, the 2020 SanDisk Extreme PRO also works with Android devices. In this case, you might need to reformat it into FAT32. Out of the box, the drive is formatted using the exFAT file system.
2020 SanDisk Extreme PRO: Detail photos
2020 SanDisk Extreme PRO: Excellent performance
I tested the 2020 SanDisk Extreme PRO the same way I did other portable SSDs by copying a large amount of data from the host computer, running a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD to it and back. And it delivered! Indeed it was the fast USB portable drive I’ve tested so far.
It’s important to note, though, that USB tends to have very high overheads, so you won’t get the 2000MB/s speed as WD claims. That’s just the nature of the standard.
Instead, I got the sustained speed of some 1115MB/s and 920MB/s for reading and writing, respectively. That was some 60 percent faster than those of the 2019 SanDisk Extreme PRO. The drive did well with USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) and USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps), too.
It also worked with USB 2.0 but would deliver no more than 40MB/s, which is the cap sustained speed of this standard.
Like all other NVMe-based portable drives I’ve tested, the 2020 Extreme PRO ran pretty hot during heavy operating. It was not hot enough to cause concern, but you do not want to hold it for a long time.
SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD's Rating
Pros
Super-fast performance thanks to the combo of USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 and NVMe SSD
Compact, rugged, and beautiful design
Excellent security feature with built-in hardware encryption
Android support
Cons
A bit expensive
Slightly bulkier than the non-PRO model
Runs hot
Conclusion
The latest 2020 SanDisk Extreme PRO is an excellent portable drive but likely not a must-have yet.
That’s because chances are your computer doesn’t support the latest USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 yet. In this case, it’ll deliver the same speeds as the 2019 version or the 2020 SanDisk Extreme. Both are plenty fast.
But if you want to make sure you get the latest and stay future-proof, this portable drive is an excellent buy.
