Western Digital’s second go at super-fast portable SSD, the SanDisk Extreme PRO, is not to be taken lightly. It’s the first in the SanDisk Extreme family (including the PRO and non-PRO lineups) to support the venerable USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20Gbps) standard. As such, it’s a direct replacement for the previous version, which supported only USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps).
That, plus an NVMe SSD 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 capacities, both sharing a tough casing, the new SanDisk Extreme PRO is an excellent, uncompromising portable drive to carry on the go, especially for those working in the field or in harsh environments. At the current cost of some $380 for 2TB, it’s an excellent buy. (The 1TB version is not yet available at the time of this review.)
SanDisk Extreme PRO: 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 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
Aside from USB standards, the SanDisk Extreme PRO, like the SanDisk Extreme case, also supports Android. As a result, you can use it as the backup drive for 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 SanDisk Extreme PRO shares the same look as previous models in the Extreme family.
Since I’ve written about these in the review of the Extreme (non-pro) version, 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 lets you easily hook it to a keychain or a backpack. It’s rugged and waterproof, and it will easily survive outdoors.
- NVMe SSD storage: On the inside, the new Extreme PRO hosts an NVMe SSD, delivering 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 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.
SanDisk Extreme PRO: Detail photos
SanDisk Extreme PRO: Excellent performance
I tested the SanDisk Extreme PRO the same way I did other portable SSDs by copying a large amount of data from the host computer, using it as a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and back. And it delivered! Indeed, it was the fastest USB portable drive I’ve tested so far.
It’s important to note, though, that USB tends to have very high overhead, so you won’t get the 2000 MB/s speed WD claims. That’s just the nature of the standard.
Instead, I got sustained speeds of about 1115 MB/s and 920 MB/s for reading and writing, respectively. The drive performed well with USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 10Gbps) and USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 5Gbps) as well.
It also worked over USB 2.0 but delivered no more than 40 MB/s, which is the maximum sustained speed of this standard.
Like all other NVMe-based portable drives I’ve tested, the Extreme PRO ran pretty hot during heavy operating. It was not hot enough to be a concern, but you do not want to hold it for long.
SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD (USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Version)'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 SanDisk Extreme PRO is an excellent portable drive, but likely not a must-have yet because most computers don’t support the latest USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 yet. But if you want to make sure you get the latest and stay performance grade, this portable drive is an excellent buy.
