Silicon Power PC60 Review: A Featherlight and Speedy Portable SSD

The Silicon Power PC60 is not a novelty, yet it manages to be somewhat of a one-of-a-kind storage device. The new portable solid-state drive (SSD) is super-light, ultra-compact, and delivered excellent performance in testing, though not the fastest I've seen.

Available soon in capacities ranging from 240 GB to 960 GB (with a 1.96 TB version coming out later this year), the Silicon Power PC60 is an exciting new option for those wanting to pack light and still can carry a lot of data on the go.

Silicon Power PC60: The lightest portable SSD to date

The PC60 portable SSD is not the smallest portable drive I've seen—it's a little square that measures 3.15-inch (80 mm) wide and .44-inch (11.2 mm) thick.

However, tipping the scale at just 1.5 ounces (46 g), it sure is the lightest, almost as light as the iStorage datAshur PRO2, which is a thumb drive.

Key-fob-ready, USB-C-support, rugged design

The portable drive is so light you can even consider it to be an earring. And it's ready—there's a keyhole at a corner, so all you need is a loop. But you can also hook it to a key fob or use it as a pendant. The point is it's super portable.

You will need to carry a cable separately, though. The drive has a USB-C port and includes a standard USB-A to USB-C cable. For a computer that only has USB-C ports, you'll need a USB-C cable yourself.

The PC60 comes in an all-black design. Its hardened plastic chassis feels solid and sturdy. Silicon Power says the drive is shock-resistant and can handle "minor drops and bumps." I dropped it a few times on a carpeted floor, and it was working fine afterward.

Silicon Power PC60’s detail photos

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FAT32 stock file system

Out of the box, the PC60 is preformatted using FAT32. This allows it to work everywhere, from Windows, Mac computers to android devices.

Note, though, that FAT32 cannot hold files larger than 4GB. So if you don't intend to use it with your phone, it's a better idea to reformat it into a more capable file system, such as exFAT or NTFS.

The reformatting took just a few seconds in my trial.

Silicon Power PC60: Hardware specifications

Full Name	Silicon Power PC60 Portable SSD
Capacity	240GB, 480GB, 960GB, 1.92TB
Flash Memory	3D NAND Flash
Interface	USB 3.2 (Gen 2, 10Gbps) with backward compatibility
Dimensions	3.15 x 3.15 x .44 inch (80 x 80 x 11.2 mm)
Weight	1.5 ounces (46 grams)
Transfer Speed (up to)	500 MB/s (write), 540 MB/s (read)
Hardware Encryption	None
Software	SP Widget (Backup + Protection)
Colors	Black
Connectivity	USB-C
Cable Included	One USB type-C-to-A
Warranty	3 years

Terrible backup/protection software

The drive comes with a free downloadable software application called SP Widget. This is by far the worst piece of software I've seen.

Indeed, SP Widget looks and feels like a high-school programming homework, and it functions like one.

Supposedly the software can backup your data and protect specific folders with "data encryption." Neither worked in my tests. Most of the buttons would cause it to freeze.

You should skip this software entirely and opt for the built-in backup features of Windows 10 and macOS, which are File History and Time Machine, respectively.

And if you want to keep your data safe, you can use Windows 10's built-in BitLocker.

Silicon Power PC60: Fast performance

For a drive that supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), the PC60 is not the fastest I've seen. But it proved to be a speedy storage device nonetheless.

I tested the drive using both USB 3.2 Gen 2, and USB 3.2. Gen 1 and performed close to what Silicon Power claims, with the sustained write speed ranging from 210 MB/s to 352 MB/s. In reading, the drive averaged around 450 MB/s in both standards.

I tried the PC60 out with USB 2.0, too, and it averaged around 40 MB/s like most other portable SSDs.

Fluctuating write performance with USB 3.2 Gen 1

It's worth noting that while the Silicon Power PC60 was consistent in my read tests, its write performance fluctuated a great deal in certain situations.

Specifically, via USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps), the performance varied significantly between as low as some 80 MB/s and as high as 380 MB/s. But the drive's average speed was still quite fast in the end.

Conclusion

The Silicon Power PC60 Portable SSD is not a must-have, but it has enough to appeal to anyone with the need for ample mobile storage space. If you travel a lot and want to bring a ton of data or content along with ease, this new portable drive sure is worth the consideration.