SanDisk Skilled PRO-G40 SSD Assessment: WD’s Finest Transportable Drive

Per typical knowledge of moveable storage: If you happen to get a Thunderbolt 3 (or 4) drive, it received’t work with USB regardless of becoming completely right into a USB-C port.

That modified on October 5, 2022, when the SanDisk Skilled PRO-G40 SSD, the most recent in Western Digital’s PRO storage lineup, arrived. And the brand new exterior storage gadget proved to be WD’s greatest moveable SSD thus far in my testing. It has (nearly) the whole lot you’d needed.

In actual fact, the PRO-G40 SSD is the reply I’ve been in search of for the reason that Samsung X5 I examined some 4 years in the past.

Right here’s the underside line: If you happen to’re in search of a super-fast moveable SSD that may do all of it on the present hefty road value of $499.99 for 2TB and $299.99 for 1TB, the brand new PRO-G40 SSD remains to be a wonderful purchase. Get one right now!

Dong’s notice: I first revealed this on October 5, 2022, as a information piece and up to date it to an in-depth assessment on December 12 after hands-on efficiency testing.

SanDisk Skilled PRO-G40 SSD: A rugged moveable drive that works in every single place

The brand new PRO-G40 SSD is the most recent in Wester Digital’s moveable PRO storage for the processional below the SanDisk Skilled model.

As such, the brand new drive’s design jogs my memory of the PRO-BLADE Transport. The principle distinction is that the G40 is an entire moveable SSD with quicker speeds and flexibility.

It’s additionally compact sufficient to suit into one’s palm and weighs only a quarter of a pound (120 grams).

The brand new moveable PRO-G40 SSD is rugged and may take some beating. WD says it options IP68 mud/water resistance, as much as 4000-pound crush resistance as much as 3-meter drop resistance. Consequently can stand up to the weather of any working setting.

In my trial, I tossed it a spherical a couple of instances and left it exterior on the garden below heavy rain in a single day, and the drive survived intact.

Rugged design, super-fast pace

On the within, the brand new PRO-G40 SSD checks all of the bins for a dream moveable drive. Nearly.

First, it’s a Thunderbolt 3 drive that may ship as much as 2700MB/s of copy pace. In case you have a USB-C port, it additionally helps USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) with as much as 1000MB/s efficiency.

And you may transfer from one customary to a different seamlessly. The one distinction is that it performs quicker with Thunderbolt 3.

WD PRO-G40 SSD: {Hardware} specs

A frill-free plug-and-play moveable drive (for Mac customers)

As you may need famous from the desk above, the PRO-G40 SSD doesn’t have the whole lot one would possibly need from a transportable drive.

For instance, it doesn’t assist {hardware} encryption or any built-in safety characteristic — you’ll want third-party software program if you wish to preserve your information secure towards prying eyes.

On high of that, its rated efficiency with USB may very well be higher — it doesn’t assist USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20Gbps).

Out of the field, the PRO-G40 is formatted with the APFS file system to work with a Mac instantly. Home windows customers can reformat it into NTFS or the exFAT system in the event that they need to interchangeably use the drive with the 2 platforms.

Whereas the drives work with any host with a USB-C port, it performs greatest when used with Thunderbolt 3, which is supported in all new Macs.

And by the way in which, in my expertise, the drive is not going to work with USB 2.0 or any USB-A port. You could use it with a USB-C (or Thunderbolt) port. That’s not an enormous deal except you need to use it with older computer systems.

SanDisk Skilled PRO-G40 SSD: Element photographs

SanDisk Skilled PRO-G40 SSD: Glorious efficiency

For this assessment, I used the brand new SanDisk Skilled PRO-G40 SSD for an prolonged period of time and located it fairly satisfying. The super-fast pace apart, the truth that I may use it with any USB-C port has made life a lot simpler.

I examined the drive through Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) ports, and it labored with none points.

Since most slower USB requirements — USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) and beneath — use the USB-A port sort, I couldn’t take a look at the PRO-G40 at any decrease USB grades.

It’s price noting that the drive can get a bit heat, nevertheless it by no means turned scorching sufficient to trigger concern. General, it proved to be a strong little moveable SSD that might.

Conclusion

The SanDisk Skilled PRO-G40 SSD is superb for anybody who wants a transportable SSD that’s rugged, quick, and works throughout platform and connection requirements. Presently, it’s one of some that may deal with each Thunderbolt 3 and USB interchangeably.

In a means, it’s a storage gadget that helps blur the road between these two connection requirements that share the identical USB-C port sort. And that’s a superb factor. The very fact it’s additionally super-fast and rugged doesn’t damage. Get one right now!

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