Best SSDs with Hardware Data Encryption

Silicon Power PC60 is an affordable portable SSD with basic technical specifications, a wide choice of available memory sizes, an interesting design, and a convenient carabiner attachment. The device is made in classic black tones, the body is decorated with a symmetrical pattern reminiscent of ripples on water, and it weighs only 45 grams (with dimensions of 80x80x11 mm) – in fact, it is one of the lightest portable SSDs with a volume of 1 TB.

In terms of speeds, it is a classic solid-state drive with a simple SATA controller, which dominated sales 5 – 6 years ago before the widespread popularity of NVMe SSD. The corresponding speed is up to 500 MB/s for writing and up to 540 MB/s for reading. When the SLC cache is filled, speeds expectedly drop several times, and the inexpensive two-channel SM2259XT controller does not help much here. Therefore, it is important not to fill the memory to capacity, but to allocate some free space as a buffer, and caching will work much more efficiently.

Given all of the above, the PC60 is best suited as a modern analog of a flash drive for storing, transferring, and not too frequent rewriting of home video archives, game distributions, work files, and similar cases when you don’t want to store files in the cloud. Or for reliability, you want to duplicate them. But for professional work and regular rewriting of large files, a more modern external SSD with a DRAM buffer and working speeds of around 2000 MB/s and above is better. Fortunately, there are plenty of candidates lately.

At the end of the past decade, Western Digital announced an addition to the My Passport family, releasing the company's first portable SSD called My Passport Go. Since then, the American giant has been conducting somewhat regular updates to the range, improving the technical characteristics of new models with a focus on current trends. The most relevant option in the series is the My Passport 2020 model.

In terms of cost and characteristics by today's standards, it is a pure workhorse with a USB C 3.2 gen2 interface, NVMe protocol support, hardware encryption, and linear speeds around 1000 MB/s. It is faster than predecessors with SATA 3 controllers but slower than modern professional solid-state drives with working speeds of 2000 MB/s and above. However, much more important is that WD refined the control controller, thanks to which the bandwidth behaves steadily and predictably, and speed in stress tests does not jump like its predecessors in the My Passport series.

The My Passport 2020 design, though minimalistic, is neither dull nor sterile. Five color options should interest people for whom this is not just a useful item but also a stylish accessory. The case is quite compact and extremely thin (only 9 mm) – slightly larger than a credit card. Moreover, two USB cables with different types of connectors are included. Overall, there's virtually nothing to criticize here. It's a pity that the front is made of plastic, not aluminum, which would be +5 to prestige. And a carabiner attachment would not be superfluous. However, these are more personal wishes of the author, not an objective minus.

Despite losing its sole leadership in the SSD market with portable models from the Portable series Samsung's situation is much better. One of the most popular options in the family is the T9 — a compact, neat, and minimalist business-class SSD with a focus on enhanced reliability. The body is covered with practical, scratch-resistant material, and the shockproof construction withstands a drop from a height of three meters, while the built-in Dynamic Thermal Guard system prevents overheating and maintains a stable data transfer rate.

In terms of technical specifications, the T9 is a modern SSD that is unconditionally suitable for use as a professional tool. Thanks to the USB C 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface and high declared speeds (write 1950 MB/s, read 2000 MB/s), it is suitable for working with 4K and 8K cameras, recording video in ProRes format at 4K+120Hz, and processing media content directly on the device. Add to this list two supplied USB cables, Magician proprietary software, support for all the most popular operating systems, and you get an excellent option for field video shooting and similar demanding tasks.

In light of all this, the only thing that can be complained about is the rubberized coating: it actively collects dust, dirt, and crumbs, which is why after just a couple of months of use in a backpack, it loses its original appeal. And the additional "armor" affects the weight — the T9 weighs 121 grams. However, the difference with competitors is only 30–40 grams, and, hand on heart, these few dozen grams hardly complicate life.

The Crucial X10 Pro is one of the few portable SSDs that makes the most of the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface, offering speeds of up to 2100 MB/s in a compact and protected body. With declared speeds of up to 2 GB/s for reading and writing, the drive noticeably outpaces most external SSDs limited by the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard (up to 1050 MB/s). Built-in hardware encryption support, IP55 protection, and a sturdy aluminum body make it possible to use the X10 Pro in any conditions, whether it's a closed pavilion or a shoot in nature in bad weather.

This solution is geared towards professionals working with photo and video content who value not only mobility but also the ability to work without regard to drive limitations: editing multi-stream 4K/6K video, working with large RAW folders, or backing up projects into hundreds of gigabytes, etc. In such cases, the time savings compared to regular external SSDs become obvious. By the way, during the filming of the "Something Different" music video for the band Godsmack, American photographer and director Paris Visone used the X10 Pro — as she shared in a Crucial advertising campaign.

Besides the 1 TB model, there are more capacious options available — up to 4 TB, which by the standards of portable SSDs is still considered a significant volume. The drive connects via USB C, and compatibility with Windows, macOS, Android, and iPadOS allows you to use the X10 Pro in any scenario without extra settings — from shooting and editing to backing up and processing data on the go.

The SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD V2 is an improved version of the most popular portable SSD, where the manufacturer fine-tuned all the small details and maximized the possibilities of the USB C 3.2 gen2x2 interface. Thanks to the impact-resistant body, high bandwidth (up to 2 GB/s), hardware encryption support, and ample memory capacity (from 1 to 4 TB), the model has been topping sales for several years, competing with popular models from the Kingston XS, Samsung T, and Transcend ESD series.

To begin with, about the protection. The Extreme PRO V2 body looks good and is primarily made of rubberized plastic with a pleasant-to-the-eye texture. The color scheme is in the signature black and orange tones of the Extreme PRO, with no other options. To simplify carrying, there is a massive carabiner slot in the upper right corner. The case is made of aluminum, is resistant to water, dust, and drops from a height of three meters. However, it is important to note that we are talking about IP55 class protection, meaning the Extreme PRO V2 is not afraid of direct water exposure, but it will not survive a full submersion in water.

Now, let's look under the hood. Thanks to the updated controller and USB C 3.2 gen2x2 interface, the drive squeezes up to 2000 MB/s when reading and writing files, behaves stably, and does not act up when writing especially large archives. Until recently (before models with USB4 appeared on the market, numbers around 2000 MB/s were the limit for external SSDs, so the SanDisk Extreme PRO can confidently be categorized as a "professional" model for 4K/8K video recording and similar tasks with an asterisk.