Western Digital’s lineup of direct-attached storage (DAS) merchandise targets a spread of markets and form-factors. After the acquisition of HGST / G-Technology and SanDisk, the corporate now gives related merchandise below a number of model names. Portable bus-powered SSDs are an instance. Subtle variations within the function units of the merchandise improve their enchantment to the model’s goal market.
Late final yr, the WD_Black P50 was launched because the quickest non-Thunderbolt transportable SSD out there, because of its USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface. The branding clearly indicated that players had been the goal market. The common WD branding is reserved for the My Passport sequence. We reviewed the primary mannequin within the My Passport SSD sequence again in 2017. It used the planar TLC-based SanDisk X400 M.2 SATA SSD internally with a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C host interface. A brand new model of the My Passport SSD was launched the next yr with a WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD utilizing 64L 3D TLC flash. Both merchandise had been held again performance-wise by means of a SATA SSD. Today’s product launch brings NVMe into the image for the My Passport SSD product line.
The WD My Passport SSD targets productiveness use-cases for enterprise professionals (together with sure content material creators). The new model’s industrial design and look has modified, with the sharp corners and fully-plastic enclosure now changed by an aesthetically-pleasing partial metallic enclosure having rounded corners. WD claims that the brand new design feels much less inflexible and extra transportable, and has a extra pocketable form general.
While the WD_Black P50 and the SanDisk Extreme Pro transportable SSDs meant for big video games and huge media information used the WD Black SN750 NVMe SSD internally, the brand new WD My Passport makes use of the DRAM-less WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD. This nonetheless makes use of a PCIe 3.zero x4 interface, and the efficiency numbers for the 500GB+ fashions are adequate to saturate a USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface. Hardware encryption is among the key options of the higher-end merchandise within the My Passport line-up, and the brand new My Passport SSD additionally helps AES-256 for information safety with out efficiency loss.
The WD My Passport SSD 2020 offers an enormous leap in efficiency (as much as 1050 MBps) in comparison with the 2018 model (540 MBps). The 256GB capability SKU has been phased out, and solely three capacities are going to be provided – 500GB ($120), 1TB ($200 – WD’s MSRP is $190), and 2TB ($380). While the My Passport SSD 2018 was accessible solely in a single coloration (grey/black), the 2020 model is offered in 4 colours – grey, crimson, blue, and gold.
The SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD is our present favourite in terms of USB 3.1 Gen 2 transportable SSDs, because of its compact design, efficiency consistency, and thermal efficiency. Power consumption (significantly at idle) was one in all its Achilles heels in comparison with the OWC Envoy Pro EX USB-C (which supplied related efficiency, albeit in a barely bigger form-factor). If the WD My Passport SSD manages to succeed in near the SanDisk Extreme Pro’s efficiency profile whereas additionally optimizing energy consumption, Western Digital might find yourself with one more compelling providing within the transportable SSD market.
