SanDisk Unveils Its Fast Extreme PRO USB4 Portable SSD

Data storage brand SanDisk has started shipping its latest and fastest range of Extreme PRO USB4 solid state storage devices. The drives were announced in November 2024 alongside several other Western Digital flash storage products that are being aimed at professional users and consumers.

The truth is, you can never have too much storage space for data. The cost per GB has plummeted in recent years so now there’s no excuse for not backing up all those photos, videos, work documents or audio files. San Disk and its sibling brand WD_BLACK are both offering solid-state storage devices with fast speeds, improved reliability ratings and capacities that should satisfy a diverse range of digital storage requirements.

The expanded SanDisk portfolio of portable SSDs includes two new offerings that feature next-generation SSD speeds and improved durability. The two new drives are aimed at professional creators or anyone else who has to back up large amounts of data on the go or edit video on location under testing conditions.

The SanDisk Extreme PRO is a USB4 SSD that’s been designed to deliver super-fast transfer speeds and durability because this is one of the first portable SSDs on the market that has a USB4 interface. SanDisk hopes the Extreme PRO with USB4 will appeal to anyone who has to have high speed and reliability.

If you have a PC with native USB4 USB4 Gen 3×2 ports, you could see read speeds with topping out at 3,800MB/s while the write speeds have a theoretical top speed of 3,700MB/s, which is about three or four times faster than many USB3 SSDs. Those kinds of figures are fast enough to keep workflows moving while providing instant access to locally stored content. Those kind of speeds make editing video from the external drive viable.

To see if SanDisk’s claim is true, I formatted a 2TB version of the SanDisk Extreme PRO USB4 as an AFPS drive and then tested it using Blackmagic Speed Test software. SanDisk is right; this is a fast SSD and when connected directly to a Thunderbolt port on my Mac mini M2 Pro, I got a write speed of 2,770.8MB/s and a read speed of 2,830.4MB/s. Those two results are not far off the speed of the internal 1TB SSD in my Mac mini M4 Pro. I managed to copy a clutch of 91.5GB files in around four minutes and a single 2GB file in 15 seconds.

Given the price that Apple charges for SSD storage, the SanDisk Extreme PRO USB4 could be a better solution if you were thinking of buying Apple’s impressive new Mac mini M4 Pro which comes with a measly 256GB of SSD storage but costs just $599. Apple charges around $200 for each extra tier of SSD capacity when you order your Mac. And because Macs with Apple silicon can’t have their storage or RAM upgraded later, you must decide the size you want when ordering. This new SSD from SanDisk could be a solution to that upgrade problem.

The new Extreme PRO USB4 drives are coated with an impact-resistant silicone shell wrapped around a forged aluminum chassis which helps to protect the drive’s valuable data from everyday wear and tear when used under difficult or harsh conditions.

SanDisk says users can reliably access their files on the go thanks to the SSD’s IP65 water and dust-proof rating. These new SSDs are being touted as capable of withstanding splashes, rain and even liquid spills.

When it comes to durability, the SanDisk Extreme PRO with USB4 is rated for drop protection up to a height of three meters without damage to the drive. San Disk also says the SSDs are backward compatible with USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 devices and support Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.

If you have a PC with the latest USB4 Gen 3×2 interface, you can expect to see very fast speeds from this SSD. There is a premium to pay for that speed but video editors, photographers and music makers might think its a worthwhile investment for adding high-speed storage on the move.

Pricing & Availability:

The SanDisk Extreme PRO with USB4 SSD is available now in 2TB and 4TB capacities with a price tag of $279.99 / £250.99 / €354.99and $429.99 / £384.99 / €539.99 respectively from SanDisk.com.

Tech Specs:

• Type: SSD.
• Capacities: 2TB and 4TB.
• Interface: USB4 Gen 3×2 (40Gb/s).
• Read speeds: Up to 3800MB/s.
• Write speeds: Up to 3700MB/s.
• Dimensions 140 x 68.70 x 11.90mm.
• Weight: 172g.
• Compatibility: USB Type-C devices.
• System requirements: Windows 10+ / macOS 14+ / Xbox Series X|S / PS5.
• Warranty: 5-year limited.