SanDisk’s Extreme Portable SSD (V3) reads at up to 2,000MB/s, nearly twice the Extreme it replaces, in a sealed body that weighs 46.9 grams.
Its cheaper sibling, the SanDisk Portable SSD (V3), drops the sealing to stay lighter. Both are already on sale in the US through SanDisk’s store and US retailers.
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (V3) 1TB: $239.50 at Amazon
SanDisk Portable SSD (V3) 1TB: $159.99 at Amazon
Will your laptop actually get the Extreme’s top speed?
Only if it has a 20Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port. On a slower port, you get a slower drive. Writes run up to 1,700MB/s on the 1TB, 2TB and 4TB models.
The body earns the Extreme name this time. It’s rated IP65 against dust and water, survives drops up to 3 meters, and carries 256-bit AES hardware encryption with password protection.
At 85.09 x 50.8 x 9.91mm it slides into a shirt pocket, and the warranty runs five years.
Can you live without the sealing?
The Portable (V3) tops out at 1,000MB/s on a 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection. SanDisk publishes no write figure for it and says writes run lower, so treat it as a read-first drive. Capacities run 500GB to 2TB.
There’s no IP rating, and drop protection stops at 2 meters. In exchange it weighs 33.2 grams, has a carabiner loop for clipping to a bag, and comes with a three-year warranty.
It’s the drive you toss in a jacket pocket and forget until the day you need it.
Is it time to retire your old SanDisk drive?
If it’s the previous Extreme (SDSSDE61) or the old entry-level Portable SSD, the V3 pair is a clear step up on both lines, and you no longer have to pay for the Extreme PRO to get the faster connection.
Buy the Extreme (V3) if the drive works for a living: big project files, footage off a camera card, a bag that rides in the rain. Buy the Portable (V3) if it lives in a pocket as a backup. The Extreme is the better drive. The Portable is the better spare.
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (V3) 1TB: $239.50 at Amazon
SanDisk Portable SSD (V3) 1TB: $159.99 at Amazon
