Samsung has launched its latest external solid-state drive, the simply-named Portable SSD X5.
The Portable SSD X5 is Samsung’s first NVMe-based portable SSD, and in addition to its all-memory design, it has eschewed USB 3.0 for the far-faster Thunderbolt 3 interface.
Spectacular Performance
This is important because both NVMe and Thunderbolt are best-in-class interfaces that are as fast as 2018’s consumer technology allows; NVMe is fast because it uses four PCIe lanes, and Thunderbolt 3 supports a very impressive maximum transfer rate of 40Gbps (5GB/s in real terms).
Together, these technologies enable the X5 to reach theoretical read speeds of up to 2800MB/s and write speeds of up to 2300MB/s – spectacular performance from any drive, nevermind an external.
This is excellent news for anyone that regularly transfers multi-gigabyte files with traditional external hard drives, and who hates waiting for multi-gigabyte file copies to finish. Samsung says it’s possible to transfer three gigabytes in just two seconds with this drive.
And in case you’re wondering who the X5 is aimed at, Samsung says it’s primarily for professionals and power users, which makes sense as those people are the most likely to need the performance on offer.
Metal to the Max
All of this storage goodness is offered in a gorgeous and durable metal casing that looks more like a conceptual design for a futuristic race car than an external hard drive.
And as SSDs have no moving parts, this, combined with the beautiful-but-durable metal housing, means the drive will easily survive the knocks and bumps of everyday use. For even more peace of mind, Samsung offers a three-year limited warranty on X5 drives.
Want to see the drive in action? Here’s Samsung’s justifiably-excited video showcasing what the X5 is all about:
The Portable SSD X5 comes in three capacities and the following USD price points:
- 500GB – $399
- 1TB – $699
- 2TB – $1399
Here is the device’s official page on the Samsung website, in case you’d like to read more on it.
To express interest in these drives (as they’re not yet available in-country), registered resellers can contact the Samsung Product Manager, Charl Van Den Berg, on email or via the TD switchboard (011 531 1000).
Not a reseller yet? Apply here!
