SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2: bigger and faster

Tomáš Brestovanský

3 years ago

Overview

We have already tested external SSDs from SanDisk several times. However, it has always been a model of Extreme Portable SSD, namely from 2018 and 2020. However, the manufacturer also offers another model, which it refers to as Extreme Pro Portable SSD. We have tested its second generation from 2020 in detail and we will be interested in whether it’s worth paying extra for the “Pro” label or whether you can do with the base model.

Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2

The packaging of the Pro Portable SSD version is almost identical to the base one. Therefore, you will need to be more careful in the store to buy the right model. In addition to the obvious Pro inscription, the difference can also be seen in the maximum speeds, which are up to 2 GB/s for the Pro model, and the higher speed can be seen in the lower left corner where the speed gauge is. The cover also mentions the fact that the new Pro version is almost twice as fast as the first generation, which we also saw in the base model. So the latest regular version reaches the speed of the first Pro version and the new Pro version is twice as fast.

You can also find a small difference inside the package, where the Pro version got a pair of cables with USB-C at both ends and the other with USB-C and USB-A connectors. The base (non-Pro) version had only one cable and a USB-A adapter. In addition to the cables in the package, you will of course also find the SSD itself and a short manual. Another interesting thing about the cables, the Pro version has them significantly longer, up to 31.5 mm including the connectors, while the classic model cables are only 16.5 mm long. The last but not least difference is the type of connection. The base model uses USB 3.2 gen 2 with a bandwidth of 10 Gb/s, while the Pro model offers higher speeds thanks to the use of USB 3.2 gen 2×2 with a bandwidth of 20 Gb/s.

In terms of design, the Pro model is distinguished by a metal strip around the entire body, which seems to divide the lower and upper part of the drive. The blue rubber material is also used here and again provides increased resistance to shocks and vibrations up to 1500 G and 5 g RMS at 10–2,000 Hz. The SSD is also IP55 certified, so it is resistant to rain, splashes and dust. In terms of durability, the drives are the same and the Pro model offers nothing extra.

Other differences are the external dimensions and weight. The Pro model is larger in all respects, with dimensions of 110.3 × 57.3 × 10.2 mm compared to 100.5 × 52.4 × 8.9 mm in the base model. The weight is also different, 85 g (3 oz) compared to 63 g (2.22 oz). A certain difference in weight is caused by the fact that we’re comparing a 2 TB version of the Pro model with a 1 TB base version. A small change compared to the base model is also the location of the USB-C port in the middle and not on the side.

As already mentioned, the main advantage of the Pro model is its higher speed. The manufacturer states maximum speeds on the product page of up to 2,000 MB/s in read and write, which is of course twice as much as in the base model a four times as much as in the first generation of the base model. We will look below for specific differences in the used memory chips, controller and bridge.

However, the main reason for the higher speed is the use of a faster USB standard – USB 3.2 gen 2×2 with a bandwidth of 20 Gb/s. We already met with this standard in WD_Black P50 and it can be said to be a kind of black sheep of USB standards. Why? Because there are still few devices on the market that support 20 Gb/s USB. You will either encounter 10 Gb/s USB or then the manufacturers rather use Thunderbolt 3/4, which offers 40 Gb/s but is not compatible with the 20 Gb/s USB. The situation should be helped by the arrival of USB4, where 20 Gb/s will no longer be such a specialty, and at the same time mainstream products that support 20 Gb/s USB have appeared on the market.

I tested the SSD on the MSI MAG B560M Mortar WiFi motherboard, which supports this connection. I tested the SSD on an MSI motherboard that supports this connection. It is positive to see that this standard has already reached a mainstream board, as it could once be found only on high-end models or on the Threadripper and Intel Core Extreme platforms.

A comparison of the three SanDisk Extreme models in the form of Portable SSD, Portable SSD V2 and Pro Portable SSD V2 shows similarity in design, but slight differences in dimensions, with the Pro model being the largest and the original Portable SSD the smallest.

As with the test of the base (non-Pro) models, I do not recommend disassembling the SSD either and the following images are for illustration only. A look inside the drive shows us that the Pro model is even more protected against accidental opening thanks to the use of several plastic clips. The interior is a kind of combination of the first and second generation of the base models, as it combines a black insulating foil together with heat-conducting pads on the front and back of the drive.

The PCB of this novelty is therefore completely packaged and the disassembly process was not entirely the easiest. Therefore, let’s take a closer look at the individual components and compare them with the slower models. The controller of the Pro model is of its own production with the designation 20-82-00705-A2 (V2 of the classic version was 20-82-10023) and the USB bridge ASMedia ASM2364, thanks to which it reaches a speed of 20 Gb/s. The base model uses the ASMedia ASM2362 bridge, which was also offered by the first generation Pro version.

We can also find the difference in the SSD itself. The Pro version uses the WD_Black SN730E, which is an OEM version of the well-known SN750, but uses 96-layer 3D TLC BiCS-4 memory. The second generation of the base model used “only” 64-layer 3D TLC BiCS-4 memory, which corresponded to the SN550 SSD. Due to the fact that NVMe SSDs are used in both cases, the USB bridge is still bottleneck, so we will not reach the maximum possible speeds that the installed SSDs offer. We would need Thunderbolt for that, but it would significantly increase the price of the drives. It is still a kind of trade-off that needs to be considered. In the future, I hope the new USB4 will be used, which could unify the chaos around USB standards a bit.

The Pro model as well as the second generation of the base model offers a 5-year warranty and AES hardware encryption, which we also showed in the previous test. Thanks to the hole in the body, you can attach the SSD to your backpack or pants with a carabiner and always have it with you. Larger dimensions compared to the base model can be a bit of a disadvantage, but the drive is still not as big as the Thunderbolt 3 models we have already tested. For a better picture, you can see a comparison with a 250 ml (8.45 oz) can of Hell energy drink in the picture below.

Testing took place on the Intel B560 platform, specifically on the MSI MAG B560M Mortar WiFi motherboard with an Intel Core i7-107900K processor and 32 GB 3600 MHz DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum, from which 25 GB was allocated to RAM disk. All tests were performed for the second time on a standard setup with an Intel Z390 board and Intel Core i9-9900K, which we normally use to verify the speeds at other than 20 Gb/s USB connection.

Write: practical tests

The tests consist of sequential transfer of directories from the RAM disk to the SSD. The files in these directories vary in size. From the largest 9-gigabyte one (when most SSDs reach maximum performance), the file size gradually decrease to very small (12–59 kB) – in such operation, the performance is usually relatively low.

Practical tests in Windows show that the Pro V2 is about as fast as the P50, which is no surprise. In most tests, it therefore moves to the first two places and thus defeats SSDs with a Thunderbolt connection. Note that the Pro is at the same level as the classic V2 model in the 10 Gb/s mode.

Write: synthetic tests

The results come from the AS SSD benchmark. The size of the library is set to 1 GB, which means that the measured values do not yet reflect the limitations resulting from the full SLC buffer, which is an integral part of most fast, cheaper SSDs with TLC memory.

Synthetic write tests show high speed in sequential write, but in 4K tests the Pro V2 lags a bit. Repeating the tests did not help either, and surprisingly, higher speeds were measured in the 10 Gb/s mode than at 20 Gb/s, which does not make sense. I therefore assume that this is either a problem on the side of the test configuration or the benchmark itself. Unfortunately, I did not have another 20 Gb/s motherboard available at the time of testing. However, synthetic tests have shown us unusual results in the past, so they need to be taken with a grain of salt.

Read: practical tests

Practical read tests also show the 20 Gb/s Pro V2 mode at the front places and in close proximity to the P50. In this case, however, the Thunderbolt models are already achieving even higher speeds, which is not surprising given the connectivity bandwidth. The situation in the 10 Gb/s mode is also repeated, where the Pro V2 achieves slightly better numbers than the base V2 version of Portable SSD.

Read: synthetic tests

Synthetic read tests show a similar scenario as with write, i.e. lower performance in 4K tests and leading ranks in the sequential test.

Overall score and performance on macOS

Due to the weaker results in 4K tests, the overall score is significantly marked and I therefore recommend ignoring it. On the contrary, the test in MacOS will definitely be interesting, testing was performed on a MacBook Pro 16 with Intel Core i9 and Thunderbolt 3 connectors and also a MacBook Air M1 with USB4/TB3. In both cases, the same results were given, so even the M1 with USB4 cannot use the full potential of the drive. Nevertheless, a higher speed of the Pro model can be seen compared to the base model, by 7 and 24%. However, due to the close connection between the Macs and the Thunderbolt, it’s the Thunderbolt 3 SSDs at the forefront, which we tested earlier.

Conclusion

SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD in its second version offers, similar to the base (non-Pro) model, twice the speed of the first generation. In this case, this means up to 2 GB/s for read and write. In practice, however, it is relatively difficult to achieve these speeds, as you need a USB 3.2 gen 2×2 with a bandwidth of 20 Gb/s, which you will find on a limited number of motherboards and devices. The good news is that this connection is getting into the mainstream, for example on the motherboard MSI MAG B560M Mortar WiFi . The situation can also be expected to improve slightly with the arrival of USB4.

I have no reservations about the build quality, design or functions, it is almost the same SSD as the base version. However, the Pro model is slightly larger, heavier and has a metal line around its body, which can protect the drive even from stronger bumps. 5-year warranty, hardware encryption with intuitive applications are the same as with the cheaper model. And it is the SSD from its own series that will be the biggest competitor for the Pro model, the use of which is questionable due to the unique USB standard. For the vast majority of customers, the base model will likely be sufficient. The Pro model should reach those who have 20 Gb/s USB on the motherboard or other device, and Thunderbolt 3 SSDs are too expensive for them.


Sandisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2
+ twice the performance of its predecessor
+ significantly redesigned insides of the disk
+ body resistant to shock and water
+ 5-year warranty
+ a pair of cables in the package
+ simple and functional SW for disk encryption
- 20 Gbps USB (3.2 gen. 2x2) it is still quite rare
- the rubber body gets dirty easily

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