Review: WD My Passport SSD update brings zippy NVMe to the table

If you are on a Mac mini with an M1 or MacBook Air built in, one of the things that will be an issue is expanding its storage capacity. With no update options available, users instead have to look at external storage options, which usually means a portable hard drive of some sort.

Western Digital’s My Passport line has been around for a long time, and one that aims to provide the user-friendly storage wherever they go. The My Passport SSD has been upgraded for 2020, improving its speed and updating the appearance of the portable drive.

• Options for up to 2TB in capacity
• 256-bit AES hardware encryption
• USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ready
• USB Type-C to USB Type-A conversion introduced
• Up to 1,050MB / s read speeds and 1,000MB / s write speeds
• Lower the defense to 6.5 feet
• 3.94 inches by 2.17 inches by 0.35 inches
• 5-year warranty

The My Passport SSD cover is small, just 0.35 inches thick, 3.94 inches long, and 2.17 inches wide. It is also very light with a weight of 45.7 grams (1.6 ounces).

Although slightly larger than the previous generation and slightly thinner, the driver is still very pocketable and easy to carry around in a bag.

The two-tone cover of the previous version was modified for metal rotation with a sweep motif and is available in several five colors. While the last version was a bit silly, the new version isn’t proven enough but it is still elegant in itself.

The metal cover also helps protect it, with the shock and anti-vibration along with falling to a height of up to 6.5 feet. This means that the driver can carry out the daily routines without too much trouble.

One good design option is to use a separate USB-C cable, which is easy to use by the user. This opens up the possibility of losing the cable itself, but will still work with any Type-C USB cable.

In addition to getting a Type-C to Type-C (too short) USB cable, WD includes a Type-C to Type-A USB adapter in the box. This allows the out-of-the-box capability for the drive to work with USB-A 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports at slower speeds.

We don’t like this cable, and the strength of the cable is not as good. Fortunately, better new cables are cheap and plentiful.

The driver is listed as supporting USB 3.2 Gen 2 at up to 10Gb / s. Since it is a USB driver, it is backwards compatible with the right cable.

As part of the upgrade, WD has upgraded the type of storage inside the drive itself, moving the line to NVMe at a higher speed. WD applications read speeds up to 1,050MB / s and write speeds up to 1,000MB / s on USB-C 3.2 gen 2.

WD offers the drive in three capacities, covering 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB, with the 1TB version used for this review.

We have consistently seen speeds of around 930 megabytes per second written and 910 megabytes per second read in the real world. With an extended command of the drive speed test, the thermal maze reduced speed to about 720 megabytes per second read and write – still faster than a single SATA-based SSD can deliver.

WD My Passport SST 1TB will run

When connected to a USB 3.0 type A port, speeds were limited to approximately 410 megabytes per second for readings, and 400 megabytes per second for typing. These distances are about our expectations, given the limitations of the port.

Like the earlier version, WD incorporates 256-bit AES hardware encryption in the drive, allowing users to encrypt the data with minimal performance impact. The encryption element relies on the use of built-in WD Discovery software, which can be used to automate backups, but which requires internet activity in advance.

The WD Discovery for Mac software is decent, but we’re not going to explore too much here. When encryption is enabled, speeds are limited to around 700 megabytes per second read, and 550 megabytes per second writes on a 15-inch MacBook Pro i9 2018 or M1 Mac mini, and less hair on a 15-inch MacBook Pro 2016.

While WD has its own backup software, Mac users have better options. For starters, without the inclusion of third-party cloning software, the driver also supports macOS Time Machine. However, it needs to be updated beforehand – which most Mac users generally do anyway, if they don’t work across platforms.

WD says the driver will work right out of the box with exFAT format on both PC and Mac. On the PC side, it supports both Windows 10 and Windows 8.1, and can do so for other operating systems, again with redesign.

For those who need external storage, you can’t go wrong with the WD My Passport SSD. The use of NVMe is making it faster than ever, along with the metal rotation and built-in hardware encryption that helps keep your data valuable.

Due to its small size and high capacity, it is not good for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro users to bring with them. The drive is also reasonably priced for what it offers and it’s a great option to expand storage – albeit externally – on Macs that sometimes have high prices on additional storage. -in.

The WD My Passport SSD is a rugged, unobtrusive USB-C external driver, a product that is readily available from most electronic manufacturers. Not everything has to be advanced or have a fast pace. Sometimes you need a $ 10 hammer to do the job instead of a $ 120 ergonomic design, designed specifically to fit your hand.

The WD My Passport SSD is a prime example of the right tool to get the job done, without breaking the bank.

• Tight size and light weight.
• Separate Type-C USB cable.
• Sock and drop resistant.
• Encryption sequence appropriate but not good.
• Fast moving speed

• Incoming cable is very short.
• Redesign required for Time Machine.

The WD My Passport SSD can be purchased from Amazon, with prices typically starting at $ 89 for the 500GB model, $ 139.99 for the 1TB version, and $ 239 for the 2TB version with retail prices of $ 119, $ 199, and $ 379 respectively. It is available in Gray, Gold, Red, Silver, and Blue colors.