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

If you took a Mac mini or MacBook Air equipped with M1, one of the things that will be a problem is expanding its storage capacity. Because there are no upgrade options available, consumers will need to look at external storage options, which usually means a portable hard drive with some description.

Western Digital’s My Passport line is long-lasting and one that aims to provide storage that can travel with the user wherever they go. The My Passport SSD has been updated for 2020, improving its speed and refreshing the look of the portable drive.

• Options for a capacity of up to 2 TB
• 256-bit AES hardware encryption
• USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ready
• USB Type C to USB Type A converter included
• Read speeds of up to 1,050 MB / s and write speeds of 1,000 MB / s
• Fall protection at 6.5 feet
• 3.94 inches by 2.17 inches by 0.35 inches
• 5 year warranty

The My Passport SSD case is small, measuring only 0.35 inches thick, 3.94 inches long and 2.17 inches wide. It is also quite light, weighing 45.7 grams (1.6 ounces).

Although slightly larger than the previous generation and slightly thinner, the unit is still extremely pocket-sized and can be easily carried in a bag.

The two-tone case of the previous version was switched to a metal case with an extended motif and is available in a variety of five colors. While the latest version was a bit sleek, the new version is understated, but it’s still sleek in itself.

The metal case also helps keep it protected, with resistance to shocks and vibrations, accompanied by resistance to falling to a height of up to 6.5 feet. This means that the unit will easily take over the rigors of daily use without too many problems.

A good design choice is to use a separate USB-C cable, which can be easily replaced 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 being supplied with a type C to type C (too short) USB cable, the WD includes a type C type C USB adapter in the box. and USB 2.0 at lower speeds.

We don’t like this cable, and the stiffness of the cable is not high. Fortunately, better replacement cables are cheap and plentiful.

The drive is listed as supporting USB 3.2 Gen 2 up to 10Gb / s. Because it is a USB drive, it is compatible with the appropriate wiring.

As part of the refresh, WD updated the type of storage inside the unit, moving the line to higher speed NVMe. WD claims read speeds of up to 1,050 MB / s and write speeds of up to 1,000 MB / s on USB-C 3.2 gen 2.

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

I typically saw speeds of about 930 megabytes per second of writing and 910 megabytes per second read in the real world. With the extended hammer of the unit’s speed test, thermal limitation has led to speeds of up to about 720 megabits per second read and write – even faster than a single SATA-based SSD can provide.

Speed ​​WD My Passport SSD 1TB

When connected to a USB 3.0 type A port, speed was limited to about 410 megabytes per second for reading and 400 megabytes per second for writing. These speeds are approximately what we expected, given the limitations of the port.

Like the previous version, WD includes 256-bit AES hardware encryption in the drive, allowing users to encrypt data with minimal performance. The encryption element is based on the use of the included WD Discovery software, which can also be used to automate backups, but requires the Internet to be activated in advance.

WD Discovery software for Mac is appropriate, but we won’t go into too much detail here. When encryption is turned on, the speed is limited to about 700 megabits per second read and 550 megabits per second write on a 15-inch MacBook Pro i9 2018 or a Mac mini M1 and a hair less on a 15-inch MacBook Pro inches from 2016.

While WD has its own backup software, Mac users have better options. For starters, not even third-party cloning software, the drive also supports MacOS Time Machine. However, it needs to be reformatted beforehand – which most Mac users generally do, unless they work on multiple platforms.

WD states that the unit will work immediately with exFAT formatting on both PCs and Macs. On the PC side, it supports both Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 and can do the same for other operating systems, again with the reformatting.

For those who need external storage, you can’t go wrong with the WD My Passport SSD. Using NVMe means it’s faster than ever, along with the metal case and built-in hardware encryption can help you keep your precious data safe.

Its small size and high capacity make it something that MacBook Air and MacBook Pro users can bring with them. The drive is also reasonably priced for what it offers and is a good option to expand storage – albeit externally – on Macs that can sometimes come at very high prices for additional internal storage.

The WD My Passport SSD is a solid, uninspired external USB-C drive, a product that is readily available from most electronics manufacturers. Not everything has to be innovative or have record speeds. Sometimes you need a $ 10 hammer to do your job instead of a $ 120 ergonomic design, customized to fit your hand.

The WD My Passport SSD is an example of the right tool to do the job without breaking the bank.

• Compact and lightweight size.
• Separate USB type C cable.
• Resistant to shocks and drops.
• Adequate encryption suite, but not excellent.
• Fast transfer speeds

• The included cable is quite short.
• Reformatting required for Time Machine.

The WD My Passport SSD can be purchased from Amazon, typically starting at $ 89 for the 500GB model, $ 139.99 for the 1TB version, and $ 239 for the 2TB variant, with retail prices retail of $ 119, $ 199 and $ 379, respectively. It is available in gray, gold, red, silver and blue.