A conveyable SSD is a useful factor to maintain across the place, as this sort of speedy storage can be utilized to rapidly suck up photograph or video recordsdata, and even make a speedy backup of vital paperwork, earlier than being tucked right into a bag or pocket and brought someplace extra personal. They’re higher than USB flash drives due to the pace of information switch they supply, which suggests a lot much less ready round whereas a terabyte copies throughout, and there are lots of choices obtainable in numerous casings and hues. The Essential X9, from storage stalwart Essential, is available in a flat plastic case with a level of drop safety, and even bundles in just a few apps which may be helpful to somebody who hasn’t already invested in a backup resolution. In any other case, it’s only a cost-effective strategy to copy numerous recordsdata, and also you don’t have to be psychic to foresee the worth in that.
(Picture credit score: Future / Ian Evenden)
Design and construct
You’d be capable to say that the Essential X9 regarded like a bank card if bank cards had been a barely totally different form and about 5 instances as thick, nevertheless it’s shut sufficient. What this flat, low-profile form means is that the X9 is simple to slide into locations. It has ‘transportable drive’ written on the again, so slipping it into issues is certainly the intention, and also you’ll be capable to discover a pocket on a laptop computer or digicam bag that can serve to include it. One other place it would excel is hanging off one of many USB hubs that proliferate on trendy screens – it’s discreet, and in the event you use a brief cable it gained’t be too noticeable.
Key specs
(Picture credit score: Future / Ian Evenden)
Capability: as much as 4TB
Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2
Dimensions: 65 x 50 x 10mm
Weight: 32g
The drive comes with some software program choices: Acronis backup software program and Mylio Picture Organizer. These aren’t in themselves a cause to decide on this drive, as most individuals studying this may have a backup resolution in place and shall be utilizing one thing else to organise their images, however they’re good to have, particularly the backup app, although the drive is appropriate with Home windows File Historical past and Apple Time Machine.
(Picture credit score: Future / Ian Evenden)
Efficiency
Essential claims its SSD’s learn pace is 1,050MB/s. These claims are sometimes based mostly on use in the easiest of circumstances and with a powerful tailwind, however in our assessments the X9 crosses the road and really manages a bit bit extra, topping out at 1,053MB/s when linked to a USB 4 port with an acceptable cable. Its interface is USB 3.2, so that you’re not going to get a lot better than that even with Thunderbolt 4. As we’ve found in SSD evaluations earlier than, learn and write speeds are closely influenced by the cable you utilize, so it’s value selecting up a high-rated cable to get essentially the most out of a drive. The one within the field isn’t essentially the very best.
(Picture credit score: Future / Ian Evenden)
Essential’s X10 Professional transportable SSD claims twice the X9’s pace, for a comparatively modest enhance in worth, so if learn and particularly write pace is vital to you, then a bag stuffed with these could be a greater guess for hoovering up 4K video footage or the rest equally space-consuming. The Essential X6 is available in at 800MB/s learn pace (and doesn’t reveal its write pace) for a £10 saving, making it one thing of a false financial system and positioning the X9 because the king of the vary.
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Benchmark assessments
USB4
Row 0 – Cell 1
Row 0 – Cell 2
PC Mark 10
Row 1 – Cell 1
Row 1 – Cell 2
Bandwidth
166.5MB/s
Row 2 – Cell 2
Common entry time
151µs
Row 3 – Cell 2
CrystalDiscMark
Row 4 – Cell 1
Row 4 – Cell 2
Learn pace
1053.28 MB/s
Row 5 – Cell 2
Write pace
1009.65MB/s
Row 6 – Cell 2
Value
The Essential X9 retails for £110 on the corporate’s web site. There’s numerous competitors to retailer your information in a transportable kind. Western Digital’s My Passport SSD is cheaper and pink, Kingston’s XS1000 is cheaper and pink, and the Corsair EX100U is costlier however sooner (and never pink). If you will get a great deal for it, and there aren’t options on different drives that you actually need, then the X9 is a superb selection, nevertheless it’s value purchasing round first.
(Picture credit score: Future / Ian Evenden)
Who’s it for?
Anybody in search of a small SSD that’s quick sufficient that you just’re not saved ready round too lengthy.
