Samsung's latest external Thunderbolt 3 SSD is all about speed
The Portable SSD X5 can transfer a 20GB file in as little as 12 seconds.
Samsung has revealed its first NVMe-based portable SSD, the Portable SSD X5, which is targeted at IT pros and content creators who need to transfer large files quickly. It has a read speed of up to 2,800MB/s and write speed of 2,300MB/s (2,100 MB/s for the 500GB model). Those read and write speeds, combined with 40Gbps-bandwidth Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, will let X5 owners transfer a 20GB file in as little as 12 seconds, Samsung claims.
The speedy transfer rate should prove useful for those working with 4K video files or high-resolution photos, for instance. However, you'll need a Mac or PC with a Thunderbolt 3 port; the X5 is not backwards compatible and won't work with USB. The drive weighs 150 grams and includes a shock-resistant interior frame, measures to stop the X5 from overheating and data protection with AES 256-bit hardware encryption. The X5, which has a supercar-inspired design, goes on sale September 3rd for $400 (500GB), $700 (1TB) or $1,400 (2TB). It also carries a three-year limited warranty.
