What decides whether the SanDisk Extreme Portable is the right portable drive: the USB port it needs, the speed you will actually get, how well it survives knocks and weather, and how it compares with the obvious alternatives. Facts come from the reviews listed at the bottom; capacities come from our comparison.
Who it’s for: Outdoor and travel use where splashes and dust happen: an IP-rated 10 Gbps drive with a five-year warranty. Skip it for: Anyone who cannot keep a second copy: in 2023 several outlets reported sudden failures in SanDisk and WD portable SSDs, and Digital Camera World paused its recommendation. Back up whatever you store on any portable drive.
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), USB-C |
| Rated speed | Up to 1,050 MB/s read, 1,000 MB/s write |
| Protection | IP65 water and dust resistance and 3 m drop protection per current listings (earlier reviews of the V2 cited IP55 and 2 m) |
| Security | AES 256-bit hardware encryption with password |
| Size | Compact |
| Capacity | Seq. read | Seq. write | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 TB | 1,050 MB/s | 1,000 MB/s | 5 yr |
Every SanDisk Extreme Portable capacity in our comparison, smallest first.
| $/TB | $/GB | Price | Capacity | Interface | Gen | Read | Write | NAND | Warranty | Cond. | Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $137.75BEST | $0.138 | $275.49 | 2 TB | External | USB | 1,050 MB/s | 1,000 MB/s | — | 5 yr | New |
It reaches its rated speed on any USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) port, USB-C or USB-A, including Thunderbolt and USB4 ports. On an older 5 Gbps port it runs at about 450 MB/s.
More on USB speed labels: portable SSDs compared.
WD My Passport SSD: WD's 10 Gbps drive with hardware encryption.
| SanDisk Extreme Portable | WD My Passport SSD | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) | USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) |
| Seq. read | 1,050 MB/s | 1,050 MB/s |
| Seq. write | 1,000 MB/s | 1,000 MB/s |
| Protection | IP65 water and dust resistance and 3 m drop protection per current listings (earlier reviews of the V2 cited IP55 and 2 m) | Drop-resistant to 1.98 m (6.5 ft) |
| Warranty | 5 yr | 5 yr |
We show retail prices only while we can refresh them at least every 24 hours. Portable SSDs follow the same NAND market as internal drives: contract prices are forecast +15 to +20% for 4Q26 — see the SSD price chart.
Facts on this page come from:
Where reviews disagreed we state the majority figure and note the other.