With little fanfare, SanDisk unveiled in late February its first Extreme Pro external SSD compatible with USB 4.0. While it retains the familiar design of the range, this SSD boasts theoretical speeds of 3800 MB/s read and 3700 MB/s write, all while offering a waterproof and rugged build.
A SanDisk SSD Aligned with Modern Standards
SanDisk is shifting into higher gear! Since 2021, the Extreme Pro SSDs were limited to the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 standard. While theoretically faster than USB 3.2 Gen, very few machines on the market were able to fully harness the protocol’s speed potential. As a result, on MacBook, Mac Studio or Mac mini, performance was capped at 1000 MB/s, far from the advertised 2000 MB/s.
This “mistake” is now corrected as SanDisk finally offers a version of its Extreme Pro SSD compatible with USB 4.0. The Extreme Pro USB 4 SSD promises theoretical read speeds of 3800 MB/s and write speeds of 3700 MB/s, which should now be achievable on a wider range of computers and devices, as USB 4 has become more widespread—especially on Macs since 2020.
Here are the technical specs of the SanDisk Extreme Pro USB 4 SSD:
- Capacity: 2 TB and 4 TB
- Speeds: up to 3800 MB/s read and 3700 MB/s write
- Drop resistance: 2 m
- Crush resistance: N/A
- Water and dust resistance: IP65
- Compatibility: USB 4, Thunderbolt 4 and earlier
- Connectivity: USB Type-C
- 5-year limited warranty
- Compatibility: macOS, Windows, Chrome OS, iOS, iPadOS, Android, Linux, Xbox Series, PS5
- Dimensions: 140 x 68.7 x 11.9 mm
- Weight: 172 g
USB 4.0 brings a real performance boost to SanDisk’s SSD and even makes it a viable working drive to edit large photo or video files directly without noticeable slowdowns.
In terms of design, the Extreme Pro USB 4 SSD keeps the same look as previous models but comes with larger dimensions: 14 cm long, nearly 7 cm wide, and 1.2 cm thick, weighing 172 g. A bulkier form factor than the Extreme Pro V2, likely due to a greater need for heat dissipation.
That being said, it’s still more discreet than the Nextorage NX-PS1PRO SSD, which is also USB 4-compatible but comes with a massive heatsink. Lastly, certified IP65, SanDisk’s SSD is resistant to water immersion, dust, and drops up to 2 meters.
Price and Availability of the SanDisk Extreme Pro USB 4 SSD
The SanDisk Extreme Pro USB 4 SSD is available at a price of $279 for the 2 TB version and $429 for the 4 TB version.
Our First Impressions
With this SanDisk Extreme Pro USB 4 SSD, the brand introduces a fast and rugged external drive. Thanks to the USB 4 interface, transfer speeds make it possible to work directly from the drive on very large files, especially in video editing, with no compromise on smoothness or responsiveness.
In terms of durability, SanDisk lives up to its reputation with a solid casing that withstands shocks, dust, and water, making it perfectly suited for demanding environments or frequent travelers.
Of course, now that Thunderbolt 5 drives are starting to hit the market, one might wonder whether SanDisk is a bit behind the curve? Unless the brand is reserving this new standard for a future update of the PRO-G40, which for now remains Thunderbolt 3-only.
