$225 for 1TB Sandisk Extreme, $250 for 1TB Samsung T5 are nice prices, but if you don't need the ruggedness, you could otherwise buy the 1TB Samsung 860 EVO 2.5" for under $170 now and use a $20 external enclosure or just a SATA to USB adapter and you would get better performance for much less cost.
The DIY approach is a good one. The aspect I like about the SanDisk Extreme is its IP55 rating that is not available in external enclosures AFAIK. Also, single stop for warranty and some value additions like the password protection feature (not a big deal for power users, but, the average consumer just wants everything ready to go out of the box).
Its solid value for both. I'm using old HDD's in external storage's mostly but when I damage them, I think I would consider that m.2, seems like phone form factor, might be good.
I'm doing that with older/smaller drives I'm not using anymore (like a 128GB 830)... The smaller form factor is pretty nice for backing up on the go or even hooking up to one of those mini portable routers/battery packs while it's sitting in my bag... More of a hassle with my 2.5" enclosure.
How about maximum power draw? A 2.5" SSD in an external enclosure could pull more than 5 W and cause a disconnect. I've connected SATA SSDs to tablets and phones before but a powered hub is usually needed because there's not enough bus power to initialize the drive.
I wonder how Sandisk gets away with including non-compliant USB adapters for the sake of convenience.
In the Type-C Specification, Section 2.2, with two sentences at the very end of the section.
“USB Type-C receptacle to USB legacy adapters are explicitly not defined or allowed. Such adapters would allow many invalid and potentially unsafe cable connections to be constructed by users.”
They get away because as a regulation body the USB-IF is kinda weak... I guess if SanDisk is using their logos they can fine/sue or call them out, I'll check out the retail box since I ordered one... But yeah that kinda adapter leaves the door open for people to do really stupid things and I doubt it was so much cheaper than just tossing in a Type A to C cable.
I'm glad the tests addressed thermal considerations. I frequently use external drives to transfer large amounts of data. Sustained writes of a couple of hundred GB cause most SSDs to get pretty hot. I've been known to direct airflow from a compact USB powered fan on to the enclosure.
It would be good to see enclosure manufacturers pay more attention to providing a decent heat transfer path from the NVRAM chips to the outside world. A simple pad with some thermal paste might work wonders.
Type-A to Type-A were a thing for a while (when USB 3.0 Micro B was the go to, but some companies decided (rightly) that that connector was stupid), so I can understand where the confusion may have occurred.
Sandisk doesn’t honor their warranties and has a high failure rate. I had to give up on the warranty and buy intel/samsung/micron who do honor their warranties.
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jaydee - Thursday, September 27, 2018 - link
$225 for 1TB Sandisk Extreme, $250 for 1TB Samsung T5 are nice prices, but if you don't need the ruggedness, you could otherwise buy the 1TB Samsung 860 EVO 2.5" for under $170 now and use a $20 external enclosure or just a SATA to USB adapter and you would get better performance for much less cost.ganeshts - Thursday, September 27, 2018 - link
The DIY approach is a good one. The aspect I like about the SanDisk Extreme is its IP55 rating that is not available in external enclosures AFAIK. Also, single stop for warranty and some value additions like the password protection feature (not a big deal for power users, but, the average consumer just wants everything ready to go out of the box).deil - Thursday, September 27, 2018 - link
Its solid value for both. I'm using old HDD's in external storage's mostly but when I damage them, I think I would consider that m.2, seems like phone form factor, might be good.notashill - Thursday, September 27, 2018 - link
Why would you get the 2.5" version when the M.2 version is the same price? There are plenty of M.2 USB enclosures available these days.Impulses - Thursday, September 27, 2018 - link
Yeah if you're buying a new drive with the express purpose of going external I'd go m.2 as well...Impulses - Thursday, September 27, 2018 - link
I'm doing that with older/smaller drives I'm not using anymore (like a 128GB 830)... The smaller form factor is pretty nice for backing up on the go or even hooking up to one of those mini portable routers/battery packs while it's sitting in my bag... More of a hassle with my 2.5" enclosure.serendip - Friday, September 28, 2018 - link
How about maximum power draw? A 2.5" SSD in an external enclosure could pull more than 5 W and cause a disconnect. I've connected SATA SSDs to tablets and phones before but a powered hub is usually needed because there's not enough bus power to initialize the drive.khanikun - Friday, September 28, 2018 - link
Make sure the enclosure does USB Type C, and only use Type C. Then you won't have problems. Type C is 7.5w to 15w.MrSpadge - Thursday, September 27, 2018 - link
I don't get it, where are the LEDs?! I learned from the last reviews that that's the most important aspect of storage in 2018 😉Impulses - Thursday, September 27, 2018 - link
You allude to them as wall powered at one point in the conclusion, shouldn't that be bus powered? (5th paragraph)Roen - Friday, September 28, 2018 - link
I wonder how Sandisk gets away with including non-compliant USB adapters for the sake of convenience.In the Type-C Specification, Section 2.2, with two sentences at the very end of the section.
“USB Type-C receptacle to USB legacy adapters are explicitly not defined or allowed. Such adapters would allow many invalid and potentially unsafe cable connections to be constructed by users.”
Impulses - Tuesday, October 2, 2018 - link
They get away because as a regulation body the USB-IF is kinda weak... I guess if SanDisk is using their logos they can fine/sue or call them out, I'll check out the retail box since I ordered one... But yeah that kinda adapter leaves the door open for people to do really stupid things and I doubt it was so much cheaper than just tossing in a Type A to C cable.NCM - Friday, September 28, 2018 - link
I'm glad the tests addressed thermal considerations. I frequently use external drives to transfer large amounts of data. Sustained writes of a couple of hundred GB cause most SSDs to get pretty hot. I've been known to direct airflow from a compact USB powered fan on to the enclosure.It would be good to see enclosure manufacturers pay more attention to providing a decent heat transfer path from the NVRAM chips to the outside world. A simple pad with some thermal paste might work wonders.
descendency - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
On page 1," It comes with two 18in. cables - a Type-C to Type-C, and a Type-A to Type-A one."
The picture shows a Type-C to Type-A cable and a Type-C to Type-C.
Tams80 - Monday, October 1, 2018 - link
Definitely Type-C to Type-C.Type-A to Type-A were a thing for a while (when USB 3.0 Micro B was the go to, but some companies decided (rightly) that that connector was stupid), so I can understand where the confusion may have occurred.
ecthroi - Sunday, October 7, 2018 - link
the Amazon prices are both at 239.99 right now actually, in case anyone's just seeing this (like me).ravib123 - Sunday, November 11, 2018 - link
THIS IS A STRICTLY DO NOT BUY PRODUCT.Sandisk doesn’t honor their warranties and has a high failure rate. I had to give up on the warranty and buy intel/samsung/micron who do honor their warranties.
Lessons learned.