Samsung Announces NVMe-Based 'X5' Portable SSD With Read Speeds up to 2800MB/s

Samsung today announced the launch of its newest portable solid state drive, the SSD X5. The X5, which uses Thunderbolt 3 technology, is the company's first NVMe-based portable solid state drive for super fast transfer speeds in a form factor that's compact and durable.

Samsung says the X5 offers read speeds of up to 2800MB/s, which is 5.2 times faster than SATA interface portable SSDs and up to 25.5 times faster than external hard drives.

It also features a maximum write speed of 2300MB/s, allowing for a 20GB 4K video to be transferred in approximately 12 seconds. It uses Samsung's Portable SSD Software, which includes AES 256-bit hardware data encryption, optional password protection, and configurable security settings.

"As a leader in high-performance and reliable storage solutions, we are thrilled to continue to advance the external SSD market with the introduction of our first Thunderbolt 3 portable SSD," said Dr. Mike Mang, vice president of Brand Product Marketing, Memory Business at Samsung Electronics. "The X5 is yet another testament to Samsung's commitment to providing innovative portable storage solutions that enable faster transfer of large data files, saving users' valuable time."

Design wise, the X5 includes an all-metal body with a glossy finish and a non-slip mat at the bottom. It uses a shock-resistant internal frame that Samsung says can withstand drops of up to two meters. Inside, Dynamic Thermal Guard technology and a heat sink protect the X5 from overheating.

Samsung's new X5 works with all Macs and PCs that have Thunderbolt 3 ports, which for the Mac lineup, includes 2016 and later MacBook Pro models, 2017 iMac models, and the iMac Pro.

The X5 will be available for purchase starting on September 3. The 500GB model will be priced at $400, the 1TB model will be priced at $700, and a 2TB model will be available for $1,400. Additional information is available on Samsung's website.

Tag: Samsung

Top Rated Comments

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CerebralX

25 weeks ago

When I saw MKBHD's tech backpack video I searched on Google for the Samsung X5 and couldn't find anything... so it turned out he got it prerelease.

Rating: 8 Votes

clystron

25 weeks ago

There are not that many small external NVMe cases on the market yet (TB3 or USB), most are SATA and their reviews are full of people who tried to stick am NVMe m2 stick in it only to realize that it does not fit.....

Rating: 6 Votes

-BigMac-

25 weeks ago

When I saw MKBHD's tech backpack video I searched on Google for the Samsung X5 and couldn't find anything... so it turned out he got it prerelease.

Exactly my thoughts. Didnt he mention he’s had it for a bit now too? Jealous.

Rating: 4 Votes

upandown

25 weeks ago

Does anybody feel that the prices of these SSDs are not going down as fast as one would expect? (Compared to the days of regular hard drives)

They absolutely are going down. You can typically grab a 1tb SSD for around $200.

However there's a different type of technology NVMe PCIe, as found in the newer macbooks with read and write speeds of over 2000MB/S which warrant a higher price. Of course they will come down one day too but it's much newer than SSD.

Rating: 3 Votes

Biggey

25 weeks ago

You can make one of these for half the cost. Amazon is selling the Samsung 970 Evo 1tb NVMe PCIe for $330. Grab a small external case and you're good to go. Sequential read/write speeds of 3,500/2,500 MB/s.
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They absolutely are going down. You can typically grab a 1tb SSD for around $200.

However there's a different type of technology NVMe PCIe, as found in the newer macbooks with read and write speeds of over 2000MB/S which warrant a higher price. Of course they will come down one day too but it's much newer than SSD.

The problem is finding a mobile, bus-powered Thunderbolt 3 NVMe enclosure. I’ve only ever found one and it’s not that portable and fairly expensive making most pre-packaged ones still fairly competitive in comparison.

Rating: 3 Votes

PickUrPoison

25 weeks ago

Will this fall back to USB 3.0 when connected to a regular USB port?

If so, this will be an amazing tool for moving lots of data quickly between different platforms. :)

No it requires Thunderbolt 3. It will not even work on a USB-C port that only supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps), it must also support TB3 (40Gbps).

For USB only Samsung offers the T3/T5, it supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 at around 500 MB/s and is also backwards compatible with USB 3.0/2.0. (USB 2.0 would greatly hinder performance, maybe 50 MB/s.)

Rating: 3 Votes

pika2000

25 weeks ago

Does anybody feel that the prices of these SSDs are not going down as fast as one would expect? (Compared to the days of regular hard drives)

Rating: 2 Votes

coolbreeze2

25 weeks ago

I know this is new advanced technology and therefore costly but the price is very very very high. I paid $449 for a Glyph 6 TB Thunderbolt RAID external drive. I know my Glyph isn't very portable but to pay $1400 for just 2TB for the new Samsung is a bank account killer!

Rating: 2 Votes

nutmac

25 weeks ago

The price premium between X5 and slower T5 is roughly 2X:

* 500GB: $400 vs. $165
* 1TB: $700 vs. $330
* 2TB: $1400 vs. $660

X5 is roughly as fast Apple's, who charges these prices when upgrading from 256GB base SSD:

* 500GB: $200
* 1TB: $600
* 2TB: $1400

Which begs the question. Apple should replace HDD or Fusion Drive with slower consumer grade SSD.

Rating: 2 Votes

liberte1776

25 weeks ago

Pay to play fast! Similar to Apple’s top SSD, also made by Samsung!:

https://beetstech.com/product/solid-state-drive-2tb-sspolaris

Read!:

https://beetstech.com/blog/apple-proprietary-ssd-ultimate-guide-to-specs-and-upgrades ('https://beetstech.com/blog/apple-proprietary-ssd-ultimate-guide-to-specs-and-upgrades#hdr-23')

Rating: 2 Votes

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