WD My Passport SSD – Is 4TB enough?😁(storage)

The WD My Passport SSD is an external USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 storage available in 500GB, 1, 2, and now 4TB models. I wonder when we will see larger capacities.

All joking aside, I have been anxiously waiting to try the 4TB, which uses faster NAND and caching yet fits into the same body as the 500GB. Of course, the limiting factor is the USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 interface, which tops out at 1000MBps.

Australian Review: Western Digital My Passport SSD (Model WDBAGF0040BGY-WESN)

Website	Product Page
Price	1TB – $149 (15 cents per GB) 2TB – $249 (13 cents per GB) 4TB – $549 (14 cents per GB)
From	Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, Good Guys, Officeworks, Bing Lee and online at Amazon WD store and Harris Technology
Warranty	5-years limited
Company	Western Digital (WD) is an American computer hard disk drive manufacturer and data storage company headquartered in San Jose, California. It designs, manufactures and sells data technology products, including storage devices, data centre systems and cloud storage services.
More	CyberShack Western Digital news and reviews CyberShack Storage reviews

New Ratings Methodology 2024

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass(able) rating that is not as good as it should be and a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed. You can click on most images for an enlargement.

We are also tightening up on grading. From now on, Pass, for example, means meeting expectations for the price bracket. We consider a Pass mark to be 70+/100 with extra points added for class-leading and excellence. Pre-2024 reviews tended to use 8+ as a pass.

First impression – Pass+

Small, Light, like a thin bar of soap. It is 100 x 55 x 9mm x 46g. The 4GB comes in space grey.

What I really like is the 1.98m drop resistance. It has a metal case, and it comes with a USB-C to USB-C 3.2 cable and a USB-C to USB-A converter. You can also run it directly off Thunderbolt 3 or 4 ports.

The 4TB uses a WD Black SN850XE SSD PCIe Gen 4 x 4, BiCS5112 layer TLC with DDR4 DRAM cache, capable of 7000/6600MBps sequential read speeds. The USB-C interface slows that to around 1Gbps.

Tests – Exceed

Crystal Disk Mark gives maximum throughput rates.

CPDT gives sustained rates.

ATTO tests the cache

AS SSD tests the SSD and gives it a rating.

Fast Facts

• Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Thunderbolt 3 compatible and USB backwards compatible at lower speeds)
• Format: exFAT but can format for any OS
• Size: 100 × 55 2× 9mmx x 47g
• Box: USB-C to USB-C 170mm cable and USB-C to USB-A adapter
• Theoretical Seq R/W: 1050/1000MBps
• Optional 256-bit AES encryption on the fly
• Drop-resistant 1.98m
• Includes WD Discovery Software for backup and passwords
• Warranty: 5 years

CyberShack’s view – WD My Passport SSD – I trust back up to this

Yes, there are heaps of generic SSDs, but WD’s 5-year limited warranty and Discovery Software make this an excellent choice.

In other tests, it outperforms similar USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 devices (although not by much), including the Samsung T7. It is comparable to WD’s Black P50 WD Black P50 SSD – seriously fast (Western Digital review).

Ratings

• Features: 90 – it has 4TB, on-device encryption and drop resistance.
• Performance: 90 – meets or exceeds any USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 SSD
• Value: 90 – excellent price per GB
• Ease of Use: 90 – Pluig and play for Windows, Mac and even Android.
• Design: 90 – a little dated, but the metal case is a winner.