USB sticks used to be the easiest way to carry around gigabytes of storage in your pocket, but with the advent of external SSDs, it's now possible to carry around terabytes. Patriot's latest external SSDs offer extactly that, with the added bonus of a speedy USB Type-C connection.
As AnandTech reports, Patriot originally announced its new PXD USB 3.2 Portable SSD range back at CES in January. Three months on, and the drives are finally available with 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB options.
Regardless of the storage size chosen, you'll get a drive that only weighs 35 grams and measures 103-by-31.5-by-9.8mm. The M.2 PCIe SSD inside the solid aluminum casing has a USB 3.2 Type-C interface, meaning it's capable of hitting 1,000MB/s read and write speeds and works without drivers on both Windows 10 and macOS 10.13 or later. Each drive is also backed by a three-year warranty for peace of mind. It's possible to use the PXD drives with older operating systems, but you'll require a driver according to the product listing. However, you don't need to worry about using them with non-Type-C ports as Patriot is bundling a Type-C to Type-A cable in the box.
Switching to a portable SSD does give you the benefit of a very small, very fast, high capacity drive in your pocket, but you have to pay a premium to get it. The 512GB PXD costs $122.99 on the Patriot Memory store, The 1TB model is $224.99, and the 2TB model is $380.99. At the time of writing, all three models are sold out.
Further Reading
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