Samsung X5 Thunderbolt 3 Portable SSD Review (1TB)

REPORT SUMMARY AND FINAL THOUGHTS

I have to admit that when I first received the Samsung X5, I was flat out impressed.  Exterior packaging was of a premium quality and the exterior build of the Samsung X5 is beyond reproach.  It is very compact and absolutely gorgeous.

Next up we looked at performance.  We have three truly portable bus driven ThunderBolt 3 SSDs on hand and I will be the first to say that I have had the Tekq Rapide with me for some time.  I absolutely love the speed to transfer and then move my media files on-the-go. For strictly performance, the G-Technology G Drive that we reviewed yesterday is top dog and so it should be as it has one of the top performing SSDs on the street as its heart and soul; the SanDisk Extreme Pro NVMe PCIe 3.0 M.2 SSD.  When considering the size of the X5 compared to the G Drive, however, there just is no comparison as the X5 is much smaller and feels half the weight of the G Drive. We could say the Samsung X5 is the smallest and highest performing portable SSD on the planet, in considering both factors.

Warranty for the Samsung X5 is only 3-years which is a bit disappointing considering the warranty for that G Drive is 5-years.  Price is going to be a massive consideration in ones final decision to buy this drive though.  Where the Tekq Rapide never really succeeded in the mainstream market, and the G-Technology G-Drive is listing for $999 for the 1TB version, that same capacity can be had with the Samsung X5 for $699.  That’s a $300 savings for very little difference in performance and a much more portable TB3 solution.  Samsung is pretty much guaranteed market share of this category with prices at $399 (500GB), $699 (1TB) and an available 2TB capacity at $1399.  Absolutely gorgeous device, great speed, decent warranty and killer price!

Check here for availability and pricing of the X5 at Amazon!