The SSD Review The Worlds Dedicated SSD Education and Review Resource | 
Perhaps one of the most overlooked benefits of the newest Type-C USB 3.1 Gen 2 connector is that it allows us to create smaller devices. We see it every day in the latest and greatest smartphone on our side, but we most likely overlook other possibilities, such as portable storage. And why not as a M.2, SSD weighs a mere 10 grams and is the size of a stick of gum; that SSD of course now bringing us storage of up to 8TB in capacity.
This week we will be reviewing several portable SSDs, six in total, and the one thing all have in common is that they are small…very small. Newer NAND flash memory allows us to store much more on a smaller footprint and for that, the Type-C connector was necessary. On the Test bench today is the Crucial X6 portable SSD.
In the package, one will find the X6 itself, a short 11″ USB Type-C to Type-C cable and operating instructions. It should be noted that the X6 does not come with a Type-C to Type-A cable, or adapter, but one is available to purchase at a very low price along with the X6. Checking Amazon, we see the 1TB version priced at $154.95 with the 2TB at $269.95. Both are available with the USB Type-C to Type-A adapter as an add-on for as little as $3 more.
The Crucial X6 is one of the smallest storage devices we have seen to date and measures only 96mm x 64mm x 11mm and weighs only 49 grams. It is available in 1 and 2TB capacities, has a maximum data throughput of 540MB/s and comes with a 3-year warranty. It is PC, Mac and Android compatible along with PS4 and XBox One.
The X6 has a flat black plastic exterior, with a Type-C connector on the side, uses an ASMedia ASM235CM chip to bridge between SATA 3 to USB 3.1 Gen 2, and contains Microns latest 96-layer QLC NAND flash memory. It is also temperature, shock and drop proof and has been tested to a drop distance of 6.5ft.
The X6 is marketed as Crucial’s little brother to the Crucial X8 that we reviewed a few months ago, the X8 being a bit larger and capable of higher performance, reaching transfer speeds of 1GB/s. The appearance of both is very similar however. Checking out this Crystal Disk Info result below, we can see that this SSD operate in SATA mode:
According to reviews these units suck….WHY? Gets hot and reduces transferspeeds dramatically. Some report as SLOW as 35MB/s …LOL…. Crucial claims to check if USB-C cable are correctly connected meaning one side is slower than the other on USB-C …lol
I have no problem whatsoever with you expressing your opinion but do not make it derogatory towards the site or myself. The is the easiest way to get banned and unable to send future comments. The test results are as they are. This is a SATA SSD which means that, regardless if it is USB 3.2 or not, it is still only capable of speeds as advertised. In todays world that is slow and I stated that. Considering the tests performed, we are confident that any abnormalities such as speeds of 35MB/s would be identified. Having said that, we made not that this SSD is NOT for the transfer of OS files or small files…because the low 4K randoms are horrid. Most important thing…. Know what you need this for. If you buy this in hopes of putting all of your media on it in just a few minutes…look in the mirror for the problem.
Oh my god QLC for over $150? Why wouldn’t I buy an MX500 with a hard drive case and DIY a portal SSD
I wasn’t aware you could get a 2TB MX500, and even at the 1TB mark, you wold be hard pressed to create your own external SSD at this price. I do understand your thoughts on QLC in comparison to TLC however.