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Conclusion
Samsung's Portable SSD X5 is a great storage device for professionals looking to spend less time waiting and more time working. And, unlike many of its competitors, it comes with easy-to-use AES 256-bit hardware encryption.
The X5 is pricey, though. The 500GB model retails for $400, while the 1TB model costs $700. Meanwhile, the big 2TB drive weighs in at a staggering $1,400. These prices are not for the faint of wallet, but the drive is a solid solution for content creators and media professionals.
Dealing with large amounts of content, like video, audio, and pictures often require time-consuming file transfers to editing platforms. Ultimately, transferring files consumes time that could be used for more productive tasks. For professionals and content creators, saving time can equate to saving dollars: Saving a few minutes in any single production can tally up to hours over the course of a month, let alone a year.
We would like to see more color options, and the non-slip coating isn't very effective. The three-year warranty also doesn’t suit this product, especially given its obvious appeal to professional users. Samsung also hasn't shared endurance information yet, which is a critical consideration given the relatively short warranty period.
The Samsung Portable SSD X5 is one of the fastest external SSDs available. The peak speeds of up to 2.8GB/s read and 2.3GB/s write are up to three times faster than the best USB-based storage devices. You’ll pay a hefty premium for the fastest high-end tech, though, which relegates this drive to the professional crowd.
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