Verdict and Conclusion
I remember the good old days of mounting my M.2 2280 SSD in to an external USB enclosure. This DIY setup meant I now have a fast portable SSD which I can take with me anywhere. However, the only problem was that the USB 3.0 interface at the time was the bottleneck.
Foward to 2024, and we now have the faster USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface with 20Gpbs throughput. This faster interface elevates some of the bottlenecks we’ve experienced in the past. You’ll find this faster USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface on newer generation of laptops and motherboards (for desktop PCs).
So with that said, we’re now seeing a lot of manufacturers taking advantage of the faster USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface. They’ve started to produce external and portable SSDs with faster read/write speeds that can easily match traditional M.2 PCIE Gen3 SSDs. This is great news for a lot of users who are always on the go.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sIvDZFtDdvI
OK, now let’s get back to the review. The Lexar SL500 portable SSD is super compact and light-weight, about the size of a credit card, measuring only 85mm x 54mm x 7.8mm (the thinnest part is 4.8mm), and weighing in at only 43g. This means you can easily carry it anywhere for quick and easy plug-and-play operation.
During our CrystalMark disk tests, it produced an impressive read speed of 2,002.48 MB/sec and an excellent write speed of 1,771.30 MB/sec. That’s just as fast as some of my older M.2 SSDs (PCIE Gen3) which I bought a couple of years ago!
At these speeds, I have no issues using Premier Pro to edit and render my videos directly of the drive itself. It’s perfect for gamers and content creators on the go!
The most attractive selling point of the Lexar SL500 portal SSD is its unprecedented compatibility. Not only does it works on PCs, but it also works on Mac, Android devices, iPhone 15 series, gaming consoles, cameras, and more. Plus you can record Pro Res video 4K @ 60FPS directly to the drive, using your mobile device such as an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max. For Andriod devices, you’ll need to have Andriod OS 4.4 or above.
Where to buy
- You can buy the Lexar SL500 2TB Portable SSD for around USD $170-$220 from Amazon – https://amzn.to/3PPHVoi
- You can also get the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (20Gbps) Type-E to Type-C front panel header extension from Amazon – https://amzn.to/3RQtQG7
Final Thoughts
If you’re a passionate and enthusiastic content creator who’s always on the move, while using multiple devices (such as laptop, PC, Macs, mobile devices, etc), then you should seriously consider the Lexar SL500 portable SSD. It offers fast read/write performance and it’s extremely compact and light-weight. You can record 4K video directly on to the SSD from any mobile device, not to mention you can also use it to edit and render your videos directly off the drive as well.
For the reasons above, the Lexar SL500 portable SSD assuredly receives our Recommended award.
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