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Here's some exciting news for portable SSD fans. Micron today releases not one but two new drives, the Crucial X9 Pro and Crucial X10 Pro portable SSDs.
Update: The in-depth reviews of both drives are now available.
They are the upgrades to the company's existing Crucial X8 and X6 that came out over two years ago. It's noting that, at its time, the Crucial X8 was the fastest contender—it has double the speed of the X6 and is still plenty fast today.
Crucial X10 Pro and X9 Pro: New compact design, fast USB-based performance
With an NVMe SSD inside, the two new portable drives are slated to be fast.
Specifically, the X8's performance grade is where the X9 Pro starts. Per Micron, the new drive features the same USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) standard to deliver up to 1,050MB/s and is available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities.
The Crucial X10 Pro, on the other, has double the X9 Pro's bandwidth. It supports USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps) to deliver read and write copy speeds of 2,100MB/s and 2,000MB/s, respectively. It's also available in similar capacities.
Micron says the two new portable SSDs represent a new form factor that allows it to "ship the most capacity per square millimeter in the industry." If that's true, that'd also be true if you use the square-inch unit.
Like previous models, the X10 Pro and X9 Pro feature a USB-C port and include a USB-C to USB-C cable. Other than the difference in speed grades, both drives share the following highlights:
- Both drives use Micron TLC NAND with single-ASIC portable storage architecture.
- Compact design that's rugged and rated IP55 for water, dust, and sand resistance.
- 256‐bit AES hardware encryption with password protection to keep data private.
- Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iPad, PC, and Linux.
- Available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities and includes a 5-year warranty.
To sweeten the deal, Micron says it has collaborated with Adobe to provide a one-month Creative Cloud All Apps plan with the purchase and complete drive registration for every Crucial X9 Pro or Crucial X10 Pro Portable SSD product. After that, the plan will cost you $55/month. (So maybe the deal is not all that sweet).
"We designed and built our two new portable SSDs, the Crucial X9 Pro and the Crucial X10 Pro, to specifically address these demanding workloads. With more photos and videos being taken than ever before, consumers are looking for ways to save, preserve and protect their digital lives reliably and quickly. These two new Crucial Pro Portable SSDs are a great choice for anyone who needs dependable, fast, high-capacity storage."
Jonathan Weech, senior director of product marketing for Micron's Commercial Products Group
My take is the new portable options are exciting for those needing something compact yet spacious to carry on the go. And that brings us to the question of cost and availability.
Availability and pricing
Micron says the new Crucial X10 Pro and X9 Pro are available today, starting at $119.99 and $79.99 for the 1TB, respectively. Like all things, their street price will vary based on demand.
I'm contemplating getting one or both for a review, so check back to see how their performances pan out.
Updates: The reviews are now available. Follow the links in the ratings table below for more.
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| Name | Crucial X10 Pro Portable SSD's Rating | Crucial X9 Pro Portable SSD's Rating |
| Price | - | - |
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| Description | ||
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| Buy this product |
Wow, what an exciting development in the world of storage technology! Micron’s unveiling of the Crucial X10 Pro and X9 Pro is undoubtedly making waves, and for all the right reasons. As I read through your detailed blog post, Dong, I couldn’t help but be captivated by the impressive features and capabilities these new SSDs bring.
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