SSD by stefan @ 2021-01-17
In terms of drive performance, the PXD 1TB trades punches with the Crucial X8 but the speed is a bit lower during mixed workloads. The sequential read/write speeds are near the rated numbers, while the drive chassis is implemented optimally, using the aluminum area as a heatsink; we were quite surprised to see that the PXD 1TB drive only gets warm during longer usage times, which is great!
At first we would like to thank Patriot Memory for offering a sample of their PXD 1TB Portable USB 3.2 External SSD for testing and reviewing.
“Mission Statement
To be the vendor of choice for the computer and consumer electronic industries with a commitment to service and quality
Vision
Commitment, focus on innovation in technology, product quality, and customer satisfaction are the key enablers of our future success
Company Profile
Established in 1985, Patriot Memory builds a full range of memory module and flash memory products, offering a perfect blend of quality and value. Patriot products include Extreme Performance (EP), Signature Lines (SL) and Flash Memory solutions (FM)”
Latest PCIe gen 3 x 4 controller
Bus speed up to 10Gbit/sec
Latest USB 3.2 Type-C Interface
Solid aluminum body design
Type-C to Type-C, Type-C to Type-A cable included
Light weight: 35g
Operating Temperature: 0 ~ 70°C
Power Consumption: Full: 2.5W S4:0.06W
Type-C to Type-C, Type-C to Type-A cable included
Sequential Read (ATTO): up to 1,000MB/s
Sequential Write (ATTO): up to 1,000MB/s
Sequential Read (CDM): up to 1,000MB/s
Sequential Write (CDM): up to 1,000MB/s
O/S Supported: Windows® 10?Mac OS 10.13 Plug and Play
With the PXD series, Patriot Memory is placing at the users’ disposal a NVMe high-performance drive behind an USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps) bridge in order to achieve read/write operations of near 1000MB/s. The drive also employs USB Type-C connection for futureproofing and looks like an oversized USB Flash Drive (without the metallic connector).
The PXD drive is shipped inside a medium-sized cardboard enclosure with a small window, so the customer will be able to look at the device without unsealing the packaging. Some of the main product highlights are also mentioned on the frontal area, together with the compatible platforms:
On the back, we will note a small product description, together with the main product features, in multiple languages:
Inside the box, we will find two data transfer cables, but also the main product, sitting inside white protective foam material:
A Type-C to Type-C cable but also a Type-C to Type-A cable is included for use with older machines:
Thanks to the aluminum body, the PXD drive has a professional look and is also helped with thermals; our sample is the 1TB model, a fact highlighted right on the product itself:
By flipping the product on the other side, we will note a large Patriot Memory logo:
The sides are covered by black plastic:
One of it does include the USB Type-C port but also the activity LED which blinks blue when data is transferred from/to the drive:
CPU: Intel I5 9700K Retail
CPU Cooler: Deepcool Captain 240 EX RGB AIO
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming
RAM: Patriot Memory Viper RGB Series DDR4
Video: KFA2 GeForce GTX 1060 OC 6GB
Power Supply: Cooler Master 850W
SSD: OCZ Vector 150
Case: Cooler Master ATCS 840
The drive has arrived pre-formatted with NTFS; here is the total space for storage on the drive:
With the help of AIDA64, we could extract more information regarding the drive; in this particular situation, not a lot of extra details we did find out besides the SN and unformatted capacity:
Blank SSD
Blank SSD
Blank SSD
Blank SSD
Blank SSD
Blank SSD
Blank SSD
Filled SSD
Filled SSD
Filled SSD
Filled SSD
Filled SSD
Filled SSD
Filled SSD
In terms of drive performance, the PXD 1TB trades punches with the Crucial X8 but the speed is a bit lower during mixed workloads. The sequential read/write speeds are near the rated numbers, while the drive chassis is implemented optimally, using the aluminum area as a heatsink; we were quite surprised to see that the PXD 1TB drive only gets warm during longer usage times, which is great!
The drive looks quite great and it can travel along in your backpack without taking a lot of space; it is immune against vibrations, even during operation thanks to its SSD nature and if you feel that 1TB is not enough for you, then you can pick up the 2TB drive instead. Besides PC/laptop use, you can also install it on PS4/Xbox One consoles for extra external storage purposes, by using the Type-C to Type-A cable.
The Patriot PXD 1TB can be found online for about 160 Euros at the time of the review. While the performance figures are good, we would like to see the price drop to the Crucial X8 levels, which can be currently had for about 130 Euros.
We would like to thank again to Patriot Memory for making this review possible!