Crucial X6 Portable 1TB USB SSD review - Introduction

Crucial X6 1TB Portable SSD  NVMe USB 3.2 Gen2
500-1000 MB/s with a portable and affordable NVMe USB SSD

We take a look at the Crucial X6 Portable USB SSD (1TB). This is a mainstream portable storage device, it can reach 540 MB/sec over USB 3.2. The X6 is a little SSD that is ideal for anybody who needs to access digital files while traveling. It's a well-designed gadget that works with any USB-connected device and stresses value above speed. Rapidly increasing in speed and size while simultaneously decreasing in weight and dependability, as well as increasing in capacity and cost savings. It certainly appears to be a win-win scenario, doesn't it? So I understood Micron's introduction of the Crucial X6 Portable SSD when it was first made public.  Even while external hard disk drives offer significant storage space at a cheap price, value-priced single-drive versions are sometimes sluggish when first formatted and their performance deteriorates as they store more data. Sluggish is acceptable for background file archiving, but time is a very important resource, so preserving time while performing actual work is quite beneficial. Solid-State Drives (SSDs) outperform hard disk drives (HDDs) in terms of speed and durability in the portable drive product line, and they are substantially more resistant to moisture and damage than hard disk drives. Drops up to 6.5' (2m) and random vibrations up to 3.1G are no issue for the X6, which can endure up to 1500G while not in use and up to 3.1G when in use, respectively.

The X6 is a square-shaped device with dimensions of approximately 2.4 inches in height and 2.6 inches in width. Despite the fact that it is relatively thin for the product series, being around 0.35 inches in thickness, the rounded sides and corners ensure that it does not catch on anything. The only thing I did was take it out of my back pocket, where it had been for about a day before that. That's correct–so it's comfy that I completely forgot it was even there.  In dark gray and black tones, the drive is portrayed in a way that makes it appear far too inconspicuous to be discovered on a desk or in a handbag stuffed with other items. It is possible that a splash of color is wanted. When I express dissatisfaction with such inconsequential elements, it demonstrates that the product as a whole is excellent. Connectivity is provided through a USB Type-C connector located on the right side of the device. Street prices hover at 85 EUR/USD for the 1TB model. Micron isn't very generous with information on the internals, but based on the performance, we can safely say they are SATA. Tests with a 20Gbps USB connection capable of 2GBps revealed a transfer rate of roughly 550MBps for the 10Gbps X6. That’s SATA, however as testing will demonstrate, the 2022 model seems to be NVMe connected over a HOST USB bridge, this unit as a result sits close to 1 GB/sec in many scenarios. According to the write results, the NAND is QLC (4-bits written per cell) in configuration. So, take a look via the lens of our photo camera first, and then read on for the review.