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Samsung has launched the Portable SSD P9, its debut USB4 external storage drive, featuring 40Gbps speeds that double the transfer bandwidth of the older T9 series. The drive is offered in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB capacities, delivering manufacturer-rated sequential reads of up to 4,000MB/s and sequential writes of up to 3,800MB/s, though the 1TB model is capped at 3,700MB/s. It comes at a steep cost, with the tested 2TB model priced at $649.99, while the 1TB edition starts at $339.99. [1][2]
Housed in a slim, rigid metal enclosure with a rubberized base, the P9 measures 0.3 inches thick and weighs 0.21 pounds while supporting AES 256-bit hardware encryption and up to two-meter drop resistance. Testing shows the drive delivers on its sequential throughput claims and runs noticeably cool, maintaining between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius during heavy loads. However, write speeds taper during long file transfers once its cache fills, and StorageReview found its sustained capture speed lagged behind competitors like the LaCie Rugged SSD4 during heavy 1,000MB/s transfers. [1][2]
The drive arrives amid high flash memory demand that has kept external solid-state storage prices elevated. Reviewers at Tom's Hardware note that while rivals like the SanDisk Extreme Pro USB4 undercut its pricing and Corsair's EX400U offers competition, the P9's compact size and superior thermal management establish it as a strong choice for video editors and media creators requiring near-internal drive speeds. [1][2]
The Samsung Portable SSD P9 is the company’s first USB4 portable drive, rated at 4,000MB/s read and 3,800MB/s write. That’s double the T9 it sits above. It ships in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB capacities; the 8TB is Samsung’s first USB4 portable SSD at that size, and the 2TB unit we tested sells for $649.99
via StorageReview
Samsung’s Portable SSD P9 is the new USB4 external drive to beat. It feels premium and performed very well in our testing. But you’ll have to pay a lot for it, or any similarly performing drive, these days.
via Tom’s Hardware