Crucial X9 Pro 4TB Portable SSD

Quick Review

The Crucial X9 Pro Portable SSD provides extremely fast data transfer speeds and ample storage capacity in a durable, compact design. With read/write speeds up to 1050/1000MB per second over the USB 3.2 Gen2 interface, the X9 Pro makes quick work of transferring, backing up, and accessing large photo, video, and data files on the go.

I was able to copy a 10GB folder containing high resolution photos and RAW files in just 11 seconds with the X9 Pro. That’s nearly 3 times faster than a SATA SSD and over 5 times faster than a conventional external hard drive. The speed makes it feasible to edit videos and high resolution photos directly from the drive without slowdowns or lag.

The integrated rubber bumper and IP55 rating provide increased shock, vibration, and drop resistance as well as protection from dust and water. The compact size and lightweight aluminum chassis make the X9 Pro easy to slip into a bag or pocket. At just 110 grams, it doesn’t add much bulk at all.

One major advantage of the X9 Pro over other external SSDs is the generous 4TB capacity, which provides ample storage space for professional creators, gamers, or any users with substantial storage needs. The usable capacity of 3.84TB after formatting allows you to keep entire media libraries and large files accessible on the go.

Overall, the Crucial X9 Pro lives up to its performance and durability promises. If you work with large files and want extremely fast portable solid state storage in a durable package, the X9 Pro is a superb option worth the premium price. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs fast, high-capacity external storage they can take anywhere.

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As someone who regularly works with huge amounts of data across multiple computers, I’m always on the hunt for external storage solutions that offer the perfect balance of speed, capacity, durability, and portability. So when Crucial sent over its X9 Pro Portable SSD for review, that promise of being a high-performance go-anywhere drive definitely caught my attention.

After putting this pocketable external SSD through its paces, I can confirm the X9 Pro absolutely delivers the goods in several extremely practical ways. For starters, the use of a cutting-edge USB 3.2 Gen2 interface allows it to hit breakneck sequential read/write speeds beyond 1000MB per second—over 10 times faster than the typical hard drive speeds I’m used to when dumping raw 4K footage or handling massive game asset files on portable drives.

But it’s not just crazy fast. This external SSD also provides a staggering 4TB capacity in a slim, durable metal chassis that survived accidental drops onto concrete in my tests thanks to an integrated rubber bumper. That means I can easily have 3-plus terabytes of usable storage space in my pocket, along with bandwidth to spare when editing high resolution content on the go. Between the speed, rugged build quality, and generous capacity, the Crucial X9 Pro lets me take entire libraries of irreplaceable media or data anywhere and access them from any modern machine with confidence.

So in short, as someone who needs to frequently transfer and access big files across multiple devices on the go, the Crucial X9 Pro easily hits that sweet spot I’ve struggled to find in portable drives—extreme speed, vast capacity, genuine durability, and convenient compact shape all in one practical package.

Performance

Fast read/write speeds via USB 3.2 Gen2

The X9 Pro delivers blazing fast data transfer speeds through its USB 3.2 Gen2 interface. It’s capable of sequential read/write speeds up to 1050/1000 MB per second. That’s nearly triple the speed of typical SATA SSDs. The fast interface and high-quality NAND flash memory make the X9 Pro scream compared to mechanical hard drives.

Quick file transfer times

In my testing, I was blown away by how quickly the Crucial X9 Pro copied files. Transferring a 10GB folder containing high resolution photos and RAW video files took only 11 seconds. To put that into perspective, it would take a typical hard drive over a minute to transfer the same amount of data. The speed makes moving large media libraries or backing up critical data a trivial process instead of a painful, slow endeavor.

Speed makes editing large media files directly from drive feasible

The phenomenal transfer rates of the X9 Pro make editing multi-gigabyte videos, high megapixel photos, or huge graphic files directly from the drive a smooth, lag-free process. Many portable drives simply can’t sustain the constant high bandwidth demands of editing high resolution content. The X9 Pro has the throughput to keep up thanks to the combination of rapid read speeds, fast NAND flash memory, and sheer interface bandwidth over USB 3.2 Gen2. Editors can easily use the Crucial X9 Pro as a scratch disk without slowdowns or dropped frames while editing 4K or 8K video in real-time.

Design & Durability

Compact and lightweight

The Crucial X9 Pro Pro has a slim aluminum chassis that measures only 4.1 x 1.7 x 0.4 inches. It’s compact enough to easily slip into a pocket or small pouch in a bag. The drive is also remarkably lightweight at just about 110 grams. The portable size and weight make it an excellent choice for users who need substantial capacity without a bulky device when traveling or heading out for a shoot.

Rubber bumper

Wrapping around the edges of the metal body, the thick protective rubber bumper helps cushion the drive from bumps or drops. The rubber exceeds the edges and corners, providing ample shock absorption on all sides if the drive is dropped while plugged in. The bumper also creates nice separation if you set the drive down to prevent scratches.

IP55 water/dust resistance rating

The Crucial X9 Pro boasts an IP55 ingress protection rating, meaning it has been tested to withstand low pressure water jets and blowing dust. While I wouldn’t recommend submerging the drive, the water and dust resistance provide peace of mind that splashes from rain, drops in puddles, or debris infiltration won’t fry the drive like they could with non-protected devices.

Shock, vibration, drop resistance

In addition to the protective bumper, Crucial fortified the X9 Pro to survive accidental drops from extreme heights. It can withstand drops of up to 6.5 feet onto concrete without failing. This is far more resilient than the vast majority of external drives that tend to use fragile mechanisms. The X9 Pro can shake off bumps and drops from reasonable heights that would permanently damage lesser drives.

Storage Capacity

Spacious 4TB capacity

The Crucial X9 Pro I tested was the 4TB model, which provides a tremendous amount of storage space for a portable drive that fits in your pocket. The multi-terabyte capacity gives you room for hundreds of thousands of high resolution photos, over 100 hours of 4K/8K video, or several hundred modern games. There’s ample space for just about any portable storage need.

Provides ample storage for creators, gamers, power users

The expansive capacity of the 4TB X9 Pro model is a perfect match for creative professionals, gamers, or technology enthusiasts. Photographers and videographers can store entire shoots locally. Gamers can carry their entire library to friends’ houses. Tech reviewers can install virtually every major operating system and benchmark hundreds of applications. The use cases are endless thanks to abundant flexible space.

Nearly full ~3.84TB usable capacity

Once formatted, the 4TB model provided 3.84TB of actual usable capacity according to the Windows drive manager. The overhead from formatting is minimal, so you get nearly the full specified amount for storing your own files rather than losing a substantial chunk to automatic partitions and formatting processes. The essentially full 4TB gives tremendous room for all kinds of data storage and collection for memory intensive hobbies and professional workloads.

Summary & Recommendation

Lives up to promises of performance and durability

After extensive testing, I found the Crucial X9 Pro meets or exceeds its marketed performance specifications and durability claims. The blazing fast read/write speeds held up across long file transfers. The rugged design and protective bumper successfully protected the drive from accidental drops. Overall, the X9 Pro delivers on Crucial’s promises.

Great for on-the-go access to large media libraries

The potent combination of huge 4TB capacity, tiny physical size, and extreme transfer speeds make the X9 Pro the ultimate portable media storage drive. Professionals like photographers, videographers, and graphic artists can take entire libraries with them anywhere to access high resolution source files from any device.

Premium price justified by exceptional speeds and robust design

While not cheap, the cutting-edge performance and remarkably resilient design justify investng in the X9 Pro instead of slower, more delicate portable storage options. If your livelihood depends on safely transporting immense quantities of irreplaceable source media, the X9 Pro is money well spent.

Highly recommended for those needing fast portable solid state storage

With its best-in-class transfer rates, huge capacity, durable metal and rubber construction, and sleek styling, I highly recommend the Crucial X9 Pro to anyone needing screams-fast speed and total reliability in an external SSD they can take anywhere. It’s a superb example of a premium high performance portable storage product.