Crucial launches X9 Pro and X10 Pro secure external SSD drives up to 4TB and speeds up to 2100MB/s

Micron’s Crucial brand has unveiled its top SSD external drives, the Crucial X9 Pro and Crucial X10 Pro. Setting them apart from the earlier X6 and X8 models is the use of TLC NAND flash memory chips instead of QLC NAND. This change results in improved durability, even though QLC NAND is cheaper.

Available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities, the Crucial X9 Pro and Crucial X10 Pro top SSD external drives offer high-performance storage solutions. Unfortunately, detailed specifications for the new products have not been provided, leaving questions about the number of layers in the TLC NAND flash memory and the presence of DRAM cache memory unanswered.

However, the Crucial X10 Pro models are equipped with a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (20 Gb/s) connector, delivering sequential read speeds up to 2100 MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 2000 MB/s. On the other hand, the Crucial X9 Pro models come with a USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gb/s) connector, providing sequential read and write speeds up to 1050 MB/s.

Both top SSD external drives feature 256-bit AES encryption and are compatible with a wide range of devices, including Windows, Mac, Android, Linux tablets, iPads, PCs, Microsoft Xbox Series X/S, and Sony PlayStation 5 game consoles. Their sturdy metal cases offer IP55-rated protection against water, dust, and sand, along with the ability to withstand drops from heights of up to 2 meters. Micron backs these drives with a five-year manufacturer’s warranty.

The Crucial X10 Pro and Crucial X9 Pro measure 65 × 50 mm and weigh 42 grams and 38 grams, respectively.

Crucial X9 Pro price and availability

For those interested in purchasing, the Crucial X9 Pro models are priced at $80, $130, and $240 for 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB variants on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Crucial X10 Pro price and availability

Meanwhile, the Crucial X10 Pro models are available at $120, $170, and $290 for 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB variants on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

In addition to these top SSD external drives, we recently reviewed Synology BeeDrive, a Direct Attached Storage (DAS) solution. Available in 1TB and 2TB capacities, the BeeDrive offers a high-speed USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) interface for efficient data transfer directly to computers.