WD My Passport SSD 1TB Portable Drive: speed, encryption and compatibility

The WD My Passport SSD is a pocket-sized external solid state drive with 1TB of storage. It connects by USB-C, works with Mac and PC and offers hardware encryption with a password. It's meant for carrying files, backing up a computer and moving large projects between machines. Here's what its specifications mean.

Speed and NVMe

WD says the drive uses NVMe technology, with read speeds of up to 1050MB/s and write speeds of up to 1000MB/s. These come from WD's internal testing, and WD notes that performance may vary with the host device, usage conditions and drive capacity. Rates are counted as 1 MB/s equalling one million bytes per second.

In general, that's several times faster than a typical portable hard drive, and noticeably quicker for large files such as video or photo libraries. The computer's port and cable limit what you get, so a USB-C port rated for 10 Gbps is needed to approach the headline speeds.

Connections and compatibility

The listing says the drive is cross compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 2 and USB-C, and with USB-A for older systems. USB 3.2 Gen 2 is the 10 Gbps standard. On a slower or older USB-A port it still works but at lower speeds. WD says it's compatible with Mac and PC and ready to use out of the box. Check how it is formatted, since some uses, for example sharing between Windows and macOS or using it with a games console, may need reformatting.

Password protection and encryption

The drive offers password-enabled 256-bit AES hardware encryption. In general, hardware encryption scrambles stored data using a chip in the drive, so a lost drive is much harder to read without the password. Be aware that if you set a password and then forget it, the data may not be recoverable, so keep it somewhere safe. Check WD's instructions for the software needed to enable it on your computer.

Durable build

WD describes a sleek metal design that is shock and vibration resistant and says it can resist drops of up to 6.5 ft (1.98m). Solid state drives have no moving parts, which typically helps with knocks compared with spinning disks. A drop figure is a manufacturer's test result, not a guarantee, so treat the drive with care.

Size and weight

It measures about 3.5 x 1.8 x 0.4 inches (roughly 9 x 4.6 x 1 cm) and weighs about 0.1 lb (around 45 g). It fits in a shirt pocket or camera bag.

Who it suits

It suits people who move large files between computers, photographers and video editors working on location, and anyone who wants a quick extra backup. WD describes it as its fastest My Passport drive to date.

What to check before you buy

• Ports: which USB-C or USB-A port you'll use, and the cable in the box.
• Speed expectations: quoted speeds depend on your computer and the type of files.
• File system: confirm it suits your computer (and any console or other device).
• Capacity: 1TB may fill quickly with high-resolution video.
• Encryption: set a password you won't lose.
• Backups: keep important files in more than one place, as any single drive can fail.

The short version

• A 1TB portable NVMe SSD with up to 1050MB/s reads and 1000MB/s writes, per WD's testing.
• USB 3.2 Gen 2 and USB-C, with USB-A for older systems.
• Password-enabled 256-bit AES hardware encryption.
• Metal design, shock and vibration resistant, tested for drops of up to 6.5 ft (1.98m).
• Works with Mac and PC.

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