Customer Ratings & Reviews

It's been a nice and compact External SSD. Lots of space, easy to use, fast, reliable and it is a lifeline for my personal laptop backup process.

For many, storage size and price are the two main driving factors when choosing an external storage solution. As such, it has become easier in recent years to acquire fast solid state drives for a reasonable price. In addition, with the advent of NVMe based storage, performance and pricing may not always be clear cut. For mainstream drives, it has become harder to differentiate which drive has the faster performance. In an attempt to try and find a fast SSD solution, we must first take a look at the latest SSD offering in Crucial's excellent line of storage solutions, the X6. With capacities ranging from 500 GB - 4 TB of storage, I was excited get my hands on this new drive and could not wait to compare it with other popular solid state drives. If anyone has already owned a portable SSD, then you are probably familiar with the unbelievably small nature of these units. Simply put, it still amazes me that so much storage can be packed in a small and lightweight solution. In the box, you will find the SSD, a quick start guide, and a USB 3.2 Type-C cable. It did not come with a Type-A adapter, but I already had several from previous SSD drives. Physically, the X6 stands on its own. It is a uniquely square design, clocking in just under 3 inches wide and 2.5 inches tall. Performance wise, crucial has listed the read speeds up to 540 MB/s over USB 3.2 Gen 1, which is comparable to other mainstream models. Setup should be relatively easy. The X6 comes already formatted in eXFAT. For my tests, I wanted to encapsulate all the Crucial X6 has to offer, as well as compare its blazing speed with other similar models. I decided I would compare the newly released Crucial X6 1TB drive with my SanDisk 500GB Extreme (Model: SDSSDE60-500) as well as the ever popular Samsung T5 1 TB (Model: MU-PA10B). Additionally, for data transfers, I wanted to keep my tests relatively simple to focus on an out of box experience. Aside from doing a quick format, nothing else was changed. As with anything computer related, data and benchmarks can quickly become complicated, especially when you factor in the different ways USB is implemented across a wide range of chipsets. Your results will differ! With this in mind, I wanted to give you an idea on what to expect with this drive given two drastically different computer environments. My first test was to run all drives in a non-USAP environment using Windows 7 Ultimate. I ran all drives over USB 3.0 using a USB Type-C to USB Type-A adapter on my Asus Maximus V Extreme Z77 motherboard. I used the same USB 3.0 port that is tied directly to the Intel Z77 chipset (not the AsMedia chip). My second test was to then use my Asus Flipbook 15 Q538 laptop (2020), this time over Thunderbolt /USB Type-C using Windows 10. The port is rated for 40 GBPS. All tests were conducted with the AC power plugged in. The power mode was set to best performance. Lastly, to compliment my Crystalmark 8.0.2 tests, I manually copied two sets of data. My first data test is one large 37.3 GB bluray image. The second transfer is one large 30.6 GB music folder, but features 5,446 files and 1,166 folders to test the random 4K performance. Here is the data for all drives using Windows 7 Ultimate from my desktop. Please keep in mind UASP is disabled due to not being supported in Windows 7. To shorten the data, I will only list the Sequential values and Random 4K at a queue depth/ thread of 1 (full results in the pictures). Crucial: Sequential Read: 371.82 MB/s / Sequential Write: 363.88 MB/s Crucial: 4K Read (Q1T1): 32.46 MB/s / Random 4K Write (Q1T1): 72.95 MB/s Samsung: Sequential Read: 368.51 MB/s / Sequential Write: 371.18 MB/s Samsung: 4K Read (Q1T1): 27.82 MB/s / Random 4K Write (Q1T1): 73.13 MB/s SanDisk: Sequential Read: 367.25 MB/s / Sequential Write: 371.03 MB/s SanDisk: 4K Read (Q1T1): 30.76 / Random 4K Write (Q1T1): 74.70 MB/s As you can see, all the drives perform equally. Despite not supporting UASP, Windows 7 still allows the drive to flex some muscle during my manual transfers. Starting with my 37.3 GB Bluray image, the Crucial X6 transfer started off really high around 540 MB/s mark before falling to 400 MB/s. Half the file was transferred before it leveled off in 360-370 MB/s range before finishing in roughly a minute. This was extremely fast. For my 30 GB music folder, the Crucial X6 was able to hold steady around 180-200 MB/s range. As you can see the transfer was a bit more aggressive, but nonetheless fast. The same behavior was noted on the Samsung T5 on the 37 GB bluray image. The transfer started off around the 540 MB/s range and slowly decreased to around 370 MB/s. The transfer completed shortly thereafter. For my 30 GB music folder, the T5 shot up to around 250 MB/s before slowly dropping to around the 200 MB/s mark. It held consistently for a little bit before holding around the 185-190 MB/s range. Both drives would continue to hold around the same range as the transfer duration prolonged. On my SanDisk 500 GB, the 37 GB bluray image was not as fast as the others, but more constant despite showing similar benchmark numbers. The transfer held steady around 270 MB/s. As for my 30GB music folder, the SanDisk was able to climb just under 200 MB/s and held consistently before dropping to around 190 MB/s. Overall, the Crucial X6 is certainly impressive. Moving on, the next set of transfers were done on my Asus Flipbook 15, which has a 1 TB Intel SSD. It is accompanied by an additional 32 GB SSD for an Intel Optane configuration. All drives were connected via the 40 GBPS Thunderbolt over USB Type- C port. It is powered by the Intel i7 1165G7 CPU. The results are as follows: Crucial: Sequential Read: 568.16 MB/s / Sequential Write: 511.74 MB/s Crucial: 4K Read (Q1T1): 35.78 MB/s / Random 4K Write (Q1T1): 74.32 MB/s Samsung: Sequential Read: 567.48 MB/s / Sequential Write: 512.26 MB/s Samsung: 4K Read (Q1T1): 30.07 MB/s / Random 4K Write (Q1T1): 80.85 MB/s SanDisk: Sequential Read: 567.85 MB/s / Sequential Write: 531.17 MB/s Sandisk: 4K Read (Q1T1): 29.50 MB/s / Random 4K Write (Q1T1): 56.19 MB/s Once again, the drives are fairly identical to each other. As expected, the drives were no longer bottlenecked by the operating system. There was a notable difference on the Random 4K (Q32T1) between the Samsung/SanDisk versus the Crucial. I assumed that it could be chipset related, despite having current specifications. As for my manual transfers, all drives were finally able to stretch their legs as they were no longer bottlenecked by the operating system. Starting with the Crucial X6, my 37GB bluray image held consistently between 385-390 MB/s, despite one instance around the 60% mark of the transfer where it dropped all the way down to 250 MB/s for a few seconds. I still am not sure what caused the dip. My guess would be either the X6 controller, my Intel controller, or the chipset . It may even have been a cache dump on one of the SSDs. I also tried swapping cables but the result was still the same. It certainly should not correspond with the Q32T1 numbers as this is more of a sequential transfer. Regardless, the X6 still finished in respectable time. The 30 GB music folder had no dips and held consistently between 335-350 MB/s. On my T5, the bluray image held consistently around 400-405 MB/s. The 30 GB music folder transferred around 360 MB/s before dipping much like the X6 did on the other transfer to around 250 MB/s. It eventually went back up to 360 MB/s. As for the SanDisk, the 37 GB bluray image dipped sharply in the beginning of its transfer, but quickly shot up to 400-405 MB/s and held it for the whole duration. However, the 30 GB music folder was much more inconsistent. The transfer ranged around 100-280 MB/s before peaking briefly around 315 MB/s but would drop sharply again. It would continue up and down for the remainder of the transfer. Overall, I am impressed with the Crucial X6. Its behavior is certainly on par with the other drives and is more consistent than my SanDisk on the music transfer. In addition, it is very competitive with the T5. In conclusion, the Crucial X6 is another fabulous entry in the external SSD market. While certainly not targeted as the fastest option, it certainly provides competitive speeds to other models within the same price range. It is compact and sporting a sleek square design allows you to easily move tons of data on the go. While your results will certainly differ, you should see comparable results, if not better depending on the chipset configuration. As it stands, the X6 performed as expected and will certainly please those looking for a fast external SSD. With that, the Crucial X6 comes highly recommended.

After short time speed goes down significantly and definitely not as described on the packaging.

I got this hard drive with the wrong impression: I thought getting an SSD external drive was supposed to lessen the time it took for me to copy large amounts of data from one system and possibly speed up the time to upload the data from the external drive to another system. However, I realized the real value was the read speed. When I first received the drive, I copied 138 GB of music from one of my old laptops with an internal PCIe M.2 SSD drive and found that the time it took didn't look much faster than doing so using an external HDD. Mind you, the laptop port I used supposed Thunderbolt 3 support so I thought that would factor. The transfer took about 25-30 minutes. Still pretty good. However, I soon realized that the real value to having an external SSD drive like this model is the READ speed. Crucial's Crystal Disk Mark 6.02 Benchmarks showed read speed of up to 558.9 MB/s with a new drive, out of the box, and quick formatted to NTFS. The scores from my drive, after having copied 138 GB of music files onto it, then copied files off of it, scored a 562.7 read. In fact, the first two read scores fared better than Crucial, but fell off afterwards (comparatively). In practical use, the drive provides what Crucial intended to offer: an extension to storage without feeling the pain of using a slower external hard drive. I have two laptops running on PCI2 M.2 internal 512 GB SSDs (of course in reality that means I'm only really working with 458 GB max each, before accounting for OS). That may be more than enough space for most people, but work with large volumes of files on a regular basis. Previously, in using external HDDs, I learned to live with the lower read speeds where I could. Where I couldn't I would have to copy files from the external HDD to internal space. Using this drive, I haven't run into any cases of the latter yet. This drive gives me peace of mind to know that external storage doesn't have to be file-dumping areas anymore; they can truly be an addition to internal space. What makes things even better is the size! My previous experience with external SSD drives have been with the likes of G-Drives and others whose sizes match those of the familiar external HDD. This thing is less than HALF of those. I have a Seagate 2 TB external HDD that I thought was small, but man was I blown away with this Crucial drive! For me, the Seagate is pocket-sized, but this Crucial is pocket-sized to the point where I might forget it in my pocket and put it in the wash. I'm really happy that they included a 1 inch USB C cord with it too. Even with a cord that size, the drive tends to hang off the side of whichever system you're connected to in a bit of an awkward fashion, but due to it being as light as it is, it's more about its presence than any weight pulling down. For anyone looking to add more quickly accessible drive space to their system, I would highly recommend this drive.

The drive is very compact and has a great capacity. I haven't picked up any big storage devices lately and this is much smaller than any of my old portable flash drives. The USB C interface is fast and the USB 3.2 A adapter plug works great. It is the perfect solution for holding installation files and drive images.

I use this drive almost everyday. It is reliable and fast. Doesn't take up a lot of space.

I have purchased this item before as an affordable, compact, and fast form of mobile storage. 1TB of fast Storage that fits in that palm of your hand? Can't beat it. Also, I set this one up as Time Machine for my two Macbook Airs. Much faster performance than waiting for an HDD to spin up.

This little device is a game-changer for anyone looking to expand their storage on the go. Its sleek and durable design not only looks great but also ensures that your data is safe during your travels. The USB-C and USB-A compatibility make it incredibly versatile and suitable for a wide range of devices. The transfer speeds are impressive, giving you the ability to transfer large files swiftly. Whether you're a professional who needs to store important work documents or a casual user looking for a reliable external drive, the Crucial X6 SE 1TB is a top-notch choice.

I needed a backup drive that would hold 1TB, be quick on transfers, and be easy to keep handy. This X6 fits the bill terrifically. I have USB-A ports on my computer, so it's nice that this drive's USB-C-to-C cable comes with a USB-C-female-to-A-male adapter.

Very compact and easy to transport. Easy to connect and use . Works as it’s intended to. Very good price on sale

This is one of the better external hard drives I have purchased. I like the size - it tucks away with no notable space issue and the way it controls the downloads - it measures each transfer from very large files - files that have been zipped. The size in 1T and that is perfect for my needs and have purchased another as a gift to a colleague. Further, it comes with a cord that fits regular USB and the smaller size!

This thing is great it an SSD in a form factor that fits in that small pocket in your jeans. And it can quadruple the amount of space in the brand new 2023 MacBook M2 for a third of the price. Speeds are decent and no moving parts so its great for an on the go drive. You can just chuck it in a bag and you are good to go.

Thin size and very reliable. Seems like a durable design. Delivers speeds higher than advertised with the included USB-C cable. Came with a nice USB-C to USB-A adapter.

An excellent storage device to play last generation console games! I needed something cheaper (and preferable faster) to hold my older Xbox games on my Xbox Series X and this works incredibly well! I didn’t want to go with a slower hard drive so I thankfully stumbled upon this! It also comes with a USB C to USB A adapter which is a nice bonus! I have no doubt it will work great on many devices. It’s super small and light! I’ve owned this for over a year after writing this review.

Great little SSD! It’s so compact! It fits in the palm of your hand! About the size of roughly two standard USB thumb drives

This is the second one of these that I have purchased--I have one that I use to keep a backup of my personal files and bought a second one to do data transfers for customers (I operate a computer repair service on the side). This thing is SO much faster than using a traditional USB 2.0 flash drive, particularly if you are transferring data to/from a computer that has a USB Type C port to plug this thing into. Awesome performance and storage capacity (1TB) for under $100.

Purchased to use with ipad. Works great. Small and easy to pack. I put velcro on it and it secures easily to my magic keyboard. I would recommend to others and I would also buy more if necessary for my workflow. Great product at a great price.

works pretty great for me with no issues. small and easy to take with.

Fast, reliable and extremely compact! I am a professional sports videographer and I take one of these with me when I need to backup my video files in a hurry when I’m traveling.

I bought this for a LOT of extra storage, and it does the trick! My one complaint is I mainly use my desktop with this, and the USB-C to USB cord it came with is a bit too short. I had a longer one that I wasn’t using, but if I didn’t have that, the original cable would’ve been awkward to use and I would’ve left the drive dangling off my USB port. Still, the hard drive itself works great! I haven’t used up all the space yet, but this will definitely be helpful for moving data when I get a new desktop in the future!