SanDisk Extreme 2TB NVMe SSD

*** UPDATE ***

There has been a lot of negative news about SanDisk’s 2TB Extreme SSD models lately. Many users have reported that their drives have failed suddenly, resulting in data loss. SanDisk has acknowledged the issue and released a firmware update for the 4TB drives, but it is not clear if this update will fix the issue with the 2TB drives.

In August 2023, two lawsuits were filed against SanDisk‘s parent company, Western Digital, alleging that the company sold defective SanDisk Extreme SSDs that resulted in user data loss. The lawsuits allege that Western Digital knew about the defect but continued to sell the drives anyway.

In addition to the lawsuits, there have been numerous reports of SanDisk Extreme SSD failures on social media and tech forums. Many users are reporting that their drives have failed after just a few months of use.

It is important to note that SanDisk Extreme SSDs are not the only SSDs that have been reported to fail. However, the number of reported failures for SanDisk Extreme SSDs is higher than average.

If you have a SanDisk Extreme SSD, it is important to back up your data regularly. You should also check for firmware updates and install them as soon as they are available. If you experience any problems with your SanDisk Extreme SSD, you should contact SanDisk customer support immediately.

What to do if you have a SanDisk Extreme SSD

If you have a SanDisk Extreme SSD, it is important to take the following steps:

• Back up your data regularly.
• Check for firmware updates and install them as soon as they are available.
• If you experience any problems with your SanDisk Extreme SSD, contact SanDisk customer support immediately.

If you are concerned about the reliability of SanDisk Extreme SSDs, consider purchasing a different brand of SSD.

** Original Post: Fast enough?

I’ve been using the SanDisk Extreme 2TB SSD for over a month and am very impressed. It’s been connected to my M1 Mac mini 24/7 and has handled everything I’ve thrown at it without any problems. It has even survived being ejected improperly by the operating system a few times.

Watch the video👇🏻

This specific error has been the computer’s fault, not the drive as far as I can tell. There seems to be something weird going on with the USB-C Thunderbolt ports on the original M1 Mac minis. They occasionally eject drives, hubs, screens, and anything else connected for just a split second at random times. The same devices are rock solid when connected to the same system via the USB-A ports or the HDMI connector for displays, but the thunderbolt ports are flakey.

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One thing I would question SanDisk on after using this disk daily is the length of the included cable. Not including the bulky connectors, there is a whopping 3.5 inches of length to this cable. It is a stiff cable too. This means it can’t bend enough to set the drive on top of a Mac mini when plugged in. Even for connecting to the side ports on a laptop, you’ll have no ability to position the drive. The drive will hang as the cable sits.

Short USB cables are usually great, but this is bordering on unusable. Dangling hard drives is not a good practice. The included USB-C to USB-A adapter is a nice simple solution for users without USB-C ports. Unfortunately, the stiffness of the short cable causes additional stress on this adapter when in use.

An M1 Mac mini [2020, 16 GB, Ventura 13.1] and the short USB-C cable work well with this drive. Speed-wise, it lands in the 700-800 MB/s range on both reads and writes. It has performed perfectly as an external library drive so far. That includes video editing in Final Cut Pro, audio editing in Reaper, as well as graphics editing in Photoshop. If you’re pushing into higher bit-rate, high-resolution formats you may hit the limits though. If that is the case, you’ll want to step up to their faster version (The Extreme PRO series). However, for most folks, this regular SanDisk Extreme model will do very well.

The only way you can tell this model is active is by the heat it gives off. It doesn’t get too hot, but it does warm up noticeably with use. An activity indicator light would have been a welcome addition to the design.

Speed Testing

Black Magic Design’s ‘Disk Speed Test’ utility is an extremely useful free download. When working with video, it is common for newcomers to mistake resolution for being the biggest factor in data needs. In reality, the codec you are using can often have a far bigger effect on your system. No matter the resolution, highly compressed codecs have different demands than raw footage. This tool will help you understand how different formats will work on your various available disks.