Professional’s Score
Professionals
- Good-looking dock and NVMe (as much as 4TB) modules
- 1GBps transfers
- Inexpensive when discounted
Cons
- Restricted to 10Gbps on Macs
Our Verdict
In case you just like the idea of storing initiatives and backups on discrete media, it doesn’t get any better-looking or handy than the Sandisk Professional-Blade Transport dock and NVMe storage modules. That mentioned, it’s solely 10Gbps in your Mac.
Finest Costs At present: Sandisk Professional-Blade Transport
Though tape and optical media appear quaint by at the moment’s requirements, that they had some enormous benefits: cartridges and discs had been detachable, simply transportable, could possibly be saved off-site, and reasonably than every thing dumped right into a single repository, allowed separate information units to be bodily remoted.
Those self same benefits are leveraged by Sandisk’s Professional-Blade Transport: a svelte, good-looking USB dock that accepts even svelter NVMe SSD modules.
The caveat for Mac customers is that whereas the Professional-Blade Transport helps 20Gbps USB 3.2, present Macs solely assist 10Gbps USB 3.1. Even these with USB4 aren’t suitable. This limits the Transport system to 10Gbps on Macs. (What’s with that, Apple?)
SanDisk Skilled Professional-Blade Transport: Options
With the foremost cats out of the bag, I’ll get into the specifics of each the dock and the modules. The good-looking, Sort-C related dock, a.ok.a. Transport is roughly 5.1-inches lengthy, by 2.8-inches extensive, by somewhat over 0.6-inches excessive, and weighs in at a tad beneath 6 ounces.
There’s a single slim bay/port that accepts the “Mags” or NVMe modules, which measure 4.3 inches lengthy, by 1.1 inches extensive, by 0.3 inches thick. There’s a tiny, albeit nonetheless satisfying, mechanical “thunk” as they’re seated or eliminated.
The Professional-Blade Mags SanDisk despatched had been formatted to APFS, which is a big trace as to who the corporate is advertising this to. That makes it a little bit of a stumper as to why they didn’t go for USB4. Particularly as there’s a “Professional” within the identify. Doubtless it wasn’t accessible–we’ve solely seen one USB4 SSD up to now, OWC’s excellent 1M2.
To be sincere, on condition that Mac customers are the target market, I’d guess a USB4 model would possibly subsequent. Simply sayin’.
SanDisk Skilled Professional-Blade Transport: Efficiency
The brief summation for this part is, like a 10Gbps exterior SSD or roughly 1GB per second sequentially. However glib ballpark quotes will not be why I get the massive bucks so learn on.
I examined the Professional-Blade Transport with 2TB mags on an M1 Max Mac Studio by way of a Thunderbolt 4/USB port with each AmorphousDiskMark and Blackmagic Design’s Disk Pace Take a look at and the outcomes had been as follows.
Disk Pace Take a look at returned barely decrease numbers that AmorphousDiskMark, however they’re proper on the right track for this take a look at with 10Gbps USB SSDs.
Simply in case you needed proof of what I’ve been on about regarding 10Gbps versus 20Gbps, I’ve additionally included one of many PCWorld take a look at outcomes to point out what the Professional-Blade Transport is definitely able to.
If you’d like extra details about the Professional-Blade Transport’s efficiency beneath Home windows, in addition to some points I skilled, learn my PCWorld review.
SanDisk Skilled Professional-Blade Transport: Value
As I initially began scripting this, WD was providing the dock and modules up for some reasonably engaging costs: $50 for the dock and $120/$180/$300 for the 1TB/2TB/4TB modules. Much more interesting than the MSRP’s of $70, and $180/$300/$600 that they had been at two weeks into this assessment. By the point I turned this in, they had been again on low cost. Go determine.
Some may be pondering, “However Jon, you would merely use separate USB enclosures and low cost NVMe SSDs to perform the identical factor for a complete lot lower than these MSRPs.”
No argument from me. The Professional-Blade Transport’s attraction is basically beauty and tactile, with a contact of comfort thrown in. If that’s what you need, pay for it. In any other case, roll your individual or wait till they return on sale, then refill.
Be aware that there have been offers far nearer to WD’s sale costs on Amazon throughout your entire assessment course of.
Do you have to purchase the SanDisk Skilled Professional-Blade Transport?
The reply to the acquisition dilemma my pals, relies upon utterly what you worth. I like the look of the Professional-Blade Transport because it sits on my Mac Studio; the satisfying little thunk as I insert or take away a module; and the way in which mentioned modules look and line up properly when saved. I additionally discover it usually quick sufficient for on a regular basis work even at 10Gbps half-speed.
At full worth, you’re paying a reasonably vital premium for what are principally life’s little pleasures, so search for a deal. Truthful warning, relying in your persona, it would stay annoying you could’t use the Professional-Blade Transport at full velocity on a Mac. Blame Sandisk, blame Apple, blame the USB discussion board.
