Seems like a pretty ridiculously good price for a 4TB SSD.
Am I going to regret buying this to use as an external video editing drive?
CamelCamelCamel.
Series X "technically" supports USB 3.2 gen 1 / 5Gbps. The funny part is WD sells external SSDs for Series X and they support USB 3.2 gen 2 (pointless for Series X, since it will fallback to USB 3.2 gen 1 mode).
USB 3.2 gen 2x2 is a real pain for me, I only have 1 device that supports it.
How would you connect this drive to an Xbox Series X though?
I'm in the same boat ..
"It comes with a USB Type-C to C cable right in the box" as per spec sheet @ https://www.pny.com.tw/en/download/Elite-X-USB-3-2-Gen-2-Por…
I'm just going to try using a USB-A to USB-C cable
You need to get a USB-A to USB-C cable that supports USB 3.0/3.1/3.2 gen 1. With how Series X works, not that many games can run from USB external SSD which are Series X optimised. Most of them need to run from internal SSD or the CFastExpress based external storage. Therefore, there isn't really a need to get any USB device that does over 500MB/s. I guess $/GB is cheap on this one.
Not sure how useful this will be for Series X owners because I am guessing most owners would already have 4TB or larger external USB HDD on it. With QuickResume, there isn't much incentive to upgrade to external SSD. Prefer to save money for the over-priced external CFExpress storage device.
@netsurfer: Yeah a game like ESO needs to be on internal HDD or it won't run. I've got a 5TB storage drive that I use to take from place to place with my saves and games from my home Xbox One to my new Series X.
@Crownie: If you have the need to travel with the external USB storage, then an external USB SSD makes sense.
@netsurfer: According to Seagate,
USB drives can only be used for storage for games optimised for Xbox X|S, they cannot be played from the drives. They need to be moved back to the internal drive or a Storage Expansion Card for game play.
For non-optimised games (like Xbox One games), USB drives support both storage as well as playing those games from the USB drives.
This one can be shucked? Also could be useful for those using iPhone 15 Pro/ max to record N-Log video.
My Nokia has the one USB 3.2 port on it that is also used for headphones. Really annoying to have to chose to either charge the phone or listen to music (issue is solved with Bluetooth wireless earbuds/headphones). Very annoying some phones removed the 3.5mm headphone plug.
The Headphone jack is long gone. I haven't had a phone with a headphone jack for 5 years.
You can also buy an adapter(random example) or a hub if you want to use wired headphones.
You really shouldn't be using those adaptors. The USB port is simply not designed to be tugged continuously.
Go Bluetooth, even 40 bucks ones nowadays have quality and game mode (40ms).
Or get a zenfone. That has a headphone jack
You really shouldn't be using those adaptors. The USB port is simply not designed to be tugged continuously.
Very true - would only be using them if the phone was on a charging on a table
I have used my phone with USB-C audio devices on a few occasions or connected it to a dock.
have quality and game mode (40ms).
Any examples? I would have thought only LE Audio/LC3 can achieve this (and support is very new) or non-standard 2.4ghz, which is uncommon in mobile I suspect.
I know Apt-x Adaptive can achieve 80+ms, but that's still a lot more than 40ms. Of course, it depends on how you are measuring the device, too.
@scix: It's very probable that I'm talking out of my ass as I don't really bother to verify these claims. True free t3's game mode supposedly be 40ms according to Amazon.
Sony phones still.supoort the headpone jack, alas they're not sold in Aus so you'd need to import them. Not sure.about any if the Samsung A series
I am still using my 15 year old.Etymotic in hear buds, alas with a USB c adaptor.
Great find. It's gen 2 2x2 as well which is the 20gb standard.
Not that anything has gen 2 2x2 ports in the first place to support it
My PC does. And it's backwards compatible. How is this a bad thing?
It’s not, it’s just the standard is super rare. You might only have a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port and think it’s actually 20gbps because of how confusing it was with all the renaming, but 99% of usb c ports are either thunderbolt (no need to comply with usb 3.2 Gen 2x2) or usb 3.2 Gen 2.
@ATangk: My point is for 217 does it matter if it's the latest gen? Better to have the latest spec and be future proofs than an older gen one. It's not like it's costing you to have it.
@Benni85: But it’s like saying you can drive 300kph on the autobahn and then giving you a corolla. Giving realistic expectations.
@ATangk: No, it's like saying do you want the car that can go 150kph or for the same price Il give you the car that can do 300kph but only on random occasions, and it will still do 150k the rest of the time, and over time the amount of occasionsyouo can do 300 will increase, eventually the norm will be 300 in years to come so you fuutrproofed.
Would you then say nah mate give me the 150kph car?
No, youl take the car that has the higher max speed potential given there is no extra cost.
If it was a choice between a 4tb drive with 3.2 gen 2 for $100 vs 3.2 gen 2x2 for $200 then you would have a point but when the newer drive spec is selling for the same price it's a no brainer.
That's a large Peeny
You need a PC that supports USB 3.2 gen 2x2 to take full advantage. It is currently a bit annoying because majority of my devices are Thunderbolt 3/4 based, with only 1 PC capable of USB 3.2 gen 2x2. When not using on that PC, it is basically USB 3.2 gen 2 only.
so cheap for 20gbps thanks op i bought 2
wow beasty SSD for such a good price
Im not going to get one as I dont really need this. Will leave for those who do video editing etc
Bought this as want to move to ssd over hdd for things and as a local iCloud backup
I’ve had a pny 128gb usb stick for years on my keychain going strong still so hopefully this is quality too
$50 per tb seems likely good for this years sales or maybe jumped the gun too early.. 8tb would have been amazing
omg what are you storing?
Probably lots of HD videos.
I'm guessing.
i threw away my old HD video collections. Internet streams 1080p instantly now and moving into 4k
but too much quality/detail can be a bad thing
Photos and Videos mostly, family stuff really.
4k videos in 60fps i've used more data in teh past 2-3 years than the last 15 it feels like.
Plus got a dog and just videos of him doing silly things are like 5gb a piece and i can't bring myself to delete any of it
I have a pet lorikeet and I still keep all the photos of the lorikeet doing lorikeet things like fooling around, clowning about and being a menace.
Plus got a dog and just videos of him doing silly things are like 5gb a piece and i can't bring myself to delete any of it
❤️
"Linux ISOs"
Is this shuckable?
Not shuckable, soldered with a Phison USB with controller integrated chipset.
Such a great deal. I couldn’t resist getting one. Thanks for sharing OP!
Got one for XboxX offline storage. Thanks OP!
USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface and read and write speeds up to 1, 800 MB/s and 1, 800 MB/s respectively
Not bad… but fairly slow these days right?
I think those speeds are fairly good for an external SSD though right?
You wont get that speed unless u have USB 3.2 gen 2x2 ports. You'd get 10gbps which is roughly 1250mb/s
got it
@Commodore64: To get 1800MB/s, you must have a PC that supports USB 3.2 gen 2x2. Don't bother with Macs, Apple not supporting USB 3.2 gen 2x2.
From the limited review on the Pro version of this SSD (which is more expensive), the SLC cache is tiny, so basically, you really only get USB 3.2 gen 2x2 speed that's enough to trick Crystal DiskMark. In day to day use, it is at best on par with T7 Shield with sustained write speed inferior to T7 Shield.
Basically, it is a somewhat decent USB 3.2 gen 2 SSD but with a USB integrated controller that can run USB 3.2 gen 2x2 for a short period of time. There is a reason why it is cheap.
@netsurfer: Indeed. And if your machine already has thunderbolt ports, why bother with this rather hit and miss spec?
For a USB it's one of the fastest specs…
Can't be shuked, USB controller and port is on the PCB. NAND is soldered onto the same PCB. No real use for this. Also, don't know the TBW. Don't know what NAND as well.
Edit, TLC from SK hynix, with Phison U18
DRAM?
Phison U18, "likely" SK Hynix TLC NAND (unconfirmed, because AnandTech reviewed the Pro version) and DRAMless.
Even if we used the Pro version as the guideline, it isn't good. The U18 approach does reduce cost, but it doesn't have performance implication. The quoted 1800MB/s is SLC cache speed only and that SLC cache is tiny for 2 reasons: (1) U18 controller itself and (2) Cost, large SLC would require more spare cell.
In short, this external SSD is USB 3.2 gen 2x2 "in spirit". With the SLC cache being tiny, lack of DRAM and more importantly, the actual SK Hynix TLC NAND being average ones at best, it lacks the raw power to beat T7 Shield (note: T7 Shield not T7). So basically, you might as well think of it as USB 3.2 gen 2 SSD that is 4TB and it needs to be at a price that's lower than T7 Shield 4TB (which it is).
Thanks! Still probably worth it for me. I have a T7 and a T7 Shield but the 4tb variants are way to expensive! I can upload my things onto this and use the T7s to run and gun.
Case in point: a good deal but fairly close to the price of the PNY 4tb..
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/804608
It depends on what you want. If it is USB 3.2 gen 2, then technically T7 Shield is better. If it is purely $/GB, then PNY 4TB makes sense. I guess knowing it is not a proper / decent USB 3.2 gen 2x2 external SSD makes life easier for most people (who don't actually have PC(s) which support USB 3.2 gen 2x2). Just treat it like a USB 3.2 gen 2 SSD. Though, if AnandTech's review is accurate, that particular setup with the Phison U18 chipset, is somewhat supbar for 4K random performance (latency on the higher side).
gotta love the helpful "3-Year Limited Warranty or TBW**"
and when you check the ** it says "See pny.com" and that is on the pny.com website! (Where the only material I could find on PNY.com is the thing that says warranty is 3 years or "TBW")
got one.. thanks OP
Why we dont buy SSD enclosure And build your external ssd drive way faster?
Because USB 3.2 gen 2x2 enclosures were $55 each (not sure how much now) and you need a PC that supports USB 3.2 gen 2x2.
Also, even if you opted for a 4TB at this price point, you are looking at QLC. This one could be TLC.
Usually dispatched within 1 to 2 months
but 3 months ago so many people were saying SSD prices had bottomed.
Lol prices for technology can move up and down short term but always go down long term.
Thankfully OOS
Would have come in real handy to grab one of these :)
Does temporarily out of stock may mean it should likely come back again?
I’m sure OzBargain buyers didn’t consume the entire factory.
It will come back. At the same price is the real question?
Got mine today.. seems Thunderbolt 3 only will do 10gbps which is a bummer..
still pretty fast.. the cable it came with is a flat ribbon style one so not as nice as my other rounded ones with the samsung drives but still has length to it by comparison.. just awkward with one side horizontal and the other vertical
Are you confusing TB3 with USB3?
Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40 Gbps)
USB 4 (up to 40 Gbps)
USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
I had figured that tb3 being 40gb would be able to manage the 2x2 usb 20gb pathway but apparently not only 10.
Not many people know USB 4 is not required to support USB 3.2 gen 2x2. USB-IF basically did that for Intel and Apple.
If you have USB 4 from Apple or Thunderbolt 4 from Intel, you don't get USB 3.2 gen 2x2. Thunderbolt 3 typically uses 40Gbps for 1m cables and 20Gbps for 2m cables, so one may assume it would work with USB 3.2 gen 2x2 which is 20Gbps. Unfortunately, that's not the case. USB 3.2 gen 2x2's protocol is different.
To confuse people even more, the first non-Intel based chipset with USB 4 support will include support for USB 3.2 gen 2x2.
Do majority of people know about all that mess? I really doubt that.
Got mine today , but windows couldn't see it , Do we need to format it ?
Yes, you may need to go to Disk Management, initialise it, create a new partition and format it as NTFS.
What a POS this drive is. Gets super hot within minutes of writing data and throttles to pathetic USB2 speeds. Should be illegal to sell such junk.
![[Prime] 4TB PNY Elite-X USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Portable Solid State Drive $217.80 Delivered @ Amazon AU](https://files.ozbargain.com.au/n/73/804573.jpg?h=139acd47)
Cheap 4TB to shuck because Xbox Series X doesn't have a USB 3.2 port (yet) and for my PC I've already got a 4TB SSD ready to install.