New SanDisk Desk Drive is a faster and more compact alternative to a traditional external desktop hard drive
(Image credit: SanDisk)
SanDisk has launched a new desktop storage solution: SanDisk Desk Drive. Designed to replace a conventional desktop external hard drive, the Desk Drive's standout feature is it uses solid state storage rather than being based around a mechanical hard drive. Consequently, the SanDisk Desk Drive is capable of read speeds up to 1000MB/s and write speeds up to 900MB/s, making it around 4x faster than normal desktop storage. Two capacity options are available: 4TB and 8TB, though SanDisk has suggested a 16TB version is on the way.
Not only does the Desk Drive offer superior transfer speeds to a normal desktop hard drive, it's also smaller, measuring just 99.2mm square and 40.2mm high. Connection is via USB 3.2 Gen 2 and a Type-C connector, though unlike a portable SSD, the Desk Drive does also require a separate power supply in order to operate. The drive comes formatted in exFAT for out-of-the-box compatibility with Windows and Mac computers, plus it's compatible with Apple Time Machine for easy back-ups. Windows users can create back-ups using the downloadable Acronis True Image software for Western Digital.
(Image credit: SanDisk)
The SanDisk Desk Drive is available now, priced at $379.99/£359.99 for the 4TB version, while the 8TB capacity costs $699.99/£663.99.
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Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.
