WD My Passport SSD
Rugged build, good endurance, strong warranty.
Consolidated from 8 cited sources across 7 outlets
Where the cited sources landed, as we read them
- 4 positive sources
- 3 mixed sources
3 of 8 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. A trap is a product buyers genuinely cross-shop but should not buy, ranked honestly alongside the real picks rather than dropped to the bottom. Why the boards include them
Pros & cons
- ✓ Rugged aluminum case
- ✓ 3-year warranty
- ✓ solid endurance in RTINGS tests
- ✓ 1 GB/s via USB-3.2 Gen 2
- ✓ Very low price per terabyte
- ✗ Still a 10Gbps drive with aging internals
- ✗ Priced uncomfortably close to 20Gbps rivals like the Crucial X10 Pro and Kingston XS2000
- ✗ Sits under the Western Digital umbrella whose portable-SSD support reputation was damaged by the SanDisk failure saga
- ✗ Outclassed at its price by every mid-field pick
The sources behind this ranking
We searched the web and YouTube for what has been published about this product, then read the articles, video transcripts and comments we found.
Evidence 3 articles and 5 video reviews
4 positive sources
MacHow2 Nick Mead · reviewer · Jun 2022 The WD My Passport SSD is a reliable, easy-to-use Mac external SSD – ideal for users who don’t need Thunderbolt‑level speed but still want fast, durable storage from a trusted brand.Read B
Byte of Geek Byte of Geek · 14.3K subscribers · Dec 2020 This WD My Passport SSD 500GB drive is great for transferring images from your camera whilst you're on the go or maybe holding thousands of songs for playing in your car.Watch P
PC HUB PC HUB · 1.6K subscribers · Mar 2026 The WD My Passport SSD is built for speed. With read speeds up to 1050 megabytes per second and write speeds up to 1,000 megabytes per second, this SSD offers blazing fast transfer rates compared to traditional HDDs. Whether you're moving large video files, editing photos, or backing up your entire system, the My Passport SSD ensures you get quick file access in smooth transfers.Watch P
PC HUB PC HUB · 1.6K subscribers · Mar 2026 The WD My Passport SSD is built for speed. With read speeds up to 1050 megabytes per second and write speeds up to 1,000 megabytes per second, this SSD offers blazing fast transfer rates compared to traditional HDDs. Whether you're moving large video files, editing photos, or backing up your entire system, the My Passport SSD ensures you get quick file access in smooth transfers.Watch
3 mixed sources
Home Office Research Article What holds it to a 7.2 isn’t reliability: it’s that the drive has no IP dust/water rating and its real-world performance trails the class leaders. For buyers who want built-in encryption and don’t need ruggedness, it’s a solid choice; for pure value or toughness, the Crucial X9 Pro and Samsung T7 Shield edge ahead.Read G
Gauging Gadgets Gauging Gadgets · 625K subscribers · Nov 2020 I experienced some software issues where the drive was not recognized by WD Discovery. This was fixed by turning off UAS.Watch C
Creative Bloq Article · Mar 2026 The main gripe is the cable, which is almost comically short: you'll be hunting for an extension within the first week. The drive also runs warm during sustained heavy transfers, though not to a degree that affects performance.Read
Frequently asked questions
It ranks #24 of 28 on our external SSDs tier list, in F tier. That placement draws on 8 cited sources across 7 outlets.
None of the 7 sources with a clear view is critical of it. Still a 10Gbps drive with aging internals. Priced uncomfortably close to 20Gbps rivals like the Crucial X10 Pro and Kingston XS2000. Sits under the Western Digital umbrella whose portable-SSD support reputation was damaged by the SanDisk failure saga. Outclassed at its price by every mid-field pick.
On our external ssds board, Samsung T7 Shield ranks #6 (A tier) ahead of WD My Passport SSD at #24 (F tier). Samsung T7 Shield: The most proven platform in the category: years in the field with a strong failure record, IP65 ruggedization, a long warranty, and Samsung's firmware support behind it. The default answer for a drive you never want to think about again.
On our external ssds board, WD My Passport SSD ranks #24 (F tier) ahead of Samsung T5 EVO at #27 (F tier). Samsung T5 EVO: While it is a generation older, the T5 EVO still offers 950 MB/s speeds at a very low price point. For users who only need “good enough” performance and want to save money, it remains the best bang-for-buck option.
Ranked nearby in External SSDs
S tier #1 1 of 11 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. Samsung T9
D tier #19 1 of 10 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. SanDisk Extreme PRO with USB-4
D tier #20 1 of 2 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. SanDisk Desk Drive
F tier #21 1 of 3 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. OWC Envoy Pro FX
F tier #22 2 of 10 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. Kingston XS2000
F tier #23 2 of 7 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. Crucial X6
F tier #25 1 of 2 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. WD Black P50
F tier #26 4 of 11 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. LaCie Rugged Pro 5
F tier #27 3 of 7 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. Samsung T5 EVO
F tier #28 3 of 7 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick.