SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive Review: A Durable, Dual-Connector Flash Drive

The SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive delivers up to 1,000MB/s transfers and has USB-C and USB-A connectors for easy use across all devices.

The SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive is a versatile flash drive built for compatibility across various devices. Featuring dual connectors—USB-C on one end and USB-A on the other—it offers plug-and-play convenience whether you’re using a modern laptop, smartphone, or an older desktop PC. Its design prioritizes flexibility, making it a convenient option for anyone who needs to quickly transfer files between different devices without worrying about adapters, compatibility issues, or Cloud availability.

SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive Highlights

Performance-wise, the Extreme PRO Dual Drive promises the usual numbers for its interface. It uses USB 3.2 Gen 2 technology to deliver sequential read speeds of up to 1,000MB/s and write speeds reaching 900MB/s. While these are peak speeds, they suggest the drive is well-suited for transferring larger files, such as high-resolution photos and 4K videos. With available storage capacities of 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB, this certainly makes it a viable option for creative professionals and heavy data users.

The Extreme PRO Dual Drive also protects your data through 128-bit AES encryption, compatible with Windows 10+ and macOS v12+ devices. Moreover, it integrates with the SanDisk app for simplified file management and automatic backup options for users who want a more streamlined data management experience.

Supported by SanDisk’s extensive lifetime limited warranty, we’ll look at the 512GB model, which is priced around (affiliate link, as of this review) $70 on the SanDisk website. The larger 1TB and 2TB variants are listed at approximately $100 and $180, respectively.

SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive Specifications

SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive Design and build

The SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive sports a durable metal enclosure developed to withstand everyday handling. While not overly sleek-looking, it’s still compact, measuring just 3.15 x 0.72 x 0.42 inches and weighing a lightweight 23 grams.

As mentioned above, the Extreme PRO Dual Drive features dual connectors—a USB-C port on one end and a USB-A port on the other. It also includes a rotating cover that swivels (though some could argue the cover is static and the drive turns) to protect the unused port, shielding it to some extent from dust, dirt, and potential physical damage. Overall, the build quality feels solid, with the metal casing providing a premium feel that matches SanDisk’s durability claims. However, it’s worth noting that one connector will always remain exposed when not connected to a host, leaving it somewhat susceptible to everyday wear if it’s loosely carried in a pocket or left unprotected in a backpack.

During extended use, we left the drive plugged in for over a day, and while the metal enclosure did become warm to the touch, it never reached uncomfortable or alarming temperatures. The heat buildup appears to be well within safe limits and typical for a high-speed USB drive with an all-metal body, which naturally conducts heat more than plastic enclosures.

Ultimately, this drive is just a regular USB stick with the added convenience of dual connectivity. The real question is whether its performance is enough to set it apart from the endless sea of portable USB drives. Let’s dig in and find out.

SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive Performance

Blackmagic Disk Speed Test

First up is the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, which measures a drive’s sequential read and write performance. This makes it ideal for assessing how well the drive handles large file transfers and continuous data streams.

Here, the SanDisk flash drive achieved 916.4GB/s read and 901.3GB/s write.

This is very close to its advertised maximum of 1,000MB/s read, and 900MB/s write, respectively, which puts it on the higher end of the performance spectrum for USB 3.2 Gen2.3 drives. While it doesn’t break new ground, it delivers above-average speeds sufficient for tasks like transferring large files or running portable applications smoothly.

While these Blackmagic results are good, they primarily reflect sequential performance, so we’ll also be using IOMeter to gauge how well the drive handles more varied, real-world workloads.

IOMeter 1 Thread

The single-threaded IOMeter test examines sequential and random read/write performance under a lighter load. The speeds are often close to those in the BlackMagic test on the Sequential 2MB read and write portions, but we should see some differences in the 4-threaded portion.

Here, the new SanDisk flash drive hit 848.79MB/s sequential write and 915.58MB/s sequential read. Though somewhat slower in write activity, its read performance aligns almost precisely with its BlackMagic Disk Speed Test results. In random 2MB performance, the SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive posted 829.69MB/s write and 858.77MB/s read.

Looking at a random 4K performance, it reached 8,361 IOPS and 3,481 IOPS for reads and writes, respectively.

IOMeter 4 Thread

The IOMeter 4-thread test offers a more comprehensive assessment of how the SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive handles multitasking and demanding workloads. Compared to its single-threaded performance, it showed slight improvements in sequential tasks, achieving 957.07MB/s read and 885.80MB/s write. However, when it came to random operations, performance dipped significantly, with writes dropping to 792.99MB/s while reads remained strong at 982.69MB/s.

Lastly, in random 4K performance, the SanDisk flash drive hit 8,361 IOPS write and 13,144 IOPS read.

Here’s a full breakdown of the IOMeter results for both single-threaded and 4-threaded tests:

Conclusion

The SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive is a versatile, well-built flash drive that offers the convenience of both USB-C and USB-A connectivity in a single, compact device. Its metal enclosure feels durable and solid in hand. Rotating the drive provides a satisfying click as it locks into place. The swivel cover protects the unused port, which helps minimize dust and physical wear. However, one connector is constantly exposed, so it’s still somewhat vulnerable to everyday bumps.

While the Blackmagic benchmarks confirm strong sequential performance, the IOMeter tests offer a more realistic view of how the SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive handles various workloads. Sequential performance remains solid even under multi-threaded loads, but there’s a noticeable dip during random operations—something that’s common among portable flash drives. Still, its ability to maintain respectable speeds across different tasks highlights its versatility for general-purpose use.

As for where it fits within SanDisk’s lineup of USB drives, the Extreme PRO Dual Drive targets users who need highly portable, high-speed transfers and dual-interface compatibility. It offers a performance tier above standard USB 3.2 drives, making it a viable choice for demanding workflows involving large file transfers or high-resolution media. However, it falls short of the speed and endurance offered by SanDisk’s (slightly more expensive) portable NVMe SSD solutions.

Ultimately, the SanDisk Extreme PRO Dual Drive is a simple flash drive that delivers reliable, high-speed storage with wide-ranging compatibility across modern and legacy devices, offering a quick and easy way to transfer files.

Dual Drive at Amazon (affiliate link)

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