The Silicon Power PC60 is an entry-level portable SSD drive that features 3D NAND Flash technology and up to 1.92TB in storage. Specification-wise, the PC60 doesn’t offer much to set it apart from an already crowded portable-SSD market (which has a range of great consumer choices); however, its 80mm x 80mm frame and 11mm width certainly make the PC60 one of the smaller SSDs we’ve seen. It can effortlessly fit in pockets and you’ll be able to easily maneuver this thing in the palm of your palm. The Silicon Power PC60 uses a USB 3.2 Gen2 interface and is specced to deliver up to 10Gbps while quoting speeds up to 540MB/s read and 500MB/s write.
The Silicon Power PC60 is an entry-level portable SSD drive that features 3D NAND Flash technology and up to 1.92TB in storage. Specification-wise, the PC60 doesn’t offer much to set it apart from an already crowded portable-SSD market (which has a range of great consumer choices); however, its 80mm x 80mm frame and 11mm width certainly make the PC60 one of the smaller SSDs we’ve seen. It can effortlessly fit in pockets and you’ll be able to easily maneuver this thing in the palm of your palm. The Silicon Power PC60 uses a USB 3.2 Gen2 interface and is specced to deliver up to 10Gbps while quoting speeds up to 540MB/s read and 500MB/s write.
Backed by a 3-year warranty, the Silicon Power PC60 comes in capacities of 240GB, 480GB, 960GB, and 1.92TB. We will be looking at the 960GB model for this review.
Silicon Power PC60 Specifications
| Cable | Type-C to USB Type-A |
| Capacity | 240GB, 480GB, 960GB, 1.92TB |
| Dimensions | 80.0mm x 80.0mm x 11.2mm |
| Weight | 46g (max.) |
| Material | Plastic |
| Color | Black |
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (USB 3.1 Gen 2, USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB 3.0, USB 2.0 compatible) |
| Performance | Read (max.): up to 540MB/s Write (max): up to 500MB/s |
| Supported OS | Windows 10/8.1/8/7, Mac OS 10.3.x or later, Linux 2.6.x or later, Android OS 6.0 or later |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C – 70°C |
| Warranty | 3 years Limited |
Design and build
The Silicon Power PC60 features a polished outer-frame and a ripple-like surface that converges towards the center of the device, surrounding the company’s logo. Turning it around displays the usual suspects, including the model’s capacity and list of certifications.
Though it looks nice, the quality certainly isn’t there. While companies like Samsung feature metal builds for their external drives, the PC60 uses a cheap plastic casing (as you can see below), which feels flimsy and brittle when handled.
Silicon Power indicates shock-resistance and that it can withstand minor bumps during your commutes and accidental drops; however, we weren’t really convinced that it could take much of a beating before cracks start showing or even falls apart.
The PC60 also features a keyhole so you can attach a range of things. Though Silicon Power claims it’s specifically meant to go on keychains, we found it a bit too big for this use case, as it feels awkward and gets in the way when attached.
Silicon Power PC60 Performance
To gauge the performance of the Silicon Power PC60, we tested it via BlackMagic on a current-generation MacBook Air and IOMeter on a Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n Nano. We also will compare the PC60 to a range of other portable SSDs:
In BlackMagic, the Silicon Power PC60 recorded 450.0MB/s read and 439.7MB/s write; though these were decent numbers, this performance well below its quoted figures. In comparison, the Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD reached 497.1MB/s read and 469.4MB/s write, while the Seagate Fast recorded 502.2MB/s read and 467.1MB/s write. The LaCie hit 504.0MB/s read and 454.1MB/s write.
Moving on to IOMeter, we first looked at 2MB sequential. Here, the Silicon Power PC60 posted 467.24MB/s read with write performance of 428.51MB/s. In comparison, the BarraCuda Fast showed speeds of 443.6MB/s read and 430.6MB/s write, while the Seagate Fast posted 407.2MB/s read and 394.7MB/s write and the LaCie Portable SSD showed 406.0MB/s read and 387.9MB/s write.
Moving on to 2MB random speeds told a similar story, as the PC60 posted 412.78 MB/s read and 381.80MB/s write. For the comparables, the BarraCuda Fast showed a solid 443.6MB/s read and 430.9MB/s write, while the Seagate Fast recorded 387.7MB/s read and 294.4MB/s write and the LaCie showed speeds of 390.795MB/s read and 373.516MB/s write.
In Random 4K performance, Silicon Power PC60 recorded 4,354.1 IOPS read and 14,743 IOPS write. For the other external SSD drives, the BarraCuda Fast posted 5,480.3 IOPS read and 9,516 IOPS write, while, the LaCie hit 5,775.9 IOPS read and 9,960 IOPS write and the Seagate Fast showed scores of 5,490.6 IOPS read and 9,836.7 IOPS write.
Conclusion
Overall, the Silicon Power PC60 is an interesting product. From afar, the PC60 has a unique design with a very compact build, the company went with a cheap plastic casing that can be pried apart with just a fingernail. This likely means that it wouldn’t take much impact to break it. As far as performance goes, the Silicon Power PC60 performed well, hitting 450.0MB/s read and 439.7MB/s write during our BlackMagic test, while 2MB sequential and random IOMeter showed 467.24MB/s read and 428.51MB/s write, and 412.78 MB/s read and 381.80MB/s write, respectively. Random 4K performance recorded 4,354.1 IOPS read with an impressive 14,743 IOPS write.
The performance is decent and the build is lacking but the price isn’t terrible. The 240GB model goes for roughly $59, while the 960GB model is $105. In comparison, 1TB models for the much better Seagate Fast SSD and LaCie Portable SSD go for roughly $200 and $180 respectively. Even with the cost of the PC60 being significantly reduced, its flimsy build might still be a reason to curb potential consumers who likely need something that can withstand bumps and bruises during their commutes.
Silicon Power Portable SSDs at Amazon
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