Head-to-head · Best External SSDs

Corsair EX400U (1 TB) vs Crucial X10 Pro

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Corsair EX400U (1 TB) comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.4 vs 4.0). The gap is mostly about fit for purpose — read the strengths below before deciding.

Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best External SSDs

Corsair EX400U (1 TB)

4.4

5 sources1 derived$238.58as of Aug 1

The SSD Review clocked the Corsair EX400U at up to 4GB/s read on Thunderbolt 5 systems while warning that motherboard implementations often limit USB4 speeds. PCMag's Tony Hoffman singled out the unusual magnetic Magsafe connector, which lets the drive attach securely to metal surfaces such as the Corsair 6500x case. Phison controllers and KIOXIA memory earned praise for build quality, though reviewers repeated the caveat: without USB4 support on the host device, expect significant speed bottlenecks. Buy it for a high-end USB4/Thunderbolt setup where secure physical attachment matters, not for a machine with standard USB 3.2 ports.

Strengths

— Achieves up to 4GB/s read and 3.6GB/s write speeds on compatible USB4/Thunderbolt 4 systems
— Features a unique magnetic Magsafe connector for secure attachment to metal surfaces
— Constructed with high-quality internal components including Phison PS2251-21 controller and KIOXIA TLC memory

Watch-outs

— Performance drops significantly to 2GB/s on USB 3.2 ports and 1GB/s on lower-speed connections
— Not waterproof despite being shock resistant
— Requires specific USB4/Thunderbolt 4 host to achieve advertised maximum speeds

$238.58 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Ranked #4 in Best External SSDs

Crucial X10 Pro

4.0

6 sources1 derived$185.52as of Aug 1

The SSD Review and StorageReview both frame the Crucial X10 Pro as a high-performance portable drive for media professionals, moving data over USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. They praise the ultra-compact aluminum build and the security package, hardware encryption plus a 5-year warranty, that separates it from the base X10. Some testers saw sustained write performance dip below Crucial's maximum claims under heavy loads. Get it if you have a compatible 20Gbps port and value speed and durability over cost; on older USB ports the slower, cheaper X9 Pro makes more sense.

Strengths

— Supports USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface for up to 20Gbps transfer speeds
— Compact 65 x 50mm unibody anodized aluminum chassis weighing 1.48 ounces
— Includes 256-bit AES hardware encryption with software-based password protection

Watch-outs

— Real-world sustained write speeds may fall short of the advertised 2,000MB/s peak
— Higher price point compared to standard USB 3.2 Gen 2 portable SSDs

$185.52 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Corsair EX400U (1 TB)	Crucial X10 Pro
Interface	USB4 (40Gbps)	USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps)
Capacity	1 TB	1TB, 2TB, 4TB
Max Read Speed	3.5 GB/s	Up to 2,100MB/s
Max Write Speed	3500 MB/s	Up to 2,000MB/s
Form Factor	Portable	Portable
NAND Type	TLC	Micron TLC NAND

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