X10 Pro

This is the X10 Pro’s headline strength. Over a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) connection it delivers up to 2,100 MB/s read and 2,000 MB/s write — roughly double what the everyday Gen 2 drives manage — and reviewers have crowned it among the fastest USB (non-Thunderbolt) drives you can buy. For working with large media files, offloading high-resolution footage, or running a project library directly off the drive, that speed is genuinely felt.

Impressively, it sustains well too. It pairs Micron TLC NAND with the Silicon Motion SM2320 controller; although it’s technically DRAM-less, the controller-and-TLC combination plus the aluminum body’s thermal headroom keep write speeds composed during longer transfers, where lesser drives sag. The only thing keeping this from a higher mark is that the USB4/Thunderbolt drives higher in our rankings are faster still — but those need pricier hardware and a Thunderbolt host.

Bottom line on performance: Among the fastest USB drives made — ~2,000 MB/s with strong sustained writes. Only USB4/Thunderbolt drives beat it, and they cost and require more.

The X10 Pro carries the same reliability foundation that makes the X9 Pro a safe pick: it’s a Crucial (Micron) drive using in-house TLC NAND rather than bought-in flash, backed by a five-year limited warranty. TLC gives it better write endurance than budget QLC drives, and Micron’s vertical integration is a genuine reassurance for a drive you’ll trust with working files.

As with its sibling, the one caveat is the DRAM-less design — a cost-conscious choice that the capable SM2320 controller mostly papers over, but which keeps the score at 8.0 rather than higher. There’s no specific reliability concern here. And the universal rule holds regardless of how solid the hardware is: keep a second copy of anything you can’t afford to lose.

Bottom line on reliability: In-house Micron TLC and a five-year warranty make it a dependable daily workhorse; the DRAM-less design is the only thing between it and a top mark.

The X10 Pro is rated IP55 for dust and water resistance and built to survive drops of up to 2 m (7.5 ft), in a slim anodized-aluminum body with a rubber base and a lanyard hold. At about 42 g and the size of a credit card, it’s easy to carry and feels more premium than its price.

IP55 covers the realistic hazards of a drive that travels — dust and splashes — and the metal build aids both toughness and cooling. It trails the IP65 Samsung T7 Shield for outright weather resistance, which is why durability lands at 7.5 rather than higher, but for most home-office and creative use it’s plenty rugged.

Bottom line on durability: IP55 plus a 2 m drop rating and an aluminum build make it solidly travel-ready — a small step behind the IP65 rugged specialists, but more than enough for everyday carry.

Here’s the one place the X10 Pro asks something of you. It connects via USB-C and needs a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) port to reach its full ~2,000 MB/s. The catch: Intel never built Gen 2×2 into its chipsets, so many laptops — especially Intel-based ones — don’t have a native 20 Gbps port. On a standard 10 Gbps port the drive still works perfectly, just at ~1,050 MB/s, the same as an everyday drive.

It’s broadly compatible across Windows, macOS, and consoles, and Crucial includes a USB-C–to–C cable — though no USB-A adapter in the box. Because realizing this drive’s whole advantage depends on having the right port, we hold Connectivity to 7.0; check your machine’s specs before buying, or you’ll be paying for speed you can’t use.

Bottom line on connectivity: Full speed needs a 20 Gbps (Gen 2×2) port, which many laptops lack — confirm yours has one. On a 10 Gbps port it drops to ~1,050 MB/s, and there’s no USB-A adapter included.

Value is the clincher behind the Best Overall pick. The X10 Pro consistently undercuts the marquee 20 Gbps rival — Samsung’s T9 — while matching or beating it on speed, and it adds IP55 ruggedness and a five-year warranty that the T9’s three-year coverage doesn’t match. You’re getting flagship-class USB performance at a price closer to the mainstream.

Offered in 1, 2, and 4 TB (larger capacities give the best price-per-terabyte), it’s the rare drive that’s near the top on both performance and value at once — which is exactly what earns it our overall recommendation. (We don’t list prices here because they change constantly; check the current Amazon price before buying.)

Bottom line on value: Flagship 20 Gbps speed at a mainstream price, with IP55 and a five-year warranty — the best price-to-performance in its class, and the reason it’s our Best Overall.

As with the X9 Pro, this is the X10 Pro’s softest area. There’s no built-in hardware encryption with a self-contained password lock; Crucial leaves security to your operating system’s BitLocker To Go (Windows) or FileVault (macOS), and bundles a Mylio Photos+ subscription rather than a full management suite. That’s secure and free, but it’s a manual, OS-dependent step rather than a feature of the drive itself.

This category carries only 5% weight because most users encrypt and back up with their own tools regardless. If a built-in, cross-platform hardware password lock matters to you, the Samsung T9 or WD My Passport provide it; if you’ll use FileVault or BitLocker anyway, the gap is minor.

Bottom line on software & security: No hardware password lock — lean on BitLocker or FileVault. A minor knock for most, lightly weighted, and the only soft spot on an otherwise standout drive.