ADATA SD810 2TB USB 3.2 External SSD Review

We do not often review portable storage devices, but we are always happy to present interesting products. ADATA sent us the SD810 external SSD, designed to resist heavy conditions like water or shock caused by drops on the ground. The SSD also has a high capacity of 2TB and promises exceptional performance, so it is the total package for our essential data. As usual in our reviews, we start with the SD810 portable SSD’s specifications and features, and later, we’ll tell you more about things you can’t find on ADATA’s website.

Specifications and Features

Key Features

Speed Ahead with USB 3.2 Gen2 x2

The SD810 supports USB 3.2 Gen2 x2 high-speed transmission specification, with read/write speeds of up to 2000MB/s, approximately 20 times faster than standard external hard drives (approximately 100MB/s). This drive meets the high-speed access requirements of video creators or expert photographers. Large files can be edited and accessed directly from the SD810 for a high-speed, smooth, and uninterrupted experience.

Lightweight and Durable for Your Peace of Mind

The SD810 utilizes a high-quality aluminum alloy case to improve heat dissipation and maintain stable transfer speeds even under continuous load. It is lightweight and easy to carry and can be used anytime anywhere without fearing the elements while protecting important files.

A Powerful Shield for Critical Data

The SD810 has passed the strict IP68 standard for water resistance and dust resistance* The drive is nearly impervious to dust ingress and can be immersed in water greater than 1 meter for up to 60 minutes. The SD810 has excellent waterproof, dustproof, and drop-proof capabilities and is the leader in IP protection level and transmission speed in the rugged external SSD market.

*Dust resistance and water resistance capabilities only apply when the USB port cover is firmly closed.

Military-Grade for All Your Challenges

SD810 also meets the MIL-STD-810G 516.6 impact resistance standard* to easily survive accidental drops and jarring. This protection shields your files, giving you peace of mind when transferring files while frequenting the outdoors.

* The MIL-STD-810G 516.6 standard means the device has passed drop-testing from a height of 1.22 meters. Under normal circumstances, the device will still function normally, but please do not purposely drop the product.

Your Game Library

The SD810 can be connected to the latest generation of game consoles. Games that do not fit on the consoles’ internal storage can be stored in the SD810. The drive is smaller than a credit card, making it easy to expand your game library and add to your entertainment lifestyle.

*Formatting may be required before connecting to your game console. For more information, click here.

Hassle-Free Compatibility

Whether Android, macOS, Windows, or other operating systems, you will not need to worry about compatibility. Just connect via its Type-C port and go.

*Mobile device software and hardware must be compatible with and support external SSDs in order to utilize OTG data backup and transfer functionality.

**When connecting a mobile device, ensure the mobile device supplies sufficient power to avoid transfer failure or data loss due to power issues.

*** Supported platforms: Please click here to learn more.

 

Full specifications and features for the SD810 SSD can be found on the ADATA product website.

The SSD arrived in perfect condition with 0GB written and 0 hours on the counter. The idle temperature is around 25°C, but in the screenshot below, you can see it was even lower after connecting it to the test computer. Under load, we can expect it will be above 40°C, but it won’t be too hot to hide the SSD in the pocket after copying a large amount of data. The casing is made of metal alloy, which cools down quickly.

CrystalDiskInfo shows the whole S.M.A.R.T. table, and the SD810 SSD tested has no problems.

Packaging and Product Photos

The SD810 SSD arrived in a retail package, which is a small flat box. We may argue about the design—it’s so pink it hurts my eyes—but it’s definitely unique, and it’s hard to miss it on retail store shelves.

The package’s exterior tells us everything we may need about the SSD, and we can find more details on ADATA’s website. Inside the box, we will find a well-protected SSD, a quick user’s guide, and two high-quality USB-C cables—everything we may need for the installation.

Since USB 3.2 Gen2x2 is supported by USB-A, we can use either USB-A or USB-C, and both are in the package.

The SD810 is probably the most professional-looking ADATA SSD I have seen and unexpected looking at the package. The SSD’s exterior is made of metal alloy anodized in black, and the side caps are rubber to seal the connectors during transport. This protects the SSD from water and unexpected drops from a 1-1.5m height.

The SSD’s design matches both the home office and gaming environment and a more business-like style. It suggests that the product is high-quality and not a cheap toy.

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All the product numbers and protection and compatibility certificate logos are printed on the backside. The front has only the ADATA SSD sign.

Under the rubber cap, we will find a USB-C connector compatible with the 3.2 Gen 2 x2 standard, which allows throughput up to 20Gbps.

Comparison Tests

Tests were performed on popular synthetic benchmarks and benchmarks that simulate daily workloads. Most tests are free, so you can compare some results at home without spending money.

For tests, a popular mini PC—Intel NUC—was used. The main reason is the ADATA SE920 USB 4 SSD. Even though USB 4 has been around for some time, few motherboards support 40Gbps bandwidth, while Intel NUC does. The typical performance is supposed to be about as high as on high-end desktop computers. Differences can be seen mainly in cached operations, as the latest computers have faster RAM.

Benchmarks list includes:

• ATTO Disk Benchmark
• CrystalDiskMark: Sequential Read and Write, Random Low Queue Read and Write, IOPS
• PCMark 10 Storage Benchmarks:  Data, Quick, and Full System Tests
• 3DMark Storage Benchmark

ATTO Disk Benchmark

ATTO used to be the most popular benchmark for testing storage performance. However, it focuses on sequential bandwidth, which, in recent years, hasn’t been as crucial as random operations. It still counts and is the main factor describing the storage performance by the marketing of all brands.

The latest versions of the ATTO Benchmark show slightly lower maximum results on all tested SSDs. The SD810 is not far from the declared read bandwidth and is slightly behind in writes. It’s not an issue, as some other SSDs on the list are rated for the same 2000/2000MB/s and couldn’t make it in this test. 1990MB/s read and 1750MB/s write is a great result.

CrystalDiskMark

Nowadays, CrystalDiskMark is the leading benchmark for home and office storage devices. It’s free, easy to use, and provides many valuable results.

Our sequential test results are higher for readings and lower than specified for writes. We can say the same about some other USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 SSDs, so again, it’s not an issue when writes are a bit lower than expected. Reading bandwidth is more important, and it’s 136MB/s higher than expected, which gives the SD810 the second spot on the list, right after the SE920, which works on a much faster USB4.

Low queue random operations are essential for daily usage, affecting work on multiple small files. The read bandwidth is significant for gaming, so this test is not crucial for USB SSD. However, it still counts since ADATA advertises the SD810 as additional storage for the latest generation gaming consoles. The results in this test are not the best, but they are still above the average and should be high on the list if we compare them to many other SSDs not listed in our review. The review includes mainly higher and faster USB SSD series so that it can be misleading, but this is what we tested in recent months, and it would be hard to test every product on the market.

IOPS results are more important for professional work and content creation. The SD810 SSD performs well in this test, reaching the third spot on the list.

PCMark 10 Storage Benchmarks

PCMark 10 results for most USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 SSDs are similar. All the tests show high performance, which can easily translate into comfortable daily work on various data.

3DMark Storage Benchmark

3DMark Storage Benchmark suggests that the SD810 performs well in mixed-load environments with various games. The total score shows high bandwidth and low access time for a USB SSD.

The SD810’s performance is above average for a USB 3.2 SSD. It’s not the fastest SSD, but it gives us some exceptional results, so it should be perfect for various users, including gamers and professionals.

Conclusion

ADATA SD810 combines high performance with improved durability and data protection, making it the perfect portable storage for daily needs. Although the performance is not the highest, it is high enough to satisfy demanding users. The SSD is compatible with various devices and operating systems, making it a perfect choice for users who switch devices often.

The exterior is not too flashy, and at first glance, we feel that the SSD is high-quality. In fact, it’s well-designed, and even though we didn’t check how much it can withstand, it feels durable. The high-quality look seems important if we carry the SSD for business meetings or simply dislike the toyish looks of many competitive external SSDs. Additionally, the metal alloy chassis with rubber caps makes the SD810 resistant to water and drops on the ground, protecting our data. It’s hard to go wrong with this combination.

The price of the 2TB version starts from around $160 in the Newegg online store and can go up to $220 in other stores. It’s hard to explain why the silver version is about $50 cheaper in most stores, but the specifications are the same as for the black version. At about $160, the SD810 has a reasonable price, which matches the price of competitive SSDs that perform about the same. However, ADATA SD810 is covered by a five-year warranty, while many competitive SSDs don’t have more than three years.

The ADATA SD810 2TB is a fast, high-capacity, durable SSD with an extended warranty. It’s a perfect mix for any portable SSD, so it’s no wonder it’s worth our recommendation!

Click the stamp for an explanation of what this means.

Bartosz Waluk – Woomack

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