Western Digital has unveiled the SanDisk Professional Pro-G40 SSD, its latest ruggedized solid state drive with a dual-mode USB-C port that supports both Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 interfaces.

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The Pro-G40 is the company’s most rugged SSD to date, with IP68 dust and water resistance rating, 3m (9.8ft) drop resistance and up to 1800kg (4000lb) crush resistance. The drive’s dual-mode compatibility means it will transfer data at Thunderbolt 3 speeds (40Gbps) when connected to a Thunderbolt 3 host device, but is backwards compatible to USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) speeds when connected to non-Thunderbolt 3 devices.

A screenshot of the test results from a 5GB Blackmagic Disk Speed Test benchmark. Click to enlarge.

Western Digital claims the drive can offer read and write speeds up to 2700MB/s and 1900MB/s, respectively through the Thunderbolt 3 interface. We were sent a 2TB review unit to test these claims and discovered that when connected to an M1 Mac Mini (2020), the Pro-G40 actually achieved read and write speeds of 2530MB/s and 2717MB/s, respectively, when running a 5GB stress test benchmark with the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test. As visible from the above graphic, that’s more than fast enough to capture and transfer up to 12K/60p DCI in Blackmagic RAW and ProRes 422 HQ.

We also ran the Pro-G40 through the ATTO Disk Benchmark using a 32GB file size with I/O Size Range of 512 bytes through 64MB and the results are as seen below. At a 32MB transfer size, which is roughly the size of an uncompressed Raw file from most full-frame mirrorless cameras nowadays, read and write speeds topped out at 2835MB/s and 1830MB/s, respectively. At smaller transfer sizes, write speeds performed even better, topping out at 2255MB/s with 32KB transfer sizes.

A screenshot of the test results from a 32GB ATTO Disk Benchmark. Click to enlarge.

Both of these benchmarks match or exceed Western Digital’s claimed performance and yield some of the fastest read/write speeds we’ve seen in an external SSD.¹

The SanDisk Professional Pro-G40 SSD is available in 1TB and 2TB capacities for $299.99 and $449.99, respectively. They’re available to purchase starting today through the Western Digital Store or through authorized SanDisk Professional retailers.

¹ As much as possible when new storage solutions are released, we plan to test their speeds and keep track of performance across devices for better real-world comparisons rather than relying purely on specification sheets. We will add comparison charts as newer models are released and tested.

Western Digital Turbocharges Versatility with New SanDisk Professional PRO-G40 SSD

San Jose, Calif. – October 05, 2022 – Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) today announced it has expanded its SanDisk® Professional line of premium storage solutions with the new PRO-G40™ SSD that supports dual-mode compatibility with both Thunderbolt™ 3 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 interfaces. Inspired by the way people create and share data today, this new drive is the company’s most rugged offering to date with a high-level IP68 rating, allowing professionals to immerse themselves in the action wherever their work or vision takes them.

“The nature of my work is unpredictable and as a result I must be incredibly flexible and versatile. I share the same expectations for every piece of equipment that I use from capture to archive which is why the SanDisk Professional PRO-G40 drive will immediately be a crucial part of my workflow,” said Andy Handcock, action, portrait and reportage photographer, and PRO-TEAM ambassador. “I need storage solutions that are lightweight, compact, rugged, and insanely fast. This checks all the boxes for me. The PRO-G40 SSD can easily withstand the rigors of travel and location work while doing so with a minimal footprint. Thanks to SanDisk Professional products like these, workflow is one less thing I need to stress about which frees me to focus more on the creative. That is paramount.”

Whether for a business professional or creative pro, the PRO-G40 SSD is a simple, flexible solution that offers great efficiency to get the job done. Professionals who are ingesting, editing, rendering, and transferring large amounts of mission-critical content need portable storage that is powerful enough to eliminate unnecessary downtime, and durable enough to handle heavy usage. The versatility of both Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface compatibility when collaborating eliminates the need to have two different drives, one for each interface. The PRO-G40 SSD offers extreme speed and durability for real-time editing 4K/8K straight off the drive, smooth AR/VR rendering, or transferring daily workloads in quickly.

“The new PRO-G40 SSD eliminates the problem we have all experienced before: grabbing the wrong USB-C™ cable or computer for our Thunderbolt 3 or USB devices,” said Hector Sandoval, vice president of product marketing, pricing and programs at Western Digital. “By supporting both interfaces and including a cable that does as well, this drive enables creatives to efficiently collaborate across devices without having to worry about carrying the right gear nor diminishing sustained performance as they continue producing impactful content that powers our world.”

Key Features

Dual-mode compatibility with both Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) and USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) hosts through a single port makes collaboration across devices easier for maximized efficiency.

The new offering boasts super-fast speeds up to 2700MB/s** read and 1900MB/s** write with a Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) interface. Move 50GB in 30 seconds or less and power through even the most demanding workloads. The cool aluminum core pulls heat away from the internal drive to help maintain super-fast transfer speeds over time.

The PRO-G40 SSD has a pro-grade enclosure that is ready for any adventure and delivers a premium strength you can feel. Its ultra-rugged design with IP68 dust/water resistance, up to 4000-pound crush resistance, and up to 3-meter drop resistance*** help withstand the elements in just about every location for ultra-durability.

Availability

The PRO-G40 SSD is available now for MSRP $299.99 (1TB*) and $449.99 (2TB*) in the United States with a five-year limited warranty¹. Purchase it from the Western Digital Store or through authorized SanDisk Professional retailers, e-tailers and distributors.

Notes

* 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment.
** 1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.
*** On a carpeted concrete floor.
¹ See www.sandisk.com/wug