Here is a detail Lexar Professional SL600 Portable SSD Review , starting with its pros and cons, followed by an in-depth analysis.
Lexar Professional SL600 Portable SSD Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Good-looking design
- Impressive performance on PCMark 10 benchmark
- Offers 256-bit AES encryption for added security
Cons:
- Not many computers have built-in support for the Gen 2×2 standard
- Doesn’t have a durability rating for protection against dust and water
- Slightly larger than other portable drives
The Lexar Professional SL600 Portable SSD is a sleek external storage option that was designed having creative professionals in mind. Although it performed well, it still didnt boast the same level of durability as the ADATA SD810, which outperformed and seemed like a solid alternative. Actually SL600 supports USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, a less common interface, thus you would need to add an expansion card to your desktop PC to fully utilize its maximum speed potential.
Design
The Lexar Professional SL600 resemblance Lexar SL600 Blaze and is a larger than many of today’s external SSDs, measuring at 0.5 by 2.2 by 4.4 inches and weighing 2.2 ounces. Encased in an aluminum housing with a sandblasted finish, the matte-black SL600 features beveled edges and squared corners. One end is asymmetrical, sporting a loop for easy attachment to a belt loop, backpack, or travel bag using a carabiner clip. Unlike the gaming focused SL660 Blaze, the SL600 doesn’t have the ring of RGB lighting around the loop, but otherwise, they look identical.
On the other one end of the SL600, there is USB-C port that supports the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 standard. However, most computers don’t have support for this. If you’re using a desktop PC, you might need to add an expansion card with a Gen 2×2 port to achieve the actual speeds. Otherwise, you’ll be limited to USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds, capping at around 1,050MBps. You can learn more about USB-C in our guide.
I feel its worth mentioning that USB4 is emerging in computers and external drives these days. This means USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 might become outdated before it fully catches on. So, we cant expect future computers to support the 2×2 standard. USB4 is seen as the successor, offering faster speeds of up to 40Gbps.
In addition to the 2TB version we tested, a 4TB SL600 SSD is expected to launch this summer.
Lexar claims the SL600 has shock and vibration resistance, although it doesn’t hold MIL-STD-810G 516.6 impact resistance or an IP rating for dust or water protection.
The SL600 also comes with DataShield, Lexar’s encryption software, providing 256-bit AES encryption. Lexar backs the SL600 with a five-year warranty, which is standard among major manufacturers of external SSDs.
SSD
When testing USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 external SSDs, we used one of our Windows 10 storage testbeds. While most external SSDs use the common 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 port on our testbed’s motherboard, drives like Lexar SL600, used Gen 2×2 ports for doubled bandwidth, so we required a special setup for this. We add a Gen 2×2 port to the system using an Orico PCIe expansion card. It’s important to note that while USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports are common, Gen 2×2 ports are rare.
We evaluated the SL600 using a range of benchmark tests, including Crystal DiskMark 6.0, PCMark 10 Data Drive Benchmark, Blackmagic’s Disk Speed Test, and our own folder transfer test, which we performed on an Apple MacBook Pro.
Crystal DiskMark’s sequential speed tests give us an idea of the drive’s throughput by simulating optimal transfers of large files. The PCMark 10 Data Drive test assesses how well the SSD handles everyday tasks.
In Crystal DiskMark testing, the SL600 performed slightly below its rated sequential read-speed but notably underperformed in write-speed. However, these results are within the usual range for USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 SSDs, where few match their advertised speeds. Its scores closely matched those of other recent Gen 2×2 SSDs we’ve tested, such as the ADATA SD810, Crucial X10 Pro, and LaCie Rugged Mini SSD. These scores are significantly higher than those of USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSDs, which typically have throughput ratings of 1,050MBps for both read and write speeds.
In PCMark 10 testing, the SL600 achieved one of the best scores among Gen 2×2 SSDs, trailing only the ADATA SD810 and Seagate FireCuda Gaming SSD among our comparison drives. It notably outperformed the Lexar SL660 Blaze.
The SL600 delivered typical results for a Gen 2×2 drive on our two Mac-based benchmarks. Overall, its strong performance in PCMark 10 indicates that it’s well-suited for various tasks, making it a solid choice for a general-purpose external drive.
Conclusion
While it doesn’t have the flashy lighting of the Lexar SL660 Blaze, the Lexar Professional SL600 Portable SSD outperformed it on the PCMark 10 benchmark, which evaluates how well a drive handles various everyday tasks. Unlike the SL660, which tops out at 1TB, the SL600 is available in sizes up to 2TB, with an even larger 4TB version coming soon.
The SL600 has a sleek design, though it’s a bit bulkier compared to some other drives. According to Lexar, it offers some resistance to shocks and vibrations, although it doesn’t have official protection ratings or MIL-STD certifications. In contrast, our Editors’ Choice, the ADATA SD810, may seem small next to the SL600, but it lacks encryption and has a better IP rating and MIL-STD-810G 516.6 certification. While both performed well on the PCMark 10 benchmark, the SD810 had slightly better results. Therefore, the SD810 retains its Editors’ Choice status, but the SL600 is still a great option, especially if you’re looking for a 2×2 SSD that can easily attach to a belt or travel bag.
