ProGrade’s PG10 Portable SSD Now Has a Whopping 16TB Capacity
ProGrade Digital has announced a new 16TB capacity version of the PG10 External SSD, making it the highest-capacity USB 4.0 bus-powered drive on the market.
Designed for multi-terabyte workflows such as on-location cinematic productions, the PG10 16TB joins the 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB capacity options that use the same form factor and USB 4.0 connectivity. ProGrade’s promise with its PG10 series is that it delivers best-in-class sustained performance in a portable, bus-powered design. Those are claims PetaPixel confirmed in its review of the original PG10 last year.
“For users who value a large-capacity SSD that delivers strong performance across massive data transfers, the ProGrade Digital PG10 is an exceptional option. It is remarkably consistent and stable under extreme stress. When transferring and storing my most precious files, there is little I value more than stability,” Jeremy Gray wrote in his review.
While some Thunderbolt SSDs are faster, ProGrade is aiming for high performance with maximum compatibility. USB 4.0 might not have the ceiling that Thunderbolt has, but it is more versatile. USB 4.0 is supported by Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.2, and 3.1 Type-C ports with the only variable being performance depending on the port. USB 4.0 supports up to 40Gb/sec with real-world read/write speeds up to 2,500 MB/s, and sustained write speed of 2,000 MB/s — with no cache throttling and no thermal throttling. ProGrade also outfitted the PG10 chassis with a magnetic base and includes an adhesive metal plate to allow users to secure the drive to a work surface of their choice. The PG10 16TB also includes ProGrade’s USB 4.0 cable which is one of the nicest and most reliable PetaPixel has ever tested.
Just like the other versions of the PG10 SSD, the 16TB version features a dual heat sink internal structure that allows it to cool itself effectively without thermal throttling. In testing, the new 16TB version took a full write to the drive over the course of a few hours and never got hot to the touch, only warm. ProGrade says the chassis is x-ray and shock proof.
In testing, the new 16TB SSD perfomrms slightly differently compared to the lower capacity versions. It has a notably higher read speed but the write speed is also consistently lower by comparison. After heavy use, the PG10 16TB had a read speed of 2,168.2 MB/s and a write speed of 1,559.3 MB/s. The original PG10 read/write speeds are more in-line with one another.
The Prograde PG10, regardless of size, remains one of the most reliable and fastest non-Thunderbolt external SSDs available. That probably explains the asking price, because 16TB doesn’t come cheap. The ProGrade Digital PG10 16TB costs $2,999.99 and comes with a three-year warranty.
Image credits: Photos of the PG10 courtesy of ProGrade Digital
