External SSDs are something completely normal these days and we all use them. Well what is better for transferring larger amounts of data than a “small” SSD with big capacity? And we have one just like this here now. Its name is Vx500, made by the company Verbatim with a capacity of 480 GB and a uniquely miniature and attractive design.
And when we say miniature, we mean it. The drive is only 3cm wide, 9cm long and 9mm thick which makes it a great companion especially for photographers and cameramen, who will find it very useful when they are out and about. In addition, the drive weighs practically nothing (a negligible 29 grams) and is covered in an elegant aluminium case which makes it very durable.
Universal for everybody
Vx500 is made in several designs with different capacities. We received the 480 GB version for testing. This version should be sufficient for all multimedia content of a regular user.
The drive is, as is usual for Verbatim, preformatted in the FAT32 for all systems, so it can be used on every PC (be it Windows, Linux or MacOS) without any preparation. The Vx500 offers two connectivity options, either USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB 3.1, where the USB-C to USB-C cable is provided with gold-plated connectors to increase the transfer speed. It would not be a Verbatim drive, unless it had the NeroBackItUp software, making the already high-quality drive even better.
Now let’s get to what interests you the most, the speed itself. The Verbatim Vx500 proves once again that the company Verbatim knows how to make fast drives. In our CrystalDiskMarku tests it achieved a remarkable 460.72 MB/s reading speed while transferring a 2GB file. Writing speed unfortunately was not so remarkable with its 353,32 MB/s compared to the advertised 440MB/s, it also got “really” warmed up and functioned as a quality heat source. In practice these speeds mean that we transferred 1,4 GB sized movie to the drive in only 6 seconds using the USB 3.1. A 2,1 GB folder full of photos took only 4 seconds longer. Of course, we then tested the drive in PC Mark 10 and reached a score of 7025 while running applications and a score of 6064 while writing data, which are similar values to most inch drives we got to test.
Verdict
So, what is the verdict? The Verbatim Vx500 is a really small SSD that offers in addition to its small size a high durability and a very respectable reading speed. Yes, the writing speed is not as fast as we were expecting and the drive can warm up quite a lot, but those are only small blemishes of the already high-quality drive. If you are looking for a compact SSD that you can easily put in your pocket and use on the road, the Verbatim Vx500 is the right choice for you.
Rating 4 out of 5 – the drive has a great design, optimal price/performance ratio, the NeroBackItUP software is added value, but it lacks in writing speed
The evaluation
1 star for design (size, weight)
2 stars for speed (advertised vs measured)
3 stars for price (price/performance ratio)
4 stars for added value
5 stars for a virtually flawless product
