A while back I reviewed the G-Drive Mobile SSD, which I praised for it’s “straight-up sexy” design and very good performance. Compared to the field, it’s still one of the best options for both high-end looks and top-tier performance. With a 519 MB/s read speed and 339.9 MB/s write speed, it’s up there at the top of the USB-C solid state drives available today.

But boy, you may notice that the word “Pro” was left off that product descriptor, and what G-Tech has done when they put it on a product really shows why. The G-Drive Mobile Pro SSD crushes the non-pro device with some of the most insane transfer speeds I’ve ever seen on any device.

I am starting here talking about transfer speeds, which I usually leave for the end of a review, because these ones are just so gosh-darned good. Like, stupid good. Look at these:

USB-C to USB-C Speed Test

Thunderbolt 3 Speed Test

Even with just USB-C, the speed scores are more then three times faster than the standard Mobile SSD, but with Thunderbolt we tested well above 2000 MB/s. For comparative purposes, this is the speed test with my MacBook Pro’s built-in SSD:

MacBook Pro w/ Touchbar Internal SSD Speed Test

This SSD is significantly faster than the SSD that came packaged with my computer. That’s incredible. This is probably the first device I’ve tested since Thunderbolt 3 came out that makes me feel like it is truly taking advantage of the bandwidth capabilities of the platform. With this type of speed, even 8K video is supported.

I will say that G-Technology promised on the box that we would be seeing speeds “up tp 2800 MB/s” and as you can see from our tests above, we didn’t really come anywhere near that. But the speeds we are seeing are still so much higher than anything else we’ve tested thus far that it’s hard to be particularly upset. Very rarely do we actually hit the numbers promised by storage manufacturers, and these discrepancies can occur for a variety of reasons with no ill intent meant by the makers.

So aside from absolutely demolishing the competition when it comes to speed, the G-Drive Mobile Pro SSD additionally looks and feels great. In my review of the original standard model, I commented that the design was “sexy as hell” and I stand by those words here in the Pro iteration. Though larger by at least double, the Pro SSD shares as close a resemblance to the original standard model as possible while still being much wider, thicker and a fair bit taller. The result is two clearly different products that share a very nice design aesthetic.

I mentioned the Pro SSD is larger, and it is. Though SSDs themselves don’t vary a lot in size, so why is this one bigger? The answer lies in Thunderbolt.

G-Drive Mobile Pro SSD (left) along side the G-Drive Mobile SSD R-Series (right).

Because the Pro SSD has significantly higher performance than the original, it generates more heat. To address this, G-Technology installed a larger aluminum core to support and dissipate the heat and allowing them to sustain the Pro SSD’s performance. Thanks to the larger core, they can keep the performance of the drive consistent through its use without throttling it.

While the Pro SSD is much bigger, it’s by no means ungainly or “large.” It will still easily fit into bag pockets or pouches and will minimally expand a travel kit.

There is a note I want to make regarding the Pro SSD’s switch over to Thunderbolt, and that’s its compatibility with USB. If you didn’t notice, I didn’t test the Pro SSD using USB-A to USB-C, a common speed test I run with our other storage media reviews. The reason I did not do it in this case is because USB-A to USB-C cables don’t work with this drive. I was unable to confirm why prior to publication (but will update if I hear otherwise), but I am guessing this is due to the necessary power it takes to run the Pro SSD. Though USB-C to USB-C works, USB-C can also transfer a fair bit more power to the devices it’s connected to. So because this drive doesn’t seem to work with older USB-A connections, that means it’s a bit less versatile than other storage media on the market.

If there is one other small thing I could complain about with regard to this SSD, it’s that we can’t take full advantage of Thunderbolt’s capabilities because there is only one Thunderbolt port on the device. Thunderbolt, in addition to a much bigger bandwidth pipe, also allows for Daisy Chain, or connecting a set of Thunderbolt devices together and piping them into one computer port. It’s a very efficient method of connecting a host of products together without taking up more than one port on your computer, and having a second Thunderbolt 3 port on the Pro SSD would allow it to fit into a Thunderbolt 3 ecosystem more effectively.

Pros:

• Insanely fast transfer rates, the fastest we have ever tested
• Ruggedized exterior makes it durable and shock resistant
• Works with both Thunderbolt and USB-C
• Totally silent operation
• Still relatively small and compact

Cons:

• Pricey at $229 for 500GB and $629 for 1 TB
• Does not work with USB-A to USB-C cables

In the above cons list, you probably noticed those price points. Yeah, brand new the G-Drive Mobile Pro SSD is $229 for 500 GB and $629 for 1 TB, which is pretty expensive if you’re judging it based just on capacity. But the Pro SSD isn’t really a capacity-centric device: you’re paying for raw speed. If you need this kind of horsepower, it’s going to cost you and honestly the $629 isn’t that much for a working professional. This device will make video editors’ lives a lot better, and that right there is going to be worth it to them. And to me, yes. This is worth it. It’s an absolute hot rod of a storage device, and that kind of performance is something my business demands.

Check out the full article HERE

Learn more about G-Technology HERE

From videomaker.com

Intended to make working with 4K and 8K faster and easier, Western Digital’s G-Technology has announced three new, very fast SSD enclosures meant to allow end users to edit ultra-high definition video in real time. Boasting massive drive space, Thunderbolt 3 ports and transfer speeds up to 2800 MB/s, these three SSD storage solutions should lessen the headache of working with the most demanding video resolutions.

G-DRIVE Mobile Pro SSD

First up is the G-Technology G-DRIVE Mobile Pro SSD. As its name implies, this SSD is designed for on-the-go use and, as such, is more durable than its siblings. As a solid state, it is already more resistant to drops and falls compared to its hard drive competitors and its rugged casing makes it even more impervious to minor damages. Like the other new SSD models, the G-DRIVE Mobile Pro SSD uses a Thunderbolt 3 port to maximize transfer speeds…read more

From cinema5d.com

G-Technology booth here at NAB 2018 tells us their new Pro SSD line consists of three different products. First of them is the redundant and serviceable, high capacity, transportable RAID SSD solution called G-SPEED Shuttle SSD. Second drive is the high endurance desktop SSD in a minimalistic aluminium case called G-DRIVE Pro SSD. Last product is a rugged shock-resistant portable drive called G-DRIVE Mobile Pro SSD. Let’s take a short look at each of them.

G-SPEED Shuttle SSD 

Starting with the bulkiest product of the new lineup, the G-SPEED Shuttle SSD is a high-performance solid-state storage device. Equipped with up to 16TB of SSD storage and fast Thunderbolt 3 technology it lets users edit 4K, 8K, VR, high dynamic range (HDR) or multi-camera footage in real time and quickly export projects either on location or at the studio… read more

G-Technology (a Western Digital Company) has three new flash-based storage systems that set new performance records for the company’s products. These devices are designed to allow users to work with very high resolution video in real time.

All three devices offer various levels of portability, Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, and a blistering fast 2,800 MB/s sequential performance rating.

The G-Technology G-DRIVE Pro SSD trades portability for increased capacity. It comes equipped with Thunderbolt 3 pass-through to support daisychaining devices. This system shares the same 2,800 MB/s sequential performance rating as the G-DRIVE Mobile Pro SSD. Capacities move to 960GB for $1,400 and 1.92TB for $2,100. Unlike the portable model, the G-DRIVE Pro SSD is not bus powered, so you are tied to AC power from a wall outlet….read more 

G-Technology this week introduced its new families of external SSDs featuring a Thunderbolt 3 interface, up to 16 TB capacity, and 2800 MB/s sustained throughput. The new DAS from G-Technology are aimed at mobile workstations used for 4K, 8K, and VR content creation.

The new lineup of G-Technology’s external SSDs includes the G-Speed Shuttle multi-bay solid-state storage system, which is for use in studios as well as on set, the G-Drive Pro SSDs, and the G-Drive mobile Pro drives for use primarily on the go. G-Technology guarantees that all the drives offer 2800 MB/s of sustained read speeds in a bid to enable editing of multi-stream Ultra HD footage at full frame rate, or quickly render VR projects.

G-Technology (and Western Digital, the owner of the brand) does not disclose what type of NAND flash memory and NAND controllers the new SSDs use. Meanwhile, since we are dealing with workstation-class products, it is logical to assume that the manufacturer uses highly-reliable components. Just like many other advanced SSDs, the new external drives from G-Technology are covered by a five-year warranty….read more