I Tried to Save $70 on Our #1 Pick. Here's What Happened.
I ranked the SanDisk Extreme PRO as the best external SSD for Mac. Then I bought the cheaper version to save money. Big mistake.
SanDisk Extreme PRO 1TB
The drive I should have bought. Faster, more durable, better controller.
$159.99
View on Amazon →
SanDisk Portable SSD 1TB
Tried to save $70. Endless troubleshooting. Ended up with a dead drive.
$89.80
The Logic Seemed Sound
After analyzing 50+ external drives for our Mac external hard drive roundup, I ranked the SanDisk Extreme PRO as the clear winner. The specs were unmatched: 2000MB/s speeds, IP65 water resistance, reliable NVMe controller.
But when it came time to buy one for myself, I hesitated. $160 for a backup drive? I spotted the SanDisk Portable SSD for $89.80 — same brand, same 1TB, still "fast enough" at 800MB/s. I'd save $70.
How bad could it be?
Oh, and the included cable? USB-C to USB-A — useless for a modern MacBook without a hub. But I figured I'd just use my own cable. No big deal.
Compact size — that part was nice, at least.
Dead on Arrival
The drive arrived. I plugged it into my MacBook Air. Nothing.
No notification. No icon on the desktop. I opened Disk Utility — nothing. System Information → USB — nothing. The drive was pulling power (I could feel slight warmth), but macOS couldn't see it at all.
I tried:
- Different USB-C ports
- Different cables
- Restarting the Mac
- SMC reset
The included cable: USB-C to USB-A. Requires a hub for modern Macs.
Tried my own USB-C to USB-C cable. Still nothing.Nothing worked. The drive was completely invisible to the system.
A Known Problem
Turns out, this exact model — the SDSSDE30 series — has a documented pattern of controller failures. The symptoms I experienced match perfectly:
- Drive draws power but never shows up as a USB device
- Invisible in Disk Utility and System Information
- Dead USB controller inside the SSD
This isn't a formatting issue. It's not a cable problem. It's not macOS being picky. When the Mac can't see the device at the USB-tree level, the hardware is simply dead.
The $70 I "Saved"
Bought a dead drive. Wasted time troubleshooting. Now returning it and buying the one I should have bought in the first place. The "savings" cost me hours and frustration.
Why the Price Difference Exists
The Extreme PRO costs $70 more for real reasons:
- Better controller chip — more reliable, less prone to DOA failures
- NVMe internals — not just faster, but more stable
- IP65 water/dust resistance — actually durable
- Better QA — premium line means tighter quality control
The cheaper Portable SSD cuts costs somewhere. In my case, it cut reliability.
The Irony
I literally run a site that ranks products based on verified specs and warns people about misleading deals. I spent weeks analyzing external SSDs. I knew which one was best.
And I still tried to save $70.
Don't be like me.
What's Next
I'm returning the dead Portable SSD and ordering the Extreme PRO — the drive I should have bought from the start. When it arrives, I'll update this post with my actual hands-on experience.
Sometimes the research tells you exactly what to buy. Maybe listen to it.
See the Full Analysis
Read our complete breakdown of 50+ external drives for Mac — including why the Extreme PRO won.
View External Hard Drives for Mac →📦 Update Coming
Once the new drive arrives, I'll add a "Part 2" to this post with real-world performance, unboxing photos, and long-term impressions. Check back soon.
Disclosure
I purchased both drives with my own money at full retail price. The SanDisk Portable SSD is being returned for a refund. This is not a sponsored post. Amazon links on our product pages are affiliate links — if you purchase through them, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.