Crucial X10 Review: A Compact SSD with Massive Capacity and Great Performance

The Crucial X10 builds on its predecessors with higher capacities, tougher design, and better overall performance.

The Crucial X10 Portable SSD is a fast and durable external drive designed for users who frequently work with large files, such as video editors, photographers, and professionals who use multiple systems. It’s well-suited for tasks like editing high-resolution footage on location, backing up image libraries while traveling, or transferring project files between devices. Compared to Crucial’s earlier X6 and X8 drives, the X10 offers clear improvements in speed, design, and overall build quality.

The X10 utilizes a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, which supports transfer speeds of up to 20Gbps when connected to a compatible port. In practical terms, Crucial rates the drive for up to 2,100MB/s read and 2,000MB/s write speeds. That’s fast enough for things like editing high-bitrate 4K video directly from the drive, quickly backing up large batches of RAW photos, or even running apps and project files without noticeable slowdowns. If you’re using a newer laptop or desktop with a USB-C port that supports Gen 2×2, the X10 can significantly reduce wait times during file-intensive tasks.

Crucial includes a USB-C cable in the box, and the drive is plug-and-play with Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iPadOS. While there’s no USB-A adapter included for older systems, the drive is compatible with them (just be aware that using legacy USB-A ports will significantly limit transfer speeds). Still, the broad platform support makes it easy to move files across different devices without needing to reformat or reconfigure.

Crucial X10: Successor to the X10 Pro

We previously reviewed the X10 Pro a few years ago, which shares the same USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface and identical peak read/write speeds as the new X10. However, Crucial has made some meaningful upgrades with the X10. Most notably, it offers a much wider range of capacities, scaling up to an impressive 8TB, which doubles the maximum of the Pro. It also improves on durability with a higher IP65 rating for better dust and water resistance (compared to IP55 on the Pro), and enhanced drop protection. Ultimately, the X10 feels like a more refined, next-gen iteration of Crucial’s premium portable SSD line.

Within Crucial’s broader portable SSD family, the X10 now sits at the top, above the entry-level X6 and the balanced midrange X8. It effectively replaces the X10 Pro as the flagship, delivering higher capacity options, subtle design improvements, and more up-to-date components under the hood. For users requiring more storage or those looking to upgrade from older models, the X10 makes a compelling case. That said, the portable SSD market is highly competitive, with many options offering similar speeds and form factors at varying price tags and durability levels. Below, we’ll examine how the X10 performs in real-world tests and whether it delivers enough to justify its position at the top of Crucial’s lineup.

Crucial X10: Warranty and Pricing

Backed by a 5-year warranty, the Crucial X10 is currently priced (affiliate link) at $100 for the 1TB model, $249 for the 2TB model, $396 for the 4TB model, $559 for the 6TB model, and $440 for the top 8TB capacity at the time of this review. For this review, we’re focusing on the 4TB version.

Crucial X10 Specifications

Crucial X10 Design and Build

Physically, the X10 is designed for real-world use outside of controlled environments. It’s compact at just 1.96 x 2.55 x 0.39 inches, which is small enough to slip into a pocket or the side pouch of a camera bag without adding bulk. The body is made from anodized aluminum, providing a solid feel, while the soft-touch rubberized base adds grip and a bit of shock absorption when the device is set down or dropped.

The drive is rated IP65 for dust and water resistance and has been drop-tested from up to three meters, making it ideal for users who work on the move. This includes outdoor photographers, drone pilots, and content creators working on location; essentially, anyone who needs to offload files quickly without always having access to a desk or climate-controlled space.

Overall, the build quality is excellent and feels sturdy in our hands, which gives us peace of mind when using the drive in more unpredictable environments.

Crucial X10 Performance

To gauge its performance, we evaluated the Crucial X10 (4TB) transfer speeds using the BlackMagic Disk Speed Test and IOMeter benchmarks (1-queue and 4-queue). We’ll also compare it against other USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 external drives, including:

• Lexar SL500
• TEAMGROUP PD20
• Lexar Armor 700
• Lexar SL600
• Crucial X10 Pro
• Samsung T9

BlackMagic Disk Speed Test

First up is the standard BlackMagic Disk Speed test, which measures the real-world performance of external SSDs.

Here, the Crucial X10 performs very well. It delivered a strong sequential read speed of 1,784.2MB/s, placing it fourth overall, just behind the Lexar SL600, TEAMGROUP PD20, and SL500. For write performance, it hit 1,801.4MB/s, the fastest of the bunch by a noticeable margin, making the X10 a solid choice for users who frequently transfer or back up large files.

IOMeter 1 Queue

The next test is the single-queue IOMeter test, which examines sequential and random read/write performance under a lighter load. The speeds here will be close to those in the BlackMagic test on the Sequential 2MB read and write portions, but we should see some differences in the 4-queue portion.

The Crucial X10 once again shows impressive numbers, topping the chart for sequential read speeds at 1,814.9MB/s with write performance just behind its BlackMagic score at 1,725MB/s. Random 2MB performance produced more mid-range results, with 1,366.1MB/s read and 1,145.5MB/s write, while random write 4K performance trailed behind all the other drives. Still, the X10 offers a strong balance where it matters most (large file reads and writes), making it particularly good for tasks like video editing or game storage.

Here’s a full run-down:

IOMeter 4 Queue

Our final performance test is the 4-Queue IOMeter test, which better simulates multitasking or heavier workloads.

The Crucial X10 continues to perform near the top of the pack in sequential performance. It scored just above 2,000MB/s in sequential reads and posted the highest sequential write speed of the group at 1,913.3MB/s. Random performance also held up well, particularly with 4K writes and reads, where it topped the list for 4K read IOPS. While drives like the Lexar SL600 and Armor 700 edged it out slightly in random 2MB operations, the X10 maintained strong consistency across every metric. Overall, it delivered impressive performance under pressure.

Conclusion

The Crucial X10 is a solid, high-performance portable SSD that improves meaningfully over its predecessor, the X10 Pro. While it retains the same USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface and performance profile, it introduces several essential upgrades: expanded capacity options up to 8TB, a higher IP65 rating for better dust and water resistance, and slightly improved build durability. In our testing, the X10 consistently performed near the top of the charts, particularly in sequential write workloads, making it well-suited for creators handling large files and high-bitrate content.

That said, the portable SSD space is saturated with similarly specced Gen 2×2 drives, many of which offer comparable real-world performance at lower prices. Competing products from Lexar, TEAMGROUP, and even Samsung often come in at a lower price, especially in the mainstream 1TB and 2TB tiers. Where Crucial carves out an edge is with its higher-capacity 6TB and 8TB models, which remain a rarity in this category and cater to professionals with more demanding storage needs. The X10 may not always win on price-per-gigabyte, but it strikes a solid balance between performance, durability, and versatility, making it an excellent choice for serious users.

Crucial X10 at Amazon (affiliate link)

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