Update | Lexar SL200 portable SSD might be having random disconnection issues
(September 9, 2020 update: Lexar shipped us a replacement unit that worked without any of the disconnection issues we experienced on our first test unit. If you recently purchased the SL200, we recommend stress testing it by moving large files back and forth via USB-C to check for connection stability. Our review on the first unit is below.)
The SL200 is Lexar's latest portable SSD with a USB-C 3.1 connector to succeed the last generation SL100. Its defining attributes are the small size, SATA III speeds, and the low weight of just 40.6 g (or 42 g according to our own kitchen scale) compared to 70.5 g for the SL100. Two capacities are available at the time of writing including 512 GB (LSL200X512G) and 1 TB (LSL200X001T) with a third 2 TB (LSL200X002T) option in the works.
Lexar sent a 512 GB unit for us to test and, unfortunately, our experience with it has been frustrating as our unit appears to be defective. The drive would randomly disconnect from our Surface Laptop 3 15 host system when running common benchmarks like CrystalDiskMark or ATTO. In fact, this would occur on three separate occasions during our testing. We would then have to physically disconnect and reconnect the cable before Windows could recognize the drive again.
We attempted to format the drive to see if the same problem would occur between exFat and NTFS, but attempting to do so would result in the error "Windows was unable to complete the format" each time.
On the occasions where the benchmarks would run to completion, we can confirm the advertised read and write rates of 550 MB/s and 400 MB/s, respectively, when connected to USB-C Gen. 2. Speeds begin to stabilize at block sizes of 64 GB and greater. Connecting to a USB-A 3.0 port will limit transfer rates to less than 45 MB/s as shown by our screenshots below.
We've notified Lexar and will update this page should we receive a response in regard to the issues we encountered. It's possible that we may have just gotten the short end of the stick with our defective unit, but we still recommend users to check for disconnection issues immediately after purchasing by moving very large files or running benchmarks in a loop. More information about the drive can be found on its official product page here. Prices start at $90 USD to $160 USD for the 512 GB and 1 TB SKUs, respectively, with 3-year manufacturer warranty as standard.
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