PicoDrive USB4 SSD Review: Smallest 4 TB drive for consoles, ProRes video, and OTG storage
Blazing fast SSD on a USB stick.
The PicoDrive is barely larger than a USB stick but can hold up to 4 TB of data and runs fast thanks to USB4. In our review, the PicoDrive comes across as a viable portable SSD for those who need high-speed storage on the go, such as for 4K ProRes recording, consoles, gaming handhelds, or even as general-purpose smartphone storage.Christian Hintze, 👁 Enrico Frahn, ✓ Vaidyanathan Subramaniam (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Verdict: Strong performance, small, and robust
The PicoDrive takes full advantage of the USB4 interface (40 Gb/s corresponding to 5,000 MB/s) with read speeds sometimes exceeding 4,000 MB/s. Thus, this ultra-portable external SSD lives up to its promise.
The fast speeds and compact size make it ideal for use with a PlayStation, Xbox, or various handheld gaming consoles, or as an external drive for ProRes recordings with a suitable camera or smartphone.
Of course, you can also simply carry it around with you as an extremely powerful and, above all, a significantly faster alternative to a USB stick.
The metal workmanship withstands daily use well, but it's worth noting that the price is not exactly low.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
Currently, the PicoDrive is only available via its official Kickstarter page. A 1 TB including the USB-C cable costs $179, 2 TB costs $309, and 4 TB will set you back by $599.
The PicoDrive successfully completed its Kickstarter campaign in April. Now, the device, touted as the smallest external USB4 / Thunderbolt 4 SSD has to prove itself in real world tests.
This is not a conventional SSD housing but a pre-configured portable USB4 SSD, the storage size of which needs to be selected during purchase. The PicoDrive comesin 1, 2, or 4 TB storage capacities. We have with us the 1 TB version for this review.
Thanks to its high speeds, the PicoDrive is well-suited for gaming consoles and handheld devices. It is also amenable for live 4K ProRes recording with various cameras and smartphones. Its compact size makes it the ideal mobile companion for those on the go
This is made possible by the fact that the SSD is not connected via a bridge chip like other M.2 SSDs. Instead, the USB4 Phison PS2251-21 controller communicates directly with the onboard NAND memory.
The elimination of the M.2 connector enables a smaller format and higher transfer rates, while minimizing heat buildup and power consumption.
Specifications: USB4 / Thunderbolt 4 with 40Gb/s transfer rates
| Capacity | 1 TB / 2 TB / 4 TB |
| Connection | USB4 / TB4, downward compatible up to USB 2.0 |
| Data transfer rates | up to 40 Gbps |
| NAND Flash | Kioxia BiCs 6 162 Layer TLC |
| Controller | Phison PS2251-21 |
| Power consumption | up to 3.5 W |
| Dimensions | 64.5 x 29.5 x 7.7 mm |
| Weight | 29.9 g |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Accessories | USB4 cable 40 Gbps/240 W |
Housing and equipment: Super-small metal chassis
Regardless of the storage capacity chosen, the PicoDrive comes in a super-compact housing made of sandblasted aluminum anodized in a sleek Space Grey finish.
Unlike other bulkier external SSDs, the PicoDrive is barely larger than a typical USB stick. Its shape resembles a small metal lighter but is somewhat flatter. The compact metal construction makes the device look very sturdy.
Due to its compact size, the Picodrive is highly portable and serves as an excellent larger-capacity storage alternative to a USB stick, boasting backwards compatibility up to USB 2.0.
However, since the USB connector plug is not integrated, you will always need to carry the supplied USB-C cable with you. The aluminum housing ensures effective heat dissipation.
Accessories
A slender cable can be attached to the housing of the PicoDrive for connection to a key fob. What initially appears to be a carrying strap on the metal ring is actually a USB4 cable with support for up to 240 W power delivery.
You shouldn't really carry the PicoDrive with it as the cable is only secured in a rubber plug. That being said, the approx. 10 cm short USB-C high-performance cable is practical and super-fast.
Performance: Fast and durable
We tested the PicoDrive on the latest Aorus Master 16 gaming laptop, which features both Thunderbolt 5 and Thunderbolt 4 ports. We also tested the PicoDrive's performance on a Apple MacBook Air M1, which has somewhat older connection options.
The testing on the Aorus Master 16 was performed using CrystalDiskMark 6 and 8, as well as AS SSD and Diskspd for evaluating sustained performance. On the MacBook Air M1, we used Blackmagic Disk Speed Test and Amorphous Disk Mark 4.0.1.
The PicoDrive achieves read speeds of over 4,000 MB/s and writes up to 3,500 MB/s. It, therefore, outruns competitors such as the ZikeDrive Z666 or the ADATA SE920, both of which also claim USB4 speeds — a strong performance indeed!
In our long-term test via diskspd loop, the memory also revealed a very constant performance without thermal throttling or other drops during the test period.
Disk throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Finally, we strained the drive's cache, i.e. checked the consistency of the write speed, by copying large amounts of data (Baldur's Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, 142 GB in total) to the PicoDrive.
This showed an acceptable drop in performance after roughly 40 seconds: from approximately 1.3 GB/s at the start to about 800 MB/s for the rest of the time.
Emissions: Can get hot, power draws remain constant
The metal housing is designed to dissipate the excess heat since there's no active cooling system. Consequently, the surface can become noticeably warm under load.
We measured a maximum surface temperature of 52 °C during our stress test (Diskspd loop). However, this is usually not noticeable while testing due to throttling.
Conclusion: PicoDrive delivers on its promise
The Picodrive is convincing as an extremely portable yet fast USB4 SSD for creators, gamers and other users. The manufacturer successfully delivers on the performance claims.
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
