We also discovered an interesting quirk while testing the Extreme Pro - it didn’t play well with our Sabrent four-port USB hub, despite being connected to the USB 3.0 and its own external power source. No matter the file type or size, it took about twice as long to use the encryption software to transfer files. Transfer speeds aren’t shown when using the SecureAccess encryption software, but a simple stopwatch test told us that transfer speeds slowed down considerably when being encrypted, or read from encryption. The write speed fluctuated wildly between 40 and 80 MB/s, taking a minute and 45 seconds to fully transfer, and nearly that long to read back to the PC.
We transferred a music folder full of over 1,800 music tracks, sorted and unsorted (a litter over 6GB). Transferring a folder full of media files can be a trickier test. SanDisk advertises the Extreme Go’s read speed up to 200 MB/s and write speed up to 150 MB/s.Ī full length HD film, Avengers: Infinity War, took about 40 seconds to write.
The drive and SecureAccess encryption software support Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10, and Mac OS X (version 10.7 and up). The SanDisk Extreme Go USB drive is built for USB 3.1 Gen 1 (USB 3.0), but also supports USB 2.0 slots. While connected to a powered PC, a large blue LED light slowly blinks to indicate the USB drive is properly connected.
It moves forward or backward with a satisfyingly loud click, and stays locked into its position (there’s a bit of give when slotting into a USB port, however). The top of the Extreme Go features a molded slider that extends and retracts the connector. A small key ring is included, though the drive’s large size precludes us from hooking it on to our car keys. At nearly three inches long, it’a almost twice the length of typical flash drives. The case feels hollow and cheap, almost like a toy that could be crushed just by squeezing it.
The SanDisk Extreme Go is encased in a bulky black plastic shell. Lifewire / David Kukin Design: Lots of plastic