SK Hynix Beetle X31 Portable SSD Review: Compact and Well-Stacked

8.0

VGKAMI Verdict

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Metric	VGKAMI Verdict	User Verdict
Design	9.0	Log in or Register to vote 0.0
Storage Capacity	7.0	Log in or Register to vote 0.0
Warranty Length	7.0	Log in or Register to vote 0.0
Price	7.0	Log in or Register to vote 0.0
Damage Resistance	8.0	Log in or Register to vote 0.0
Read Speed	9.0	Log in or Register to vote 0.0
Write Speed	9.0	Log in or Register to vote 0.0

The SK Hynix Beetle X31 is fashionable, functional, and fast; a great showing as the first portable SSD offered by the company. Although more expensive than other 1TB SSDs on the market, many may find the added cost well worth it because of the Beetle's level of quality and high read and write speeds. For some, 1TB may be on the smaller side for an external SSD in 2024, but for others, SK Hynix's drive will do the job—and then some.

Pros

• Sleek, elegant, and lightweight design
• Durable—and includes a protective case
• Lightning-fast speeds

Cons

• Short 3-year warranty
• On the pricey side when compared to the competition
• Somewhat small storage capacity for the cost

Buy the Beetle X31 SSD

South Korean memory chipmaker SK Hynix—the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker after Samsung—is best known in recent times as one of Nvidia’s major suppliers. While the company excels at creating internal memory, SK Hynix recently made its first portable SSD: the Beetle X31.

Immaculate Packaging and Presentation

Despite the slight disappointment when we realized the SSD itself didn’t look exactly like the picture on the box, there’s no denying that the SK Hynix Beetle X31 is a stylish piece of hardware. Even if gold isn’t your color, the tint isn’t dark or shiny enough to be gaudy. This aesthetic balance allows the Beetle to be eye-catching without overwhelming your senses.

Beside the status light sits a USB-C port, with two cords included: a USB-C-to-USB-A and a USB-C-to-USB-C. The Beetle measures a tiny 0.6 by 1.8 by 2.9 inches.

For its 1TB capacity, the drive is standard in size. Comparable external SSDs are just a tad smaller. The few extra millimeters of length and grams of weight weren’t dealbreakers given the Beetle’s classy appearance. If it were any smaller, how could we appropriately show it off?

Note

We wish SK Hynix could have included a thermal sticker that resembles the ancient Egypian-esque image on the box.

Boasting an aluminum exoskeleton, the SK Hynix Beetle X31 can allegedly survive a drop of up to six and a half feet without taking damage. Thankfully, SK Hynix was thoughtful enough to include a rubber case for an added layer of protection. Moreover, two rubber strips sit on the bottom of the drive to keep it from sliding around on top of any smooth surfaces.

Overall, we’re impressed by such a fabulous SSD from the company’s first soiree into external memory. Maybe we can look forward to the Butterfly or the Bumblebee next—the bug theme might catch on!

Light as a Feather, Swift as a Bird

Offering transfers of up to 1050 MBps, the Beetle’s speed shouldn’t be understated. It’s no surprise a company so prolific in the world of computing memory could keep up with big players like Samsung and SanDisk. It’s welcome to see a new player on the field.

We tested the X31 SSD against the 1TB Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield using BlackMagic’s Disk Speed Test. This was done on a Windows PC desktop with an Intel Core i7-13700KF CPU and an Asus Prime B760-PLUS D4. The system sports an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and 32GB of DDR4 Corsair Dominator RAM. The Beetle beat out the Samsung only marginally in disk writing speed, excelling more in disk reading speed.

Tip

Why choose a portable SSD like the Beetle instead of a flash drive? Here’s why: an SSD is longer lasting, more reliable, and transfers data much faster than a flash drive. The cords that come with the Beetle, while sturdy, can be replaced if anything goes wrong. Additionally, when calculating the cost per GB of storage, an SSD often comes out on top.

Looking at the device’s specs and comparing them to other current items on the market, there’s no reason to believe it would underperform or overperform. It does a great job by our metrics, reaching the top percentile for speed for an external SSD. However, the differences in time aren’t major enough to write off comparable products—especially if they’re cheaper and you’re on a budget.

For a USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSD, this is the little beetle that could. It’s worth pointing out that, compared to the SK Hynix Beetle X31, the Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield is larger, heavier, and more expensive for slightly worse performance.

The Cost for Quality Is a Pretty Penny

There are cheaper options for a 1TB SSD. At a retail price of $89.99 on Amazon, the SK Hynix Beetle X31 comes in at around $10 more expensive than similar items on the market. The main competition in this area comes from makers like SanDisk at around $79.99 on Amazon. If you don’t mind taking things easy and going slow, HP offers an option for $20 cheaper.

For many people, 1TB is more than enough space. The market has recently been flooded with external SSDs offering up to 8TB of storage capacity, but if you’re after speed, strength, and style, the extra cost won’t leave you wanting.

Unfortunately, SK Hynix only offers a 3-year warranty on the Beetle X31, which is comparable to warranties offered by Samsung. SanDisk typically offers a 5-year warranty for similar drives, and having that peace of mind is worthwhile. The short warranty time is not a deal-breaker but it’s worth noting.

Recommending the Beetle X31 is a breeze. Despite its relatively small capacity for the price tag, SK Hynix’s portable SSD is a great choice for most consumers and offers plenty of speed and style to boot. If you’re looking to update all your electronics one by one and want to keep things sleek and shiny, we’re also fans of QRD’s Spark N5 controller for use on PlayStation, PC, and mobile devices.