Corsair EX400U review: Fast SSD in a small, MagSafe-compatible package

Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating

Pros

High data transfer rate

Compact dimensions

MagSafe ring for iPhone

Cons

Plastic housing

Our Verdict
With the EX400U, Corsair has fulfilled the desire of many media professionals for a compact and powerful external SSD. It combines a small housing with USB4 speed.

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The Corsair EX400U looks like a simple external SSD. It measures 6.4 by 6.4 by 1.2 centimeters and has a plastic housing. Underneath, however, is a MagSafe-compatible ring for attaching to an iPhone. It connects via USB-C and can also be used with a Mac.

We used Ajax System Test Lite to gauge its speed. Its 2709Mbps for writing and 3165Mbps for reading are a convincing performance. In the read/write endurance test, the EX400U slows down by around 300Mbps and the plastic casing also becomes noticeably warm, but not hot.

Corsair states that the 2TB model we reviewed has a 500 TBW rating (the number of terabytes it can write over its lifetime); a value of 500 TBW or more indicates an SSD that is suitable for intensive use in video editing. It has a MFBF (Mean Time Between Failures) of 1.4 million hours. The temperature range in practice even extends to 70 degrees Celsius.

Corsair offers a three-year warranty on the EX400U. A very robust USB4 cable is included.

Should you buy the Corsair EX400U?

With the EX400U, Corsair has fulfilled the desire of many media professionals for a compact and powerful external SSD. It combines a small housing with USB4 speed.