Western Digital has unveiled the rugged SanDisk PRO-G40 solid-state hard drive that offers high speed, combined with water and dust resistance.
SanDisk PRO-G40 SSD
The PRO-G40 features dual-mode compatibility with Thunderbolt 3 at 40Gbps and USB 3.2 Gen 2 at 10Gbps for data transfer through a single port.
It supports read speeds up to 2700 megabytes per second and write speeds of up to 1900 megabytes per second through Thunderbolt 3. Western Digital says users can transfer 50GB of data in 30 seconds or less.
With these speeds, the PRO-G40 offers real-time editing for 4K and 8K videos or rendering for augmented and virtual reality directly off the drive. It's not yet clear how big the drive's cache is, nor how long maximum speed is maintained.
The rugged enclosure is aimed at professionals in the field, with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. An aluminum core inside helps pull heat away from components to help maintain speeds over time.
The first digit of six offers the highest level of dust protection, qualified as "dust-tight." The second digit of eight in the rating is the second-highest for water protection, capable of immersion of one to three meters of depth.
The PRO-G40 has IP68 for dust and water resistance
Western Digital also says the PRO-G40 has up to three meters of drop resistance and can withstand an astonishing 4,000 pounds of crush resistance.
Pricing & Availability
The PRO-G40 solid-state drive is available now in two storage options. The 1TB drive costs $299.99, and the 2TB variant costs $449.99. Both drives have a five-year limited warranty.
Buyers can purchase the drive through the Western Digital Store or through authorized SanDisk Professional retailers, e-tailers and distributors.