When it comes to increasing the storage space on your laptop or desktop, one of the easiest tools available to you is with either an external solid state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD). There are a lot of pros and cons to each option (you can dive into this more in our SSD vs HDD guide), but HDDs tend to cost less while still offering a large storage capacity to use . This makes them an especially good choice for people who want a lot of storage space without spending a lot on it.
Recently, Western Digital increased the top HDD My Passport Ultra to a capacity of 6 TB. I had the opportunity to evaluate this new option over the past week. Let’s dive into what makes this little device so useful.
This review was made possible with a review sample provided by Western Digital. The company did not see the content of the review before publishing it.
My Passport Ultra: Price, Availability and Specs
specification
• Price: From $64.99 at Best Buy
• CAPACITy: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 5TB, 6TB
• But you: USB-C
• The interface: USB-A 3.2 Gen1
• Sequential reading: Up to 120 MB/s
• Rate of transfers: Up to 5 Gbps
• Dimensions: 4.22 x 2.95 x 0.81″
• Weight: 0.46 lbs (0.21 kg)
Western Digital is a well-known manufacturer of data storage devices and drives. As such, its products, including the My Passport Ultra, are available at various retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Newegg, and more. You can also purchase the My Passport Ultra directly from the Western Digital website. This device is available in different colors, with the most common options being black, blue, silver or gold. However, some color choices are only available in specific stores.
This hard drive currently comes in five capacities, and each one has a different value – 1TB has an MSRP of $69.99, 2TB has an MSRP of $89.99, 4TB has an MSRP of $129.99, 5TB has an MSRP of $139.99, and 6TB is $204,999. These are good prices compared to other HDD competitors.
It’s also possible to find some or all of these capacities sold at lower prices during retail sales events.
My Passport Ultra: Design and compatibility
While it’s not the thinnest HDD on the market, the My Passport Ultra looks nice and fits in my hand. Since it’s less than an inch thick, it’s compact enough for easy travel. I also appreciate that it’s sturdy enough that I feel comfortable throwing it in my laptop bag or backpack without feeling like it’s going to break in transit. Obviously, you don’t want to drop it on purpose, but it should handle the overall ride well.
Depending on the capacity you choose, there are several different color options and each one has rubber feet on the bottom to prevent the device from sliding around on a table. The 6TB HDD I received has an attractive blue coating on the front that turns to a matte black coating on the back. It looks good in both formal and relaxed settings, making it a great option for work or personal use.
By default, My Passport Ultra works with Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices. However, the Western Digital website also explains that it can be used with macOS 11+ if you reformat the device and download the appropriate NTFS driver.
After looking around a bit online, I found that there are two versions of this HDD – one with an outdated micro-B USB port and one with a much more modern USB-C port. The version I received has the latter and I advise anyone looking to buy this HDD to make sure they get this USB-C version. This will make the HDD compatible with more modern hardware out of the box.
The My Passport Ultra I received also comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-A adapter to ensure I’ll be able to connect it to whatever computer I need. The minute it’s plugged in, a little white light comes on and the HDD is ready to go. It is very convenient and works well.
From a security point of view, this HDD offers 256-bit AES hardware encryption and also comes with a five-year license for Acronis True Image, a program that not only protects against ransomware attacks, but also allows you to copy and restore files. Essentially, this adds an extra level of safety and security to the My Passport Ultra that some other HDDs on the market don’t have.
To activate Acronis, I simply connected the My Passport Ultra to my computer, opened the drive, and clicked on the preinstalled program labeled “Install Western Digital Software for Windows.” This program then opened a page that took me to download Acronis. After installing it, I was able to use the program to clone the drive, clean the drive, and adjust active protection.
My Passport Ultra: Transfer Speed Tests
During my time with the My Passport Ultra, I transferred a lot of data to it and also used it with several different laptops and desktops. Whenever I plugged it in, the My Passport Ultra was immediately ready for use, and I never had any major problems with its performance.
I ran a CystalDiskMark test using the My Passport Ultra, which showed a read speed of 118 MB/s and a write speed of 116 MB/s. This is not the fastest HDD, but it is stable and stable.
In addition to the CrystalDiskMark test, I also transferred approximately 4 GB of data (consisting of several small games, several large PSD files of digital drawings, and large wedding photos) to the HDD in one go and kept an eye on the HDD’s speed . As usual, the HDD started up very quickly, but slowed down a bit as the minutes passed. There were some stretches where the read speed dropped and dropped to 20.7MB/s, but the HDD recovered and bounced back. Overall, read speeds mostly stayed between 119 MB/s and 91 MB/s, which is good.
My Ultra Passport: The Contest
When considering other external storage devices, you choose either the best external SSDs or the best external HDDs. In general, SSDs are faster, but tend to cost more. So it really just depends on what you want out of your storage device.
When it comes to SSDs, I suggest you take a look at our Samsung T7 Shield review. This SSD is available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities with your choice of a black, beige or blue hard coating. It achieves read speeds of up to 1050 MB/s, making it significantly faster than the My Passport Ultra HDD. The 1TB retails for $99.00 on Amazon, while the 4TB retails for $318.39 on Amazon.
If you’re specifically looking for a good Xbox gaming HDD, then you should check out our WD_BLACK P10 review. This gaming drive supports transfers of up to 130 MB/s and comes in 2TB, 4TB, 5TB or 6TB capacities. It is compatible with Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. The 2TB model costs $94.99 at Best Buy, while the larger 6TB option sells for $189.99 at Amazon.
My Passport Ultra: Should You Buy It?
You should buy it if…
✅ You want to expand your space without having to open your laptop or desktop
External HDDs like the My Passport Ultra simply require you to plug them into your laptop or desktop, and then you have more space for files and programs. There are no additional steps to upgrade your computer in order to gain more storage space.
You should not buy it if…
❌ You would really prefer an external SSD over an external HDD
HDDs and SSDs are both useful storage devices. However, there’s no denying that SSDs are much faster as long as you’re willing to pay more to get one.
If you need extra storage space on your laptop or desktop, then this external HDD is a great choice. The My Passport Ultra has plenty of storage capacities to choose from to help meet your needs, and they’re all well-priced and within a reasonable range. Plus, this HDD offers solid performance to handle any file you need to store. Of course, getting a five-year license for Acronis True Image with this purchase also adds to the security of this device while making maintenance easier.
It’s not the sleekest or thinnest HDD out there, but it’s hearty and should travel well without getting damaged too easily. If you decide to buy a My Passport Ultra, just make sure you buy one with a USB-C port and not the outdated micro USB.
Western Digital My Passport Ultra HDD
Available in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 5TB and 6TB capacities, the Western Digital My Passport Ultra HDD is a great external storage accessory for any desktop or laptop user.