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The 6TB version of the SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD ($219.99) features the maximum capacity available in a 2.5-inch portable hard drive, and offers some protection against water and drops or crushing. As a spinning drive, its speed is typical for its class (i.e. slow compared to solid-state drives (SSDs)), so not ideal for users who need to quickly back up many large files. The ArmorATD also lacks software, encryption and backup features like those of the Editors’ Choice award-winning WD My Passport. But it should work well for travelers or mobile workers who desire more storage than speed.
Version: Bulk protected by bumpers
Measuring 1.3 by 3.5 by 5.2 inches and weighing 0.8 pounds, the 6TB ArmorATD is hefty for a portable hard drive, a bit larger and heavier than the 2TB version of the drive I had in 2021 reviewed. (The extra volume is likely determined by the extra platters that the 4TB and larger versions of the drive require; see the available capacities table below.) The ArmorATD fits in one hand – I found it easy to grip the black, rubberized bumper that cushions the ride – and you could fit it in a pocket, albeit with little room to spare.
The gray surface of the device is visible through a removable cover that protects the device on the top and bottom. On the side, a plug attached to the rubber housing hides a USB-C port with a USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface. The port also works with the Thunderbolt ports on all recent Macs. The ArmorATD comes with a pair of 2-foot cables, one USB-C-to-USB-C and the other USB-C-to-USB-A.
As a rule, spinning hard drives are more vulnerable than SSDs, which have no moving parts. That said, the ArmorATD (the acronym stands for “all-terrain drive”) does at least offer some degree of ruggedness, while most external hard drives offer little or none. With a rubber bumper that cushions the aluminum frame and internal shock absorbers, it can withstand a pressure of up to 1,000 pounds or a drop from 4 feet. The degree of protection (IP) of IP54 provides some protection against sand and rain, although it is still potentially vulnerable to fine dust. You can splash water on the device (but not immerse it) without any adverse effects. Please note that the drive’s protection against dust and water depends on the USB-C port cover.
The bottom line is that the ArmorATD is quite rugged. A walking tour that requires data backup, for example to store photos, shouldn’t pose a threat, and jaunts around town should be a breeze. The Silicon Power Armor A66 offers similar drop protection, but its IPX4 protection rating means that while it offers the same water resistance as the ArmorATD, it is vulnerable to dust and dirt. If you need something more waterproof or are going to particularly dirty or dusty environments, you’ll probably need to opt for an SSD. The SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD is IP67 water and dust resistant, up to 10 feet drop resistant, and 2,000 pounds crush resistant. You pay more for the G-Drive SSD, but it is much faster, offers useful software and is also more robust.
Compatibility and Capacity: Plays well with Macs
The ArmorATD has its roots in Western Digital’s G-Technology line of Mac-oriented products, which was merged into the SanDisk Professional brand in 2021. (WD bought SanDisk in 2015.) The ArmorATD is formatted in HFS+, one of two file formats (along with APFS) compatible with the Time Machine backup system in macOS. Unlike exFAT, which is both Mac and Windows compatible, HFS+ can only be used on a Mac. If you need to use the ArmorATD with both Windows PCs and Macs, you will need to reformat it to exFAT. This can be done easily enough on a Mac via Disk Utility, where HFS+ is called Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
If you only have a Windows machine and want to convert the drive to NTFS, you can do this using the Windows Disk Management tool by carefully deleting the HFS+ partition and reformatting the device as NTFS, wiping the drive clean. Third-party tools such as Paragon NTFS-HFS Converter provide a simple and straightforward way to convert drives between HFS+ and NTFS.
Should you reformat the ArmorATD, you will want to backup all your data first. (The Paragon utility even prompts you to do this.) SanDisk doesn’t include backup or security software with the ArmorATD, while the company’s G-Drive SSD supports AES-256 hardware encryption and password protection through the SanDisk Security app.
The SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD reviewed here, as well as the WD My Passport Works with USB-C and the WD My Passport Ultra, both Editors’ Choice products, are part of the first group of 6TB hard drives to hit the market arrived last May. Previously, the maximum capacity had been pegged at 5TB for almost a decade, and there was speculation that these peripherals – 2.5-inch spinning hard drives powered by a computer via a USB connection – had reached their limits. No other company besides WD has released or announced similar products.
In addition to the 6TB version I tested, the G-Drive ArmorATD is available in four other capacities whose list prices are listed below. The highest capacities (4TB and especially 5TB and 6TB) have the lowest costs per gigabyte, which is not always the case.
Testing the G-Drive ArmorATD: Not too shabby for a spinning hard drive
We test external hard drives on our main Windows testbed, equipped with an Asus Prime X299 Deluxe motherboard, an Intel Core i9-10980XE processor, 16GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce RTX discrete graphics card. For our Mac tests, we connect the drive to a Thunderbolt/USB Type-C port on our Apple MacBook Pro test device.
With the ArmorATD, after formatting the drive to exFAT, we first ran our two Mac-based tests (the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test and our folder transfer test) from the MacBook Pro using the laptop’s Thunderbolt port. We then reformatted the drive to NTFS and ran the Crystal DiskMark, PCMark 10 Data Drive, and 3DMark Storage tests on our Windows testbed PC.
Crystal DiskMark measures a disk’s throughput in its sequential read and write speeds. We consider PCMark 10, which measures a drive’s ability to handle a range of everyday storage tasks, as our most important test for external drives. Although we run the gaming 3DMark Storage benchmark on general-purpose hard drives, the results are questionable: you wouldn’t want to run games from an external, spinning hard drive if you can help it, though high-capacity drives on platters be good. for backing up a game library.
The ArmorATD showed solid performance in all our benchmarks. In PCMark 10, the ArmorATD and the two 6TB WD hard drives we tested led the way; the score was 9% better than its 2 TB sibling. And it gets bragging rights (if not fragging) as the high scorer among these portable hard drives in 3DMark Storage. The scores in the other tests were in the middle range.
Verdict: Spacious, cost-effective and strong enough
As a portable 2.5-inch spinning hard drive, the SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD offers enormous capacity and is good value with a low cost per gigabyte. A rubber shell and port cover protect it, offering more protection against the elements and accidental drops than most external hard drives offer.
Meanwhile, the 6TB WD My Passport Works with USB-C and WD My Passport Ultra, both Editors’ Choice products, aren’t rugged, but include the backup and encryption software that the ArmorATD lacks. For greater robustness, you may need to opt for an SSD. But if low price, high capacity, and some protection against rain, sand, and drops are critical, the SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD may be the right choice.
