The Lexar SL500 has quietly taken the portable SSD world by storm. Walk into any photography forum, video production group, or tech community and you'll see the same name surfacing again and again - and for good reason. But is the hype fully deserved? We've dug into the benchmarks, the real-world tests, and the honest caveats so you don't have to.
And while we were at it, we asked the question nobody else is asking: once you own a drive this good, do you actually know what's on it?
TL;DR
- The SL500 is slim, fast, and excellent value - undercutting Samsung and SanDisk on price while matching or beating them on performance.
- Real-world speeds are strong but below advertised figures - you'll need USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 hardware to get anywhere near the headline 2,000 MB/s.
- It's a standout pick for iPhone ProRes shooters, content creators, and anyone who needs pro-grade portable storage.
- The more drives you own, the more important it is to know what's on them - that's where DriveVault comes in.
First Impressions: Premium Before You Even Plug It In
Take the SL500 out of the box and the first thing you notice is how thin it is. At just 4.8mm at its slimmest edge - tapering up to 7.8mm in the centre - it's barely thicker than a few stacked credit cards. The solid aluminium unibody construction feels genuinely premium. This isn't a drive that's going to flex, creak, or rattle in your bag.
At just 43 grams, it's almost imperceptibly light. The matte finish resists fingerprints. The tapered form factor looks elegant and purpose-built. It's the kind of product that makes you feel you've spent your money wisely before you've transferred a single byte.
Worth noting: The package includes a short USB-C to USB-C cable, but a USB-C to USB-A adapter is not included. If you're using older hardware, source one before your first shoot.
The Numbers: Speed That (Mostly) Backs Up the Looks
The SL500 runs on a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, theoretically supporting transfer speeds up to 20Gbps. Lexar's headline figures are bold: up to 2,000 MB/s read and 1,800 MB/s write.
In real-world independent testing, here's the honest picture:
- Synthetic benchmarks (CrystalDiskMark): Class-leading sequential read/write scores - finishing near the very top of the 20Gbps USB category, besting the Samsung T9 on reads and outperforming the Crucial X10 Pro in both directions.
- Sustained large-file transfers: Around 860 MB/s read and 634 MB/s write - impressive, but noticeably below Lexar's advertised peak.
- 4K video editing: Speeds settle reliably around the 1,000 MB/s mark under sustained load. No cliff-edge throttling.
- Gaming (PS5 / Xbox): Among the best performers of any USB portable SSD tested to date.
The USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 caveat: To approach those 2,000 MB/s peak speeds, your computer needs to support USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. Most laptops - even recent ones - still ship with standard 10Gbps ports. Desktop motherboards from the last couple of years are more likely to include it. Check your specs before buying if maximum throughput is your priority.
Built for Creators: The iPhone ProRes Game-Changer
One of the SL500's standout features is its Apple ProRes recording support. For iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro users, this is genuinely significant. You can record 4K at 60fps in ProRes format - a cinema-grade codec - directly to the drive via USB-C, bypassing your phone's internal storage entirely.
In testing, the process is seamless: plug in, open the Blackmagic Camera app, and shoot. A five-minute ProRes clip (roughly 15GB) records without a hitch. For videographers and social creators who want professional-quality footage on the go without a cinema rig, it's hard to overstate this capability.
The drive is also compatible with:
- Mac and Windows - plug-and-play, ExFAT out of the box, reformattable to APFS or NTFS
- Android devices - direct USB-C connection
- PlayStation 4, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S - expanded game storage
- Cameras (e.g. Blackmagic 6K) - additional capture storage
Thermal Management: Keeping Its Cool Under Pressure
Portable SSDs can throttle aggressively when pushed hard - heat is the enemy of sustained performance. The SL500's aluminium casing doubles as a heat sink, and smart firmware monitors temperature to adjust performance before it becomes a problem.
In stress testing with a 500GB continuous transfer over 15 minutes, drive temperatures rose to around 45°C - warm but well within normal operating range - with speeds remaining stable throughout. For sustained 4K editing workflows, the SL500 handles the heat reliably.
Security: DataShield Encryption
Lexar includes DataShield - their custom software providing 256-bit AES encryption and password protection. It's a sensible inclusion on a drive small enough to lose. The catch: you need to install the app on every machine you want to access the secured drive from. If you frequently use multiple computers, factor that minor inconvenience in.
Pricing & Capacities: Where It Gets Very Compelling
The SL500 is available in 512GB, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities. Current street pricing puts it well below the major competition:
- 1TB: ~£75 / ~$90
- 2TB: ~£130 / ~$150–170
- 4TB: ~£230 / ~$280
The Samsung T9 (2TB) runs around $228 and the SanDisk Extreme Pro around $233 for the same capacity - both using the same USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface. The SL500 matches or beats both on performance while undercutting them significantly on price. A 5-year limited warranty rounds out an already strong value proposition.
The Magnetic Set Edition
Lexar also sells a Magnetic Set edition, which bundles the SL500 with a rubberised magnetic case for attaching the drive to the back of your smartphone MagSafe-style (a stick-on ring is included for Android users). For iPhone ProRes shooters who want the drive physically attached while recording, it's a clever idea. In practice, the magnetic hold is adequate for stationary use but less reliable if you're moving around. For desk and studio work, it functions well.
Verdict: Scorecard
The SL500 is an exceptionally well-rounded portable SSD. Slim, light, good-looking, fast, competitively priced, and broadly compatible. The real-world speed shortfall is a minor and predictable caveat shared by virtually every drive in this category without the right host hardware - it's not a dealbreaker.
Pros
- Exceptionally slim and light - credit-card footprint at just 43g
- Class-leading USB speeds - tops the charts among 20Gbps portable SSDs
- Excellent value - significantly cheaper than Samsung T9 and SanDisk Extreme Pro
- iPhone ProRes recording support - shoot 4K 60fps directly to the drive
- Stable thermal performance - no cliff-edge throttling under sustained load
- 5-year warranty
Cons
- Real-world speeds fall short of advertised figures without USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 hardware
- No USB-A adapter included - a minor but annoying omission
- DataShield software must be installed on every machine for encrypted access
- Magnetic Set edition attachment isn't the most secure for active use
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 to use the SL500?
No - the drive works with any USB-C port. But to approach the advertised 2,000 MB/s speeds, you'll need a Gen 2×2 port (20Gbps). Most laptops still use 10Gbps ports; you'll still get great performance, just not the headline figure.
Is it compatible with iPhone?
Yes - the SL500 connects directly to iPhone 15 and 16 series via USB-C. iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro users can use it for Apple ProRes video recording directly to the drive.
How does it compare to the Samsung T9?
The SL500 matches the T9 on sequential read speeds and undercuts it significantly on price. The T9 is heavier (122g vs 43g) and more expensive. For most users, the SL500 is the better buy.
Is the Magnetic Set edition worth it?
If you're an iPhone ProRes creator who wants the drive physically attached while shooting, it adds genuine convenience. For general use, the standard SL500 is all you need and better value.
The Question Nobody's Asking: Do You Know What's on Your Drive?
Here's the thing about owning a great portable SSD like the SL500: it becomes the place you put everything. Raw video files from last month's shoot. Client deliverables you might need to revisit. Years of photos you haven't properly sorted. A project folder from 2022 that's probably a duplicate of something on another drive.
And if you're the kind of person who owns a Lexar SL500, there's a good chance you own more than one external drive. The faster and more capable those drives are, the more you put on them - and the harder it becomes to keep track of what's where.
Ask yourself honestly: could you locate a specific project from six months ago across all your drives in under two minutes? Do you know which drives hold which content? Could someone else find your files if they needed to?
DriveVault gives you a searchable overview of everything across all your external drives - scan once, find anything, instantly. No more plugging in every drive just to find one file.
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