For the rest, it is worth mentioning the fact that it has a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, but it also includes an adapter among its accessories to be able to use it with standard USB-A interfaces, we can therefore use on game consoles without any type of problem.
How is this SSD?
As usual with this manufacturer, this EX100U is delivered packed in a flexible cardboard box in the usual black and yellow colors of the brand. On the front side, we can see an image of the device along with the brand, model and its main outstanding features including its theoretical performance and capacity.
Opposite, there is a description of the product in several languages, a compatibility table, and the usual regulatory compliance seals.
In addition to the SSD, CORSAIR includes both the usual security brochure and two cables, one USB-C to USB-C and one USB-C to USB-A, so as we mentioned earlier you you can use it on both PC/Mac and next-gen consoles without any problem.
There are no more accessories included in the box, so let’s take a look at the CORSAIR EX100U, which as you can see has a compact size, built with plastic and aluminum.
The opposite part is the same, but with the required identification tag.
We have already seen that on one of the sides it has a hole to be able to attach it to a key ring or similar, while on the other there is a rubber cover that gives us access to the USB connector- C female.
This SSD is quite thin, and with its small size and weight, we can carry it in our pocket without problems.
Here you can see its size compared to a 2 euro coin.
After seeing the device, it’s time to put it through its paces to see how it performs in the end.
That’s the performance of the CORSAIR EX100U
To test the performance of this CORSAIR external SSD, we used our usual Alder Lake-S benchmark, which is the most modern we currently have. Here is the equipment used for the tests:
- Intel Core i9-12900K.
- Be quiet! Pure Rock 2 FX.
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 HERO
- 2 × 16 GB CORSAIR Vengeance RGB DDR5 6.000 MHz.
- TeamGroup CARDEA A440 2TB (system SSD).
- CORSAIRE RM1000i.
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti.
As always, the operating system used was Windows 11 Pro 64-bit with all updates installed, and the SSD was connected to one of the USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×2 ports on the back of the motherboard.
We start by showing the information it gives us Information about CrystalDisk, where we will be able to see the characteristics of the device.
One fact that caught our eye in this screenshot is that it uses the NVMe 1.0/1.1 standard instead of the more modern 1.3. Additionally, we were also surprised to see that even though the device had already been turned on 8 times when we first plugged it in, the usage time was 0 hours with 0 GB written on it, which means CORSAIR didn’t do much. quality test on the device before putting it in its box to sell it.
Now yes, let’s go with the performance tests, and we start as always with CrystalDisk brand.
Here we come across data that perfectly matches what the manufacturer promised, and in fact the data exceeds expectations.
We continue with AS SSD Benchmarkwhich will give us similar data but measured with other file sizes and different queue volumes, assigning a score.
The performance data in this benchmark is generally lower than that obtained in CrystalDisk Mark, so we are not surprised to see that this time it is a little lower. As you probably already know, this benchmark has two additional utilities, and this first one shows us the copy speed of the unit with different scenarios.
The data it returns is excellent, but we’ll see how it performs with non-compressible files, which are usually the Achilles’ heel of SSDs.
Interestingly, the performance in this test shows us an upward trend, i.e. the more we squeeze the SSD, the better its performance. Overall, the performance data presented here is excellent, again in line with what the manufacturer promised.
Now let’s see how it behaves with ATTO disc referencea utility that will show us the performance with different file sizes, because normally the smaller the file size, the worse the performance.
Nothing out of the ordinary, the CORSAIR EX100U delivers its peak performance with file sizes starting at 256KB, and the surprise we have here is momentous as its performance is around 2000MB/s both read and write. .
Let’s finish the tests with Anvil referencea set of tests for the SSD which will also show us its random performance in IOPS.
Again, we find pretty decent performance data, with more than enough random reads and writes for an external USB drive.
Conclusion and judgment
CORSAIR once again demonstrates its category in the world of hardware and the quality of its products, mostly considered Premium. This EX100U external SSD is no exception, and from its build quality, small size, and good looks we know we’re dealing with a high-quality, top-notch product.
CORSAIR said this unit is capable of delivering 1600MB/s read and 1500MB/s write, and in our tests it not only met that premise, but exceeded it in some benchmarks we So we can say that, although their performance does not make it one of the fastest SSDs on the market, they do what they promise and the performance is excellent.
To all this we must add the fact that these SSDs have more than adequate durability, with 500 TBW for the 2 TB unit that we analyzed, again denoting the manufacturer’s commitment to quality.
However, everything has a bad side and in this case it is the price, a little above the usual in this category of high-speed external storage:
- EX100U 1 TB: $139.99
- EX100U 2 TB: $249.99
- EX100U 4TB: $619.99
Overall, this is a great quality device, great performance, good durability and fits in your pocket, for which we consider it worthy of our gold medal, as well as our recommendation for its performance and design.
