The Front Desk Review

WD · Updated June 2026

WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN): price, specs & release date

WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN), released 2019. Every price and spec below is linked to its source and dated — no guesses.

Source: cdw.com verified ✓ corroborated verify in ledger

BronzeDeskmark31/100#9 of 12 in class

The WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) is listed at $159.95 on cdw.com as of 2026-06-27, #6 cheapest of 12 external hard drives (median $165); other retailers may be lower. It earns a Bronze Deskmark — 31/100 pay-blind standing, #9 of 12 in class.

Verified Jun 27, 2026 · figures linked to their source in the table below

Cheapest external hard drives: Toshiba Canvio Basics 4TB (HDTB540XK3CA) — $89.99

See WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) on Amazon Live price at the store — may differ from the dated listed price above. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) — WD
Image: pockethifi / Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Is the WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) a good buy?

At $160, the WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) is #6 cheapest of the 12 external hard drives we track, where the median is $165. On the spec sheet, its release of 2019 is below the median of the 12, its capacity of 5 TB is at the median of the 12, and its RPM of 5400 is at the median of the 5.

Evidence of Record

Our data
Independent labsmeasured it
3
Physical metricsrecorded
2
Outlets on recordall tested
3

3 independent labs measured this product, logging 2 distinct physical metrics between them — pcmark 10 data and speed. That is how much independent evidence stands behind any claim about it — not a rating of the product.

A coverage record, not a rating. How we count

Review consensus · sourced & dated

What reviewers say about the WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN)

All three whitelisted labs (Tom's Hardware, StorageReview, PCWorld) hands-on tested this exact 2019 5TB My Passport. Consensus: a spacious, cheap-per-gigabyte, attractively built portable HDD with consistent sequential speeds in the ~115-128 MB/s range, but clearly slower than SSDs and weak on small-file writes. One StorageReview write figure (114.5 MB/s) was dropped because the source printed a garbled unit that could not be confirmed.

Based on 3 reviews · 3 lab-tested · 2019-09-04–2020-03-26

Tested by Tom's Hardware, StorageReview, PCWorld

Consistently praised

  • Spacious 5TB capacity in a slim, portable body · 3 sources
  • Consistent, solid-for-an-HDD sequential speeds (~115-128 MB/s) · 2 sources
  • Low price per gigabyte and attractive styling

Commonly flagged

  • Much slower than SSDs; wrong pick if speed is a priority · 2 sources
  • Unusually slow small-file / folder write performance

Where reviewers disagree StorageReview benchmarked the 2019 refresh as faster than the prior model in nearly every test, whereas PCWorld's real-world 48GB copies found it slower overall than the older My Passport X and unusually slow at small-file writes.

The sources (3)

Tom's Hardware lab-tested ·

PCMark 10 Data Drive Benchmark bandwidth: 64 MBps average · iometer sequential read/write: 127/128 MBps

unlike the inconsistent write performance we've seen with other SMR HDDs, WD's My Passport writes extremely consistently
Compared to flash, as we would expect, these HDDs are much slower. So if you prioritize speed at all, you should probably opt for an SSD.
Averaging 64 MBps in bandwidth and scoring similarly to LaCie's Mobile Drive in this test, WD's My Passport provides enough performance to compete with CMR drives.

StorageReview lab-tested ·

2MB sequential read: 115.7 MB/s · 2MB random read: 47.8 MB/s · 2MB random write: 109.4 MB/s · 4K random write throughput: 2,229.4 IOPS · 4K random read throughput: 107.8 IOPS

The new My Passport not only brought more capacity but better performance in all tests except 2MB random read.
gives users even more space to store their ever growing library of photos as well as higher definition videos while also giving them a nice little performance bump

PCWorld lab-tested ·

CrystalDiskMark queued 4K write: 10 MBps or more

the WD My Passport 5TB USB is attractive, affordable, and spacious
A bit slower than most external hard drives
for some reason, the drive was very slow in the small file and folder write test

Specifications

Price (US)$159.95 ~$159.95 at B&H; Dell/CDW list this exact SKU as encrypted USB 3.2 Gen 1; street price varies $140-$160
BrandWD
Released2019
Capacity (TB)5
Form factorportable
Interfaceusb_3_2_gen1
RPM5400
Powerbus_powered
Hardware encryptionYes
Dimensions (in)4.22 x 2.95 x 0.75 in

Source: cdw.com (verified 2026-06-19) · corroborated by dell.com. CORRECTED price 139.99->159.95 to match the exact SKU street price (B&H/Dell). 256-bit AES hardware encryption confirmed on Dell and CDW listings for this exact SKU. Dimensions 4.22 x 2.95 x 0.75 in / 0.46 lb confirmed. RPM 5400 retained per consistent third-party aggregator data (WD does not officially publish; widely corroborated).

Is the WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) worth it vs cheaper external hard drives?

WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) against its closest cheaper and pricier external hard drives on the specs that matter — every value sourced. See all 12 ranked

ProductPriceCapacity (TB)Form factorInterfaceRPMPower
WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) this$159.955portableusb_3_2_gen15400bus_powered
Toshiba Canvio Flex 4TB (HDTX140XSCCA)$1554portableusb_3_2_gen1—bus_powered
LaCie Rugged Mini 4TB (LAC9000633)$169.994portableusb_3_05400bus_powered

Frequently asked questions

What do reviewers say about the WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN)?

All three whitelisted labs (Tom's Hardware, StorageReview, PCWorld) hands-on tested this exact 2019 5TB My Passport. Consensus: a spacious, cheap-per-gigabyte, attractively built portable HDD with consistent sequential speeds in the ~115-128 MB/s range, but clearly slower than SSDs and weak on small-file writes. One StorageReview write figure (114.5 MB/s) was dropped because the source printed a garbled unit that could not be confirmed. Praised: Spacious 5TB capacity in a slim, portable body; Consistent, solid-for-an-HDD sequential speeds (~115-128 MB/s); Low price per gigabyte and attractive styling. Flagged: Much slower than SSDs; wrong pick if speed is a priority; Unusually slow small-file / folder write performance. (From 3 tester reviews, 3 lab-tested.)

How much does the WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) cost?

The WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) has a US price of $159.95 (~$159.95 at B&H; Dell/CDW list this exact SKU as encrypted USB 3.2 Gen 1; street price varies $140-$160), as of 2026-06-19.

How does the WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) compare on price?

At $160, the WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) is #6 cheapest of the 12 external hard drives we track, where the median is $165.

When was the WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) released?

The WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) was released 2019.

What are the WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN)'s key specs?

WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) (WD): capacity tb 5, form factor portable, interface usb_3_2_gen1, rpm 5400, power bus_powered. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-19.

Price of record: $159.95 at cdw.com, 2026-06-27. Other retailers may be lower — check the current price:

See WD My Passport 5TB (WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN) on Amazon As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

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