# WD My Passport SSD (2022): specs and price

**Price (US):** $100 at newegg.com (US estimated MSRP at launch for 500GB; 1TB ~$160 at launch. Newegg current retail: 1TB from $216.99 as of June 2026.), as of 2026-06-27. A sourced, dated price of record — other retailers (incl. Amazon) may be lower. Among the 18 portable ssds we track it is #7 cheapest of 18; category median $125.
**Brand:** WD
**Released:** 2022
**Deskmark:** Bronze Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 12/100, #21 of 21 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $100 |
| Brand | WD |
| Released | 2022 |
| Capacity (GB) | 500 |
| Read (Mbps) | 1050 |
| Write (Mbps) | 1000 |
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) |
| Encryption | AES 256-bit hardware |
| IP rating | — |
| Weight (g) | — |

## Where it stands

At $100, the WD My Passport SSD (2022) is #7 cheapest of the 18 portable ssds we track, where the median is $125. On the spec sheet, its capacity of 500 GB is the lowest of the 20, its write of 1000 Mbps is below the median of the 19, and its read of 1050 Mbps is at the median of the 21. By release date, it is among the newer of the 17 we date.

## What reviewers say

Two whitelisted labs benchmarked the WD My Passport SSD NVMe (1,050/1,000 MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 2, DRAM-less Blue SN550E): Tom's Hardware (Feb 2021) and StorageReview (Sep 2020). Both call it slim, secure and fast in real-world use but note it falls ~200 MB/s short of its rated speeds and, being DRAM-less, lags DRAM-based rivals like the Crucial X8 in file-copy/moderate-dataset tests. Tom's found a small 12GB SLC cache that drops sustained writes to ~710 MBps once saturated, though the drive stays cool (45C surface). (Based on 2 reviews, 2 lab-tested, 2020-09-14–2021-02-13.)

Praised: Slim, light, pocketable design with AES-256 hardware encryption and 5-year warranty; Fast large-file read-back and solid real-world portable-SSD performance; Runs cool under sustained load (45C surface).
Flagged: DRAM-less design; falls behind DRAM-based rivals (Crucial X8) and lags in file-copy tests; Fell short of WD's rated 1,050/1,000 MB/s in real benchmarks (~200 MB/s under); Small SLC cache (12GB) drops sustained write to ~710 MBps once saturated; No activity LED (both); very short six-inch cable (Tom's).
Disagreement: Tom's Hardware emphasizes the drive falling to the bottom of the pack in file-copy/moderate-dataset tests due to the small SLC cache and DRAM-less design, whereas StorageReview frames the sub-rated results more positively as 'close enough' and calls the drive 'a success'. The two also used different rigs (Windows iometer/DiskBench vs. MacBook Blackmagic/IOMeter on a ThinkCentre), so headline numbers are not directly comparable.
Sources: Tom's Hardware (2021-02-13, tomshardware.com), StorageReview (2020-09-14, storagereview.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the WD My Passport SSD (2022)?**

Two whitelisted labs benchmarked the WD My Passport SSD NVMe (1,050/1,000 MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 2, DRAM-less Blue SN550E): Tom's Hardware (Feb 2021) and StorageReview (Sep 2020). Both call it slim, secure and fast in real-world use but note it falls ~200 MB/s short of its rated speeds and, being DRAM-less, lags DRAM-based rivals like the Crucial X8 in file-copy/moderate-dataset tests. Tom's found a small 12GB SLC cache that drops sustained writes to ~710 MBps once saturated, though the drive stays cool (45C surface). Praised: Slim, light, pocketable design with AES-256 hardware encryption and 5-year warranty; Fast large-file read-back and solid real-world portable-SSD performance; Runs cool under sustained load (45C surface). Flagged: DRAM-less design; falls behind DRAM-based rivals (Crucial X8) and lags in file-copy tests; Fell short of WD's rated 1,050/1,000 MB/s in real benchmarks (~200 MB/s under); Small SLC cache (12GB) drops sustained write to ~710 MBps once saturated; No activity LED (both); very short six-inch cable (Tom's). (From 2 tester reviews, 2 lab-tested.)

**How much does the WD My Passport SSD (2022) cost?**

The WD My Passport SSD (2022) has a US price of $100 (US estimated MSRP at launch for 500GB; 1TB ~$160 at launch. Newegg current retail: 1TB from $216.99 as of June 2026.), as of 2026-06-15.

**How does the WD My Passport SSD (2022) compare on price?**

At $100, the WD My Passport SSD (2022) is #7 cheapest of the 18 portable ssds we track, where the median is $125.

**When was the WD My Passport SSD (2022) released?**

The WD My Passport SSD (2022) was released 2022.

**What are the WD My Passport SSD (2022)'s key specs?**

WD My Passport SSD (2022) (WD): capacity gb 500, read mbps 1050, write mbps 1000, interface USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps), encryption AES 256-bit hardware. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-15.

Source: https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?d=wd+my+passport+ssd (newegg.com, accessed 2026-06-15)
Corroboration: https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?d=wd+my+passport+ssd+2tb+usb+c (accessed 2026-06-15)
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/product/portable-ssds/wd-my-passport-ssd/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the WD My Passport SSD (2022) price of record was $100 as of 2026-06-15 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/portable-ssds/wd-my-passport-ssd/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl