Sabrent has built a reputation among tech enthusiasts with its line of SSDs, both internal and external. What sets them apart is their strategy of quickly embracing the latest controller technologies while offering products that are competitively priced. A crucial part of their success comes from collaborating with Phison, using their controllers in many devices. One such SSD, the Rocket nano V2—a portable model offering 2 GBps-class performance—has been available for over a year, using Phison’s U18 native controller.
In this review, we’ll dive into the Rocket nano V2 External SSD, examining how it holds up in terms of consistent performance, power consumption, and how it manages its temperature.
Introduction and Initial Thoughts
Flash technology has come a long way in recent years. Developments like the advent of 3D NAND and improved TLC reliability, paired with faster host interfaces, have fueled the rise of high-speed, bus-powered storage options. The universal adoption of the Type-C standard, along with support protocols like USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, USB4, and Thunderbolt, has enabled the creation of compact storage devices capable of exceeding 2 GBps speeds.
However, managing heat is a key hurdle with high-speed storage solutions. Many high-performance portable SSDs historically relied on multiple protocol conversion chips, adding heat with each component. The recent creation of native UFD controllers by Phison and Silicon Motion opened new possibilities. Reviews of products like the Crucial X6, powered by the Phison U17 in 2021, showcased SSDs achieving speeds beyond SATA limits without needing NVMe bridges. Silicon Motion’s SM2320 took this further with the Kingston XS2000 reaching 2 GBps.
Devices like the Kingston XS2000, for instance, quickly tapped into these advancements, hitting the speed limits of their interfaces. Though Phison’s early U17 and U18 controllers showed slightly lower peak performances, they didn’t grab much attention until they appeared in products like the impressive OWC Envoy Pro Mini. As flash speeds improved, more portable SSDs with Phison’s UFD controllers, including the Sabrent Rocket nano V2, have gained traction.
The Rocket nano V2 shares its hardware platform with the PNY EliteX-PRO and Corsair EX100U, all of which use Phison’s U18 controller paired with SK hynix’s 128L 3D TLC NAND. Despite this shared foundation, they differ significantly in firmware, cooling solutions, and design.
With its compact dimensions of approximately 72mm x 32mm x 14mm and weighing 50 grams, the Rocket nano V2 feels sturdy thanks to its aluminum casing. A silicone cover protects against scratches and minor impacts, adding a touch of ruggedness.
Supporting S.M.A.R.T passthrough, as shown in the CrystalDiskInfo screenshots shared below, the Rocket nano V2 successfully processes TRIM commands within an NTFS setup, ensuring its drive management features operate smoothly.
Specifications Overview
To give you a comprehensive view, here’s a comparative look at specifications of the various portable SSDs featured in this review.
Testbed Setup and Evaluation Method
To evaluate these SSDs, including thumb drives, we use a Quartz Canyon NUC setup. It’s essentially the Xeon/ECC version of the Ghost Canyon NUC, equipped with dual 16GB DDR4-2667 ECC SODIMMs and a PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD, namely, the ADATA IM2P33E8 1TB.
This testbed is favored for its dual PCIe slots, used for add-in cards when no GPU is needed. By including a SanDisk Extreme PRO M.2 NVMe SSD to avoid DMI bottlenecks, both PCIe slots remain free for use. As the Quartz Canyon NUC lacks a native USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port, a Silverstone SST-ECU06 card occupies the x4 slot, enabling testing through its Type-C port.
Below is a summary of the testbed’s specs:
Our evaluation isn’t just about the hardware; the typical workloads for storage devices have evolved. With widespread 4K videos and emerging 8K content, combined with increasing game sizes, our testing considers these practical demands through a range of workloads.
We cover:
- Synthetic tests using CrystalDiskMark and ATTO
- Real-world trace tests with PCMark 10’s storage benchmark
- Custom file transfer scenarios using robocopy
- Stress tests for sequential writes
Following sections detail the Rocket nano V2’s performance in these tests, and later we discuss its power consumption and thermal management.
Synthetic Benchmarks – ATTO and CrystalDiskMark
ATTO and CrystalDiskMark tests give a snapshot of the SSD’s potential performance. These benchmarks show the type of instantaneous performance achievable with different workloads but may not fully reflect long-term or thermally throttled conditions.
Sabrent markets the Rocket nano V2 as capable of hitting 1500 MBps. Testing with ATTO confirms this claim but in a narrowly defined setup typical of specific workloads. Performance peaks aren’t surprising, given the hardware similarities with the PNY EliteX-PRO.
CrystalDiskMark runs multiple access traces, assessing the drive under different block sizes and queue depths. The results from ‘Seq128K Q32T1’ to ‘4K Q32T16’ gauge performance under real-world conditions, showing support for technologies like NCQ and UASP.
Overall, the Rocket nano V2’s results closely match the EliteX-PRO, though on smaller transfers, SM2320-based drives still lead.
Performance Consistency Testing
Moving beyond short-term assessments, we test each device’s performance consistency, focusing on scenarios where the drive might throttle due to temperature or other limitations. Sabrent’s thermal management proves effective, maintaining a steady pace even when workloads ramp up.
Real-World Traces with PCMark 10
These simulations replicate access patterns from everyday applications, like system startups or game loads, revealing how these devices perform in familiar environments.
While the Rocket nano V2 ranks in the lower performance bracket in these tests, the gap between the SSDs isn’t large enough to impact typical usage significantly.
Thoughts on Performance Consistency and Power Usage
In the face of extended use, as tested in our Sequential Writes Performance Consistency Test, the Rocket nano V2 stands out with its stable throughput. The device impressively maintains speeds near 800 MBps, keeping temperatures cooler compared to its counterpart, the PNY EliteX-PRO, which sees a drop in speed as temperatures rise.
However, its power management isn’t flawless. The drive’s idle consumption is slightly higher, and its sleep mode takes longer to activate—an observation worth noting for those frequently using mobile devices with limited power resources.
Final Thoughts
At $182 for the 2TB version, the Rocket nano V2 offers notable performance over sustained operations, making it appealing for those who work with large video files or similar situations where consistency counts. Its robust thermal design and protective features add practical benefits. It’s a solid choice among its peers, suitable for buyers focused on durability and reliable speed over prolonged use.
