WD My Passport 4TB Review

Sid Suvarna Avatar

Written by:

Updated 11:24 pm

Expert Rating

80

If you’re looking to purchase a new portable hard drive that offers good security and plenty of storage, the WD My Passport 4TB drive is a top choice. It is one of the best storage devices with high capacity and good features. Western Digital is a popular brand with the My Passport range of portable drives best suited for creative professionals who like to carry their work around. If you find yourself working on the go often, you should also read our guide to the PogoPlug NAS Adapter (converts any hard drive to a NAS works with a USB hub).

Why We Like It – WD My Passport 4TB Review

The WD My Passport 4TB hard drive is a portable storage device with excellent features such as hardware encryption and USB 3.0 interface. It can be used as a storage or backup device with fast transfer speeds. It works with both Windows and Mac PC.

Pros
  • 256-bit AES hardware encryption
  • USB 3.0 interface
  • Works with Mac
Cons
  • Short USB cable

Related: For those who don’t like this unit, check the Seagate Barracuda 3TB 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive review

Performance

The WD My Passport 4TB portable drive offers fast sequential write and read speeds, which makes it easy to transfer large files. It can offer up to 130MB/s of sequential read and 124MB/s of sequential read. However, the random write and read speeds will be slower depending on file, interface, and other factors. The hard drive uses a USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface and comes with SuperSpeed USB cable. If 4TB is not enough storage, then you should check out the Seagate STGY80000 External Hard Drive that offers 8TB of storage space.

Design

Most portable hard drives feature pocketable and lightweight design. The same is the case with the WD My Passport 4TB drive, which weighs around 210 grams and is only 0.75 inches thick. It features a groove on the front that differentiates it from the rest. The Passport SSD and Passport Ultra from Western Digital share a similar design, but the My Passport HDD is offered in more colour options. However, the Western Digital Elements 2TB External Hard Drive features a compact simple design and is lighter.

Related: Have a look at the Western Digital WD Black 4TB Internal Sata 6GBS Hard Drive review

Value

With class leading security software on the WD My Passport 4TB drive, you can easily secure your data thanks to the 256-bit AES hardware encryption. The WD Backup software called WD Discovery allows you to manage, share, and easily backup data. The WD security offers password protection and works with both Windows and Mac computers. While other portable SSD and hdd drives such as Toshiba’s Canvio Basics External Hard Drive offer only a 1 year warranty, the WD My Passport comes with a 3 year limited warranty.

WD My Passport 4TB Review Wrap Up

This WD My Passport 4TB review has probably shown you how the 256-bit AES hardware encryption, USB 3.0 interface, and the slim design make this hard drive a great buy. The transfer speeds are great and you can use the drive with both Mac and PC. It does come with a short USB cable, but that’s not really a deal breaker.

Sid Suvarna Avatar