HP P500 Portable SSD
Summary
The HP P500 SSD is a worthy companion for travel and does a good job of keeping out of the way on the desk.
My HP P500 SSD story: During virtual 2021’s virtual CES I met with a company named BIWIN. BIWIN is not a household name, but it is if you are a component buyer in the computer industry. If you own a portable HP branded disk drive chances are good that you own BIWIN designed product.
Since I’m always on the hunt for the smallest coolest products in a portfolio, I asked BIWIN to send me the HP P500 SSD. It now acts as the backup and external storage for my HP Dragonfly Elite Notebook.
What we like
In external SSDs, the first feature is always size. Physical size and capacity. This 64-layer 3D TLC drive comes in a 2.12″ X 3.11″ X .39″ package. And the drive weighs in at .10 lbs. At about $75 retail, it comes in as slightly less expensive than the comparable SanDisk Extreme Pro drive. Both offer their version of ruggedness. We tested the 500GB version. The drive is available in 120GB to 1TB capacities.
The primary interface is USB-C, though the drive ships with cables to also connect via USB-A. The HP500 does not include any indicator lights or other external features on its aluminum body. It is the epitome of plug-and-play. The drive runs at USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds and plays well with Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The HP P500 aims for personal and business use at its price point, not for high-end video editing. My CrystalDiskMark test ran right at the 420MB/s listed on the specs (actually 423MB/s). That makes it an adequate drive for backup, document and image storage and playing back video.
The drive ships with a 3-year warranty.
Of all the drives in my current collection, I would say the HP P500 is the most attractive design.
What could be improved
Fast is always better. Speed could be improved, but the next version—and faster version—will likely come out with a new product name.
The $75 500GB version chimes in at around 15 cents a GB, but lower capacity drives always cost more per GB than their more expansive siblings. The 1TB version ships at about 11 and a half cents for GB. Prices vary depending on supply conditions as well as the age of the product line.
HP P500 SSD: The Bottom Line
Those who need an affordable, light, and beautiful drive for everyday use should shortlist the HP P500 SSD.
BIWiN provided the HP P500 SSD review. Images courtesy of BIWIN/HP.
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