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Tech head-to-head

Crucial X9 ProvsWD My Passport SSD

3 years between them: the 2023 Crucial X9 Pro at 8.1, the 2020 WD My Passport SSD at 7.8. The older one still holds Design.

Crucial X9 Pro

Crucial

8.1

First-party Micron flash in a plain aluminum slab, priced below the names people recognize.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

WD My Passport SSD

Western Digital

7.8

A well-finished everyday drive whose real selling point is the software that ships with it.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Value, Crucial X9 Pro ahead 8.8 to 7.6. They come closest on Durability, 8.0 to 7.8. Left of center is Crucial X9 Pro, right is WD My Passport SSD.

Crucial X9 Pro versus WD My Passport SSD — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Crucial X9 Pro run left from the axis labels, bars for WD My Passport SSD run right. Crucial X9 Pro: Performance 8.4, Value 8.8, Durability 8.0, Ease of use 7.8, Design 7.4. WD My Passport SSD: Performance 7.8, Value 7.6, Durability 7.8, Ease of use 7.6, Design 8.2.Crucial X9 Pro (left)WD My Passport SSD (right)PerformanceCrucial X9 Pro — Performance 8.4 out of 108.4WD My Passport SSD — Performance 7.8 out of 107.8ValueCrucial X9 Pro — Value 8.8 out of 108.8WD My Passport SSD — Value 7.6 out of 107.6DurabilityCrucial X9 Pro — Durability 8.0 out of 108.0WD My Passport SSD — Durability 7.8 out of 107.8Ease of useCrucial X9 Pro — Ease of use 7.8 out of 107.8WD My Passport SSD — Ease of use 7.6 out of 107.6DesignCrucial X9 Pro — Design 7.4 out of 107.4WD My Passport SSD — Design 8.2 out of 108.2Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Crucial X9 Pro

Leads on Performance, Value, Durability and Ease of use.

  • You want the storage rather than the branding
  • An aluminum body that sheds heat without a fan
  • Mac and Windows both in daily use

Take the WD My Passport SSD

Leads on Design.

  • You want scheduled backups without choosing a backup app
  • A drive that looks right next to a laptop on a meeting table
  • AES-256 encryption managed by the drive itself

What each one gets wrong

Crucial X9 Pro

  • Scheduled backups and managed encryption should come in the box
  • The unremarkable design matters to you

WD My Passport SSD

  • You need class-leading sustained writes
  • You already run your own backup tooling and the bundle is dead weight

Specs, side by side

SpecCrucial X9 ProWD My Passport SSD
InterfaceUSB 3.2 Gen 2USB 3.2 Gen 2
ShellAluminum, IP55 ratedAluminum top, textured
Capacities1 TB to 4 TB—
Software—Hardware encryption plus backup tools

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Is the 2023 Crucial X9 Pro the safer pick over the 2020 WD My Passport SSD?
Crucial X9 Pro leads on Performance, Value, Durability and Ease of use. If Design matters more to you, take the WD My Passport SSD instead. The 3-year gap shows in the totals as 8.1 against 7.8.
What does the 2020 model still win?
On Design, yes. That axis still goes to the 2020 model. The 2023 one answers with Performance, Value, Durability and Ease of use.
Which one ranks higher in "No Mac has the port the fastest drives need"?
Crucial X9 Pro sits at #2 in "No Mac has the port the fastest drives need", WD My Passport SSD at #4.