ADATA SE880 1TB Portable SSD (AELI-SE880-1TCGY)
By ADATA · External Ssds · Desk & Streaming Setup
- 1 TB capacity
- USB 3.2 Gen2 x2 Type-C (USB 20Gbps)
- Up to 2000 MB/s sequential read and write
- 5-year limited warranty
Price not listed
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- eBayView at eBay
- AmazonView at Amazon (paid link)
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Summary
A pocketable portable SSD built around USB 3.2 Gen2 x2 Type-C, with a claimed 2000 MB/s sequential read and write in a 64.8 × 35 × 12.25 mm, 31 g chassis. Check your host before you buy: the full speed needs a USB 3.2 Gen2 x2 port, which is uncommon, and sustained writes land far below the headline figure.
Strengths
- TweakTown measured 2,097 MB/s read, a lab record for a USB-interfaced portable SSD, and rated the drive 99% overall with no cons.
- Silicon Motion’s SM2320G native-USB controller gives broad compatibility down to USB 2.0 fallback.
- 64.8 × 35 × 12.25 mm and 31 g make it genuinely pocketable for the performance class.
- 5-year limited warranty, longer than many portable SSDs in this size class.
- Overclockers measured reads above 2000 MB/s and writes around 1800 MB/s, with 120 GB transfers averaging 616 MB/s write and 625 MB/s read.
Weaknesses
- Sustained real-world write throughput is far below the 2000 MB/s peak, around 500 MB/s in TweakTown’s 100 GB mixed test.
- No IP or dust/water resistance rating is claimed despite the metal shell.
- No activity LED is reported by TechPowerUp; Overclockers describes a blue LED on the end cap, an unresolved discrepancy.
- Owner-discussion evidence is minimal, and no long-term reliability or failure-rate data was found.
Verified specifications
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen2 x2 Type-C (USB 20Gbps). |
|---|---|
| Sequential read (max) | up to 2000 MB/s. |
| Sequential write (max) | up to 2000 MB/s. |
| Colors | Titanium Gray / Blue; review-era color was Titanium Gray only. |
| Warranty | 5-year limited warranty. |
| Controller | Silicon Motion SM2320G single-chip native USB SSD controller. |
| Dimensions | 64.8 × 35 × 12.25 mm (2.55 × 1.38 × 0.48 in). |
| Weight | 31 g (1.1 oz). |
| Volume | 28 cc (0.94 fl oz). |
| Materials | metal shell with plastic end caps; no MIL-spec dust or water resistance rating claimed. |
| Power | DC 5V, 900mA; a USB 2.0 connection requires a Y-cable for sufficient power. |
| In the box | USB Type-C to C cable, USB Type-C to A cable, Quick Start Guide; preinstalled user manual on the drive. |
| Red Dot Design Award 2022. | |
Full research notes and sources
Speeds and sustained writes
Independent testing supports the headline read figure: TweakTown measured 2,097 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark and recorded the highest read throughput it had seen from a USB device in its 100 GB DiskBench test. Overclockers measured CrystalDiskMark reads above 2000 MB/s and writes around 1800 MB/s, with ATTO at 2000/2000 MB/s and 120 GB transfers averaging 616 MB/s write and 625 MB/s read. TechPowerUp confirmed the 2000 MB/s interface speeds are reached. Sustained writes tell a different story: TweakTown’s 100 GB mixed-block test wrote around 500 MB/s. Buyers needing sustained write performance should not rely on the headline figure.
Host compatibility
The drive falls back to slower USB generations on older ports, and a USB 2.0 connection needs a Y-cable for power. The single-chip native-USB design is credited with broad backward compatibility, including USB 2.0, which a bridge-chip design may not match.
Build and durability
The chassis is metal with plastic end caps and weighs 31 g in a 28 cc volume. No activity LED is reported by TechPowerUp, while Overclockers describes a blue LED on the end cap, an unresolved possible revision difference. No MIL-spec dust or water resistance rating is claimed, so it should not be treated as rugged.
Is it worth it?
At the May 2022 Newegg price of about $129.99 for 1TB, the SE880 offered strong value: interface-ceiling read speeds, broad compatibility, a 5-year warranty, and a 28 cc pocketable form factor, with TweakTown rating it 99% with no cons. Value weakens if the host lacks USB 3.2 Gen2 x2, since realizable speeds drop to the USB 3.2 Gen2 x1 ceiling. Current US retail pricing for the 1TB Titanium Gray variant was not established from reviewed sources, so treat $129.99 (May 2022) as a historical anchor only. Owner-discussion evidence is minimal: one Overclockers forum comment called it a nice fast little portable drive.
Which model this is
Do not confuse it with the ADATA SE800, SE900, SE760 or SE770G, which use different controllers and form factors. The Amazon listing for the seed variant is ASIN B09VS3FCQ2.
Sources
Manufacturer:
- ADATA SE880 external SSD product page
- SE880 external SSD datasheet (PDF)
- External storage quick start guide (PDF)
Independent reviews:
Owner reports:
- No owner-report threads were located beyond a single forum comment on Overclockers.
