CORSAIR EX400U: Everything You Need to Know

Compact and portable solid state drives (SSDs) with fast read and write speeds are an essential part of a mobile lifestyle. Whether connecting to Windows laptops or MacBooks, or even to your compatible mobile devices such as a smartphone or tablet. The MagSafe-compatible magnetic back makes it easy to attach to compatible devices.

The EX400U offers versatile USB4 connectivity via a USB Type-C port with broad compatibility to most USB and Thunderbolt ports. Available in 1TB, 2TB or 4TB capacities, the EX400U SSD delivers up to 4,000MB/sec sequential read and up to 3,600MB/sec sequential write speeds over a USB4 or higher connection which offers up to 40Gbps.

Fast transfer speeds are essential when working with large files, such as video editing, or a large number of files, such as photo editing. Of course, like any external storage device, the EX400U can be used to store all kinds of files, or it can be used for backups or to expand your system's limited storage space.

The EX400U is a small and lightweight powerhouse, measuring 64.3mm x 64mm x 12mm / 2.53" x 2.52" x 0.47" and weighing 383g / 13.51oz. It has a white LED to indicate power and data transfer status. The included 30cm USB-C to USB-C cable is USB4 and can also be used to provide up to 60W of power to compatible devices. The EX400U does not require a separate power source and is fully powered by a compatible host.

The bottom of the EX400U features a magnetic ring for easy attachment to any MagSafe-compatible device, such as iPhones. It supports iOS and iPadOS devices with compatible USB-C or Thunderbolt ports to store files and videos directly from the device to the drive.

At the heart of the EX400U is a USB4.0 controller that enables unprecedented data transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps. This performance leap is especially noticeable when compared to its predecessor, the EX100U, which maxed out at 20 Gbps with USB 3.2. Whether you're editing 4K video files, transferring large datasets, or running applications directly from the drive, the EX400U delivers lightning-fast results with minimal latency. Simply put, this drive is designed to save you time and keep you productive, no matter what the workload.

The included USB4 Type-C to Type-C cable is the best solution for connecting EX400U to your PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet. The fastest available transfer speeds are used depending on the device connected.

Left your cable at home? Other cables will probably do the job, though not necessarily as fast as the USB4 cable that comes with the drive. Good cables to connect the drive to are any that can support at least 10Gbps transfer speed. Slower cables that allow 5Gbps or even just 480Mbps will also work, but depending on the file size you are dealing with, you will have to wait.

The drive can also handle USB-C to USB-A cables, but again at the expense of transfer speed.

Cloud storage is great, except when it is not. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you need a specific file that is stored in your cloud drive, but you have no internet connection or a slow and unreliable one? Well, this is where an external SSD like the EX400U comes into play. You can easily store and backup important files that are just a fast USB-C connection away.

Sometimes, you may not want to store all your files in the cloud. This is another great use case for an external drive. You have direct control over your files.

Capturing ProRes footage directly from your iPhone and storing it right on the EX400U is easy. Simply connect it to your phone with the included cable, magnetically attach the drive to the back of your phone, and launch the camera application on your phone. The drive is automatically detected and videos are saved directly to the drive. When you are done shooting, you can simply take the drive to your editing station, plug it in, and transfer those videos to your PC with blazing fast transfer speeds, or edit directly with the files remaining on your drive.

The EX400U is compatible with the CORSAIR SSD Toolbox that offers additional control like secure erase and firmware updates.