Closer Look: Transcend ESD400 Portable SSD

Like the Samsung Portable SSD T3, the Transcend ESD400 is much smaller than a typical 2.5″ USB-powered external hard drive. There’s no standard size for external SSDs and the dimensions, while similar to the Samsung, are slightly different.

The case seems to be all plastic, and there’s a subtle diamond patters on the upper surface, along with a Transcend logo.

The back of the case notes that it’s a USB 3.0 SSD and has the capacity in gigabytes.

The rear of the drive has a button that invokes Transcend’s Elite backup software, and a USB 3.0 Micro B connector for power and data.

Accessories include a Quick Start Guide, which instructs you to plug the drive into a USB 3.0 port with the included cable, a USB 3.0 Type A to USB 3.0 Micro B adapter cable, and a slip pouch for transporting the drive,

A hidden indicator light glows and blinks during drive access:

Let’s take a look at the performance of this drive in the next section.