Final Thoughts
Pricing and Availability
At the time of review, the Silicon Power SP Bolt B80 can be yours for £112.95 in the 240GB version I tested today. The smaller 120GB will cost you £95.89 while the larger 480GB version will cost you £204.37. The available stock is still limited with some capacities unavailable, but that should change soon.
Conclusion
Silicon Power created a unique drive, that’s for sure. The SP Bolt B80 doesn’t look like other drives with its UFO shape. Whether you like that or not, that’s a matter of taste. But I do! It looks and feels great. But it does so much more. The drive comes with close-to-the-best IP protection rating of IP68. Neither dust nor water will have much of a chance to hurt the Bolt B80. Drop protection is included as well and the drive passed the military 1.22-metre drop test. Silicon Power has a lot of experience with rugged drives and it shows in the Bolt B80.
The performance isn’t too bad either. In fact, the Bolt B80 performs great for an external drive. While it doesn’t break the speed barrier, it does an efficient job. It does such a good job that it lands the drive at the top-end of most our comparisons.
Everything got the premium treatment here. Not only is the Bolt B80 a beautiful aluminium-encased drive, the cable has the same quality. The connectors are aluminium too while the cable is braided. Even the packaging reflects the premium state. Overall, well done Silicon Power with these portable SSDs. A great start to a new market segment for the company.
Pros
- Good performance for an external SSD
- Extra durable with IP68 and drop protection
- Premium-feel on drive and cable
- Unique shape and UFO design
- Highly portable through small size and weight
Cons
- None
“Silicon Power shows that they can do the same to SSDs as they’ve done with HDDs for years. The Bolt B80 has the best in physical protection within its unique UFO shape.”
We would like to thank Silicon Power for this sample.
