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In this guide
Argos lists the SanDisk Extreme 1TB Portable SSD at £217.99 under catalogue number 891/8998. The photos show the black Extreme with the orange carabiner loop, the size is given as H0.97 × W5.26 × L10 cm, and the barcode is EAN 619659182557. Viking Direct UK lists that same barcode against SDSSDE61-1T00-G25. SanDisk UK's page for that model gives 100.8 × 52.55 × 9.6 mm, which agrees with the Argos size.
The Argos description is where it goes wrong. It promises 800 MB/s reads, drops from up to 2 m and a tough rubber hook. SanDisk rates this drive at up to 1050 MB/s read and 1000 MB/s write, with IP65 and up to three metres of drop protection, and calls the loop a carabiner. The guide below uses SanDisk's figures and treats the Argos numbers as a listing error, not a different drive.
Our verdict
The Argos drive is the SDSSDE61-1T00-G25, so SanDisk's figures apply: up to 1050 MB/s read, IP65 and up to three-metre drop protection. At £217.99 it undercuts SanDisk's own V3 by £15, a thin saving for an older drive.
- A good fit for
- Someone who wants a rugged 1 TB SSD from a high-street retailer with free in-store returns, and whose laptop has an ordinary 10 Gbps USB-C port.
- We would skip it if
- You can spend £15 more on the V3 from SanDisk's UK store, you need hardware encryption on a phone, or you want to see the model number on the retailer's page before paying.
Reasons to consider it
- £217.99 at Argos with Add to trolley live on 24 October 2026, and returns free at any Argos store.
- EAN 619659182557 is the barcode Viking Direct UK lists against SDSSDE61-1T00-G25, the model SanDisk UK rates at up to 1050 MB/s read and 1000 MB/s write.
- Five-year limited warranty, IP65 and up to three-metre drop protection on SanDisk UK's page for this model.
The compromises
- The Argos description says 800 MB/s, a 2 m drop and a rubber hook, which is not how SanDisk describes this drive.
- SanDisk UK lists the model but does not sell it direct; its own store sells the 1 TB V3 for £232.99.
- Password protection works on Windows and macOS only; SanDisk says it is not compatible with any USB-C phone.
What we have not verified: Not verified: delivery and collection stock for a given postcode (Argos only shows it after a postcode check), which production run Argos ships, and the 0.49 kg weight on the Argos page, which SanDisk does not list. No speed, heat or drop testing was done.
The things in this guide
A closer look at the products, who they may suit, and what to check before buying.
Extreme Portable SSD · 1TB (Black)
£217.99 with free store returns; the barcode matches SDSSDE61-1T00-G25, so SanDisk's 1050 MB/s, IP65 and three-metre ratings apply.
Before you buy: The Argos description misstates speed and drop rating, and the V3 costs only £15 more from SanDisk.
Price checked 25 October 2026. Retailer prices can change.Which drive Argos is actually selling
Argos prints no model number, so the identification rests on three things. The barcode, EAN 619659182557, is listed by Viking Direct against SDSSDE61-1T00-G25. The size, H0.97 × W5.26 × L10 cm, matches the 100.8 × 52.55 × 9.6 mm SanDisk gives for that model. And the photos show the Extreme's perforated face and orange carabiner loop.
The description fits a different drive. SanDisk's separate Portable SSD is the one Amazon UK lists with up to 800 MB/s, two-metre drop protection and a rubber hook, the same three claims as the Argos page. That reads like text from the wrong product page; the barcode and the photos both point to the Extreme.
1050 MB/s, if your port can take it
SanDisk UK rates the SDSSDE61 at up to 1050 MB/s read and 1000 MB/s write over USB 3.2 Gen 2, measured on a named desktop with an ASMedia controller. Those are sequential peaks. A laptop port, a hub or a phone will land lower, and SanDisk publishes nothing on write speed once a long copy outruns any cache.
USB 3.2 Gen 2 is a 10 Gbps link and 1050 MB/s sits near its ceiling. On a USB4 or Thunderbolt laptop this drive still runs at 10 Gbps, so the port you own decides whether a faster drive is worth paying for.
Three metres and IP65, not the 2 m Argos quotes
SanDisk UK's page gives this model IP65, tested to IEC 60529 with a 30 kPa water flow for three minutes, and up to three metres of drop protection. The drop figure carries no test method, so read it as SanDisk's claim rather than a standard. The drive must be clean and dry before it is plugged in.
The 2 m on Argos is not plucked from nowhere. Older listings for the same SDSSDE61, Viking Direct's among them, still say two metres and IP55, and SanDisk's footnote on Amazon UK says the product was requalified for its stated specifications, naming both IP55 and IP65. Either way, a drive bought today is covered by the five-year limited warranty SanDisk states for the model.
The lock works on a computer only
SanDisk lists iPhone and Android compatibility and also promises password protection with 256-bit AES hardware encryption. The footnote limits the password feature to Windows 8, Windows 10 and macOS 10.9 or later, and says it is not compatible with USB Type-C phones, Android included.
So a drive locked on a laptop cannot be unlocked on a phone. If the drive will live on a keyring next to a phone, plan on encrypting files on the phone itself.
£217.99 at Argos against £232.99 for the V3
SanDisk UK does not sell the SDSSDE61 direct; its page for the model only offers Find a Reseller. Its own store sells the 1 TB V3, SDSSDE70-1T00-G25, for £232.99 with free 30-day returns. That is £15 more than Argos for a drive SanDisk rates at up to 2000 MB/s read, with IP65, three metres and the same five-year warranty.
The V3's extra speed depends on the host, and SanDisk's page does not name the interface it needs, so on an ordinary 10 Gbps port the two drives may be closer than the headline suggests. The V3 box lists only a USB-C cable, where the SDSSDE61 also includes a USB-A adapter. Argos's advantage is the shop: an unwanted drive can go back to any store for free.
When to skip it
Skip the Argos drive if £15 more for the V3 is within reach and you have a port that can use the extra speed, or if you need encryption that a phone can unlock. Skip it too if a retailer's listing has to name the model number before you will pay.
Buy it if you want the documented Extreme ratings from a shop you can walk back into, your computer has a USB-A or ordinary USB-C port, and the 800 MB/s on the Argos page is the only thing holding you back. That figure belongs to a different drive.
How we put this together
Built from the product pages and listings below, without test scores or results we have not measured. Specifications and prices change, so check the original page for the exact model, current price, delivery, and returns.
- Argos: SanDisk Extreme 1TB Portable SSD (891/8998) (opens in a new tab)
- SanDisk UK: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD – 1 TB (Black), SDSSDE61-1T00-G25 (opens in a new tab)
- Viking Direct UK: SanDisk Extreme Portable 1 TB (Viking No. 1214966) (opens in a new tab)
- SanDisk UK: SANDISK Extreme Portable SSD (V3) – 1 TB, SDSSDE70-1T00-G25 (opens in a new tab)
- Amazon UK: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 1TB (Older Model), B08GTYFC37 (opens in a new tab)
- Amazon UK: SanDisk 1TB Portable SSD, Up to 800MB/s (B0F4RM3WZS) (opens in a new tab)
