Skip to main content
Western Digital 4TB My Passport SSD External Portable Solid State Drive, Grey, Up to 1,050 MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen-2 and USB-C Compatible (USB-A for older systems) – WDBAGF0040BGY-WESN
Western Digital

Western Digital 4TB My Passport SSD External Portable Solid State Drive

Bottom line: The Western Digital 4TB My Passport SSD External Portable Solid State ($719.99 on Amazon as of 2026-10-07): NVMe speeds up to 1,050 MB/s read, 1,000 MB/s write; main trade-off: 4TB tier costs far more per TB than 1TB or 2TB models.

$719.99

As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →

Mike Perry — Hardware researcher since 2014. For external drives and portable storage, synthesises manufacturer specs and independent reviews rather than first-hand lab testing. Core beat: GPU performance across gaming, rendering, and local-LLM inference.

*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-07. Price and availability subject to change.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓ NVMe speeds up to 1,050 MB/s read, 1,000 MB/s write
  • ✓ Hardware 256-bit AES encryption with password unlock
  • ✓ Drop resistant to 6.5 ft plus shock and vibration resistance
  • ✓ 4TB in a pocketable metal enclosure
  • ✓ 5-year manufacturer's limited warranty

Cons

  • ✗ 4TB tier costs far more per TB than 1TB or 2TB models
  • ✗ Needs USB 3.2 Gen-2 to hit rated speed; USB-A drops throughput
  • ✗ Requires Windows 10+ or macOS 11+, so older systems miss support
  • ✗ Rated speeds are WD internal testing, not independent benchmarks

Manufacturer description

Western Digital's 4TB My Passport SSD packs NVMe speed into a pocketable metal shell, hitting read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and writes up to 1,000 MB/s over USB 3.2 Gen-2. That's fast enough to move a 4K project timeline, a Steam library, or a full disk image in a fraction of the time a spinning portable drive would take, and the bundled USB-C connection falls back to USB-A so older desktops and laptops stay in the picture. Security is handled in hardware: password-enabled 256-bit AES encryption keeps client work, tax records, and personal archives locked down if the drive walks off. The grey…

SpecPicks Verdict

SpecPicks scored Western Digital 4TB My Passport SSD External Portable Solid State… using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the external storage category. Western Digital's external storage lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.

Common buyer scenarios for external storage of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast is the WD 4TB My Passport SSD?

Western Digital rates it at up to 1,050 MB/s read and up to 1,000 MB/s write using NVMe technology. Those figures come from WD internal testing, and real speed depends on your host device, port, and workload.

Does it work with Mac and Windows?

Yes. Western Digital lists compatibility with Windows 10 and later and macOS 11 and later. Mac users who want APFS or Time Machine support should reformat the drive after unboxing.

Can I plug it into an older USB-A computer?

Yes. The drive is cross compatible with USB 3.2 Gen-2 and USB-C, with USB-A support for older systems. Expect lower transfer speeds on an older USB-A port than the rated 1,050 MB/s.

Is the data on the drive encrypted?

It supports password-enabled 256-bit AES hardware encryption, so the contents stay locked without your password. You set the password through WD's included software rather than at the OS level.

How durable is it for travel?

The My Passport SSD is shock and vibration resistant and drop resistant up to 6.5 feet (1.98 m), which covers most bag and desk accidents. Western Digital includes a 5-year limited warranty; check the product listing for current terms.

Key Features

  • Blazing fast NVMe technology with speeds of up to 1050MB/s and write speeds of up to 1000MB/s | Based on read speed unless otherwise stated. As used for transfer rate, 1 MB/s = one million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors..date transfer rate:1050.0 megabits_per_second.Compatibility : Windows 10+ operating systems, macOS 11+.
  • Password enabled 256-bit AES hardware encryption
  • Shock and vibration resistant. Drop resistant up to 6.5ft (1.98m)
  • Cross Compatible USB 3.2 Gen-2 and USB-C (USB-A for older systems)
  • 5-year manufacturer's limited warranty

Full Specifications

BrandWestern Digital
ColorGray
Model NameMy Passport SSD
Read Speed1050 megabytes_per_second
Media Speed1000
ConnectivityUSB-C
Model NumberWDBAGF0040BGY-WESN
CompatibilityMac
Built-In MediaPortable SSD drive, Quick Start Guide, USB Type-C to Type-A adapter, USB Type-C to Type-C cable (supports USB 3.2 Gen 2), WD Discovery software for backup and password protection
Item Type NameSolid State Drive
Mfr Part NumberWDBAGF0040BGY-WESN
Vibration/RumbleYes
Flash Memory TypeSSD
Compatible DevicesMac, Personal Computer
Additional FeaturesDrop Resistant, External, Portable, Shock Resistant, Vibration Proof
Warranty Description5-year manufacturer's limited warranty
Hardware ConnectivityUSB Type C
Memory Storage Capacity4 TB
Item Dimensions D x W x H3.94"D x 2.17"W x 0.35"H
Full listing titleWestern Digital 4TB My Passport SSD External Portable Solid State Drive, Grey, Up to 1,050 MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen-2 and USB-C Compatible (USB-A for older systems) – WDBAGF0040BGY-WESN

Ready to buy?

Western Digital 4TB My Passport SSD External Portable Solid State Drive, Grey, Up to 1,050 MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen-2 and USB-C Compatible (USB-A for older systems) – WDBAGF0040BGY-WESN is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.

Buy on Amazon — $719.99

*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-07. Price and availability subject to change.

Related External Storage

More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive

Browse all articles & guides →

More reviews from the SpecPicks archive

Browse all reviews →

Earliest SpecPicks reviews

Browse full archive →