The Silicon Power Thunder T11 is a very special device. It aims to provide a high-speed external storage option to those who want to take advantage of their Thunderbolt port. Advertising speeds of up to 340 MB/s write and 380 MB/s read, it actually does sound very enticing. In reality, however, those speeds are rarely achievable, while its read figure seems more plausible than its advertised write speed. The upside of an actual SSD is its constant performance across various file sizes and the performance boost it brings to more demanding scenarios, like video editing - scenarios where traditional hard drives and even SSDs in USB 3.0 enclosures fall short. While USB 3.0 flash drives have matured vastly in recent times, offering speeds in excess of this drive's speeds on paper, they tend to be slow with small files, to name an example. Our review unit got somewhat hot while idling, connected to the Macbook Air, and while Silicon Power does mention higher temperatures, also telling us not to worry, I am a bit worried by the fact that the drive throttles down once it get too toasty. An issue for hardcore users, our sample never caused any problems.

The Silicon Power Thunder T11 ultimately is not for everyone. I do not see enough reasons for Windows users to grab this drive over a much cheaper USB 3.0 flash drive, especially considering Thunderbolt-equipped motherboards sell at a price premium. But for Apple users who essentially get Thunderbolt with every notebook or desktop PC for free, the T11 is an interesting alternative, even if it comes at a price premium just like most Apple-specific gear out there.