Best external ssd 2022: Best External Hard Drives and SSDs of 2022

How to Build Your Own SSD: Fast, Roomy Storage for Less — Tom’s Hardware

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

If you’re after speedy local storage that’s more drop-resistant and (much) faster than a portable hard drive, an external solid-state drive or SSD is a great option, and you can find the best external SSDs (and hard drives) we’ve tested here. But solid-state storage can be expensive—especially if your capacity requirements run into the terabytes.

One way to save money and possibly achieve even more speed is to build your own external SSD. This can be especially cost-effective if you happen to have an internal drive laying around after upgrading your laptop with something roomier or speedier (or both).

But even if you have to start from scratch and buy a new SSD, building your own drive can be cheaper than buying an off-the-shelf external SSD, especially at higher capacities. On top of that,you can get much faster performance. But the amount you’ll save often goes up at higher capacities, especially if you can snag a roomy SSD on sale.

Cost Considerations

For instance, the 2TB version of our current favorite portable SSD, SanDisk’s Extreme Portable drive, sells for about $280 online. The drive inside it is SATA-based (like a regular-old hard drive), so its performance is capped at around 550MB per second (MBps). But you can pick up, say, a 2TB Intel 660p M.2 SSD on sale for around $185 these days, along with an NVMe-based enclosure from MyDigitalSSD or Plugable for $30-$50.

Going that route, you’ll save yourself between $45 and $65, and wind up with a drive that’s capable of speeds of more than three times as fast in sequential (large file) reads and writes than that SATA-based SanDisk Extreme Portable drive can ever hope to be. Although, as we’ll see in testing, the actual speed you’ll see with these NVMe enclosures is only about twice that of SATA. Still, nearly 1GBps of sequential read and write speeds is stunningly fast, especially if you’re used to moving large files around with an average old-school USB flash drive.

If you go with a lower-capacity drive, even a budget-focused NVMe model like Western Digital’s WD Blue SN500, which is about $65 for its top 500GB capacity, once you add $30 or more for an enclosure, you’re going to be slightly above the current $90 price of the 500GB SanDisk Extreme Portable. But you’d still wind up with a much faster drive for a similar price.

You’ll Need Fast Ports to Benefit From NVMe Drives

Keep in mind, though, that you’ll need to be plugged into a desktop or laptop with a fast USB 3.1 Gen 2 port to achieve those higher speeds. If you’re plugged in via a USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen 1 port, the drive’s speed will be bottlenecked at a theoretical max of about 640MBps. That’s technically faster (by about 90MBps) than the top speed of a SATA-based drive, but with bus overhead and whatever else is passing through that USB controller, you probably won’t see a major speed benefit. So if you don’t have a device with newer, faster ports (be they of the USB-C or USB-A variety), there’s no serious speed benefit gained by using an NVMe-based M. 2 drive.

If you have an existing SATA-based M.2 SSD or you want to buy one because you don’t have faster ports or you don’t need the maximum speed to move your files to and from your drive, Silverstone sells a Mobile Series MS09 enclosure specifically designed for SATA-based M.2 drives. That device is available in a trio of colors, as well as a shorter MS09-Mini model that’s even more pocket-friendly. Keep in mind, though, that the shorter model can only handle 42mm-length drives, which are fairly uncommon in the US, and at the moment seem to top out at 1TB.

If you want a spacious portable drive, you’ll want to go with one of the longer enclosures, the other enclosures here all support the more-common 80mm drive length. It’s also worth pointing out that while the NVMe enclosures from Plugable and MyDigitalSSD have external, removable cables (so you can switch between USB-C and USB-A plugs if necessary), the Silverstone drive has a built-in, slide-out USB-A connector.

That’s convenient in the sense that there isn’t an extra cable to misplace or leave behind. But depending on where your USB ports are, having a 4.3-inch-long metal enclosure sticking out of your PC with no flexibility can be inconvenient. And if you happen to bump into it or hit it with something while it’s plugged in, you could potentially damage your device and / or port.

A Quick Look at Performance

We wanted to give you a sense of what kind of speed is available with these M.2 enclosures, so we put a few of them through a standard CrystalDiskmark run, focusing primarily on sequential reads and writes, because roomy portable drives like these are used primarily for toting collections of large files. If huge amounts of small files are what you deal with, it’s probably more convenient to put your files in the cloud or on your own locally hosted NAS device, since speed of access for smaller files is less important.

Because we don’t have a SanDisk Extreme Portable handy to run this test, we’re going to give it the benefit of the doubt and run with the drive’s rated read speed of “up to 550MBps,” although our own testing indicates that sustained write performance is somewhat lower than that, as is usually the case.

Now, let’s look at the kind of performance we can get from the WD Blue SN500 NVMe drive in the 500GB capacity that we tested. We tested both drives on a custom-build AMD Ryzen 2000 PC with an ASRock B450 motherboard, with the drives plugged into USB 3.1 Gen2 ports to allow for the fastest performance possible. First, let’s look at our results from the MyDigitalSSD enclosure:

And here’s a look at the same SSD in the Pluggable enclosure…

As you can see, as we noted up top, the performance with an NVMe drive and compatible enclosure is just a bit under twice what you can expect from a SATA-based external SSD. As we saw in our review of the bare WD Blue SN500, the drive is actually capable of faster speeds — about 1,700MBps read and 1,400MBps writes. But clearly the controller in both of these enclosures is the bottleneck here. So there’s no real benefit in buying a faster drive.

Also, the difference in performance between the two enclosures is roughly within the benchmark-run variance. So there’s no performance reason to opt for one over the other. The Plugable enclosure is tool-free, letting you flip a switch, open the enclosure and drop in a drive. That’s easier than installing a drive in the MyDigitalSSD enclosure, which requires a small Phillips Head screwdriver. But most users are only going to install a drive once or twice, so we don’t think there’s a huge difference there, either.

Now, let’s look at what Silverstone’s MS09 SATA enclosure can deliver. For this testing, we used a 500GB SATA-based WD Blue 3D SSD.

As you can see, the 553MBps read and 523MBps sequential write speed for the WD drive in the SilverStone inclosure is also roughly on par with the rated speed from SanDisk’s Extreme Portable SSD. So while you won’t be able to squeeze more speed out of a SATA drive, you should still be able to get about the same speed if you build your own.

Final Thoughts

So if you can get a speedier or more-spacious external SSD compared to a pre-built model at about the same price (if you choose your parts wisely), is building your own a no-brainer? Well, that depends.

Keep in mind that, while either option should hold up about as well to accidental drops and bumps — thanks in large part to a lack of moving parts — external drive enclosures tend to lack any kind of waterproofing or dustproofing. In fact the MyDigitalSSD enclosure has vent holes where, if you look closely, you can see the internal components. So you’ll want to be very careful in bad weather conditions not to expose your drive to dust and/or moisture.

But drives like the SanDisk Extreme Portable (and several competitors) are properly sealed against moisture and dust. The SanDisk drive is IP55 rated, which means it should handle low-pressure water and a reasonable amount of dust (the kinds of things you might encounter on a rough commute or a short hike to your favorite photography spot) without issue.

So in short, you can save some money if you shop smartly and build your own external SSD, while also getting better performance than similarly priced pre-build models. But you’ll save the most money if you’re after a high-capacity external drive, and you’ll need devices with fast USB 3 Gen2 ports to take advantage of the extra speed. But if you frequently travel with your drive, and particularly use out outdoors under adverse weather conditions, you may want to consider opting for a pre-build model for the added dust and water protections that some models provide.

Either way, unless all you do with your portable storage is do incremental backups, it’s a good time to consider upgrading to an external SSD over an old portable hard drive. Prices on the former have fallen dramatically, drives have become more roomy, and there’s no denying the sluggish, the unreliable nature of “spinning rust” HDDs—especially in situations where they can (and eventually will) be dropped.

I know I’ll never buy another hard drive again. I’ve lost too many irreplaceable files on several failed drives over the last several years. Are you ready to switch to external solid-state storage, or is the price of roomy portable hard drives still too low for you to resist? Let us know in the comments.

MORE: Best SSDs

MORE: How We Test HDDs And SSDs

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After a rough start with the Mattel Aquarius as a child, Matt built his first PC in the late 1990s and ventured into mild PC modding in the early 2000s. He’s spent the last 15 years covering emerging technology for Smithsonian, Popular Science, and Consumer Reports, while testing components and PCs for Computer Shopper, PCMag and Digital Trends.

Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch Portable HDD Review: A Secure Backup Destination — Tom’s Hardware

Tom’s Hardware Verdict

Seagate’s Backup Plus Ultra Touch tries to market the sense of touch into external storage. While the value of that comes down to your opinion, we definitely recommend this drive to those who want to get in touch with their backup and data security sides.There’s also some good value-add software, and USB-C support is a big plus.

Cons

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No rubber feet

Today’s best Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch (2TB) deals

No price information

For more information visit their website

Features and Specifications

If you are in the market for a backup drive, Seagate’s Backup Plus series of external HDDs may already be on your shortlist. But with so many options, it can be hard to navigate which one is best for you. Seagate’s Backup Plus series alone is split into 3 product groups, sorted by capacity and feature options, which can be a bit confusing if you’re a storage newbie. And even if you know what features you need, you could miss out on something a feature worth considering and not know it too. So, let’s break things down a bit for you.

Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch Portable HDD ( (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware))

The Backup Plus Slim, which is under a half-inch thick, comes in capacities of 1TB and 2TB and is available in four colors.The higher-capacity 4TB and 5TB models are about twice as thick and come in under the Portable naming scheme and feature just 3 color options. These are your average run-of-the-mill 2.5-inch 5400RPM external HDDs. Their performance is rather normal for an external 2.5-inch HDD and with USB 3.0 connectivity, they cover most people’s needs.

But, alongside the Slim models, Seagate has released the Ultra Touch. One of the best external hard drives you can get, the Ultra Touch has two distinct features — three if you want to include the textured finish, but we don’t warrant that as much of a buying factor to consider, as much as Seagate may want us to.

Specifications

Product	Backup Plus Ultra Touch 1TB	Backup Plus Ultra Touch 2TB
Pricing	$59.99	$79.99
Capacity	1TB	2TB
Interface / Protocol	USB / USB 3.1 Gen 1	USB / USB 3.1 Gen 1
Included Cable (s)	18″ SuperSpeed Micro-B to Type-A cable; Type-A to Type C adapter	18″ SuperSpeed Micro-B to Type-A cable; Type-A to Type C adapter
Sequential Read	140 MB/s	140 MB/s
Sequential Write	140 MB/s	140 MB/s
Storage Media	2. 5″ 5400RPM HDD	2.5″ 5400RPM HDD
Default File System	exFAT	exFAT
Power	Bus-powered	Bus-powered
Security	AES-256 encryption	AES-256 encryption
Dimensions (L x W x H)	11.7 x 78 x 114.8 mm	11.7 x 78 x 114.8 mm
Weight	151g	151g
Part Number	White: STHh2000400Black: STHh2000402	White: STHh3000400Black: STHh3000402
Warranty	2-Years	2-Years

What we consider more important is the fact that that the Touch drives come with USB-C compatibility. But rather than feature a USB-C port on the device itself or a full-blown USB-C cable like LaCie products have, Seagate simply includes a small USB-A to USB-C adapter in the box to check off that compatibility checkbox. This is a rather boring feature, but important to consider, as laptop manufacturers are moving more and more to the new smaller connector.

The most important differentiator between the Ultra Touch and its competitors is a bit more intriguing. It features AES 256-bit encryption to keep your precious data secure. You wouldn’t want to leave your backup drive somewhere by mistake and give some stranger access to all your personal files, photos, videos, etc., would you? The Ultra Touch aims to prevent that with this handy feature. Some competing drives offer this as well, so keep a lookout for it if you’re shopping for a portable storage drive.

Seagate’s Backup Plus Ultra Touch comes in capacities of 1TB and 2TB at this time and is available in both black and white. Performance stats aren’t listed in their marketing documents. But in our testing, they can at least hit 140MBps. And warranty coverage comes in at 2-years.

Software and Accessories

Included with the drive is one 18-inch USB micro-B to USB Type-A cable for broad compatibility and the USB-C adapter. This means it should also work with most Thunderbolt 3 ports, which can switch into a USB compatible mode.

From the factory, the Ultra Touch comes pre-formatted as exFAT so that it is both PC and Mac compatible. Pre-loaded on the drive are a warranty document and a quick start application, which helps you get started on the company’s value-add software.

Toolkit is the backup and utility software. It will help you enable the encryption feature as well as automate file backups. As value adds, Seagate offers a year subscription Mylio, which lets you to protect, edit, share, and sync your photos across multiple devices, and a two-month complimentary membership to Adobe’s Creative Cloud Photography Plan.

Closer Look

Image 1 of 6

As we mentioned earlier, the Ultra Touch has a somewhat different look to it than other externals: It features a textured finish that reminded us of luxurious upholstery. On our white review sample has a top section with a grey textured finish. Physically, the drive measures 11.7 x 78 x 114.8 mm and weighs 151 grams (a third of a pound).

Additionally, the USB 3.0 connectivity on the drive end is provided by a SuperSpeed Micro-B port rather than an integrated USB-C port. This is a bit of a bummer, but unfortunately common in the category. If you need to connect to a USB-C port, you’ll need an adapter cable like the one that comes bundled.

MORE: Best SSDs

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Sean is a Contributing Editor at Tom’s Hardware US, covering storage hardware.

USB 4: Everything We Know, Including Apple Support

Get ready for a whole new generation of USB. First announced in 2019, «USB4” (official spelling lacks a space, but we’re using one in this article to reflect the way readers search) is finally appearing in some shipping computers, including Apple’s new M1-powered iMacs, its M1-based Macbooks and Mac Mini and laptops with Intel 11th Gen Tiger Lake laptops. You won’t find a ton of devices marketed as USB 4 at the moment, but a new generation of USB 4-powered docks and peripherals is trickling in.

USB 4 promises a host of benefits that include faster transfer speeds, better management of video bandwidth and optional compatibility with Thunderbolt 3.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Sergei Kardashev)

In a marketplace where PC and peripheral vendors use a confusing array of USB version numbers to market their products, the idea of a new standard might seem overwhelming. However, there’s also a lot to look forward to. Here’s everything you need to know about USB 4.

Main Benefits of USB 4

The new USB 4 standard has three main benefits over prior versions of USB.

40 Gbps Maximum Speed: By using two-lane cables, devices are able to operate at up to 40 Gbps, the same speed as Thunderbolt 3. The data is transmitted in two sets of four bidirectional lanes.

DisplayPort Alt Mode 2. 0: USB 4 supports DisplayPort 2.0 over its alternative mode. DisplayPort 2.0 can support 8K resolution at 60 Hz with HDR10 color. DisplayPort 2.0 can use up to 80 Gbps, which is double the amount available to USB data, because it sends all the data in one direction (to the monitor) and can thus use all eight data lanes at once.

Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 devices: Some, but not necessarily all USB 4 implementations will also work with Thunderbolt 3 devices.

Better Resource Allocation for Video, PCIe: In lieu of alternative mode where the other interface takes over the connection, USB 4 devices can use a process called «protocol tunneling» that sends DisplayPort, PCIe and USB packets at the same time while allocating bandwidth accordingly.
So, if the video only needs 20 percent of the bandwidth to drive your 1080p monitor that’s also a hub, the other 80 percent will be free for transferring files from your external SSD which can operate over either USB protocol or PCIe.

Will Use Type-C Ports

This almost goes without saying: USB 4 will only operate over the Type-C connector. Don’t expect to see a USB 4 device or hub with old-fashioned Type-A ports. That’s no surprise, as other recent standards such as USB Power Delivery only work on Type-C. If you do connect to, for example, a Type-A, 5 Gbps USB 3 port by using an adapter, the speed and power will drop down to the lowest common denominator.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Schuchrat Kurbanov)

Compatible With Thunderbolt 3 Optionally

Intel made news when it said it had given the Thunderbolt 3 protocol to USB Promoter Group, allowing devices with USB 4 ports to potentially be compatible with Thunderbolt 3 devices and USB 4 devices to attach to Thunderbolt 3. That’s good news for everyone, especially laptop users who want to play games by connecting an eGPU (external graphics card).

Though there are a number of Thunderbolt 3 eGPUs out there, few laptops and desktops come with Thunderbolt 3 and almost no motherboards support Thunderbolt 3 out of the box. Because Thunderbolt is an Intel standard, you won’t find it on any AMD-powered computer. Thunderbolt 3 is also more expensive to implement than standard USB, because it’s not an open standard and it requires an extra chip. So today, if you want an eGPU or a super-speedy Thunderbolt 3 storage drive, your choice of computer is very limited.

With USB 4, device and host manufacturers won’t have to pay Intel any royalties so there’s a much better chance of mass adoption. However, there’s a catch: Thunderbolt compatibility is not a required part of the USB 4 spec so manufacturers don’t have to implement it. You could end up buying a laptop with USB 4 and find that it doesn’t work with, say, your Razer Core X graphics dock.

“We do expect PC vendors to broadly support Thunderbolt backward compatibility, because most of what they need is already built into the USB 4 design,” USB Implementers Forum Chairman Brad Saunders said. “It’s based on the same technology so we do anticipate a high rate of adoption there, but the phone guys will probably choose not to add the extra little bit they need to be backward compatible. ”

So far, Apple is touting its M1 computers as having Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 ports and new Tiger Lake laptops such as the Dell XPS 13 say that they support USB 4 / Thunderbolt 4. Unfortunately, despite having these ports, the new Macs don’t work with external GPUs.

However, it’s important to remember that Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 are logo certification programs from Intel that cost manufacturers time and money. So, while a USB 4-powered computer could work with 40 Gbps devices or even those labeled as Thunderbolt, it may not be listed as supporting Thunderbolt if it doesn’t go through certification.

It also makes sense that, for example, a phone or tablet vendor would save money by not giving 40 Gbps transfer speeds or support for transmitting PCIe data. You wouldn’t (and couldn’t) connect your phone to an eGPU or top-performing external SSD.

Two Speeds of USB 4

Though it can hit theoretical speeds of up to 40 Gbps, not all USB devices or hosts will support that standard. Expect Smaller and less-expensive devices such as phones and Chromebooks to use the 20 Gbps version of USB 4, which is still a lot faster than the USB 3.x 5 Gbps connection you get from most laptops today (though 10 and 20 Gbps USB 3.2 connections do exist). Make sure to look at the specs if you want the fastest USB 4 connection available.

USB 4 Labels Won’t Use Version Number

So how will you know if the device you’re buying is USB 4 compatible? Manufacturers may mention USB 4 in their spec sheets, but the USB-IF’s logo program focuses purely on the connection’s transfer speed, which is either 20 or 40 Gbps.

(Image credit: USB Implementers Forum)

The certification logos, which you will see on retail packaging and also occasionally on the devices themselves, will be labeled as either USB 20 Gbps or USB 40 Gbps or the USB trident logo with a 20 or 40 next to it.

Now, it’s important to note that there is also a SuperSpeed USB 20 Gbps standard, technically USB 3. 2, and that does not have the other features of USB 4. However, that would have a different logo.

It’s also worth mentioning that many of the millions of USB products on the market don’t have official certification from the USB-IF so they can’t use these logos at all. So, despite the organization’s best efforts, it’s likely that you will see a lot of products using the term USB 4 in their product descriptions.

Great at Sharing Bandwidth Between Video and Data

A big part of the USB 4 spec is protocol tunneling, the ability to dynamically adjust the amount of resources that are available when you are sending both video and data over the same connection. So, let’s say that you have USB 4 with a 40 Gbps maximum and you’re outputting to a 4K monitor while copying a ton of files from an external SSD. And let’s stipulate that the video feed needs about 12.5 Gbps. In that case, USB 4 would allocate the remaining 27.5 Mbps to your backup drive.

USB-C introduced “alternative mode,” the ability to transmit DisplayPort / HDMI video from a Type-C port, but the current 3. x spec doesn’t provide a good way to split up resources. According to Saunders, DisplayPort alt mode can split the bandwidth between USB data and video data exactly 50/50, and HDMI alt mode doesn’t allow simultaneous USB data at all.

However, with protocol tunneling, USB 4 is sending the DisplayPort, PCIe or USB as data packets and can therefore control the resource allocation.

“With USB SuperSpeed, we didn’t have quite the flexibility in architecture to really manage those two distinct bandwidths [data and video] in a combined fashion over the connector,” Saunders said. “So this is really optimized for more scalability between the different application types.”

All USB 4 Hosts Support USB PD

Where some current-day USB Type-C devices support the USB Power Delivery (USB PD) standard for carrying electricity to high-powered devices, not all of them do. Every USB 4 device and host will have to comply with USB PD, which allows for higher wattages and better power management.

USB PD can theoretically provide up to 100 watts, but charging devices do not have to support that amount of power. So there’s no guarantee that a given USB 4 port would give or take the amount that a particular notebook requires to operate, but you can expect it to follow the spec.

Backward Compatible With Older Devices

The best thing about all generations of USB is how well they work together. USB 4 will work with USB 3 and USB 2 devices and ports. It should go without saying, though, that you’ll only get the speed and capabilities of the weakest part of your connection. A USB 4 device won’t be able to transfer at 40 Gbps when you hook it to a USB 3.2 port and an old-school USB 2 port won’t suddenly get faster just because you connect it to a brand new USB 4 backup drive.

Your Old Cables Will Work At Their Maximum Speeds

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Your existing USB cables and adapters will work with USB 4, but as with everything else that’s backward compatible, they will only operate at their maximum rated speeds. So, if you have a USB 3.2 cable that can operate at 5 Gbps, you’ll only get up to 5 Gbps, even if you are using it to connect a USB 4 port to a USB 4 device. To get Thunderbolt 3 support, you’ll likely need a Thunderbolt 3 cable.

Thunderbolt 4 is USB 4 with All the Trimmings

At the same time we’re seeing the emergence of USB 4, Intel’s Thunderbolt 4 is hitting the market, but the two standards aren’t actually in competition. To have a computer or peripheral certified as Thunderbolt 4, the manufacturer has to get a certification from Intel which proves that it’s capable of supporting all the capabilities of USB 4, including Thunderbolt 3 support.

Thunderbolt 4 is little more than a label which proves that this device has been signed off on by Intel at some expense to the manufacturer. If you see a product touting Thunderbolt 4 support, what it really means is that it is USB 4 with 40 Gbps connectivity and backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 3 devices. However, as we’ve seen, even a computer like the new Apple MacBook Pro, which is «Thunderbolt 3» compatible, may not work with Thunderbolt 3 eGPUs.

«Thunderbolt 4 is a branding program,» Saunders said. «And the branding program, as Intel as communicated it, is effectively USB 4 with some requirements that it support all the high-end features, some of which are optional.»

Will Cost More to Manufacture Than USB 3.2

One hurdle for mass adoption is the added cost of USB 4. While we don’t know exactly how much it will cost for PC and device vendors to add USB 4 connectivity, we know that it will require more expensive components than the latest current standard, USB 3.2.

“I think it’s going to be something less than Thunderbolt, but not as inexpensive as SuperSpeed in terms of the actual material cost to the product developer,” Saunders said. “It takes a lot of gates to do it and the product still does all the SuperSpeed stuff.”

Saunders added that he hopes the costs will come down quickly. However, we’d guess that the cost differential will push USB 4 onto higher end PCs, at least at first.

Why USB 4 is Officially Spelled as “USB4” (No Space)

Unlike every other version of USB, the new spec is officially spelled without a space before the version number. While we think that most people will probably write it as USB 4, the official name is USB4. USB Promoter Group CEO Brad Saunders explained that his goal in removing the space was to take the focus off of version numbers and onto a brand name.

“One of the things I’ve trying to signal right now is that we don’t plan to get into a 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 kind of iterative path,” he told us. “And we don’t want it to be associated and used with products as a differentiator . . . we want to keep it as simple as possible.”

The USB 3.x spec has been filled with different version numbers, including USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB 3.1 Gen 2 and four different versions of USB 3.2, in addition to the presence or absence of optional features such as USB PD and alternate mode. But Saunders told us that those numbers are really for developers and he wishes that OEMs would use simpler terms like “SuperSpeed USB” when marketing their products.

Perhaps because of his concern about marketers throwing too many digits at consumers, Saunders said the organization does not plan to use version numbers for spec updates. So, even if there’s a faster iteration in two years, it will likely still be called USB 4 but with the speed number after (we imagine something like USB 4 80 Gbps). He and his team still haven’t decided on a branding strategy, so there may also be a marketing name for USB 4. Much like USB 3.x is known as “SuperSpeed USB,” USB 4 could end up with its own moniker (we suggest “Super Duper Speed USB”).

“I want it to be a clear distinction. USB 4 is its own architecture with its own set of speeds and try not get trapped on these dot releases for every single speed,” he said. “When and if it goes faster, we’ll simply have the faster version of the certification and the brand.”

USB 4 Products Today

As of this writing, there are only a handful of devices that are marketed as «USB 4» devices. These include the Kingston SD5700T docking station, an Acasis M.2 NVMe enclosure , the OWC Thunderbolt Hub and a Cable Matters 40 Gbps cable .

Even without dedicated USB 4 peripherals, you can take advantage of the spec by connecting to Thunderbolt 3 docks, eGPUs and high-speed SSDs.

Avram Piltch is Tom’s Hardware’s editor-in-chief. When he’s not playing with the latest gadgets at work or putting on VR helmets at trade shows, you’ll find him rooting his phone, taking apart his PC or coding plugins. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram developed many real-world benchmarks, including our laptop battery test.

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The Best External SSDs for 2022

Need to expand the local storage on your PC or Mac for music and movies, or all the pics and videos you collect from your phone? The traditional answer has been an external hard drive. The newer, better one is a portable solid-state drive (SSD).

Once prohibitively expensive, SSDs of all stripes, internal and external, have plunged in price over the past few years. Nowadays, pocket-size, USB-powered external SSDs deliver as much as 10 times the speed of portable hard drives, and much greater durability. They have no metal platters to spin up, nor any read/write heads that need to travel to a specific point on a platter to find the file you need. And a lack of moving parts makes mobile SSDs smaller, slimmer, and better suited to frequent travel and accidental drops than even ruggedized hard drives. Below, check out our favorite models we’ve tested from recent SSD reviews. Then read on for a detailed guide to how to shop for the portable SSD that best meets your needs.

More About Our Picks

ADATA SE800

4.5 Outstanding

Best External SSD for Most Users

Bottom Line:

The ADATA SE800 external SSD is everything you want in a shirt-pocket solid-state drive: sleek, tough, affordable, and snappy. It will make an excellent addition to your kit.

Pros

Small, light, and fast.
Highly durable.
Reasonable cost per gigabyte.
USB-C and USB-A cables included.

Cons

The provided cables are on the short side.

Why We Picked It

Its price per gigabyte is on the high side, but the ADATA SE800 is worth the money. The 2.8-by-1.7-inch shirt-pocket SSD is not only speedy but almost indestructible, with an IP68 ingress protection rating that means it’s both dustproof and waterproof (surviving for half an hour five feet underwater). This brushed-aluminum beauty comes with dual cables so it plugs into both USB Type-A and USB Type-C ports with no adapters or dongles required, though the cables might be a little short for desktop use (they’re fine with a laptop).

Who It’s For

If you don’t take your laptop outside, you might not need a drive built to survive rainy days and four-foot drops, but it’s nice to know your data has the extra protection the SE800 affords. Unless you’re on a tight budget, it’s hard to beat this sleek SSD.

Read Our ADATA SE800 Review

Crucial X8

4.0 Excellent

Best Budget External SSD

Bottom Line:

The Crucial X8 SSD is a sturdy little beauty that offers excellent performance and plenty of storage in a tiny package at an affordable price. It’s highly recommended for videophiles, gamers, and other data maniacs.

Pros

Small and sturdy.
Stylish all-metal chassis with rubberized ends.
Attractive cost per gigabyte.
Solid performance.
Includes a USB-C cable and USB-C-to-USB-A adapter.
Compatible with a wide range of devices.
Three-year warranty.

Cons

No activity light.
No backup utility.
USB-A dongle less elegant than a dedicated cable.

Why We Picked It

At 16.5 cents per gigabyte, the 1TB Crucial X8 is a pocket SSD that almost anyone can afford. It’s not ruggedized in the sense of being waterproof or dustproof, but it’ll shrug off a 7.5-foot drop onto a carpeted floor if you’re ever playing catch with your photos and videos, and can withstand a shock of 1,500 Gs. (You’ll be a thin layer of goo, but your last thought can be the consolation that your data’s all right. )

Who It’s For

The X8 is a no-frills SSD—it doesn’t have a data-access light or come with a backup software utility, and it makes do with a USB Type-C-to-A adapter instead of supplying dual discrete cables. But it delivers swift performance at a sensible price.

Read Our Crucial X8 Review

WD Black P50 Game Drive SSD

4.0 Excellent

Best External SSD for Gamers

Bottom Line:

The WD Black P50 Game Drive SSD is a visually striking, no-compromises repository for massive game files, though you’ll need a PC with rare USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support to harness its speeds to the fullest.

Pros

USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support offers blazing speeds
Durable, shock-resistant enclosure
Five-year warranty
Separate USB Type-C and Type-A cables included

Cons

Expensive
A bit bulky
Gen 2×2 ports are uncommon (though drive is backward-compatible)

Why We Picked It

The WD Black P50 Game Drive is relatively bulky for a portable solid-state drive (0. 55 by 4.7 by 2.4 inches), styled like a black rectangular shipping container with ribbed sides and hex screws in each corner. But it’s more than a industrial-kitsch fashion statement—thanks to a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, the P50’s rated peak read speed is a blistering 2,000MBps, fast enough to supplement the primary storage of your gaming PC. It also comes with both USB Type-C and USB Type-A cables, and it carries a lengthy five-year warranty.

Who It’s For

The drawback to the WD Black is that USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 ports that allow its full performance potential are rare, found on only a few elite desktop motherboards and usually added via expansion cards. (The drive, of course, works fine with slower ports; it just doesn’t see the peak speed benefit.) But if you want an SSD that’s as swift as it is stylish, look no further.

Read Our WD Black P50 Game Drive SSD Review

Lexar SL660 Blaze Game Portable SSD

4.0 Excellent

A Solid Alternative to the WD Black P50 Game Drive SSD

Bottom Line:

The RGB-illuminated Lexar SL660 Blaze Game Portable SSD supports the fast USB 3. 2 Gen 2×2 interface (though your PC may not) and generally performs well, though your growing game library may quickly fill its 1TB max capacity.

Pros

USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support and 256-bit AES hardware encryption
Sturdy aluminum frame, detachable stand, and carrying pouch
Strong PCMark 10 Storage score
Tasteful RGB lighting
Five-year warranty

Cons

Sequential write speed well below its rating in our tests
Top capacity is just 1TB
Requires a PC with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support for best results

Why We Picked It

It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that bling, but Lexar’s SL660 Blaze Game Portable SSD has more to offer than a handsome removable stand, protective pouch, and snazzy RGB lighting that’ll complement a tricked-out gaming rig. Its USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface puts it at the top of the SSD speed ladder, and Lexar throws in 256-bit AES hardware encryption and a five-year warranty.

Who It’s For

Like the WD Black P50, the SL660 won’t deliver its maximum performance unless your PC is one of the few with a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port, and its peak capacity of 1TB is actually a tad small considering today’s bulky games—you might prefer a 2TB or 4TB drive from another vendor. But if you’re a style-conscious, speed-freak gamer, this SSD has your name on it.

Read Our Lexar SL660 Blaze Game Portable SSD Review

WD Black D50 Game Dock NVMe SSD

3.5 Good

Best External SSD (With Docking Features) for Gamers

Bottom Line:

If you’ve got the cash, the WD Black D50 Game Dock NVMe SSD nets you an industrial-cool, speedy drive/docking station with up to 2TB of storage and a slew of ports. But if your PC lacks Thunderbolt 3, fuhgeddaboutit.

Pros

Bristling with ports
Up to 2TB capacity
Very fast sequential reads and writes for an external drive
Provides up to 87-watt power delivery
RGB lighting

Cons

Expensive
Requires a computer with Thunderbolt 3 port
No HDMI port

Why We Picked It

You can forget the WD Black D50 Game Dock if your PC doesn’t have a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 port, but if your system has the interface to support it, the D50 combines up to 2TB of high-speed storage with a plethora of ports for other peripherals and monitors: two USB 3. 2 Type-C ports (one front, one rear), three USB 3.2 Type-A ports (one front, two rear), a front audio jack, two Thunderbolt 3 ports (one with 87 watts of USB power delivery), an Ethernet jack, and a DisplayPort 1.4 video output. The external device has a 4.7-inch-square footprint and the same black-shipping-container styling as the WD Black P50 Game Drive SSD.

Who It’s For

The D50 Game Dock would be even more useful if it had an HDMI monitor port, but it offers some of the fastest sequential reads and writes of any external drive, along with show-off RGB lighting. It’s a clever combination of game or movie storage and docking station.

Read Our WD Black D50 Game Dock NVMe SSD Review

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2

4.0 Excellent

Best Rugged External SSD

Bottom Line:

With decent speed, data encryption, and some protection from the elements, all at a reasonable price, SanDisk’s Extreme Portable SSD V2 is a solid external SSD for frequent travelers and content creators alike.

Pros

Solid speed compared with its peers
IP55 water- and dust-resistance rating
Competitively priced
Five-year warranty

Cons

Unprotected USB Type-C port
Dongle-style adapter for USB Type-A ports instead of a second cable

Why We Picked It

Clip SanDisk’s Extreme Portable SSD V2 to your backpack or belt via its carabiner loop, and you can head out into the field with confidence. The 1.8-ounce drive boasts an IP55 ruggedness rating, meaning it’s dust- and water-resistant (though you shouldn’t take it into a sandstorm or leave it immersed in water for long) and can survive a fall from 6.5 feet. The SSD carries a reassuring five-year warranty, and it offers password protection and 256-bit AES hardware encryption, Plus, its USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 interface is more than speedy enough for most applications (though slower than drives based on the less common USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 spec).

Who It’s For

Our only gripe with the Extreme Portable SSD V2 is that it comes with a USB Type-C-to-A adapter instead of a second cable, so you’ll have to worry about losing the dongle as well as the tiny drive itself. Otherwise, it’s a reasonably priced, reasonably rugged, reasonable performer.

Read Our SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 Review

Samsung Portable SSD T7 Touch

4.0 Excellent

Best External SSD (With Biometric Locking) for Traveling Executives

Bottom Line:

Offering excellent performance and easy-to-use security, Samsung’s credit-card-sized, fingerprint-reading Portable SSD T7 Touch is a versatile external solid-state drive.

Pros

Built-in fingerprint reader and LED status indicator.
Compact size.
Fast performance.
Available in capacities up to 2TB.
Three-year warranty.

Cons

Relatively expensive.
Requires software for fingerprint unlocking on a PC or Mac.

Why We Picked It

The Samsung Portable SSD T7 Touch is a tiny, 2-ounce aluminum rectangle that plugs into a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port. (Samsung provides both USB Type-C and USB Type-A cables so you needn’t fuss with a dongle. ) It combines quick performance with roomy storage.

So far, we could be describing almost any portable solid-state drive, but the T7 Touch protects your data in a way few others can: with a built-in fingerprint reader that ensures your sensitive files are for your eyes only. Technically, fingerprints aren’t as secure as complex passwords, but they’re a lot more convenient, and you can’t forget them.

Who It’s For

If you need plug-and-play access to your documents on any nearby PC, the T7 Touch isn’t for you—you must have Samsung’s Windows, macOS, or Android software installed to use the fingerprint reader. But if you’re looking for a mix of security and speed, your corporate or personal secrets are safe with this drive.

Read Our Samsung Portable SSD T7 Touch Review

iStorage DiskAshur M2

4.0 Excellent

Best External SSD for Maximum Data Security

Bottom Line:

The iStorage DiskAshur M2 portable SSD packs a wealth of security features to protect your data—and it’s a proper value, too. It is impervious to the elements, can survive being run over, and costs less than similar security-focused SSDs.

Pros

AES-XTS 256-bit full-disk hardware encryption
IP68 ruggedness rating
Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome, Android, and more
Supports an administrator PIN, plus separate user PINs
No software to install
Aggressively priced for a security-focused SSD

Cons

More expensive per gigabyte than standard external SSDs
Much slower transfer rates than less-security-minded drives

Why We Picked It

Worried about your data falling into the wrong hands, or falling onto a rocky trail or into a puddle or pond? The iStorage DiskAshur M2 has you covered: Not only can this 0.48-by-4.2-by-1.8-inch gadget survive a half-hour bath in 1.5 meters of water or being run over by a 2.7-ton truck, it has a built-in numeric keypad that means your files can’t be accessed without the proper user or administrator PIN. You can configure the M2 as a read-only drive and create a self-destruct code that obliterates the data, encryption key, and all PINs forever, though the latter isn’t strictly necessary—any attempt to physically crack open the device and get at its memory chips would turn it into useless shrapnel.

Who It’s For

With such formidable security, you might expect the iStorage drive to cost a mint, but it’s actually quite reasonably priced, though it’s far from the fastest portable SSD available. If you’re paranoid about your personal or company documents, put the DiskAshur under your pillow and sleep tight.

Read Our iStorage DiskAshur M2 Review

Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD

4.0 Excellent

Best Very Small External SSD

Bottom Line:

What the tiny Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD lacks in size, it makes up for in speed and durability. This external drive is a top choice if you travel and work with large files.

Pros

Highly portable
Semi-ruggedized, with durability features
Good scores in our performance benchmarks
Capable of high speeds with the proper hardware
Available in capacities up to 2TB

Cons

Requires uncommon USB 3. 2 Gen 2×2 port for peak speeds
Lacks SSD management software and hardware-based encryption
Sequential write speeds a bit below its rating

Why We Picked It

It’s not like most external SSDs need to be carried in both hands or a briefcase, but Kingston’s XS2000 is positively tiny—0.5 by 1.3 by 2.7 inches and about an ounce, barely bigger than most USB flash drives yet offering up to 2TB of storage. It’s also tough enough to earn an IP55 ingress protection rating against sand, dirt, or rain, though it shouldn’t be immersed in water, and its USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface makes it faster than the average SSD. It’s unlikely that your PC has a port that actually supports the Kingston’s peak speed, however.

Who It’s For

The XS2000 is a great choice as a general-purpose ultraportable drive, as long as you don’t need frills like hardware-based data encryption. Our only caveat? Take what we always say about how easy it is to accidentally lose a portable SSD, and double it.

Read Our Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD Review

LaCie Rugged SSD Pro

4.5 Outstanding

Best External SSD for Mac Pros in the Field

Bottom Line:

The LaCie Rugged SSD Pro external drive is designed for professional videographers and others who work in the field with Thunderbolt 3-equipped computers (most often Macs). Small, light, and even mailable, it earns the right to add «extremely» in front of «fast and rugged.»

Pros

Field-leading speed
Also works with USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2 ports
Extreme ruggedness against dust, water, drops, crush pressure
Five-year warranty

Cons

High price per gigabyte
Cable is a bit short

Why We Picked It

The LaCie Rugged SSD Pro takes a Seagate FireCuda NVMe solid-state drive, connects it to a Thunderbolt 3 interface, and puts it in a silicone-wrapped, crush-resistant aluminum case with a colossal IP67 ruggedness rating—dust-tight and able to survive 30 minutes in shallow water, without even having to close the usual rubber flap over the Thunderbolt 3 port. That adds up to a somewhat specialized device, best appreciated by videographers shooting outdoors with MacBook laptops (the kind most likely to have Thunderbolt ports), but a terrific mix of speed and sturdiness.

Who It’s For

The LaCie isn’t cheap; its price per gigabyte is easily beaten by more general-purpose portable SSDs and even rugged rivals like the ADATA SE800 (though the latter’s USB port must be covered before taking a dip). But it’s tailor-made for Apple content creators.

Read Our LaCie Rugged SSD Pro Review

SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD

4.0 Excellent

A Solid Alternative to the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro

Bottom Line:

It’s more expensive than many of our favorite USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSDs, but if you’re a Mac user looking for a rugged external drive, the SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD is a standout choice.

Pros

High (IP67) rating for water and dust resistance
Crush- and drop-resistant
Mac Time Machine backup-compatible
Includes both Mac and Windows software for 256-bit AES encryption
Fast folder transfers
Five-year warranty

Cons

A bit pricey for a USB 3. 2 Gen 2 SSD
Must be reformatted to work with a Windows PC

Why We Picked It

SanDisk’s Professional G-Drive SSD targets Mac users—it’s preformatted with HFS+ to work with Time Machine backups, and must be reformatted if you prefer Windows’ NTFS or exFAT. It’s also crushproof (up to a ton), drop-proof (up to 9.7 feet), dustproof, and waterproof for anything up to half an hour at a depth of three feet. The G-Drive is relatively expensive, though not unreasonably so, and offers quick performance and both Mac and Windows software for 256-bit AES data encryption.

Who It’s For

The SanDisk’s USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface (both USB-C and USB-A cables are included) works with both USB and Thunderbolt ports. It’s fine for a Windows laptop user, but ideal for a MacBook traveler braving the elements.

Read Our SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD Review

Is an External SSD Worth It?

As you can see above, there’s a wide variety of portable SSDs to pick from. As you shop, you’ll need to pay attention to capacity, size and weight, and a drive’s interface or connection to your PC, as well as whether you need one with a rugged casing.

First: Here’s why you want an SSD versus a hard drive. Unlike a hard drive, which stores data on those spinning platters accessed by a moving magnetic head, a solid-state drive uses a collection of «persistent» flash memory cells to save data. These are similar to the silicon that makes up a computer’s RAM, but they retain your data when electrical power is cut off.

(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)

Since hard drives are mechanical devices that use mature technology, you can get relatively large amounts of storage capacity for the money. But the same tech that makes hard drives a tantalizing value becomes their biggest liability when used on the go. If you drop the drive, you could damage the interior mechanism and make your data inaccessible. By contrast, if you jolt an SSD while you’re reading or writing data, there is no risk that your files will become corrupted and unreadable.

Is an External SSD Faster Than an External Hard Drive?

Yes: Again, hard drives are slower because they have to physically access your data. Just how much faster is it to read data from flash cells than from particular points on spinning platters? Typical throughput for consumer hard drives is in the range of 100MBps to 200MBps. (One factor is spin rate—among external drives, 5,400rpm units are more common and more affordable than 7,200rpm.)

Our typical benchmark-test results for even run-of-the-mill external SSDs show speeds in excess of 400MBps. Practically speaking, this means you can move gigabytes of data (say, a 4GB feature film, or a year’s worth of family photos) to your external SSD in seconds rather than the minutes it would take with an external hard drive.

(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)

Still, you do pay for that speed and durability. Want a 2TB portable hard drive? You can find one from major brands such as Seagate and Western Digital for as little as $60. A 2TB external SSD, on the other hand, will run you about $250 to $300. You’ll pay four or five times as much for the same amount of storage. If speed, resilience, and portability are critical to you, all that extra money is probably worth it. If they’re not, proceed with care. When considering whether to buy an external SSD, make sure you know what you’re paying a premium for.

External SSDs are now readily available and cheaper than they were a few years ago, but it will probably be a while before they are a complete replacement for hard drives. Physically larger external drives designed to stay on your desk or in a server closet still mostly use 3.5-inch platter drives inside, taking advantage of their higher capacities and much lower prices per gigabyte compared with SSDs.

What Is the Best External SSD Interface?

External solid-state drives are, essentially, internal SSDs (the same kind that power laptops or live inside desktops) with an outer shell and some bridging electronics. As a result, external drives use one of two internal «bus types» that, in part, dictate their peak speed: Serial ATA (SATA), or PCI Express (PCIe). The latter is usually associated these days with Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe), a protocol that is optimized for the characteristics of SSDs and speeds up data transfers.

SATA-based drives tend to be a little cheaper; they’re also slower, but just fine for most users’ everyday applications. SATA-based SSDs typically top out at around 500MBps for peak read and write speeds, just a bit below the ceiling of the USB 3.0 interface. (Much more about that in a moment.) However, if you’re going to be transferring large files such as videos often, you may well want to spring for a PCIe/NVMe-based external SSD. That also ties in with the port you’ll plug your SSD into.

Sellers of portable SSDs seldom indicate if the drive is SATA- or PCIe-based. However, checking the specs can be a dead giveaway. If the drive tops out at sequential read and write speeds between 400MBps and 550MBps, it’s very likely SATA-based. Speeds of 800MBps or higher indicate a PCIe-based drive.

What Is the Right Kind of USB for Your External SSD?

Arguably more important than the type of storage mechanism inside an external SSD is how it connects to your PC or Mac. Almost all external SSDs today plug into either some flavor of USB port, or a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 port.

Alas, there are enough different flavors of USB to make your head spin—made worse by the confusing nomenclature surrounding USB these days. For example, today’s USB 3.2 standard is for all intents and purposes identical to USB 3.1, simply renamed. (It gets even more confusing with the latest kind of USB: The forthcoming USB4 will absorb Thunderbolt.) That said, you’ll still see older USB terminology on your PC or Mac and on many SSDs, so you need to know what term correlates to what.

To begin with, you can forget about USB 2.0, whose theoretical bandwidth of 60 megabytes per second (60MBps) is a bottleneck even for a platter drive. (These ports still exist on desktops and laptops, but don’t use one with any portable drive. All USB-interface external SSDs will support some flavor of USB 3.) The most commonly used port at your computer’s end for external drives of all stripes is USB 3.0, which offers a theoretical peak bandwidth of 640MBps. Until recently, most SSDs’ real-world transfer speeds topped out somewhere in the range of 450MBps or below, so these ports were fine.

(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)

In addition to 640MBps, you’ll also see USB 3.0’s theoretical data rate described as 5Gbps. (That’s gigabits, not gigabytes, per second.) You also may see this interface dubbed «USB 3.1 Gen 1» or «SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps» (in practice, all three are the same thing), to differentiate it from «USB 3.1 Gen 2» or «SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps,» which raises the ceiling to (you guessed it!) 10Gbps. USB 3.1 Gen 2 is the latest version widely available in consumer external SSDs at this writing. PCIe external SSDs can take advantage of the extra 5Gbps of bandwidth, but you need to have a USB port that supports the spec to see the extra speed benefit. (And yes, we are talking about «USB 3.1» as opposed to «USB 3.2.» Bear with us.)

In 2019, the USB Implementers’ Forum announced that the USB 3.1 flavors were being rebranded as «USB 3.2.» With that change, you’ll want to know these four modes: 5Gbps («USB 3.2 Gen 1»), 10Gbps («USB 3.2 Gen 2×1,» and Gen 1×2, the former achieving the 10Gbps speed on one «lane,» the latter via two 5Gbps lanes), and 20Gbps («USB 3.2 Gen 2×2,» aka «SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps»). All of these versions of USB are backward-compatible with the USB 3.0 ports on your PC; performance will just bounce down to the slower of the two (the drive’s supported spec, or that of the system-side port).

You won’t see many USB 3.2 Gen 2×2-capable ports on PCs so far (some late-model high-end desktop motherboards have one), but look to that new USB spec to matter more as the 2020s move on.

Really, all this calls for a little chart to keep it straight…

As you can see, some USB specs are tied to certain system-side physical USB connectors. We’ll get into that in a moment.

Can I Use Thunderbolt for an External SSD?

Today’s two versions of the Thunderbolt interface, Thunderbolt 3 and 4, each offers a blazing top bandwidth of 40Gbps. (The improvements with Thunderbolt 4 over 3 involve security, power transmission for charging a laptop, and higher display resolution for connected monitors, not speed.) Compatible ports are found on all late-model MacBooks and a growing number of midrange-to-upscale Windows laptops. The physical connector is the same as USB-C, but Thunderbolt SSDs are not backward-compatible with USB Type-C ports that lack Thunderbolt support; look for the little lightning-bolt symbol next to the port.

(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)

Thunderbolt is the least common external SSD interface, and drives that use it are often geared toward Mac users since macOS laptops were quicker than their Windows rivals to move to Thunderbolt. You’ll find it on resolutely speed-focused drives such as the Samsung Portable SSD X5 and some specialized desktop-style drives that may contain multiple SSDs in a RAID format.

Most workaday SSDs don’t come close to saturating this interface, so there’s no point in paying a premium for a Thunderbolt drive unless you specifically need the port and the speed because of your computer. You can plug a USB-C drive into a Thunderbolt port, so you’re not obliged to buy a Thunderbolt drive if you don’t need the speed but have the port.

The Physical USB Port: USB Type-A vs Type-C, and More

Got interface fatigue yet? Alas, that’s not the last thing to consider around USB and Thunderbolt!

System-side physical USB ports these days take the form of USB Type-A (the familiar, older rectangular kind) and USB Type-C (smaller and roughly oval). This physical type is not necessarily an indicator of which specific USB transfer-rate spec the port supports. But you need to make sure you can plug in what you get.

(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)

Many SSDs come with cables for both kinds (Type-A and Type-C) at the computer end, or one cable plus an adapter. Two full cables is generally best, as adapters can be awkward and easy to lose. You’ll want to match what comes in the box with the ports your PC has (and has free). Also, match specs; spending extra, for example, for a 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSD if you only have 5Gbps-capable ports may be pointless.

Also: Don’t confuse the system-side interface with the connector that joins the cable to the drive itself. On most newer portable SSDs, the connector at the SSD end is a USB Type-C port (the same as the kind you might find system-side)…

(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)

On others, though, the connector might be a Micro-USB Type-B, which is a flat, wide connector that is different from any USB port you’ll see on a laptop or desktop.

Is a Rugged External SSD Worth It?

Indeed, if you carry your drive around frequently, you’ll at least want to pay attention to how rugged the drive is. Some models include plastic bumpers, and some even meet military standards for shock and dust protection. Look for support for Ingress Protection ratings such as IP68, explained at the previous link.

(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)

And of course, if you’re carrying your drive around with you, you want it to look nice. Some come in multiple colors, while most are small and slim enough to be tucked into a shirt pocket.

Perhaps the only thing you don’t need to weigh too heavily is the warranty. If your drive breaks because you damaged it, the warranty likely won’t cover it. Even if the drive fails because of a manufacturing defect, most warranties simply replace the drive and don’t cover the cost of recovery services that attempt to rescue your data from the device. A long warranty is well and good, but the real value in a drive usually lies in what you have on it.

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This is also where a spec known as the «terabytes written» rating (or TBW) comes in. It refers to how much data can be written to a drive over its life before some cells on that drive begin to fail. The entire drive itself won’t stop functioning, but rather, less and less storage will be made available as time goes on.

How to Tell What Is the Best External SSD?

Here are three key things to look out for when shopping for an external SSD:

COST PER GIGABYTE. The way to calculate relative value on drives like these is to perform some simple math and figure the cost per gigabyte based on the price of a given drive on the day you’re shopping. Because SSD pricing fluctuates all the time, relative value does, too.

Generally, the higher a drive’s capacity, the cheaper it will be per gigabyte. But that’s not always true; sometimes the very highest-capacity drives come at a per-gigabyte price premium. The basement for budget external SSDs at this writing was about 12 to 15 cents per gigabyte, mostly from second- or third-tier vendors. Calculate your bottom-line price when comparing a host of drives.

RUGGEDIZATION. The degree of ruggedness does vary from drive to drive, with drives like the ADATA SE800 leading the field at the moment among mainstream-price external SSDs. IP68 certification is a good spec to look for if you’re serious about waterproof and dustproof drives.

(Photo: Zlata Ivleva)

Some models, though, like a few from Apricorn’s Fortress series, combine major ruggedness with physical and electrical security; it’s almost impossible to crack open those drives to get at the components and chips inside without destroying them.

CARRY WEIGHT. Most SSDs weigh a negligible couple of ounces. The carabiner retention loop of SanDisk’s Extreme family of external SSDs is especially handy, because many SSDs are small and light enough that losing them is an easy and expensive mistake.

Can You Put an SSD in an External Enclosure?

If none of the drives we’ve selected for this roundup sounds appealing to you (or you already own an extra internal SSD), there’s one more option available: SSD enclosures. These are plastic or metal housings into which you can put your own SATA 2.5-inch or M.2 solid-state drive to take with you on the go.

Enclosures come in 2.5-inch form factors (into which you would put a 2.5-inch SATA SSD) or M.2 ones. The stick-style M.2 SSD is much smaller and lighter, but know that M.2 drives themselves come in both SATA and PCIe bus flavors. You need to be sure your enclosure supports the bus type of M.2 drive you’re putting in it.

Also, just because you put a PCIe NVMe drive in an enclosure doesn’t mean you should magically expect it to go any faster than a standard external SSD. Any drive placed in an enclosure is still subject to the peak USB speed supported by the enclosure’s own electronics and controller, and by the USB protocol supported by the port you plug it into.

Though there are exceptions, most enclosures are not as durable or rugged as major-maker portable SSDs are. This can be a drawback for those who take their SSDs into dangerous environments (think wildlife photographers or first responders), so be sure that before you go this route, you know what your drive will be exposed to. Your data could be at greater risk for corruption than it would be in an SSD purpose-built to withstand the elements.

So, What Is the Best External SSD to Buy?

Our best SSD picks vary widely in features and price, but all should all deliver plenty of speed and peace of mind, if that’s what you want from your portable storage. Our summary reviews above and spec chart below are sure to expose at least one model that is perfect for you.

Don’t need (or don’t want to spring for) an SSD? Then check out our roundup of the best external hard drives. If you’re building or upgrading your desktop or laptop, read about how to buy the best M.2 SSDs, as well as the best SSDs for upgrading your laptop.

The Best External Hard Drives for 2022

In an era when many gigabytes of cloud storage storage cost a mere few dollars per month, and trim, slim external SSDs are getting cheaper, external hard drives, based on spinning platter disks, might appear less essential than they once were. But modern ones are faster, more stylish, and often more durable than their counterparts from a few years ago. They’re ever more capacious for the money, too. For about $50, you can add a terabyte of extra storage to your laptop or desktop by just plugging in a USB cable.

Choosing an external drive isn’t as simple as buying the most expensive one you can afford, however. The drive capacity is the most important factor to consider, and it can increase or decrease the cost dramatically depending on your needs. Other factors include the physical size of the drive (is it designed to be carted around, or to sit on your desk?), how rugged it is, the interface it uses to connect to your PC, and even what colors it comes in. This guide will help you make sense of these and many more questions that arise while you’re shopping for an external hard drive.

First off: We’ve outlined below our top picks among external hard drives we’ve tested. Read on for our labs-tested favorites, followed by the buying basics you should know when buying an external drive. Our article concludes with a detailed spec breakout of our top choices.

More About Our Picks

Western Digital My Book

4.5 Outstanding

Best Overall Desktop Hard Drive for General Storage

Bottom Line:

The 8TB version of the Western Digital My Book is a deep well of affordable storage for your photos, music, videos, and more.

Pros

Comes in a variety of large capacities.
Three-year warranty.

Cons

Requires external power adapter.

Read Our Western Digital My Book Review

Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch

4.0 Excellent

Best Budget Portable Hard Drive

Bottom Line:

Combining on-point performance and strong encryption, Seagate’s Backup Plus Ultra Touch portable drive is a great choice for everyday backups and security-first use alike. Plus, a fabric coat adds appeal.

Pros

Fabric-covered enclosure.
Small and light.
Seagate Toolkit provides handy backup/recover functions, as well as mirroring.
Data protected by password and AES-256 hardware encryption.

Cons

Fabric cover a bit slippery to grip.
Seagate Toolkit a separate download.

Read Our Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch Review

WD My Passport (2019, 5TB)

4.0 Excellent

Best High-Capacity Portable Hard Drive

Bottom Line:

Its combination of solid performance, hardware encryption, and useful utilities makes the 5TB WD My Passport a strong contender for everyday backup of sensitive data or storing a massive collection of videos, photos, and documents.

Pros

5TB is peak portable single-drive capacity.
Small and light.
AES-256 hardware encryption with password.
Ships with apps for backup/restore, reformatting and checking drive health, and more.

Cons

At list price, the 5TB version has a higher cost per gigabyte than the 4TB version.

Read Our WD My Passport (2019, 5TB) Review

Seagate FireCuda Gaming Hub

4.0 Excellent

Best Desktop Hard Drive for Gamers

Bottom Line:

It could use more ports, and platter drives have only so much speed upside, but Seagate’s FireCuda Gaming Hub excels at backing up and storing all the games you could ever hope to own.

Pros

Immense capacity options, particularly the 16TB model tested
Low cost per gigabyte
Tasteful, showy RGB lighting
Mature software suite

Cons

Single-drive design can’t approach basic SSD speeds
For a hub, could use another port or two

Read Our Seagate FireCuda Gaming Hub Review

WD Black P10 Game Drive

4.0 Excellent

Best Portable Hard Drive for Gamers

Bottom Line:

Endowed with a gamer aesthetic, the WD Black P10 Game Drive can serve as a simple, stylish repository for your massive game library at a reasonable price.

Pros

Sturdy, compact design
Good grippability
Appealing gamer aesthetic

Cons

USB Type-C cable not included

Read Our WD Black P10 Game Drive Review

LaCie 2big RAID (8TB)

4.0 Excellent

Best Desktop Hard Drive (RAID) for Creative Pros

Bottom Line:

Designed for videographers and other creative pros who regularly handle tons of data, the LaCie 2big RAID combines two hot-swappable, high-capacity drives with a variety of settings for maximum flexibility and data protection.

Pros

Can use RAID 0 for higher speed and capacity, RAID 1 for drive mirroring, or JBOD (RAID off).
Five-year warranty with five years of Data Rescue recovery.
Drives are hot-swappable.

Cons

High price per gigabyte.
Need to download utilities to manage the drive.
Kensington lock slot secures only the case, leaving the drives easily removable.

Read Our LaCie 2big RAID (8TB) Review

LaCie Rugged RAID Shuttle

4.0 Excellent

Best Portable Hard Drive (RAID) for Creative Pros

Bottom Line:

LaCie’s two-drive Rugged RAID Shuttle offers the choice of high capacity and fast performance (in striped mode), or of half the capacity with all data mirrored on the second disk. It’s ideal for anyone who works in the field and produces oodles of data.

Pros

Flat, easily mailable chassis.
Can set to RAID 0 for higher speed and capacity, or to RAID 1 for drive mirroring.
Bundled cables for USB Type-A and Type-C on PC side.

Cons

No tab over Type-C connector to protect it from dust and water.
High price per gigabyte, due largely to ruggedization and RAID design.

Read Our LaCie Rugged RAID Shuttle Review

ADATA HD830 External Hard Drive

4. 0 Excellent

Best Rugged Portable Hard Drive for Windows Users

Bottom Line:

It’s brawny, but the ADATA HD830 offers superior protection and value for the money in a rugged external platter-based drive.

Pros

IP68 resistance to water and dust.
Highly crush-resistant chassis.
Aggressive price for capacity, build.
Two colors to choose between.

Cons

On the heavy, bulky side for some.
Only waterproof and dustproof when the USB cover is closed.
Could use a Type-C cable.

Read Our ADATA HD830 External Hard Drive Review

SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD

4.0 Excellent

Best Rugged Portable Hard Drive for Mac Users

Bottom Line:

The SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD is an attractive, cost-effective portable hard drive, best for Mac users, that provides some protection from the elements but lacks a software suite and hardware-based encryption.

Pros

Rugged enough to protect from the elements, with rubberized sheath and port cover
Attractive design
Ideal for use with macOS
Both USB-C and USB-A cables bundled
Competitive pricing

Cons

Lacks software suite and hardware-based encryption
Requires reformatting for use with Windows

Read Our SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD Review

iStorage DiskAshur DT2

4.0 Excellent

Best Security-Minded Desktop Hard Drive

Bottom Line:

A vault for sensitive data, the iStorage DiskAshur DT2 is a desktop hard drive offering huge capacity (up to 18TB), a host of security features with multiple government certifications, and a relatively low cost per gigabyte.

Pros

Immense capacity
Low cost per gigabyte for a security-centric drive
AES-XTS 256-bit full-disk hardware encryption
FIPS 140-2 Level 2/3, NCSC CPA, NLNCSA BSPA, and NATO Restricted certifications
Easy for authorized users to unlock

Cons

No protective case or ruggedness features
Low score in PCMark 10 benchmark for everyday storage tasks

Read Our iStorage DiskAshur DT2 Review

LaCie Mobile Drive

4. 0 Excellent

Best-Designed Portable Hard Drive

Bottom Line:

A metal-skinned gem of a platter hard drive, the LaCie Mobile Drive looks great and performs on point. It’s geared to macOS users, but it will please anyone with an eye for style in their gadgets.

Pros

Slick, faceted design.
Solid-feeling aluminum enclosure.
Useful LaCie Toolkit software handles backup and restore, as well as mirroring.
On-the-mark performance.

Cons

A little hefty.
Toolkit utility requires a download.

Read Our LaCie Mobile Drive Review

Seagate FireCuda Beskar Ingot External Hard Drive

4.0 Excellent

Best Collectible Hard Drive

Bottom Line:

Seagate’s latest USB external hard drive is decorated with motifs from «The Mandalorian» and offers capable performance at a not-too-elevated price. We only wish it were available in a capacity higher than 2TB.

Pros

Mandalorian design motif
Customizable RGB lighting
Status light
You can show it off, unlike Seagate’s Beskar internal SSD

Cons

Limited to 2TB capacity
No USB-C connectivity on either end
Price premium for the Star Wars trappings

Read Our Seagate FireCuda Beskar Ingot External Hard Drive Review

How to Buy an External Hard Drive

Hard drives may get you more capacity for your dollar by far, but first you need to consider a major difference in external storage these days: the hard drive versus the SSD.

Solid-state drives (SSDs) have fewer moving parts than traditional hard drives, and they offer the speediest access to your data. Unlike a conventional disk-based hard drive, which stores data on a spinning platter or platters accessed by a moving magnetic head, an SSD uses a collection of flash cells—similar to the ones that make up a computer’s RAM—to save data.

Just how much faster is it to access data stored in flash cells? Typical read and write speeds for consumer drives with spinning platters are in the 100MBps to 200MBps range, depending on platter densities and whether they spin at 5,400rpm (more common) or 7,200rpm (less common). External SSDs offer at least twice that speed and now, often much more, with typical results on our benchmark tests in excess of 400MBps. Practically speaking, this means you can move gigabytes of data (say, a 4GB feature-length film, or a year’s worth of family photos) to an external SSD in seconds rather than the minutes it would take with an external spinning drive.

(Credit: Molly Flores)

Not only is it faster to read and write data stored in flash cells, but it’s also safer. Because there is no spinning platter or moving magnetic head, if you bump the SSD while you’re accessing its data, there is no risk that your files will become corrupted and unreadable.

(Credit: Seagate)

Still, while external SSDs are cheaper than they were a few years ago (see the best we’ve tested at the preceding link), they’re far from a complete replacement for spinning drives. Larger external drives designed to stay on your desk or in a server closet still almost exclusively use spinning-drive mechanisms, taking advantage of platter drives’ much higher capacities and much lower prices compared with SSDs.

And portable hard drives can be a great value if what you need is raw capacity above all else. You can find a 2TB portable hard drive with ease (possibly even a 4TB one, depending on the day) for less than $100. A 2TB SSD, though? Expect to pay at least two to three times as much as you would for that 2TB hard drive. And let’s not even talk about the cost of 4TB and 8TB external SSDs.

Should I Get a Desktop Drive, or a Portable One?

If you have a large media-file collection—perhaps you are a photo or video editor, or maybe a movie buff—you’ll likely need several terabytes of space in which to store it. In that case, your best option is a desktop-class hard drive. We define these as having one or more spinning-platter drives inside and requiring a dedicated power cable plugged into AC power to work. (Of course, in this scenario, your files are going to have to stay at your desk.)

(Credit: Molly Flores)

A desktop drive with a single platter mechanism will typically use a 3.5-inch drive inside and comes in capacities up to 12TB, though a few 16TB single drives in external chassis have started to emerge. Most are roughly 5 inches tall and 2 inches wide. In addition to storing large media collections, these drives can also serve as inexpensive repositories for backups of your computer’s hard drive that you schedule, using either software that comes with the drive or a third-party backup utility.

The next size up for consumer desktop drives is about the same height but twice as wide, to accommodate more than one platter-based hard drive mechanism in the chassis. These larger models are more expensive but also much more capacious—think 16TB or more (in that case, populated by two 8TB drive mechanisms). In the case of these and single-platter-drive products, you’re not meant to swap out the drive or drives inside.

(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)

The largest desktop drives are often much, much bulkier than the first two categories, so big that you’ll want to stick them under your desk or in a dedicated server closet. They’re mostly intended for professional use in editing studios, surveillance control rooms, and the like. Their defining characteristic is the ability to swap drives in and out of their multi-bay chassis easily, so most provide quick access to the drive bays at the front of the device.

Most such multi-bay devices are sold without the actual hard drives included, so you can install any drive you want (usually, 3.5-inch drives, but some support laptop-style 2.5-inchers). Their total storage capacities are limited only by their number of available bays and the capacities of the drives you put in them. The storage industry refers to these (as well as smaller-capacity externals as a whole) as DAS—for «direct attached storage»—to distinguish them from NAS, or network attached storage, many of which are also multi-bay devices that can take two or more drives that you supply. (See our separate roundup of the best NAS drives.)

At the other end of the physical-size spectrum are portable drives. Hard drive-based portables make use inside of the same kinds of platter-drive mechanisms used in laptops. These are called generically «2.5-inch drives,» though they are actually a smidge wider than that. Any portable platter-based hard drive should fit easily in a purse or even a coat pocket. As a rule, portable drives get their power from the computer to which you connect them, through the interface cable, so there’s no need for a wall outlet or a power cord/brick.

(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)

The best way to gauge relative value among similar portable drives is to calculate the cost per gigabyte, dividing the cost of the drive in dollars by the capacity in gigabytes to see the relative per-gig price. Example: A $60 1TB (1,000GB) hard drive would run you about 6 cents per gigabyte, while an $80 2TB (2,000GB) drive would work out to about 4 cents per gigabyte.

Need Redundancy or Extreme Speed? Consider a RAID-Enabled Drive

If you buy a larger desktop drive with two or more discrete spinning-platter drive mechanisms inside, you’ll almost certainly have the option to configure the drive as a RAID array using included software. Depending on which RAID level you choose, you can prioritize capacity, speed, or data redundancy, or some combination thereof.

(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)

A collection of spinning drives configured with a RAID level designed for faster data access can approximate the speeds of a basic SSD, while you should consider a drive with support for RAID levels 1, 5, or 10 if you’re storing really important data that you can’t afford to lose. Hit the link above for an explanation of the traits and strengths of each RAID level. Some require you to sacrifice raw capacity for data redundancy, so you’ll want to pay attention to the nuances of each level.

Which Drive Interface Should I Get?

How an external drive connects to your PC or Mac is second only to the type of storage mechanism it uses in determining how fast you’ll be able to access data. These connection types are ever in flux, but these days, most external hard drives use a flavor of USB, or in rare cases, Thunderbolt.

Right now, the fastest mainstream connection type is Thunderbolt 3, which is handy assuming you have a newer laptop or desktop with a Thunderbolt 3 port. (Thunderbolt 4 is still emerging in new PCs, but drives that use it and PCs that support it are not yet common.) All late-model Apple MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops have them, and many high-end Windows 10 laptops do, too. This interface piggybacks on a USB Type-C connector (not all USB Type-C ports support Thunderbolt 3, though) and offers blazing peak throughput of up to 40GBps. As a bonus, a desktop drive that supports Thunderbolt 3 might also come with additional DisplayPort and USB connections that allow you to use the drive box as a hub for your keyboard, mouse, monitor, and other peripherals. (See our explainer Thunderbolt 3 vs. USB-C: What’s the Difference?)

You’ll only see the speed benefits of Thunderbolt 3, however, if you have a drive that’s SSD-based, or a multi-drive, platter-based desktop DAS that is set up in a RAID array. For ordinary external hard drives, Thunderbolt is very much the exception, not the rule. It tends to show up mainly in products geared toward the Mac market.

A desktop hard drive with a single platter-based mechanism inside, or a portable hard drive, is far more likely to make use of plain old USB instead. Almost every recent drive we have reviewed supports USB, and the same goes for laptops and desktops. USB ports are ubiquitous, and many external drives now come with cables with both rectangular USB Type-A connectors and oval-shaped USB Type-C ones to enable adapter-free connections to PCs that have only one type. If the drive includes only a single cable, you may need an adapter, depending on your computer’s available USB ports. Be mindful of that.

(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)

In addition to their physical shape differences, USB ports on the computer side will variously support USB 3.0, 3.1, or 3.2, depending on the age of the computer and how up to date its marketing materials are. You don’t have to worry about the differences among these three USB specs when looking at ordinary hard drives, though. All are inter-compatible, and you won’t see a speed bump from one versus the other in the hard drive world. The drive platters’ own speed is the limiter, not the flavor of USB 3.

The only case with hard drives where the USB standard matters much is if you connect a drive to an old-style, low-bandwidth USB 2.0 port, which is better reserved for items like keyboards and mice. (Also, if it’s a portable drive, that USB 2.0 port may not supply sufficient power to run the drive in the first place, so the speed shortfall may be moot.) Any remotely recent computer will have some faster USB 3-class ports, though.

Is a Rugged Hard Drive Worth It?

If you carry your drive around frequently, you’ll want to pay attention to how rugged the drive is. Some models include plastic bumpers, and some even meet military standards for shock and dust protection. (Look for support for specifications such as IP67 or IP68. )

(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)

And of course, if you’re carrying your drive around with you, you want it to look nice. Some come in multiple colors, while others are super-slim and ready to be tossed in a pocket.

(Credit: Zlata Ivleva)

Perhaps the only thing you don’t need to pay all that much attention to is the warranty. Sounds counter-intuitive, perhaps? Sure, a long warranty is nice. But if your drive breaks because you dropped it, the warranty likely won’t cover that, anyway. Even if the drive fails because of a manufacturing defect, most warranties simply replace the drive and don’t cover the cost of recovery services that attempt to rescue your data from the broken drive. The real value lies in what’s on your drive, not the drive itself.

So, What Is the Best External Hard Drive to Buy?

Also know that you can find external drives that do way more than just store your data. Some include SD card readers to offload footage from a camera or drone in the field, while a few specialized models have built-in Wi-Fi and can double as a little media server, able to connect to more than one device at a time.

To get you started in the right direction, below are the best external hard drives (platter-based models) we’ve tested of late, at a variety of prices and capacities. They’re a fine starter mix for your research. Bear in mind that most of them come in a range of capacity options, so know that even if the specific model we tested is too big or small for your needs, the drive maker may well offer it in a more fitting size. And if you want to explore the best external SSDs, as well, click on the preceding link.

Best Portable SSD Of 2022

As expensive as they are, the best portable SSDs are truly worth the investment. While the best external hard drives still have a place in this world – and are terrific options for those who want to keep the cost down – external solid state drives you can bring anywhere with you bring a wealth of advantages that are unique to them.

What makes the portable SSDs so stellar in general is their ability to quickly give you access to your files while ensuring that those files are kept safe. Because they are being made increasingly robust and efficient, they’re not only designed to be fast, but secure and less prone to failure as well. On top of that, due to their portable nature, they’re also more ruggedly built to survive drops, bumps, and any other potential accidents, as well as able to let you easily share files between PCs.

So, whether you’re adding more storage capacity to an overwhelmed laptop, needing something to back up sensitive files, or just want a drive that will let you take your files with you wherever you go, getting one of the best portable SSDs might be the way to go. That is, as long as you’re prepared to spend a little more, as they aren’t as cheap as portable hard drives.

To help you choose, we gathered our top picks in this guide, including popular offerings from Seagate, Western Digital, and Samsung. We’ve compared everything from capacity and interface to speed, cost and security to find an SSD that fits your needs and your budget. Speaking of being on the budget, the included price comparison tool should let you find the best SSD deals available.

SSD vs HDD: which is best for your needs?
Best external hard drives
Best cloud storage online: free, paid and business options

Backup your portable SSD with this cloud storage solution
IDrive , the cloud storage veteran, delivers tons of storage online for an incredibly small outlay. 10TB for $3.98 for the first year is unmatched till now and so is the support for unlimited devices and the extensive file versioning system available.

Best portable SSD of 2022 in full:

(Image credit: Samsung)

1. Samsung T7 SSD

Best external SSD for the security-conscious

Specifications

Capacity: 50GB, 1TB or 2TB

Interface: USB 3.2 Gen2

Storage Size

500GB — 2TB

Colour

Black, Silver

Screen Type

LED

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

Built-in security with fingerprint access

Incredibly fast

Compact

Reasons to avoid

—

Not cheap

—

No rugged case

If you’re looking for a portable SSD with lots of features, then you might want to take a look at the Samsung T7 SSD. This external storage is not only fast – with sequential read and write speeds of up to 1,050 and 1,000 MB/s, respectively – but it also boasts quite a few nifty features in its palm-sized package.

The most important of those features is, of course, its built-in security options that use AES 256-bit encryption and give you the option to use fingerprint sign-in, which you can set up through its own management software.

Sure, the Samsung T7 SSD doesn’t come cheap and it could do with a rugged case, but it remains one of the best portable SSD’s currently available and well worth considering for purchase.

Read the full review: Samsung T7 SSD

2. Samsung T5 SSD

Our pick for the best portable SSD

Specifications

Capacity: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB

Interface: USB Type-C

Storage Size

1TB — 2TB

Colour

Black, Blue

Storage Type

SSD

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

Incredibly fast

Highly compact

Reasons to avoid

—

Expensive

Samsung is a company that has made some brilliant portable SSDs, and you’ll see a number of its devices on this list, however the Samsung Portable SSD T5 is our pick of the best portable SSD of 2022.

It builds on the brilliant design and performance of its predecessor, the Samsung T3 SSD (also on this best portable SSD list), but brings it up to date with an incredibly fast USB Type-C connection that ekes out every last drop of performance from the solid state drive inside. It comes with a 10Gbps USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 2, making it capable of delivering twice the maximum theoretical transfer rate of its predecessors.

It’s also backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 if your PC doesn’t have USB Type-C. It’s expensive, but it’s well worth the cash.

Read the full review: Samsung Portable SSD T5

3. Seagate Fast SSD

One of the best value portable SSDs

Specifications

Capacity: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB

Interface: USB Type-C

Storage Size

500GB

Storage Type

SSD

Condition

New

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

Impressive performance

Good price

Reasons to avoid

—

Short cable length

Seagate is a well-known brand when it comes to storage, and it’s brought its impressive experience to the portable SSD market with the brilliant Seagate Fast SSD.

This is an impressively slim external SSD, at only 9mm thick with a footprint of 94 x 79mm. This means that it can easily slip into your pocket and be carried around comfortably. At 82g, it is also extremely light as well as compact, although not as compact as the My Passport SSD.

Best of all, it’s affordable – with prices likely to drop – and it’s an excellent performer, relatively small, plus it has a nice design and a three-year warranty.

The Seagate Fast SSD is well worth considering if you’re looking for the best portable SSD for a low price.

Read the full review: Seagate Fast SSD 500GB

4. Samsung X5 Portable SSD

Top pick for speed above all else

Specifications

Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB

Interface: Thunderbolt 3

Storage Size

2TB

Storage Type

SSD

Condition

New

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

Exceptional performance

Hardware encryption

Reasons to avoid

—

Expensive

—

Not compact or waterproof

If you want speed above all else, and money is (almost) no object, than the Samsung X5 Portable SSD is the best portable SSD for you. It comes with a Thunderbolt 3 connection that takes full advantage of the super-fast speeds of the brilliant Samsung 970 Evo NVMe SSD that comes inside.

However, that pure dedication to speed comes at some expense. First, there’s the financial expense, as this is a pricey external SSD. It’s also larger and bulkier than the Samsung T3 or Samsung T5, which are also on this list. The device is fairly heavy at 150g, triple the weight of the Samsung T5, and at 116 x 60 x 18mm, it can best be described as portable rather than miniature.

However, when it comes to performance, the Samsung X5 Portable SSD is definitely the portable SSD to go for.

Read the full review: Samsung X5 Portable SSD

5. Adata SE730H External SSD

The best high-speed external storage device

Specifications

Capacity: 256GB, 1TB

Interface: USB 3.1 (Gen 2)

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

Small

Great performance

Reasons to avoid

—

Expensive

—

Lack of color options

This small and compact external hard drive offers very decent speeds, as well as a rugged body that keeps it safe from water — as well as drops and knocks. It’s not the fastest drive out there — as it’s still reliant on the aging SATA technology, rather than the newer — and faster — NVMe tech, but for the money you’re still getting a brilliant performer.

Adata claims this is the most compact external SSD, and with dimensions of 72.7 x 44 x 12.2mm and weighing only 37g excluding the cable, it is smaller and lighter than Samsung’s T3 and T5 drives — which are also on this list of the best portable SSDs. While it is pricey compared to some of the other external SSDs we have on this list, remember that it comes with military-certified protection.

The stringent MIL-STD-810G 516.6 impact resistance test so it should survive accidental drops and shocks without much damage. If you shop around, you can also get it for less than its RRP.

Read the full review: Adata SE730H External SSD

6. WD My Passport Wireless SSD

The best portable SSD for travelling photographers

Specifications

Capacity: 250 GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB

Interface: USB 3. 0

Storage Size

1TB — 2TB

Storage Type

SSD

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

Drop-resistant rubber bumper

Excellent USB transfer speeds

Reasons to avoid

—

Premium price

—

Extra SSD speed useless over Wi-Fi

Storage giant Western Digital is no stranger when it comes to storage gear aimed specifically at pro photographers, and with the WD My Passport Wireless SSD it has created another brilliant device that photographers (or even regular users) will love.

The WD My Passport Wireless SSD joins WD’s growing stable of wireless hard drives, which allow you to view and move files via a Wi-Fi connection, rather than with a cable, which is handy.

However, over Wi-Fi, you’re not utilizing the full speed of the SSD. It also connects via USB 3.0, which offers very good speeds, but not quite as fast as USB Type-C or Thunderbolt. But the flexibility and durability of the WD My Passport Wireless SSD is certainly tempting, plus it comes with a built-in SD card reader, making it one of the best portable SSDs for photographers.

Read the full review: WD My Passport Wireless SSD

7. Adata SD700 External SSD

One of the best cheap portable SSDs

Specifications

Capacity: 256GB, 512GB or 1TB

Interface: USB 3.0

Storage Size

512GB — 1TB

Colour

Black, Red, Yellow

Storage Type

SSD

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

Great performance

IP68 rating

Reasons to avoid

—

No USB Type-C

The Adata SD700 will suit those looking for a rugged storage device that can provide ample capacity without costing too much. It offers good speeds, and it’s IP68 rated, which means you can carry it around with you without worrying about it getting damaged as it should be protected against water ingress to a maximum depth of 1. 5 metres for up to 30 minutes, as well as being protected against dust.

The Adata SD700 External SSD comes in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB versions – in black or bright yellow colour schemes – so you don’t have to worry about missing out on storage space just because it uses an SSD. However, it doesn’t come with the new USB Type-C connection, which means speeds aren’t quite as fast as they could be.

Read the full review: Adata SD700 External SSD

(Image credit: LaCie)

8. LaCie Portable High Performance External SSD

Great choice for light and minimalist design

Specifications

Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB

Interface: USB-C, USB 3.0

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

Lightweight

Shock-resistant

Reasons to avoid

—

There are other more affordable options

There’s a reason why LaCie is among the few brands trusted by creators and digital nomads alike. The manufacturer has designed its hard and solid state drives to be travel-friendly, making them rugged enough to survive most accidental drops, as well as being lightweight (it weighs just 100g) and shock-resistant.

That is, while it may not have that rugged build that Lacie’s storage drives are known for, it is still built for travel. It’s certainly not short of space, with a storage capacity of up to 2TB, equivalent to 20,000 photos or 65 hours of video content.

It’s also versatile when it comes to connectivity options. For while it does have that USB-C connection that’s best for MacBooks and the Dell XPS line, it also allows USB 3.0 connectivity for the other laptops out there.

(Image credit: G-Technology)

9. G-Technology 1TB G-DRIVE mobile SSD

Best at keeping files safe and secure

Specifications

Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB

Interface: USB-C, USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt 3 compatibility

Today’s best G-Technology G-Drive Mobile SSD R Series 1TB deals

No price information

Check Amazon

Reasons to buy

Rugged

Compact

Fast enough to improve workflow

Reasons to avoid

—

Not cheap

—

Can heat up very quickly

When it comes to keeping your files safe and secure – whether from prying eyes or accidents – G-Technology is still king. The manufacturer’s G-Technology 1TB G-DRIVE mobile SSD, for example, is IP67 water and dust resistant, can survive falls of up to three meters, and has a 1,000-lb crush resistance. Which means it’s really going to take quite something to endanger your files.

But it’s more than just a robust bit of kit. Its transfer rate of up to 560MB/s and USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt 3 compatibility adds yet more impressive strings to its bow.

Though these features don’t come cheap. Much like the LaCie Portable High Performance External SSD, this isn’t among the cheapest options on this list of best portable SSDs. Bbut if it’s security you prioritise, you might well consider the G-Technology G-DRIVE among the best investments you can make.

(Image credit: GNARBOX)

10. GNARBOX 2.0 SSD

Best for photographers and videographers

Specifications

Capacity: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Interface: 2 x USB-C, SD and Micro HDMI ports

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

Incredibly convenient to use

Built for the outdoors

Reasons to avoid

—

Very expensive

—

Not for regular users

Gnarbox’s rugged backup SSDs have a very specific purpose. They’re designed for photographers and videographers to have a convenient and reliable backup drive for their precious high-resolution files while in the field. After all, who hasn’t run out space in their SD card while they’re on a shoot?

So while the GNARBOX 2.0 SSD might not be for regular users, there is no doubting that it is a clever piece of peripheral for content creators – not just for backing up files but also for making space. Accordingly, it comes with two USB-C ports along with SD and Micro HDMI ports, and there’s an accompanying mobile app to further provide support for photographers & videographers.

And, because it is designed to survive the great outdoors, it is water, dust and shock resistant, too. This is, hands down, the best external SSD for the adventurous creative set.

(Image credit: Future)

11. Kingston XS2000 USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 external SSD

Ideal if wanting a light, compact choice

Specifications

Capacity: 500GB, 1TB and 2TB

Interface: USB-C, USB 3. 2 Gen 2×2

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

Very solidly built

Rugged with IP55 rating

Fantastic speed if you have a compatible system

Reasons to avoid

—

Requires the right hardware to maintain USP

—

Expensive if you just want plenty of fast storage

The Kingston XS2000 is one of the first and maybe only portable SSDs to feature USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. As a result, the device has impressive speeds with Kingston claiming it can reach up to 20000MBps read/write. Keep in mind though that your hardware will need to be compatible with the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 protocol to take full advantage of this portable drive.

In addition to being fast, the Kingston XS2000 is also light at just 29g and quite compact. Kingston also includes a rubber sleeve to further protect this water resistant, dust resistant and shockproof drive. Given its capabilities, the price tag is also very reasonable, too.

It’s also more compact than many of its rivals on this list of best portable SSDs, and comes with an industry-leading five-year warranty.

Read the full review: Kingston XS2000

(Image credit: Future)

12. Teamgroup T-Force M200 External SSD

Best for big capacities

Specifications

Capacity: 2TB, 4TB, 8TB

Interface: USB 3.2 Gen2x2

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

5-year warranty

Nice design

8TB capacity available

Reasons to avoid

—

Bigger than expected

—

Requires a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 compatible system

The Teamgroup T-Force M200 has a secret weapon, the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface which allows it to hit speeds of up to 2GBps in read and write. Unfortunately, you can only achieve this sort of speed with compatible systems — and there’s only a few of them on the market. We’d rather embrace Thunderbolt 3 or USB 4, both futureproof.

With its rugged look and a design inspired by the legendary M200 sniper rifle and a long five-year warranty though, it will prove to be a winner if Teamgroup can somehow bring down the price.

Otherwise, it will be a hard sell given its lack of IP rating (it is not waterproof) and the lower price of competitors like the Sandisk Extreme Pro. We also wished it was a tad smaller. Note that at the time of writing, it is the only external solid state drive that ships in 8TB, a feat worth highlighting.

Read the full review: Teamgroup T-Force M200 4TB external SSD

How to choose the best portable SSD for you

If you’ve already made the decision of opting for an SSD over an external hard drive, then you’ll know by now that you’ll be needing to shell out a little more for the additional security advantages the SSD can bring.

But there remains a variety of options on offer and to decide which suits you best, the key thing to consider is the reason you’re looking to buy on in the first place. Do you travel a lot for work and need somewhere safe and secure to store your files in transit? Then be sure to prioritise an SSD that is especially compact, lightweight, and portable.

Do you work with highly-sensitive files and need an especially robust option? Then you’ll be wanting the SSDs that come with IP67 water and dust resistant guarantees. Are you a photographer or videographer needing a swift and simple way to store your files when your SD card is full? Then there is one option on this list that you should target straight away.

Once you’ve nailed down the purpose of your new SSD, your final thing to consider is your budget, as prices on these devices can vary quite wildly.

What is NAND flash?

Anthony Spence, from SSD and memory specialist Silicon Power , answers this question.

«NAND Flash is a type of non-volatile storage technology. Non-volatile simply means that NAND, unlike DRAM (or system memory), does not require power to retain data. The ability to retain data after turning off the power makes NAND a great option for external on-the-go storage devices.

In contrast to hard disk drives (HDD), NAND Flash isn’t a magnetic technology, instead it makes use of electric circuits and a number of memory cells to store data.

NAND holds several advantages over HDD, for instance it has no moving parts, thus in theory data won’t be affected by accidental drops or falls. NAND Flash devices tend to be smaller and lighter in comparison to HDD, but most importantly, the performance of NAND Flash devices is considerably larger than the one from HDD ones.

The major drawback from NAND comes from the fact that they tend to be expensive on a dollar per gigabyte basis, especially when compared to more traditional hard drives. The two most common ways to offset this problem are by either adding bits per cell or by moving away from 2D planar technology to 3D NAND technology and beyond. «

What is 3D NAND flash?

3D NAND also known as V-NAND technology enables NAND cells to be layered up. Layering NAND contributes to overcoming planar NAND capacity limitations. As NAND cells are stacked vertically instead of horizontally higher density can be achieved without sacrificing data integrity.

3D NAND not only offers higher memory density when compared to 2D NAND, but also is able to achieve lower power consumption, better endurance, higher read and write speeds and an overall lower cost per gigabyte.

The best portable SSD: How we test

Storage capacity is naturally one of the first features we ran the rule over when comparing the best portable SSD, with several models on the market now capable of storing up to 2TB of data.

Of course, this may be way more than you require, and opting for a model with less capacity may be one way to save some cash — with budget another of the comparisons we’ve considered in this article.

We also looked at connectivity and interface, with options ranging from USB Type-C to the nippier Thunderbolt 3. Lastly, we’ve considered just how well built these devices have been made, and how robust they are in the face of typical — or even non-typical (ie. drops and water damage) — use.

Want an internal SSD? Check out our collection of the best SSDs
Or for something even more portable, here’s our list of the best USB flash drives

You might also want to check out the best PS5 external hard drives

Round up of today’s best deals

Reduced Price

Samsung T7 Touch

$104.99

$89.99

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Samsung Portable SSD T5

$194.99

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Seagate Fast SSD 500GB

$89. 99

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Samsung X5 Portable SSD

$899

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WD My Passport Wireless SSD (all sizes)

$400

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Adata SD700 External SSD

$66.95

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Reduced Price

LaCie Portable SSD

$119. 99

$89.99

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Reduced Price

GNARBOX GNARBOX 2.0 SSD

$509

$459.76

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Reduced Price

Kingston XS2000 1TB External SSD

$159.99

$109.99

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Matt is TechRadar’s Managing Editor for Computing and Entertainment, looking after two of the best, and most exciting, channels on the site. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there’s no aspect of technology that Matt isn’t passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. Ever since he got an Amiga A500+ for Christmas in 1991, he’s loved using (and playing on) computers, and will talk endlessly about how The Secret of Monkey Island is the best game ever made. He’s also a huge film and TV fan and Marvel geek, and his favorite recent film is Dune.

Best External SSDs — Portable Drives, SSD Hard Drives

It seems that SSDs, blazing fast and outperforming old hard drives in every way, only became mainstream yesterday. However, the increase in speed came at a heavy price — literally, since the cost per gigabyte of an SSD was usually very high. But now the drives have become much more affordable, moreover, quite worthy external options have appeared. In this roundup, we’re going to take a look at the best external SSDs on the market, so if you’re considering a purchase, be sure to check it out.

ADATA SC680

Capacity: 240 GB, 480 GB, 960 GB
Read/write speed: 530 MB/s
Connector: USB-C
Weight: 35 g
Colour: black

ADATA SC680 is attractive with its light weight of 35g. This SSD can be carried around instead of a flash drive: it is very compact, so it is quite suitable as a portable drive.

The device uses a USB interface and transfers data at speeds up to 530MB/s — more than 6 times faster than external HDDs. At the same time, the solid state drive is also more reliable, since it does not have moving parts that can be damaged by shaking and shock.

The manufacturer positions this SSD as a gaming one, and it can be used with both PCs and consoles. Your games will load as fast as when using the internal storage. The only downside to the ADATA SC680 is that it’s only available in black, making it impossible for users to customize their portable drive.

Western Digital WD Black P50 Game Drive

Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
Read/write speed: 540 Mbps
Connector: USB-C
Colour: blue, black

WD Black P50 is the ultimate choice if you are looking for an SSD for your gaming system. It’s optimized for use with PCs and consoles, and delivers transfer speeds of up to 2000MB/s using USB 3.2 Gen 2. That’s more than enough to get your favorite games loaded in seconds.

The device is available in several sizes ranging from 500 GB to an impressive 4 TB capable of holding a huge library of games. Engineers have enclosed the board and drive chips in a rugged, shock-resistant case that can survive drops from a small height (but we do not recommend testing this).

True to its name, the WD Black P50 Game Drive is only available in black. But this does not prevent him from attracting attention, thanks to the unusual shape of the case and a stylish print. You will not want to hide this drive from prying eyes.

ADATA SE800

Volume: 512 GB, 1 TB
Read/write speed: 1000 MB/s
Connector: USB-C
Weight: 40 g
Colour: blue, black

The ADATA SE800 external hard drive is housed in a shock and dust resistant IP68 enclosure: we don’t recommend submerging it in water, but it will pass the test if you do.

As for the technical characteristics of the device, everything is in order with them too. Using a fast interface provides data transfer speeds up to 1000 Mb / s, and you can connect the SSD to any platform — from a smartphone and PC to a console. What’s more, the ADATA SE800 is certified for use with the next-generation PS5 and XSX consoles, as evidenced by the label on the product packaging.

Given the increased protection class and high speed, the device will not be cheap, but it’s worth it — you can not worry about the safety of information even if you drop the SSD or spill liquid on it.

Smartbuy A1 Drive

Volume: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
Read/write speed: 500 MB/s
Connector: USB-C
Weight: 21 g
Colour: black, white, grey, red, blue, yellow

Smartbuy A1 Drive is incredibly light — only 21 grams, and very compact, which allows you to use the device as a portable flash drive. It is resistant to vibrations and light shocks, and will easily survive transportation in a backpack with the company of other computer devices.

The manufacturer has prepared several options for the device — from 128 GB to 1 TB, so you can choose an SSD for any need: from storing documents and photos, even installing an extensive library of games from your console. And thanks to the high reading speed, you can watch movies in 4K quality directly from the drive. Together with the affordable price tag, this makes the Smartbuy A1 Drive a great candidate for an external SSD.

Samsung T7 Touch

Capacity: 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Read/write speed: 1050 MB/s
Connector: USB-C
Weight: 58 g
Colour: grey, black

The Samsung T7 Touch has a very compact, palm-sized body and is light in weight. The device is offered in two colors — gray and black, practical and utilitarian. By connecting it to USB 3.2, you will be able to transfer data at a huge speed — up to 1050 Mb / s! Not every external SSD is capable of this. Available in 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB versions, the device allows you to store not only work files, but also your favorite series, movies and games — there is enough space for everything.

At the same time, the Samsung T7 Touch model has a significant advantage (which, unfortunately, also affected its price) — it has a fingerprint scanner, with which you can protect all user data. If necessary, no one except you will be able to use the drive. If information security is important to you, this is what you need.

ADATA SE760

Capacity: 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Read/write speed: 1000 Mbps
Connector: USB-C
Weight: 95 g
Colour: grey, black

Most likely, it was the metal case that caused the large (relatively) weight of the ADATA SE760 — almost 100 grams, which is a lot compared to 20-gram models. If anything, it does not affect the performance of the device.

This model uses a USB interface for data transfer at 1000 Mbps. A flat elongated case of strict colors will decorate a computer desk, and a small LED indicates the active operation of the device. It’s a «workhorse» by all measures, which is suitable for everything from document storage to games: the latter has a 2 terabyte version.

Verbatim Vx500 External

Capacity: 120 GB, 240 GB, 480 GB
Read/write speed: 500 MB/s
Connector: USB-C
Weight: 29 g
Colour: gray

Verbatim Vx500 External is one of the most compact devices in our selection: no larger than a lighter, it can be a good addition to an ultrabook or replace a flash drive. The SSD connects to the PC with a USB-A to USB-C cable and transfers data at 500 Mb/s.

If we talk about the shortcomings of the device, then this is definitely a small amount: in the maximum configuration, the Verbatim Vx500 External can offer only 480 GB. That’s enough to store a small library of games, but don’t count on being able to install dozens of big titles.

Silicon Power Bolt B80

Capacity: 120 GB, 240 GB, 256 GB, 480 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
Read/write speed: 500 MB/s
Connector: USB-C
Weight: 53 g
Colour: silver

The Silicon Power Bolt B80’s plethora of options is to be envied: drives ranging from 120 GB to 1 TB are available to users. In addition, the device is light and compact, and its shape is rather unusual for an external SSD: a silver disk resembles a powder box — or a spaceship of very small aliens.

Silicon Power Bolt B80 is USB powered and transfers data at 500 Mbps. The metal housing is impact-resistant and can also be briefly submerged in water: the drive is certified for MIL-STD-810G 516.7 and IP68 protection. This is a reliable storage device that will not let you down even in an extreme situation.

Netac Z7S

Capacity: 128 GB, 256 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Read/write speed: 550 MB/s
Connector: USB-C
Weight: 54 g
Colour: black

While most SSDs use a strict, unassuming design, the Netac Z7S has a «gamer» look: chopped shapes, broken lines, a combination of plastic and steel, and, like a cherry on a cake, backlighting — that’s what this drive can boast of.

It attracts attention and stands out anywhere. And it also transfers data quickly and provides a wealth of choice in terms of volume: from 128 GB to 2 TB. Combined with next generation consoles, the Netac Z7S can be used to install games and store distributions, and when used with a PC, you can move games, movies and any other data to the SSD. The device works very fast, so you will forget about any problems.

Samsung T5

Capacity: 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Read/write speed: 540 MB/s
Connector: USB-C
Weight: 51 g
Colour: blue, black

Samsung T5 is a simple, cute, compact and just a good SSD. The metal body and rounded edges give the impression of a sleek and high-quality product, and it definitely is. The model is available in blue and black colors, in the first one there are 250 and 500 GB variants, and in the second there are only 1 and 2 TB versions.

Overall, the Samsung T5 is the simplest external SSD with no frills. Its design is clean and unobtrusive, the case is solid, the drive itself is very light and portable. A speed of 540 Mbps is normal for a NAND SSD and more than enough, at least for an external drive. The T5 is also cheaper than most other external SSDs, although not by much. The only thing we didn’t like was that you can’t choose a color, because two smaller modifications are only blue, and two more spacious ones are only black.

SanDisk Extreme

Capacity: 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Read/write speed: 550 MB/s
Connector: USB-C
Weight: 38.9 g
Colour: grey/orange

The SanDisk Extreme is a very compact external SSD with a focus on portability. This external SSD has the same four versions of different sizes as the Samsung T5, performance and price are also about the same. The key difference is that the SanDisk Extreme is somewhat thinner and therefore easier to carry in your pocket, not to mention how handy the orange plastic loop is for hanging the SSD comfortably.

In essence, the external SSD SanDisk Extreme is exactly the same as the Samsung T5, at least in terms of size and speed. The design may seem overly flashy to some, but even if you prefer a simple and discreet look, there’s no denying that this is the best external SSD in terms of portability. In addition, it is IP55 dust and water resistant certified, and thanks to its rubber finish, it is not easily damaged.

WD My Passport

Volume: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Read/write speed: 540 MB/s
Connector: USB-C
Weight: 40.8 g
Colour: black/grey

Next comes another well-known major manufacturer, and this is Western Digital. Their external SSD we’re talking about is called My Passport, just like the company’s well-known line of external hard drives.

We again see the usual speed for NAND and about the same price, although My Passport is still a little more expensive if you’re not lucky with a discount. Design-wise, it’s also very thin, light, and fits comfortably in the hand, although it’s more angular than most other SSDs.

My Passport boasts a unique black and gray finish and angular shapes, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage depending on your preferences. But one thing we know for sure — external My Passport HDDs can be purchased in a large number of beautiful colors, while the SSD is not clear why it is limited to the standard black and gray color scheme.

Samsung X5

Capacity: 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
Read/write speed: 2800/2300 Mbps
Connector: USB-C (Thunderbolt 3)
Weight: 150 g
Colour: grey/red

Another model from Samsung, but this contestant is much more focused on performance. Unlike the other devices on this list, the Samsung X5 is not a NAND SSD, but an NVMe SSD so fast it’s embarrassing to compare conventional NAND models to.

It’s not very big, and despite being somewhat heavier than most external SSDs, it’s still not heavy enough to be a portability issue. It is quite durable and shockproof, but, unfortunately, it does not have an IP certificate, although for such money it would not be superfluous. The Samsung X5 is by far the best option if you want the fastest external SSD.

The X5’s biggest downside is the high price, although it has been said that an IP certificate would be nice, especially given the cost. Otherwise, you can see that the approach to the design of the X5 is quite unusual for Samsung, as the device is quite bright and angular.

ADATA SD700 External SSD

Capacity: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB
Read/write speed: 440/430 MB/s
Connector: USB 3. 2 Gen 1 Type-A
Weight: 75 g
Colour: Green, red, black

A square SSD drive (what?) that looks at least stylish. But the plastic cover does not hide the void — this handsome boasts an IP68 protection class, which guarantees resistance to dust, moisture and physical impact. That is, you can not worry about data protection from the word at all.

However, the downside is the USB Type-A interface, which provides less speed than other drives in our selection. The weight of the device is higher, albeit not by much.

An excellent option for those who want to purchase an external SSD for reliable storage of important data. For example, a disk can be used to install an operating system. Plus, it’s inexpensive.

HyperX SAVAGE EXO

Volume: 480 GB, 960 GB
Read/write speed: 500/480 MB/s
Connector: USB Type-C
Weight: 56 g.
Colour: Dark gray

At first glance, you might think that this is an ordinary flash drive. But no, this is the same SSD as the ones we reviewed earlier, however it has a unique design. The device was created specifically for game consoles and laptops. Of course, it will also work for other purposes — storing movies, data, an operating system, and so on.

As for the external filling, everything is almost the same as the previous candidates. The only thing is that the weight is a quarter more, and the amount of memory has been cut from 512 GB to 480 GB and from 1024 GB to 960 GB respectively. This handsome man will last at least 3 years — such a warranty period was established by the manufacturer himself.

How to choose the best SSD for you

So what are the factors to consider when choosing an external SSD? As you can see, they are not particularly different in terms of performance or functionality, but there are a number of nuances that you should pay attention to before buying.

First and foremost, if you’re thinking about buying an external SSD, first ask yourself if you really need one or if a more affordable alternative would be preferable. To answer this question, we need to find out two key factors: the type of device with which you plan to use the external drive, as well as the requirements for speed and volume.

External or internal?

External drives have a number of advantages. The most obvious of these is, of course, portability, but do not forget that in this way you can expand the amount of disk space available to the device without getting inside. And if in the case of desktop PCs this is not such a problem, then for laptops and consoles this is really great, because installing additional internal drives in these devices is not always possible.

But even if you have a desktop computer, an external SSD can serve as a portable system drive or a very fast way to transfer large amounts of data between different devices. However, if you only plan to use an SSD for your PC, an internal SSD might be a better alternative because they are usually slightly cheaper and slightly faster, plus an SSD on a desk or case won’t clutter up space.

External SSD, external HDD or flash drive?

The next question is: Do you really need the performance of an external SSD?

Frankly speaking, it is worth buying only for use as a system drive or when you need to regularly transfer large amounts of data. Otherwise, it is better to choose an external HDD or a regular USB flash drive.

An external HDD will give you much more storage for a significantly lower price, and flash drives are much more compact and also usually more affordable, although of course it all depends on the size.

Required capacity

As you can see, external SSDs are usually available in 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB versions. Which one is better to choose?

Again, everything is very subjective. However, many will agree that 250 GB fills up very quickly, both with large amounts of multimedia data and when used as a system drive. At the same time, the 1TB and 2TB options provide sufficient storage but are very expensive.

Therefore, an external 500 GB SSD will be a kind of golden mean when looking for the best price / quality ratio. Most users will not be able to fill it up that quickly, and the cost of both external and internal 500 GB SSDs is now very affordable.

Best external HDDs and SSDs in 2021-2022

Contents

HDD vs SSD
Why should I choose a hard drive over a solid state drive?

The best external solid state drives and hard drives keep your data safe, which is now a daily necessity for most people. Whether it’s photos, files, or apps, storage requirements continue to grow. Instead of keeping up with these demands by deleting valuable files or photos (or miscellaneous documents you don’t remember creating), investing in an external drive is a step you won’t regret.

Best College Laptops 2021-2022
Best Desktop Laptops 2021-2022

In addition to keeping your extra files safe, you can also use an external drive as a backup for your laptop or phone, or even to expand your Xbox Series X or PS5 game storage. Whatever your external storage purchase needs, we have a choice for you. Here are the best hard drives and solid state drives on the market.

HDD vs SSD

Hard disk drives (HDDs), traditional spinning hard drives, are a much more affordable storage option. They use moving magnetic disks to store data, and read/write heads process the data as needed. Because all data stores are physical, you get the classic buzzing sound as you work. They also tend to be the larger option due to the space required for spinning discs. Unfortunately, all the moving parts make the device vulnerable to internal damage, and the data transfer rate is slow by today’s standards.

Solid State Drives (SSDs), on the other hand, use an integrated circuit known as a microchip to store data. This means they use electrical impulses instead of moving parts to read, write and store data. With no need for moving parts, SSDs process data much faster and can be built on a much more compact scale.

Why choose a hard drive over a solid state drive?

SSDs are usually the best choice in terms of performance and portability. However, this does not always mean that they will be the right choice for you. While SSDs are becoming more affordable as they grow in popularity, hard drives are still a much more affordable solution if you want to store more «static» data. So, if you just want to store files like documents, photos, and other files that you don’t need on a daily basis, a hard drive might be the perfect solution for you.

1. ADATA SE800

Best external drive overall

Specs

Capacity: 512GB, 1TB

Interface: USB 3.2 Type-C

Size: 2.8x 4 inch

Weight: 1.4 oz

Transfer rate: up to 1000MB/s.

Color options: black, blue

Reasons to buy

+ Pocket design + IP68 water and dust resistant + Competitive price + Consistent transfer rate

Reasons to avoid

-Limited volume options -Data recovery plan not included

Speed, reliability and looks: ADATA SE800 will satisfy any requirement. While the maximum available capacity is only 1TB, you can rest easy knowing your data is safe in your new rugged home, which has a rubber stopper that covers the USB-C port when not in use to give this external SSD an IP68 rating. You can toss this versatile storage in your bag and get speeds up to 1000MB/s on the go, or park it next to your laptop at home to expand your workspace. Right now the 1TB model is on sale for just 129dollars, which means you don’t have to empty your pockets for this excellent external SSD.

2. WD My Passport Ultra hard drive.

Best External Hard Drive for Photo Storage

Specifications

Capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB

Interface: USB 3. 1 Type-C, USB 3.0 Type-A

Size: 4.33 x 3.21 x 0.5 inch

Weight: 4.64 oz.

Transfer rate: up to 100MB/s.

Color options: silver, blue

Reasons to buy

+ Affordable + Large capacity options + USB-C and USB-A compatible

Reasons to avoid

— No shock resistance — Windows formatting only

WD My Passport Ultra HDD is a classic and affordable external hard drive that costs just $79. It’s compact and stylish storage for those who want to keep their important photos or files within easy reach of their home setup, but it’s not travel-friendly given the large, shock-absorbing design. While it’s not the fastest solution offering a top speed of 115MB/s, it’s reliable enough to store large files.

3. Samsung T7 Touch Portable Solid State Drive.

The most secure external SSD

Specifications

Capacity: 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB

Interface: USB 3. 2 Type-C

Size: 3.4 x 2.2 x 0.3 inches

Weight: 6.4 oz

Transfer rate: up to 1000MB/s.

Color options: black, silver

Reasons to buy

+ AES 256-bit encryption + Fingerprint OR password unlock + Stylish design

Reasons to avoid

— Expensive — No water and dust resistance

Information security is a feature of Samsung T7 Touch. Whether you want to use it for personal or professional use, AES 256-bit encryption will keep your files private, while the built-in fingerprint scanner gives you quick access to your files. Please note that software is required for the initial setup of the security features. After that, it’s relatively free. On top of that, the stylish brushed aluminum construction also provides additional 6ft drop protection, adding another layer of security to your device. However, at a price of 109dollars for 500 GB of storage, it is a bit beyond the budget ideal.

4. LaCie Rugged Pro SSD

Best external SSD for creatives on the go

Specifications

Capacity: 1TB, 2TB

Interface: Thunderbolt 3, USB 301C 300 Type-0 .85 x 2.56 x 0.67 in.

Weight: 5.61 oz.0502 Reasons to buy

+ Industry-leading speed + Shock resistance + IP67 water and dust resistance + 5-year data retention plan

Reasons to avoid

— Expensive — Highest speeds only achievable via Thunderbolt-3

If you’re a creative professional on the move, then you’ll understand how difficult it is to carry around all your editing software, as well as documents and equipment. The LaCie Pro rugged SSD includes 2TB storage, speeds up to 2800MB/s, and a case that is drop-resistant up to 3 meters and IP67 water-resistant. However, 739dollars is a lot of money to pay for 2TB of data and really should only be considered by those who can really really take advantage of its industry-leading high speeds and extra solid protection.

5. SanDisk Extreme V2 Portable Solid State Drive

Best Portable SSD

Specifications

Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB

Size: USB 30 Type-C 2010 Gen 2010 Gen 2010 3.97 x 2.07 x 0.38 inch

Weight: 1.76 oz

Transfer rate: up to 1000MB/s.

Color options: black

Reasons to buy

+ Travel-friendly design + AES 256-bit hardware encryption + IP55 water and dust resistant

Reasons to avoid

— No USB port coverage — No data recovery plan included

If you have a tendency to go where the wind takes you and need a little extra space to store your photos, the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 has got you covered. It holds up to 2TB in a handy package that can be easily attached to a keychain or carabiner to take with you on any adventure. Unfortunately, the USB port is not protected, but it has an IP55 water and dust resistance rating. SanDisk offers the old generation with transfer speeds up to 550MB/s from $72 for 250GB, or the new generation with transfer rates up to 1000MB/s from $87 for 500GB.

6. Seagate One Touch Portable Hard Drive

Best Budget External Hard Drive

Specifications

Capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 5TB

Interface: USB 3.0 Type-A

Size: 4.6 x 3.15 x 0.58 inches

Weight: 6.7 ounces

Transfer rate: up to 120MB/s.

Color options: black, silver

Reasons to buy

+ Affordable + Universally compatible + Four-month Creative Cloud plan included + Large capacity options + Two-year data recovery plan

Reasons to avoid

— Low transfer rate — Bulkier than other options — Lack of impact resistance

Extra storage can be handy, but it can get very expensive and very fast. One of the more affordable options is the Seagate One Touch portable hard drive, which costs just $54 for 1TB. And while data transfer speeds aren’t great, up to 5TB of storage and a two-year data recovery plan are enough to make this budget-friendly external hard drive more than worth the money. Just handle it with care, because the device really has no shock resistance.

7. Samsung T7 Portable Solid State Drive.

Best SSD available

Specifications

Capacity: 512 GB, 1 TB

Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C

Size: 2.8 x 1.7 x 0.4 inches

Weight: 1.8 4 oz

Transfer rate: wired

Color options: up to 1000MB/s

Reasons to buy

+ Impressive transfer speeds + Robust design + AES 256-bit hardware encryption

Reasons to avoid

— No water and dust resistance

The Samsung T7 is a great choice for anyone looking to upgrade their console station. Speed plays a key role in gaming, but when you’re low on memory on your console (or PC), frame rates can lag and load times can increase. Luckily, adding an external SSD to your rig can make gaming easy, fast, and beautiful, and finding a reliable one for less than $100 is a steal. Take advantage of the Samsung T7 500 GB model for only 79dollars and enjoy transfer speeds up to 1000MB/s wherever you are, at home or on the go.

rating of 2022, review of models and tips on how to choose a drive

SSD (Solid State Disk — Solid State Drive), by and large, is not a disk.

Unlike HDDs, which store data on magnetic disks, SSDs do not have any disks. The information in them is on flash-memory chips.

Backing up, storing family archives and simply transferring files from one computer to another can be done without difficulty.

Top 10 best external SSD drives in 2022

The rating contains the best external SSD drives according to experts and users.

Seat	Description	Price
TOP 5 best external SSDs in price-performance ratio
1	Samsung Portable SSD T5 500 GB	Ask for price
2	Samsung Portable SSD T5 1TB	Ask for price
3	Samsung Portable SSD T5 2TB	Ask for price
4	SmartBuy S3 256 GB	Ask for price
5	Transcend ESD350C 480 GB	Ask for price
Top 5 Best 1TB External SSDs
1	Seagate Expansion Portable Drive 1TB	Ask for price
2	Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD 1TB	Ask for price
3	HyperX SAVAGE EXO SSD 960 GB	Ask for price
4	SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 1TB	Ask for price
5	Western Digital My Passport Go 1TB	Ask for price
Top 5 Best 2TB External SSDs
1	Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD 2TB	Ask for price
2	Lacie Portable SSD 2 TB	Ask for price
3	Seagate Game Drive for Xbox SSD 2 TB	Ask for price
4	Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD 2 TB	Ask for price
5	Western Digital My Passport SSD 2. 048 TB	Get a price Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD 1TB HyperX SAVAGE EXO SSD 960GB SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 1TB Western Digital My Passport Go 1TB Western Digital My Passport Go SSD 2TB 900 2TB Lacie Portable SSD 2TB Seagate Game Drive for Xbox SSD 2TB Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD 2TB Western Digital My Passport SSD 2.048TB Customer Reviews Useful video What to look for when choosing? Before buying an external hard drive, you need to decide on the purpose of its use and then only select according to the necessary parameters: Volume. This is the main indicator that primarily determines the price of an external drive. When choosing the capacity of a device, keep in mind that the size of both software and media files is constantly growing, so a small margin will not be superfluous. Interface. The external SSD connector must provide at least a data transfer rate equal to the read/write speed of the SSD itself. The most common and best option is USB 3.0. Protection against external factors . Although SSD drives are already quite resistant to mechanical damage, some of them have additional shock protection. And protection against drops of water and dust allows you to use the drive even outdoors. Overview of the best models in price-quality ratio Samsung Portable SSD T5 500 GB Samsung Portable SSD T5 500 GB combines compact size and high data transfer speeds. Drive equipped with USB-C 3.2 interface, includes universal USB cable with Type-C connector on both ends, as well as a regular cable with USB Type-C on one end and Type-A on the other for connecting the drive to older devices . The drive supports AES encryption using a 256-bit key. The device has an all-metal body, while the weight of the drive is only 51 g. It is worth noting that this is one of the best models of 2022. Characteristics: memory capacity — 500 GB; connector for connecting with devices — USB 3.1 Type-C; read speed — 540 MB / s; dimensions (WxHxD) — 57.3 × 10.5 × 74 mm. Pros high processing speed; service life; low noise. Cons not flagged by users. Samsung Portable SSD T5 1TB The Samsung Portable SSD T5 1TB external drive has a capacity of 1TB in a compact black case and neat design. Connect to other devices via USB 3.1 interface. The body of the SSD drive is made of metal, so it is resistant to mechanical stress such as drops and shocks. Includes USB-C and USB cables. The SSD weighs only 51g and is compact in size. Characteristics: memory capacity — 1 TB; connector for connecting with devices — USB 3.1 Type-C; read speed — 540 MB / s; dimensions (WxHxD) — 57.3 × 10.5 × 74 mm. Pros high processing speed; low noise; service life. Cons easily soiled case; hard wire. Samsung Portable SSD T5 2TB Samsung Portable SSD T5 2TB has a large storage capacity up to 2TB. This allows you to store a large collection of media files on a portable drive, including games and movies / series. The model has a metal body and is protected from shock and other mechanical damage. It is equipped with a high-speed USB 3.1 interface. With a large capacity, the external SSD weighs only 51g and has a compact size. Comes with USB and USB-C cables. Features: 2 TB memory device connector — USB 3.1 Type-C read speed — 540 MB / s dimensions (WxHxD) — 57.3 × 10.5 × 74 mm. Pros high processing speed; low noise; service life. Cons not found by buyers. SmartBuy S3 256 GB SmartBuy S3 256 GB External SSD comes in a white plastic case for a neat appearance and ease of use. Its main function is to collect and securely store information. The design of the model has no moving parts, so the drive is durable equipment that will serve for many years. The capacity of this drive is up to 256 GB. Thanks to this, it can store large archives of video and photo materials, as well as a huge music collection. The external drive is energy efficient, which means the data processing speed is faster. Features: 256 GB memory device connector — USB 3.0 read speed — 425 MB / s; write speed — 400 MB / s. Pros low noise level; durability; degree of heating. Cons low data processing speed. Transcend ESD350C 480 GB Transcend’s ESD350C 480 GB compact portable hard drive features a sleek yet robust and rugged design that makes it shock resistant. The drive guarantees high data transfer speeds of up to 1050 MB/s. Equipped with an aluminum housing that provides heat dissipation, the device features high performance without overheating even under heavy loads. Characteristics: memory capacity — 480 GB; connector for connecting with devices — USB 3. 1 Type-C; read speed — 1050 MB / s; dimensions (WxHxD) — 53.6 × 12.5 × 96.5 mm. Pros high processing speed; degree of heating; low noise. Cons not specified by users. 1TB Model Overview Seagate Expansion Portable Drive 1TB The Seagate Expansion Portable Drive 1TB is an easy-to-use storage device. Transfer files quickly and easily with a USB 3.0 connection via a USB cable. Digital photos, documents, videos, and audio files can exhaust your PC’s storage capacity and slow down performance when the internal hard drive becomes full. The portable hard drive allows you to store a large amount of data, thereby freeing up space on your PC. Characteristics: memory capacity — 1 TB; form factor — 2. 5″ connector for connecting with devices — USB 3.0; dimensions (WxHxD) — 55.5x10x75 mm. Pros heating degree; compact; high processing speed. Cons not identified by users. Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD 1 TB External SSD Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD 1 TB guarantees a capacity of 1024 GB. The data processing speed is 540 MB/s. The external SSD supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C interface. The presence of two cables in the kit allows you to connect the model to the USB and USB Type-C ports. The device is equipped with shock protection and LED backlight. The equipment is made in a black case and has a compact size. The model is able to fit even in a relatively small pocket. Features: 1 TB memory form factor — 2. 5″ device connector — USB 3.1 Type-C dimensions (WxHxD) — 79×9.1×93.45 mm. Pros low noise level; degree of heating; compactness. Cons brand case. HyperX SAVAGE EXO SSD 960 GB External SSD HyperX SAVAGE EXO SSD 960 GB guarantees high data processing speed. This is achieved using 3D NAND technology and a high-speed USB 3.1 Gen2 (Type-C) interface. Weighing only 56g and compact enough, the hardware packs just under a terabyte (960GB) of storage capacity. The body is made of strong and durable plastic. Such a storage is suitable for those who work with the same data arrays from different sources, check electronic documents, send large graphic files. Characteristics: memory capacity — 960 GB; connector for connecting with devices — USB 3. 1 Type-C; read speed — 500 MB / s; dimensions (WxHxD) — 48.61 × 10.24 × 123.82 mm. Pros high processing speed; compact; low noise. Cons not found by users. SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 1 TB SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 1 TB external drive provides reliable storage for large amounts of files. It can withstand drops from up to 2 meters, as well as water drops and dust particles. 0The drive works stably at temperatures from 0 to +45º — including strong vibrations. Large capacity combined with high data transfer rates of up to 550 Mbps. Thanks to this, you can watch a 4K movie, edit photos and create 3D models without copying files to your computer. By installing the SanDisk SecureAccess app, you can lock your drive and choose a password. The key with 128-bit encryption serves as reliable file protection. Characteristics: memory capacity — 1 TB; connector for connecting with devices — USB 3.1 Type-C; read speed — 550 MB / s; dimensions (WxHxD) — 49.55 × 8.85 × 96.2 mm. Pros high processing speed; low noise; service life. Cons easily soiled case; degree of heating. Western Digital My Passport Go 1 TB Western Digital My Passport Go 1 TB is a reliable portable drive with enough capacity to store a large number of photos, videos, music and documents. Works flawlessly with WD Backup software and password protection to keep your files secure. The WD Backup program is designed to back up various files. It can be configured to run automatically according to a set schedule. The model does not lose its relevance in 2022. Characteristics: memory capacity — 1 TB; form factor — 2.5″; connector for connecting with devices — USB 3.0; dimensions (WxHxD) — 67x10x95 mm. Pros compact; high processing speed; low noise. Cons are not specified by users. 2 TB model overview Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD 2 TB The Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD 2 TB external drive has a capacity of 2 TB. The model is suitable for both transferring large amounts of information and for backup. The main advantage of the model is the presence of a built-in Wi-Fi module, thanks to which data transfer can be carried out using wireless networks. Data exchange can also be carried out using SD memory cards, for which a separate slot is provided. Users of mobile devices will appreciate the possibility of using the model as an external battery. External drive connects to mobile and desktop computers using a high-speed USB 3.0 interface. Characteristics: memory capacity — 2 TB; connector for connecting with devices — USB 3.0; WiFi; read speed — 390 MB / s; dimensions (WxHxD) — 135x30x135 mm. Pros low noise level; compact; service life. Cons are not highlighted by buyers. Lacie Portable SSD 2 TB The 2TB Lacie Portable SSD 2TB External Drive is a state-of-the-art storage solution. An external hard drive allows you to store a large number of photos, videos, music and documents. The device is universally compatible with Mac, Windows, USB-C and USB 3. 0. Data processing speed is up to 540 MB/s. One-click backup or automatic backup saves files quickly. Characteristics: memory capacity — 2 TB; connector for connecting with devices — USB 3.1 Type-C; read speed — 540 MB / s; dimensions (WxHxD) — 79×9.1×93.5 mm. Pros high processing speed; compact; degree of heating. Cons not found by users. Seagate Game Drive for Xbox SSD 2 TB The Seagate Game Drive for Xbox 2TB External SSD is the only hard drive designed specifically for Xbox One and Xbox 360 devices. This model comes with 2TB of storage, making it easy to store a huge amount of games. After connecting the cable, the device will automatically detect and then configure the hard drive. High-speed external drive interface is USB 3. 0, which allows you to enjoy games without interruption. Via USB 2.0. you can connect a game drive. Characteristics: memory capacity — 2 TB; form factor — 2.5″; connector for connecting with devices — USB 3.0; dimensions (WxHxD) — 76 × 9.6 × 113.5 mm. Pros high processing speed; low noise; degree of heating. Cons not specified by buyers. Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD 2 TB The Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD 2TB is designed to expand the memory of a desktop or laptop computer. The volume of the model is enough to store a large amount of music, photos, movies, as well as graphic and text documents. Due to the design features of the device, the risk of losing information during impacts is reduced. The solid state drive provides fast booting of the operating system and allows you to run several resource-intensive applications at the same time without delay. Thanks to its compact size, the model is easy to transport. The body of the storage device is made of durable plastic, resistant to external influences. Characteristics: memory capacity — 2 TB; form factor — 2.5″; connector for connecting with devices — USB 3.1 Type-C; dimensions (WxHxD) — 79×9.1×93.45 mm. Pros compact; degree of heating; service life. Cons were not identified by buyers. Western Digital My Passport SSD 2.048 TB Western Digital My Passport SSD 2.048 TB is a portable drive with a fairly high processing speed. Password protection and hardware-based encryption keep content private. The easy-to-use drive is shock-resistant in a stylish, durable design. It is currently the fastest drive in the My Passport series, delivering up to 540MB/s processing speed. The included WD Backup software automatically backs up files of any size to your drive or Dropbox cloud storage. It is worth noting that this is one of the best models of 2022. Characteristics: memory capacity — 2.05 TB; connector for connecting with devices — USB 3.1 Type-C; read speed — 540 MB / s; dimensions (WxHxD) — 45x10x90 mm. Pluses high data processing speed; low noise; degree of heating. Cons are not noted by users. Customer Reviews The following are customer reviews of the External SSDs featured here: Brand/Model Rating Number of voters Add your review! Sort by: Most RecentHighest ScoreMost HelpfulWorst Rated {{{ review.rating_title}}} show more Add your review! Useful video How to choose an external drive: Best in 2022: external hard drives \| Digital World Magazine Frequent computer backups are essential for good digital hygiene, and with the best external hard drive, it’s easy to keep important documents safe. An external hard drive is a small, often portable hard drive used to back up digital files, photos, and important documents. Since they are external to your computer, they will keep your important data safe and available for recovery even if your computer crashes. A good external hard drive is reliable, affordable and easy to use. They come in different types and sizes, so your ideal hard drive will depend on your needs and budget. With capacities up to 18TB, this HDD can back up all your devices. Features: — Drive type: HDD — Capacity: 3TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB, 16TB, 18TB — Dimensions: 5.31 in. L x 1.89 in. W x 6.53 in. H Pros: — Large capacity — Great value for money — Vertical design saves desk space Cons: — Tall, narrow design can tip over — Not as portable — Requires external power This hard drive’s small footprint saves desk space, while open sides and vents help keep the drive cool. The drive is pre-formatted for use out of the box with a Windows PC, but may need to be reformatted for use with a Mac. Requires an outlet for power, connects to your computer with a USB 3. 0 interface (which means it is also compatible with USB 2.0 devices). This portable hard drive offers excellent storage capacity and read/write speed at an economical price. Features: — Drive type: HDD — Capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 5TB — Dimensions: 4.6″ L x 3.15″ W x 0.58″ H 9008 Pros: — Affordable — Decent read/write speed — Portable and compact Cons: — Lacks security features The drive is pre-formatted for Windows so you can connect it with a convenient 18″ USB 3.0 cable. With a decent read/write speed of 120Mbps, transferring important files won’t take long. Mac computers may require reformatting. Thanks to its portable size, it can be stored in a desk drawer or used on the go. It is powered by a USB cable, so you don’t need to be near a power outlet to connect this drive. With its high read/write speed, password protection and durable metal case, this external hard drive is one of the best choices. Features: — Drive type: SSD — Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB — Dimensions: 3.9″ L x 2.2″ W x 0.4″ H Pros: — Password protection with hardware encryption — Includes both USB-A and USB-C cable — Shock, vibration and drop resistant metal construction — Compact size Cons: — Short USB-C cable SSD external hard drives are faster than their HDD counterparts. This mid-priced hard drive offers read speeds up to 1050Mbps and write speeds up to 1000Mbps for fast data transfers. Compatible with both Windows and Mac, this hard drive features USB 3.2 Gen 2 technology. It comes with a USB-C cable and USB-A adapter to work with any computer or laptop. The included WD Discovery backup software makes it easy to transfer data, and once loaded to disk, it’s easy to keep your data secure with 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption with password support. This hard drive features a rugged metal construction yet is ultra-portable. Features: — Drive type: SSD — Capacity: 1TB, 2TB — Dimensions: 2.91″ L x 2.26″ W x 0.41″ H Pros: Very small and lightweight — Rugged metal construction — Optional password protection and AES 256-bit hardware encryption Cons: — Slower than some SSDs This portable Samsung T5 SSD is a very compact option, about half the size of a smartphone. It is also made of impact resistant metal. This external hard drive is small but doesn’t skimp on features. It comes in 1TB or 2TB sizes with an acceptable read/write speed of 540Mbps. Equipped with a USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface and comes with USB-A and USB-C cables for connecting to various devices. Just in case your hard drive falls into the wrong hands while you’re away, you can take advantage of additional password protection and AES 256-bit hardware encryption to increase the security of your data. This drive has a read/write speed of 2000Mbps, making it quick and easy to transfer photos. Features: — Drive Type: Solid State Drive — Capacity: 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB — Dimensions: 4.36″ L x 2.28″ W x 0.41″ H Pros: — High read / write speed of 2000 Mbps. — IP55 rating for water and dust resistance — Attractive design Cons: — Expensive Very fast read/write speed allows you to back up your photos very quickly, whether personal photos or professional shots. When paired with a device that supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 × 2, this hard drive can reach read/write speeds of 2000Mbps. It includes a USB-A to USB-C cable. This hard drive has an IP55 water and dust resistance rating, which means that it can withstand splashing water and small amounts of dust, as well as drop resistance. In addition to being drop, water, and dirt resistant, this drive also features password protection with 256-bit AES hardware encryption to protect your data. Designed with gamers in mind, this external hard drive features good read/write speed, elegant appearance, and comes with a detachable stand. Features: — Drive type: SSD — Capacity: 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB — Dimensions: 3.8 x 2.4 x 1.8 inches — Includes detachable stand — Good read/write speed for gaming Cons: — Some devices may not achieve full read/write speed This external hard drive has excellent compatibility with Xbox and Playstation systems. To make it easy to connect, it comes with an included USB-C to USB-A cable. Also, with a decent read/write speed of 900MB/s this hard drive is fast enough for intense gaming with minimal loading times. It is also portable enough to take with you when you travel. An external hard drive is a must have for anyone with a PC, but with so many options available, how do you find the best hard drive for your needs? We’ll look at the most important factors to consider, including hard drive type, capacity, performance, and portability. HDD or SSD There are two types of external hard drives: traditional hard drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs). Hard drives are a popular and inexpensive option. Their main disadvantage is that they have moving parts inside that can break or wear out over time. HDDs tend to be slower, but cheaper and can be larger than SSDs. Solid state drives are generally smaller, lighter and faster than hard drives. Because they don’t have moving parts like hard drives. They usually last longer and are more suitable for travel. However, they are more expensive and usually have a smaller volume. Memory capacity When purchasing an external hard drive, memory capacity is one of the most important factors to consider. It makes no sense to buy a hard drive that can’t store all of your information, and it makes no sense to overpay for a hard drive that’s too big (in which case it’s best to buy a drive with twice the amount of storage you need). The capacity of an external hard drive is usually between 128 GB and 18 TB. Some documents, photos, and home videos can be backed up with a smaller drive. An external hard drive up to 500 GB or 1 TB should be sufficient for most users backing up or transferring files, music, photos, and videos from a personal computer. Larger file storage, such as large amounts of photos and videos, or multi-computer backups will likely require more, and you can find options up to 18TB. As the amount of memory increases, so does the price. Read/Write Speed Most drives can work on both PC and Mac, but some may need to be reformatted before use. Also consider how you will connect it to your computer; most new drives come with USB-A and/or USB-C cables, many of which are USB 3.0 compatible. Read/Write speed is one performance metric to consider if you plan to use your drive frequently to transfer large files. Read/write speed refers to how fast an external hard drive can access stored files as well as save new ones. Read/write speeds are typically measured in megabytes per second (MB/s) and can be as high as 200MB/s on HDDs and over 2000MB/s on SSDs. Keep in mind that read/write speeds also vary by host device and usage conditions, so not every drive will achieve advertised read/write speeds. To store sensitive data, some external hard drives offer security features such as password protection or high-level encryption. Consider these features if you plan to back up important personal or work files. Portability The ideal size and type of external hard drive may depend on how portable your drive needs to be. If you plan on keeping it in your desk for occasional backups, then an HDD will do. It has enough space to store all the necessary files. For frequent travel, consider a smaller, lighter, more durable SSD. Note the solid body, good drop resistance and the right size for your needs. Question: Which brand of external hard drive is the most reliable? There are several reputable brands that make reliable external hard drives. Since no brand comes out on top, it’s best to pay attention to the hard drive specifications and user reviews; this will give you an accurate idea of the best external hard drive for your needs. Q: How long should an external hard drive last? Hard drives contain parts that can deteriorate over time. It’s best to replace your external hard drive after about 3-5 years to keep your data safe. This does not mean that every hard drive will fail at this stage (some can last decades). But it’s best to back up your data to multiple locations, take good care of your external hard drive, and replace it every few years to keep your data protected. Q: Is the WD better than the Seagate? Both WD and Seagate make great external hard drives. These brands are two of the top external hard drive brands and often offer competitive products and prices. Comparing hard drive specifications and consumer reviews can help you narrow down your choice of the right external hard drive between the two brands. Question: Are 10 TB drives reliable? Yes, 10TB external hard drives are a solid choice. These high capacity drives are ideal for those who need to store large amounts of data. Question: How can I safely dispose of old hard drives? The data deletion program will get rid of them from your old hard drive. However, if you want to be completely sure that the data cannot be recovered, you should destroy it. Question: How much do external hard drives cost? Expect to spend between $100 and $200. The price will depend on the type and size of the hard drive, as well as the storage capacity. *What do we think is the best hard drive?* A WD Elements hard drive, of course. It has a sleek design and 3TB to 18TB capacity to store all your important data. The bonus to all this is the reasonable price. Be the first to comment! Best SSD Drives 2021-2022 Ranking The SSD (Solid State Drive ) high-speed solid-state drive makes your computer or laptop fast, allowing you to do more tasks in less time. We have prepared top SSD drives for different devices to help you choose the best option. Content: SSD Drive Ranking 2021-2022 Top SSD Manufacturers Best Laptop SSD Drives 2021-2022 Best PC SSD Drives 2021-2022 Best External SSD Drives 2021-2022 Best M2 SSD Drives 2021-2022 SSD rating 2021-2022 To rank SSD drives, we studied 47 models that are in demand and selected the top 25 with a lot of positive reviews. Categories divided by criteria: best for laptops, best for PC, external drives, with M.2 connector. M.2 form factor solid state drives replace the obsolete mSATA. They allow the device to develop high read and data transfer speeds. Therefore, most users want to install an M.2 SSD drive on a PC or laptop. The best SSD drives of 2022 The best SSD manufacturers 5th place: SanDisk 4th place: Intel 3rd place: Western Digital 2nd place: Kingston 1st place: Samsung Best Laptop SSDs 2021-2022 5th place: Crucial 480GB (CT480BX500SSD1) 4th place: Kingston 240 GB (SA400S37/240G) 3rd place: Western Digital WD Blue SATA 500 GB (WDS500G2B0A) 2nd place: SanDisk 240 GB (SDSSDA-240G-G26) place: Samsung 860 EVO 500 GB (MZ-76E500BW) Comparison table of the best laptop SSD drives Best PC SSDs 2021-2022 5th place: Kingston 250 GB (SA2000M8/250G) 4th place: SanDisk 2000 GB (SDSSDh4-2T00-G25) 3rd place: Samsung 860 EVO 500 GB (MZ-N6E500BW) 2nd place: Western Digital WD Blue SATA 1000 GB (WDS100T2B0B) 1st place: Samsung 970 EVO 1000 GB (MZ-V7E1T0BW) Best PC SSD Comparison Chart Best External SSD Drives 2021-2022 5th place: Samsung Portable SSD T7 2TB 4th place: Transcend StoreJet 500 256GB 3rd place: Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD 500GB 2nd place: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 500GB 1st place: Samsung Portable SSD T5 2TB Best External SSD Comparison Chart Best SSDs M2 drives 2021-2022 5th place: SmartBuy 256 GB (SBSD-256GT-SM63XT-M2P4) 4th place: Transcend 1024 GB (TS1TMTS800S) 3rd place: Kingston 960 GB (SUV500M8/960G) 2nd place: Intel 256 GB (SSDSCKKW256G8) 19636 : Western Digital WD Black NVMe 1000 GB (WDS100T3XHC) Comparison table of the best M2 SSD drives The best SSD manufacturers When choosing a drive, it is important to pay attention to the manufacturer — the quality of the product often depends on its reliability rating. We have selected the best SSD brands from which you can safely purchase products. 5th place: SanDisk The company makes very fast M.2 PCle 3.0 ×4 NVMe drives. The maximum speed of some reaches 3400 Mb / s. Drives are not afraid of heavy loads and easily dock with different operating systems. SanDisk high speed; compact; clearly works. high price. 4th place: Intel Intel memory cards have gained a lot of popularity due to the large choice of formats, compact size and affordable prices. The maximum data processing speed of storage devices is 3230 Mb/s. They are not afraid of heavy loads and cope with their functions without delay. Intel high speed; compact; reasonable price; versatility. performance is lower than stated. 3rd place: Western Digital The American manufacturer offers three lines of SSD cards: Black, Blue and Green. They have high performance and speed. Models of the Green series are more energy efficient. Available with read speeds up to 560 MB/s and write speeds up to 530 MB/s. The warranty period is 3 years. Western Digital high performance; best value for money; large selection of models. medium quality body material. 2nd place: Kingston Drives from this company have always been of high quality. They produce models ranging from 120 GB to 1.92 TB with read speeds up to 2000 MB/s. Kingston products are the best in price-quality ratio. Kingston warranty period 5 years; high speed; reliability and durability. high power consumption; modest appearance. 1st place: Samsung The new SSDs are based on MLC 3D V-NAND and TLC 3D V-NAND, which feature layered cells. Also on new devices it is possible to replace the flash memory version with a 64-layer one. The number of hours between failures and the warranty period of Samsung drives is regularly increased, which makes the products more attractive. Samsung high performance; does not overheat; does not overheat; clearly works. high price. How to choose an SSD Best laptop SSD drives 2021-2022 In this category you will find the best Sata SSDs for laptops of different capacities. We selected models based on technical specifications and user reviews. 5th place: Crucial 480GB (CT480BX500SSD1) RUB 4200 2.5″ model with TLC 3D NAND memory type. Specifications: read speed 540MB/s; write speed 500 MB/s; MTBF 1500000 h; dimensions (W×H×D): 69.85×7×100 mm. Easy install Crucial 480GB (CT480BX500SSD1) high speed; easy to install; 3 year warranty; works quietly. small buffer size; high price. Line Models: Crucial (CT960BX500SSD1) 一 960 GB Crucial (CT2000BX500SSD1) 一 2000 GB. 4th place: Kingston 240 GB (SA400S37/240G) 2700 rub Model with 2.5″ form factor, suitable for gaming laptops and PCs. Specifications: read speed 500MB/s; write speed 350 MB/s; MTBF 1000000 h; dimensions (W×H×D): 69.9×7×100 mm. Quiet operation Kingston 240 GB (SA400S37/240G) high read speed; quiet operation; reasonable price. Sometimes there are problems with card recognition; may behave differently on different operating systems. Models in the range: Kingston 120 GB 一 with 120 GB memory Kingston 480 GB 一 with 480 GB memory; Kingston 960 GB 一 with 960 GB memory. 3rd place: Western Digital WD Blue SATA 500 GB (WDS500G2B0A) RUB 5300 2. 5″ model with TLC 3D NAND flash memory type. Power consumption 2.5 W. Specifications: read speed 560MB/s; write speed 530 MB/s; MTBF 1750000 h; dimensions (W×H×D): 69.85×7×100.2 mm. High Speed Western Digital WD Blue SATA 500 GB (WDS500G2B0A) High Speed; warranty period 5 years; light weight; reliable. In rare cases, there are problems with card recognition. Line models: Western Digital WD Blue SATA 1000 GB 一 with 1000 GB memory; Western Digital WD Blue SATA 250 GB 一 with 500 GB memory; Western Digital WD Blue SATA 2000 GB 一 with 2000 GB memory. 2nd place: SanDisk 240 GB (SDSSDA-240G-G26) 3 500 rub The rating of the best SSD drives continues with the 2.5″ model suitable for gaming laptops and PCs. Operates at temperatures up to 70℃. Specifications: read speed 530MB/s; write speed 440 MB/s; dimensions (W×H×D): 69. 85×7×100.5 mm. Works without freezes SanDisk 240 GB (SDSSDA-240G-G26) Runs smoothly without freezes; reasonable price. the amount of memory is slightly lower than stated; performance is reduced when more than 85% full. Models in the line: SanDisk 250 GB 一 with 250 GB memory; SanDisk 1000 GB 一 with 1000 GB memory; SanDisk 480 GB 一 with 480 GB memory. 1st place: Samsung 860 EVO 500 GB (MZ-76E500BW) 5 400 rub Model with 2.5″ form factor and 3D V-NAND flash memory type. Power consumption 2.5 W. Specifications: read speed 550MB/s; write speed 520 MB/s; buffer size 512 MB; MTBF 1500000 h; dimensions (W×H×D): 69.85×6.8×100 mm. High speed Samsung 860 EVO 500 GB (MZ-76E500BW) high speed; the desired output can be adjusted; light weight. high price. Models in the range: Samsung 860 EVO 250 GB 一 with 250 GB memory; Samsung 860 EVO 1000 GB 一 with 1000 GB memory; Samsung 860 EVO 2000 GB 一 with 2000 GB memory; Samsung 860 EVO 4000 GB 一 with 4000 GB memory. Best Laptop SSD Comparison Chart	TLC 3D NAND	560	530	1750000
#2	SanDisk 240 GB		530	440
#1	Samsung 860 EVO 500 GB	3D V -Nand	550	520	1500000

The best sound cards 200003

The best SSD drives for PC 2021-2022

We have chosen the best SSDs, which we select personal computers, taking into account technical characteristics.

5th place: Kingston 250 GB (SA2000M8/250G)

R3400

Model with 2280 form factor and TLC 3D NAND flash memory type.

Specifications:

read speed 2000MB/s;
write speed 1100 MB/s;
MTBF 2000000 h;
dimensions (W×H×D): 22×3.5×80 mm.

Low price

Kingston 250 GB (SA2000M8/250G)

high speed;

long work;

low price;

5 year warranty.

no M.2 connector.

Line models:

Kingston 500 GB (SA2000M8/500G) 一 with 500 GB memory;
Kingston 1000 GB (SA2000M8/1000G) 一 with 1000 GB memory.

4th place: SanDisk 2000 GB (SDSSDh4-2T00-G25)

17800 r

A good external SSD for a computer with a 2.5 ″ form factor and TLC 3D NAND flash memory type.

Specifications:

read speed 550MB/s;
write speed 530 MB/s;
dimensions (W×H×D): 69.95×7×100. 5 mm.

Large volume

SanDisk 2000 GB (SDSSDh4-2T00-G25)

Large volume;

good performance;

compliance with the declared characteristics;

high price.

Models in the line:

SanDisk 1000 GB (SDSSDh4-1T00-G25) 一 with 1000 GB memory;
SanDisk 500 GB (SDSSDh4-500G-G25) 一 with 500 GB memory.

3rd place: Samsung 860 EVO 500 GB (MZ-N6E500BW)

6200 RUB

2280 form factor model with TLC 3D NAND flash memory type, Samsung MJX controller. Power consumption 2.5 W, there is an M.2 connector, NVMe.

Specifications:

read speed 550MB/s;
write speed 520 MB/s;
buffer size 512 MB;
MTBF 1500000 h;
dimensions (W×H×D): 22×2.38×80 mm.

Long life model

Samsung 860 EVO 500 GB (MZ-N6E500BW)

no heat;

good performance;

5 year warranty;

durable.

high price;

medium speed.

Line models:

Samsung 860 EVO 1000 GB (MZ-N6E1T0BW) 一 with 1000 GB memory;
Samsung 860 EVO 250 GB (MZ-N6E250BW) 一 with 250 1000 GB memory.

2nd place: Western Digital WD Blue SATA 1000 GB (WDS100T2B0B)

$9,700 There is an M.2 connector.

Specifications:

read speed 560MB/s;
write speed 530 MB/s;
buffer size 1024 MB;
MTBF 1750000 h;
dimensions (W×H×D): 22×2.23×80 mm.

Reliable performance

Western Digital WD Blue SATA 1000 GB (WDS100T2B0B)

low price;

reliable operation;

good performance.

no fixing screw;

gets very hot under heavy loads.

Line models:

Western Digital WD Blue SATA 500 GB (WDS100T2B0B) 一 with 500 GB memory;
Western Digital WD Blue SATA 2000 GB (WDS100T2B0B) 一 with 2000 GB memory.

1st place: Samsung 970 EVO 1000 GB (MZ-V7E1T0BW)

Rs. Power consumption 6 W, there is an M.2 connector, NVMe.

Specifications:

read speed 3400MB/s;
write speed 2500 MB/s;
buffer size 1024 MB;
MTBF 1500000 h;
dimensions (W×H×D): 22×2.38×80 mm.

Long life model

Samsung 970 EVO 1000 GB (MZ-V7E1T0BW)

high speed;

good performance;

5 year warranty;

durable.

high price;

heats up when used for a long time.

Models in the line:

Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1000 GB (MZ-V7E1T0BW) 一 with increased speed parameters.

Best PC SSD Comparison Chart

TLC 3D NAND 550 520 1500000 #2 Western Digital WD Blue SATA 1000 GB TLC 3D NAND 560 530 1750000 #1 Samsung 970 EVO 1000 GB TLC 3D NAND 3400 2500 1500000

Best SSD processor 200000005

External SSDs allow you to increase the resources of your laptop or PC without replacing the device itself. We have selected the best options that can be easily installed and used.

5th place: Samsung Portable SSD T7 2 TB

26 900 rub

Drive with form factor 1.8″ with a capacity of 2000 gigabytes.

Includes: two USB Type C ⟶ Type A and USB Type C cables.

write speed 1000 MB/s;

USB 3.2 Type-C connection;

dimensions (W×H×D): 57×8×85 mm;

weight 58 g.

does not heat up;

fits well with the OS;

high speed.

high price.

Line models:

Samsung Portable SSD T7 Touch 2TB 一 with Fingerprint Reader and USB 3.1 Type-C connection.

4th place: Transcend StoreJet 500 256 GB

12,000 rub

Good external SSD drive with a 2.5″ form factor.

Transend comes with two USB Type C ⟶ Type A and USB Type C cables.

USB 3.0 connection;

dimensions (W×H×D): 75.2×13.5×121.2 mm;

weight 136g

High Speed

Transcend StoreJet 500 256GB

beautiful design;

fits well with the OS;

high speed.

heavy weight;

gets hot during use.

Line models:

Transcend StoreJet 500 512 GB 一 with 512 GB memory;
Transcend StoreJet 500 1,024TB 一 with 1024GB storage.

3rd place: Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD 500 GB

7 150 R

Drive with a 1.8″ form factor.

Includes: two USB Type C cables ⟶ Type A and USB Type C.

Specifications:

read speed 500 MB/s;
USB 3.1 Type-C connection;
dimensions (W×H×D): 7.9×9.1×93.45 mm; Weight 140 g

metal case;

high speed.

poor quality wires;

heavy weight.

2nd place: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 500GB

$79.00

1.8″ form factor drive with a maximum operating temperature of 45℃.

Includes: two USB Type C ⟶ Type A and USB Type C cables.
USB 3.1 Type-C connection;
dimensions (W×H×D): 49.55×8.85×96.2 mm;
weight 79 g

high speed

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 500 GB

low price;

good equipment;

high speed.

heating temperature limited to 45℃.

1st place: Samsung Portable SSD T5 2 TB

21 500 rub

2000 GB drive with a 1.8″ form factor, is reliable and durable.

Includes: two USB Type C ⟶ Type A and USB Type C cables.

Specifications:

read speed 540MB/s;
USB 3.1 Type-C connection;
dimensions (W×H×D): 57.3×10.5×74 mm;
weight 51 g.

Quiet operation

Samsung Portable SSD T5 2 TB

good package;

high speed;

works quietly.

high price.

Line Models:

Samsung Portable SSD T5 1TB 一 1000GB;
Samsung Portable SSD T5 500 GB 一 with 500 GB memory.

5th place: SmartBuy 256 GB (SBSD-256GT-SM63XT-M2P4)

6 400 rub

Model with 2280 form factor, SATA 3 interface and TLC 3D NAND flash memory type. Silicon Motion SM2263XT controller.

Specifications:
- read speed 2000MB/s;
- write speed 1600 MB/s;
- MTBF 1500000 h;
- dimensions (W×H×D): 22×2×80 mm.
Low price

SmartBuy 256 GB (SBSD-256GT-SM63XT-M2P4)

high speed;

low price;

clear work.

gets very hot during extended use.

4th place: Transcend 1024 GB (TS1TMTS800S)

33 100 R

Model with 2280 form factor and MLC flash type.

Specifications:
- read speed 600MB/s;
- dimensions (W×H×D): 22×3.58×80 mm.
Robust model

Transcend 1024 GB (TS1TMTS800S)

does not overheat;

reliability;

clear work.

high price.

Line models:
- Transcend 1024 GB (TS1TMTS830S) 一 with TLC 3D NAND flash type.
3rd place: Kingston 960 GB (SUV500M8/960G)

$112

Model with 2280 form factor and TLC 3D NAND flash memory type. Controller Marvell 88SS1074.

Specifications:
- read speed 520MB/s;
- write speed 500 MB/s;
- MTBF 1000000 h;
- dimensions (W×H×D): 22×3. 5×80 mm.
Reliable model

Kingston 960 GB (SUV500M8/960G)

does not overheat;

reliability;

clear work.

high price.

2nd place: Intel 256 GB (SSDSCKKW256G8)

4300 R

Model with 2280 form factor and TLC 3D NAND flash type. Power consumption 4.5 W.

Specifications:
- read speed 550MB/s;
- write speed 500 MB/s;
- MTBF 1600000 h;
- dimensions (W×H×D): 22×1.3×80 mm.
Compact model

Intel 256 GB (SSDSCKKW256G8)

does not overheat;

reliability;

compact;

low price.

The speed values change depending on the load.

1st place: Western Digital WD Black NVMe 1000 GB (WDS100T3XHC)

RUB 193.00

Model with 2280 form factor and TLC 3D NAND flash memory type.

Includes: radiator.

Specifications:
- read speed 3470MB/s;
- write speed 3000 MB/s;
- MTBF 1750000 h;
- dimensions (W×H×D): 22×8. 1×80 mm.
Longevity model

Western Digital WD Black NVMe 1000 GB (WDS100T3XHC) TLC 3D NAND 2000 1600 1500000 #4 Transcend 1024 GB MLC 600 #3 Kingston 960 GB TLC 3D NAND 520 500 1000000 #2 Intel 256 GB TLC 3D NAND 550 500 1600000 #1 Western Digital WD Black NVME 1000 GB TLC 3D NAND 3470 3000 1750000

I have selected you:

SSD Drive Ranking 2022

Gaming Laptop Ranking 2021

The best hard drives for your computer

Best Samsung External Hard Drives & SSDs in 2022

External hard drives and SSDs

one

Best

500 GB External SSD Samsung T5, USB 3. 2 Gen 2 Type-C, Blue

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4.9

/

380 review(s)
- type: portable
- capacity: 500 GB
- form factor: 1.8″
- flash type: 3D V-NAND
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2

1 TB External SSD Samsung T7, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, gray

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4. 8

/

87 review(s)
- capacity: 1 TB
- form factor: 1.8″
- computer connection: USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C
- case material: metal
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3

500 GB External SSD Samsung T7, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, Red

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4.8

/

87 review(s)
- Product colour: red
- Capacity: 500 GB
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four

500 GB External SSD Samsung T7 Touch, black

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4. 9

/

45 review(s)
- capacity: 500 GB
- form factor: 1.8″
- case material: metal
- dimensions: 85x57x8 mm
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5

500 GB Samsung X5 External SSD Thunderbolt 3 Gray

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4.7

/

20 review(s)
- capacity: 500 GB
- form factor: 2. 5″
- computer connection: Thunderbolt 3
- dimensions: 119x62x19.70 mm
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6

1 TB External SSD Samsung T7 Touch, black

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4.9

/

45 review(s)
- capacity: 1 TB
- form factor: 1.8″
- case material: metal
- dimensions: 85x57x8 mm
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7

2 TB External SSD Samsung T7 Touch, gray

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4. 9

/

45 review(s)
- capacity: 2 TB
- form factor: 1.8″
- case material: metal
- dimensions: 85x57x8 mm
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