Best portable ssd drive: Best External Hard Drives and SSDs of 2022

Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD Review: Small Size with XL Performance

Tom’s Hardware Verdict

Kingston’s XS2000 is a responsive portable SSD that delivers up to 2 GBps of throughput and decent pricing, but it lacks the sustained write performance of more capable DRAM-equipped SSDs.

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Kingston’s XS2000 comes with the high-powered combo of Silicon Motion’s newest SSD controller paired with Micron’s 96-Layer TLC flash, delivering big performance for its price point. This tiny but mighty SSD can deliver up to 2 GBps of sequential throughput in a compact, lightweight, and water and dust-resistant package. 

Portable SSDs have become the favorite solution for those who need fast and reliable storage on the go. But while SATA SSDs powered many of the external models for the past few years, NVMe SSDs and the latest chips from companies like ASMedia, JMicron, and Intel have opened up new performance ceilings. These products give gamers, content creators, and enthusiasts top speeds of up to 10 or 20Gbps, or faster.

Internally, most of these portable SSDs have an adapter board with the interface bridge chip integrated into its own PCB, which then connects to an M.2 NVMe SSD. However, that can require a large and heavy enclosure design to contain all the components and efficiently handle the heat output.

Kingston’s XS2000 is unique because it leverages a streamlined internal design from Silicon Motion that doesn’t need an external bridge chip; instead, it communicates with native USB. This design reduces size, weight, power consumption, and cost, all while offering high levels of performance.

Specifications

Product 500GB 1TB 2TB
Pricing $99.99 $159.99 $284.99
Capacity (User / Raw) 512GB / 512GB 1024GB / 1024GB 2048GB / 2048GB
Interface / Protocol USB-C / USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 USB-C / USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 USB-C / USB 3.2 Gen 2×2
Included 11.5″ USB Type-C Cable; Rubber sleeve 11.5″ USB Type-C Cable; Rubber sleeve 11.5″ USB Type-C Cable; Rubber sleeve
Sequential Read 2,000 MBps 2,000 MBps 2,000 MBps
Sequential Write 2,000 MBps 2,000 MBps 2,000 MBps
Interface and NAND Controller Silicon Motion SM2320 Silicon Motion SM2320 Silicon Motion SM2320
DRAM N/A N/A N/A
Storage Media Micron 96L TLC Micron 96L TLC Micron 96L TLC
Default File System exFAT exFAT exFAT
Power Bus-powered Bus-powered Bus-powered
Endurance IP55 water-dust resistant and shockproof w/ removable rubber sleeve IP55 water-dust resistant and shockproof w/ removable rubber sleeve IP55 water-dust resistant and shockproof w/ removable rubber sleeve
Security N/A N/A N/A
Dimensions (L x W x H) 69. 5 x 32.6 x 13.5mm 69.5 x 32.6 x 13.5mm 69.5 x 32.6 x 13.5mm
Weight 28.9 g 28.9 g 28.9 g
Part Number SXS2000/500G SXS2000/1000G SXS2000/2000G
Warranty 5-Years 5-Years 5-Years

The XS2000 is available in popular capacities of 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB, each priced around $0.16-$0.20 per GB. The drive is rated to deliver both read and write speeds of up to 2,000 MBps and comes preformatted with the exFAT file system for compatibility with all OSes. However, write performance may degrade during heavy use because the XS2000 employs SLC caching and will need ample idle time to recoup its full write speeds after sustained workloads.

Kingston backs the XS2000 with a five-year warranty, and like many portable SSDs, it comes without an endurance rating. Still, Kingston’s XS2000 leverages SRAM ECC and end-to-end data path protection, as well as Silicon Motion’s NANDXtend ECC technology. NANDXtend ECC is a three-level error correction algorithm that combines LDPC hard and soft decoding with RAID protection for enhanced endurance and data retention with minimal overprovisioning.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The XS2000 comes with a single 11.5” USB Type-C cable. The drive is IP55 rated and shock resistant with an included rubber sleeve. It also supports TRIM, S.M.A.R.T. data reporting, and UASP.

A Closer Look

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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Kingston’s XS2000 is made of both plastic and metal for a light and fairly durable design. Measuring 69.5 x 32.6 x 13.5mm and weighing in at an ultra-light 28.9 grams, the Kingston’s XS2000 is compact and ready to go wherever you need it. The included rubber sleeve adds even more durability to the mix in case the drive drops from your hands or accidentally gets kicked across the room. It also has a blue activity light next to the USB-C port.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Internally, Kingston’s XS2000 sports Silicon Motion’s latest portable SSD controller, the SM2320. As mentioned, this SSD controller isn’t a typical model — it’s built as a single chip solution for portable SSDs, so it’s both a controller and USB bridge in one. The controller has a single core and four channels, with each channel interfacing with up to eight NAND dies. Our 1TB model comes with sixteen dies of Micron’s 512Gb 96-Layer TLC flash. Each die has a four-plane architecture to provide fast access during both sequential and random workloads.

However, one of the drawbacks is that the drive is DRAM-less, which results in poor sustained write performance compared to many DRAM-based portable SSDs that we’ve reviewed. Also, while the controller supports AES 256-bit encryption and many competing drives come with support for it, the XS2000 lacks this useful security feature.  

MORE: Best SSDs

MORE: How We Test HDDs And SSDs

MORE: All SSD Content

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

Best portable SSD in the UAE of 2022

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TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s why you can trust us.

The best portable SSDs allow you to quickly backup your files and carry them around with you. Because they are Solid State Drives, and have no moving parts, reading and writing data to them is much faster.

Also, the lack of moving parts means they are more robust than standard portable hard drives, so the odd knock or drop shouldn’t damage them — or mean that your important files are lost. In fact, many of the best portable SSDs come with rugged bodies that have been specifically designed for resisting accidental damage. If you carry your work around with you, then these are definitely worth considering, even if there’s a bit of a price premium.

The best portable SSDs have always been pricier than an external hard drive, which means that the really capacious models were out of reach of many. Luckily, especially with Amazon Prime Day deals, the best portable SSDs are more affordable than ever. You can get terabytes of storage without breaking the bank, and that’s never a bad thing. 

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

(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.

Overall, the Samsung T7 SSD is one of the best portable SSD’s currently available and well worth considering for a purchase.

  • Read our full Samsung T7 SSD review .

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 2018.  

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. 

Of course, 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 our full Samsung Portable SSD T5 review.

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. 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 a the best portable SSD for a low price.

  • Read our full Seagate Fast SSD 500GB review.

4. Samsung X5 Portable SSD

Thunderbolt 3 and NVMe come together to deliver top notch performance

Specifications

Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB

Interface: Thunderbolt 3

Storage Size

500GB

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 our full Samsung X5 Portable SSD review .

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 our full Adata SE730H External SSD review .

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 our full WD My Passport Wireless SSD review .

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.  

The Adata SD700 External SSD comes in capacities up to 1TB, 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 our full Adata SD700 External SSD review .

(Image credit: LaCie)

8. LaCie Portable High Performance External SSD

Light and minimalist

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 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 versatile too when it comes to connectivity – 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

Keep your 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 3 meters, and has a 1,000-lb crush resistance. 

Impressed yet? Its transfer rate of up to 560MB/s and USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt 3 compatibility should sweeten the pot. That is, as long as you’re willing to pay for it. Much like the LaCie Portable High Performance External SSD, this isn’t exactly among the cheapest options out there.

  • 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

Round up of today’s best deals

Samsung T7 Touch

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Samsung Portable SSD T5

$189. 99

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Seagate Fast SSD 500GB

$89.99

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Samsung X5 Portable SSD

$449

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WD My Passport Wireless SSD (all sizes)

$319.99

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Adata SD700 External SSD

$71. 03

View

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Reduced Price

LaCie Portable SSD

$119.99

$89.99

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SSD vs HDD: which is best for your needs?

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Our SSD vs HDD guide will explain the pros and cons of traditional hard drives (HDD) and solid state drives (SSD) to help you choose which one is best for your needs. Also, if you’re new to tech and want to know the better option between the two storage types, you’ll want to first learn what each does before asking which is better.

If you’re worried about whether you should get an HDD vs SSD, you’ve come to the right place. The first step in the decision is actually understanding the difference between a traditional hard drive and an SSD, which we’ll detail further in the guide. It’s important you know the difference so you understand how it will function in your tech, no matter if you’re upgrading a laptop or desktop PC or looking to buy an entirely new device.

Desktop PCs are at a bit of an advantage in the SSD vs HDD debate because they’re actually capable of using both in different capacities. You can install both of these hard drives in your tower, but it can get a little confusing if you don’t know what each drive does best. Our guide will help you identify the best ways to maximize the performance of your new drive and how to best get it connected to your PC.

Traditional hard drives and SSDs both have advantages and disadvantages to them, which we’ll also discuss in our guide. Both can have massive storage capacities capable of handling all of your files, but the advanced tech in an SSD might not make it feasible for you to install in your PC. Conversely, HDDs aren’t always as reliable as SSDs, so that will also factor into your decision of which works best for you.

Whether you’re looking to buy a new computer or laptop equipped with an SSD or hard drive, or are simply researching to see how you can give your existing setup an extra boost, we can help you make that decision. Once you know the ins and outs of an SSD vs HDD, you’ll have a clearer understanding of what your machine is capable of running and what will suit you best.

After you’ve finished our guide and have a better understanding of what an SSD is and how it differs from a traditional hard drive, we’ve got some buying guides that can help you pick new hard drives. Whether you’re looking for the cheapest SSDs or the best deal on HDDs, we’ve found it all to make your life a bit easier.  

A traditional hard drive uses a spinning disc

What is a traditional hard disk drive (HDD)?

If you have a desktop PC it will most likely have a traditional hard disk drive, on which the operating system, along with any applications you install, and your files and folders, are stored.

A traditional hard drive contains a circular disc – known as a platter – that stores your data. The disc spins, allowing the read-write arm to read data on the disc (or write data to it) as it passes.

The faster the platter spins, the faster the hard drive works, which can impact how quickly your operating system responds, and how long it takes applications installed on the drive to load and open.

Older hard drives use an IDE port to connect to the motherboard of a PC, but most modern hard drives use a SATA connection. The most recent version of SATA, SATA III, is found on modern motherboards, and enables the fastest possible data transfers for a HDD.

Solid State Drives (SSDs) offer faster ways to store data

A solid state drive (SSD) is newer storage technology, but it’s still been around for a while now, and if you have a modern laptop, it’s likely that it uses an SSD.

As the name suggests, an SSD – unlike a traditional hard drive – has no moving parts. Instead, it uses NAND flash memory. The more NAND (Negative-AND) memory chips an SSD has, the more storage capacity it has. Modern technology allows SSDs to have more NAND chips than ever, which means SSDs can have capacities similar to HDDs.

Many SSDs come with SATA III ports, which means they can be easily installed in place of a HDD, and many also come in the 2.5-inch format that smaller hard drives also come in. However, the maximum data throughput of SATA III is 600MB/s, and while this is fine for HDDs, SDDs are capable of much faster speeds, which means if you have an SSD with a SATA III connection, the drive’s performance is actually being held back by its SATA connection.

On the left is the SATA III connection of a hard drive

To avoid that bottleneck, you can get SSDs that have a PCIe connection. These drives slot into the PCIe lane of a motherboard, enabling much faster speeds. However, if you have a smaller motherboard, or you use your PCIe lanes for other devices, such as graphics cards or sound cards, then you may not want an SSD taking up a lane.

Another increasingly common connection for SSDs is the M.2. If your laptop uses an SSD, it’s most likely using an M.2 connection, and most modern desktop PCs have motherboards with an M.2 port. M.2 SSDs are typically smaller than other SSDs, which means they can be easily installed without impacting your other components.

NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is the newest SSD technology, and offers incredibly fast data transfer speeds.

This SSD uses a PCIe connection for improved speeds

SSD vs HDD: price

When you’re choosing between an SSD and HDD, the first big difference you’ll notice at first is the price. SSDs are typically more expensive per gigabyte than traditional hard drives.

However, it’s worth noting that some SSDs are more expensive than others. Older SATA III SSDs are cheaper than M2 and PCIe SSDs, and because the technology has been around for a while, certain SATA III SSDs aren’t all that more expensive than a traditional hard drive.

Check out our best cheap SSD deals guide for help finding the best price for an SSD.

If you want the most capacity for the least amount of money, HDDs are the way to go. Manufacturing processes for traditional HDDs mean they’re now relatively cheap to produce, which makes them more affordable.

You can get some large HDDs for very low prices, but if you’re keeping important data on the drives, it’s best to check out user reviews and reports about their reliability.

We’ve also got a guide on the best cheap hard drive deals, which can help you to bag a bargain.

SSD vs HDD: capacity

Closely tied to the price when comparing SSDs and HDDs is the capacities of the drives. Generally, if you’re after a lot of storage space, HDD is the way to go.

HDD capacities range from 40GB up to 12TB for commercial hard drives, while there are even larger capacities for enterprise use. These days you can get a 2TB hard drive for an affordable price, which offers you plenty of space. HDDs around the 8TB to 12TB size are primarily used for servers and NAS devices, where you need a lot of space for holding backups.

Generally, we’d recommend having several smaller hard drives rather than a single large hard drive. This is because if the drive fails, you may lose all your data – if your data is held across several drives, if one drive fails, you won’t lose everything.

So, HDDs are good for storing lots of large files, which makes them good for holding photos, videos and games.

In the past SSDs generally weren’t capable of such large capacities, but thanks to advances in technology you can now get SSDs with terabytes of storage. However, this comes at a premium, and large SDDs often come with prohibitively high price tags.

If you can, it’s a good idea to go for a smaller SSD, maybe around 160GB–256GB, to hold programs such as your operating system, for which you want to take advantage of the SSD’s higher speed, and then use a HDD to store other files where speed isn’t as important.

An SSD with an M.2 connection

SSD vs HDD: speed

In the match-up between SSDs vs HDDs, speed is where we really begin to see a difference. Solid state drives have always been much faster than traditional hard drives, but with SSD technology advancing all the time, and the SATA III bottleneck removed, the difference is now starker than ever.

First, let’s look at HDD speeds. Because these drives using a spinning platter, the speed of the drive is largely dependent on the RPM (revolutions per minute) the drive is capable of – and the higher the RPM, the faster the drive can perform. Many budget hard drives have an RPM of 5,400 RPM, which is the slowest speed modern hard drives are capable of – you’re better off going for a drive that can achieve 7,200 RPM, which is what most modern HDDs will be rated at.

You can get higher-RPM drives, up to 10,000 RPM and even higher, but these are rarer and more expensive.

The higher the RPM of a hard drive, the faster it performs

SSD and HDD speeds are measured in MB/s (megabytes per second) for both read (how fast the drive can read data) and write (how fast data can be written to the drive).

There are other factors in play that determine HDD speeds, such as capacity, but in general a SATA III hard drive at 5,400 RPM will have speeds of around 100MB/s, while a 7,200 RPM will be 150MB/s.

Because SSDs don’t have any moving parts their speeds aren’t dependent on RPMs, but on the technology – and the data connection – of the drive.

A solid state drive with a SATA III connection should achieve around 550MB/s read and 520MB/s write speeds, though some will be faster – but will max out at 600MB/s.

So, even with a SATA III connection, which limits the speed of SSDs, you’re getting around four times the speed of traditional hard drives. However, if you use one of the better-optimized connections for SSDs, the speed difference really opens up.

Average speeds for PCIe/M.2 SSDs range from around 1.2GB/s up to around 1.4GB/s – and if you’ve got the budget there are even some that can reach 2.2GB/s.

So, you’re looking at around 10 times the speed if you go for one of these SSDs. When it comes to speed and performance, SSDs are definitely the way to go.

SSHDs combine the best of SSDs and HDDs. Image credit: Seagate

SSD vs HDD: other considerations

There are other things you should consider when thinking about whether to buy an SSD or HDD. For example, because SSDs don’t have any moving parts they’re more robust, which makes them a better choice for laptops and other mobile devices.

An SSD can also use less power than a HDD, which means laptops may benefit from longer battery lives when using an SSD – although this will depend on the kind of SSD you use, and what you use it for.

So is an SSD or a HDD best for you? While SSDs are faster, more robust and more power-efficient, HDDs are more affordable – especially when it comes to larger capacities.

As we mentioned earlier, if you have the option then it may be worth getting a smaller SSD for your operating system and apps, along with a HDD to store your files. There are also hybrid drives, known as SSHDs, which offer the best of both worlds, with the speeds of SSDs and the capacities of HDDs in a single drive, and which are worth considering if you don’t have the space in your device for multiple hard drives.

  • Best SSDs 2022: the top solid-state drives for your PC


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 hard drives of 2022

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Let’s face it; the best external HDDs are here to stay. Yes, external SSDs might be faster, more efficient, and less prone to failure. But, nothing beats the value of HDDs, especially if you need a lot of storage space for less, or you need to buy several of them for your business.

Here’s the thing: SSDs are more robust due to the absence of moving parts. However, they also tend to be much more expensive — even now. Meanwhile, external HDDs cost less. In fact, it will cost you less to get a high-capacity hard drive than an SSDs with lower storage capacity. And, that’s just the ticket if you want the most cost-effective solution.

Of course, if extra security or exceptionally fast read and write speeds are much more important, then you might bet better off spending more on a secure drive or a portable SSD . Otherwise, you (and your bank account) will benefit more from getting one of the best external hard drives. Take a look at our picks below, including ones that are ideal for Mac , Chromebooks , gaming, and even photographers and video editors looking to save money. We’ve also included our price comparison tool for the best hard drive deals .

Backup your hard drive with IDrive
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.

Choosing the best external hard drive for you

When buying the best external hard drive for your needs, you need to make sure you get a device that can safely and securely store your essential and most important files. Reliability is of the utmost importance here, as you do not want to buy an external hard drive that fails on you — making you lose all your important backups.

The best external hard drives will also be quick because they use the latest connectivity technology, such as USB-C .

Buying the best external hard drive for your needs involves figuring out how much space you need. You don’t want to buy an external hard drive that’s too small, and end up running out of space and buying another one. However, you also don’t want to pay for storage space you’ll never need.

In addition, the best external hard drives must also be dependable and rugged, so you can safely store your data without worry. The best external drives must also be light enough to carry in your bag, with large capacities to keep your data safe when traveling.

Best external hard drive in 2022

Affordable and portable, it works everywhere. (Image credit: Seagate)

1. Seagate Backup Plus 5TB external hard drive

Best overall: this 5TB hard drive delivers excellent value for the price

Specifications

Capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 5TB

Interface: USB 3.0

Dimensions: 7.62 x 11.43 x 1.9cm

Weight: 0.58lbs (265g)

Storage Size

3TB — 5TB

Colour

Black, Blue, Red

Storage Type

HDD

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Affordable and portable

+

Available in several colors

+

Wide compatibility

Reasons to avoid

Lacks Thunderbolt support

No built-in encryption/security features

For the price that until recently used to get you four, Seagate offers five TB of storage in a small device that fits in your pocket and can be used across many platforms. It measures 7.62cm by 11.43cm and is only 1.9cm thick (3 x 4.5 x 0.75 inches) and weighs slightly over 200 grams (about half a pound).

One differentiating factor is the offer of a 1-Year Data Recovery Warranty, although we should stress that they are not magic if your drive is wrecked. You should always backup your data. Yes, even your backups should have redundancy if you’re serious about it. How good is your backup if when you’re trying to restore it you find the drive is dead? 

Speaking of «backups of backups», this drive is available in several colors so you might want to buy it in red if you want it to stand out in a drawer full of black HDDs, or use different colors to separate different projects while keeping track of «which drive contains what». Beats reading stickers.

Its 5Gbps USB 3 interface makes it very fast and compatible with everything. Seagate would like you to install its «Dashboard» software for Windows and Mac OS, yet the drive works perfectly fine on any OS without it. Space-thirsty XBOX One X users will love to fill with games. It has no security or built-in encryption, but there are plenty of more expensive drives that provide that functionality. Want to know more? 

Read the full review: Seagate Backup Plus 5TB  

WD Elements provide generous space and great performance in a sober vertical enclosure that looks right on any desk.  (Image credit: Western Digital)

2. WD Elements 12TB external hard drive

Best price per terabyte

Specifications

Capacity: 3TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 14TB, 18TB

Interface: USB 3.0

Dimensions: 4.80 x 13.49 x 16.58cm

Weight: 1.92lb (0.87kg)

Storage Size

1TB — 4TB

Colour

Black, Blue, Red, White

Storage Type

HDD

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Large capacity

+

Most storage for the buck

+

Vertical format saves desk space

+

Great air flow

Reasons to avoid

Not portable

External power adapter is required

Risky with kids around

WD has designed its Elements drives with an attractive case that stands vertically.  This seemingly trivial fact not only saves desk space but also keeps the drive’s internals cooler. It has top and bottom vent holes.

In the guts of the WD Elements, you will find a 3.5-inch, desktop SATA drive capable of 6Gbs transfer rates with the added USB 3.0 to SATA interface. When stacked vertically and with plenty of air gap around, the drives should last much longer than internal ones packed close to a hot CPU or stacked horizontally on top of one another. 

The product is pre-formatted with NTFS making it ready to use with Windows computers , a handy gesture considering that if you attempt to do a full-format -as opposed to a «quick format»- on a capacity as large as 12TB you might end up waiting all day for it to finish. Mac users, of course, can just plug and reformat the drive, after a little wait it will work as well. 

As a desktop drive inside an external enclosure, the WD Elements are not USB-port powered drives, each comes with its own wall wart style power adapter about the size of the average cell phone charger -with a barrel connector.  

While 12 terabytes should be enough storage expansion to keep you happy for a long time and store plenty of backups, work files, or entertainment, larger versions are available:, capacities start at  3TB and go up to four, six, eight, ten, 12, 14, 16 and up to a whopping 18TB. If you’re looking for the most storage for your money, look no further.

Humongous capacity with the fastest interface will please all Mac users. (Image credit: SanDisk)

3. SanDisk G-Drive Professional 18TB external hard drive

Best for Mac: Fast external storage that can be daisy-chained

Specifications

Capacity: 4TB, 6TB, 12TB, 18TB

Interface: USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (x1) Thunderbolt 3 (USB-powered)

Dimensions: 13 x 21 x 4.55cm

Weight: 2.6lb (1.18kg)

Storage Size

2TB — 5TB

Colour

Space Grey

Storage Type

SSD

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Five year warranty

+

Daisy chain up to six units using ThunderBolt

+

Fast 7200 RPM drive

+

AC-powered or USB-powered

+

Formatted for Mac

Reasons to avoid

Expensive per GB

Must be reformatted for PC use

If you take an enterprise hard drive and put it inside a durable aluminum case with a portable, stylish design you would get a great external hard drive. But if you added one USB-C port capable of working at 5 GBps and two Thunderbolt ports plus you pre-formatted the drive to be macOS ready, then you have the ultimate Mac external hard drive.

The G-Drive Pro delivers just that by using a fast 7200 RPM class Ultrastar HDD capable of up to 195 MB/s inside its attractive aluminum case. The 18TB version is the most impressive of a family of high-capacity drives that start at 4TB. Its pair of Thunderbolt ports means you can hook six units to one another with a single cable going to a Mac (or PC).

The drive comes with an AC power adapter but can function without it as well when powered via USB 3.2/Thunderbolt, making the power adapter optional and increasing the portability of the drive. Thick as a pair of books,  it is small enough to carry in a backpack without the AC adapter and the tangled mess of wires you get with other drives. 

A Thunderbolt 3 cable is included and SanDisk also provides a generous 5-year warranty, making the case for choosing any other drive rather hard.  

At a competitive price, the HD710 PRO offers fine performance and durability. (Image credit: ADATA)

4. ADATA HD710 PRO rugged external hard drive

Best for outdoors

Specifications

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

Interface: USB 3.0

Dimensions: 9.6 x 13.21 x 2.56cm

Weight: 0.86lb (0.39kg)

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Speedy

+

Very rugged silicone case

+

Good cable management

Reasons to avoid

Design may not appeal to all users

With tiny moving parts, Hard disk drives (HDDs ) are fragile. All your data can be inaccessible in a second just by a mishap. Most of the failures can be attributed to damaged disk surfaces caused by physical shocks; being hit, falling over, or being dropped. Sudden shocks, especially while in use, can cause the head to crash or damage the platter. Just exposing it to the elements can ruin your data and your day. That’s why if you use external drives while outdoors a regular external hard drive becomes a risky proposition. 

An IP68-rated device can withstand dust, dirt, and sand, and can be submerged up to 1.5m underwater for 30 minutes. Sounds good? Well, that’s the kind of certification rating the ADATA HD 710 Pro packs up its sleeve. The firm went above and beyond to protect HDD internals with a silicone casing, triple-layered construction, and vibration sensing technology so it can withstand falls from 1.5m. We reviewed the earlier models when they were more expensive and less attractive, here .

It’s fast with a 5Gbps USB 3.1 interface and with its 4TB capacity it’ll suit the needs (and then some) of the average mobile worker on the go. The firm provides this model in four colors which makes separating projects by color-coded drives a breeze, believe me, you don’t want labels in an outdoor environment. Its «wrap-around» system means the cable is always with the drive so it doesn’t tangle or get in the way. Super useful when taking the drive with you in a backpack .

The icing on the cake comes in the form of ADATA’s three-year warranty.  

One of the fastest SSDs that you can carry in your pocket. (Image credit: Sabrent)

5. Sabrent Rocket XTRM-Q 4TB USB / Thunderbolt external SSD

Best for speed: a pocket speed demon available in QLC and TLC versions

Specifications

Capacity: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB, 16TB

Interface: USB Type-C, USB 3.2, Thunderbolt 3

Dimensions: 4.49 x 10.49 x 1.40cm

Weight: 4.55oz (129g)

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Super fast

+

Portable and lightweight

+

Supports Thunderbolt and USB 3.2

+

Available in QLC and TLC versions

Reasons to avoid

Higher capacities are costly

With an aluminum enclosure that ensures durability while providing great heat dissipation and a very portable size plus super fast speeds the aptly named Rocket leaves few reasons not to choose it.  It is available in capacities of up to 16TB and with your choice of flash memory type. It supports the latest fastest standards like Thunderbolt plus you don’t need to mess with ports as it’s got only one: a USB-C connector in the back that automatically switches between TB3 and USB 3.2 modes. 

Besides its superb compatibility with Windows, Mac, and Linux, it offers blazing fast transfer speeds of up to 2700 MB/s when connected to a computer supporting Thunderbolt 3 or higher. If however, you connect it to a computer with a USB 3.2 port, the speed drops down to a still very speedy 900 MB/s.

The performance of flash-based storage also depends on the kind of flash memory used: QLC flash memory is best suited to read-intensive workloads, while TLC flash memory is best suited to write-intensive workloads. Sabrent wisely offers this drive in both QLC and TLC versions, letting you decide based on your work and usage requirements. The price difference is only $100 at the time of this writing between QLC and TLC for the 4TB drive, and the TLC version offers speeds of up to 2400 MB/s and 1800 MB/s R/W.

It boasts an integrated temperature and health monitoring system that should prevent it from getting too hot. Something that worried the owners of its «Nano» sibling.

It’s rugged casing and unique NFC-based Wireless Unlocking set Buffalo’s encrypted drive apart. (Image credit: Buffalo)

6. Buffalo MiniStation Extreme external hard drive

Best for wireless security: a tap from your smartphone is all that’s needed to lock and unlock the drive

Specifications

Capacity: 1TB, 2TB

Interface: USB 3.0

Dimensions: 8.99 x 14.10 x 2.1cm

Weight: 0.66lb (0.30kg)

Storage Size

1TB — 2TB

Colour

Black

Condition

New

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Portable

+

Lock/unlock via NFC

+

Hardware encryption

+

No power adapter to carry around

+

Three year warranty

Reasons to avoid

Larger than most 2. 5inch portable drives

Water-resistant and shock-proof, the MiniStation Extreme NFC from Buffalo isn’t indestructible, but it’s a nice change from some of the dangerously flimsy external hard drives available.

The rugged chassis stores a 2.5-inch laptop hard drive enclosed in shock-absorbent bumpers designed so the HD can survive drops from up to 1.2 meters (4 feet). It won’t survive being dropped out of a window, but it’ll be fine being knocked off a table. The IP5X certification means it is almost dust-proof, and the IPX3 certification means it can handle a water spray at up to a 60-degree angle.

A key feature is its 256-bit AES encryption with near-field communication (NFC) capability, allowing it to be unlocked with a simple touch of a smartphone. With NTFS pre-formatted, it can be used immediately with a Windows computer. Mac users can format it into HFS+ if they wish so, of course. Better yet, if you format it as exFAT,  it will support Mac, PC, and the Playstation 4 and 5 game consoles all at once.  

The drive comes preloaded with Buffalo’s «ModeChanger» utility for Windows and Mac that switches it from Open to Secure and vice-versa. Mode switching takes less than a minute and the drive must be reformatted after that.

The LED lights at the front of the drive light up green for USB 2.0 and blue for USB 3.0 connection. Its wraparound USB cable -permanently attached at one end saves you from losing the cable but if you need a longer cable you’ll have to use a male/female cable in between.

Read the full review: Buffalo MiniStation Extreme

This external hard drive can be accessed from the cloud. (Image credit: Western Digital)

7. WD My Cloud Home 8TB external hard drive

Best for personal cloud: Access your data from wherever you are

Specifications

Capacity: 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB

Interface: USB 3.0 and Ethernet

Dimensions: 5.3 x 14 x 17.6cm

Weight: 2.3lb (1.1kg)

Storage Size

4TB — 8TB

Colour

White

Storage Type

HDD

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Can stream video

+

Supports Windows, Mac, Android and iOS

+

USB port available to plug in other external drives

Reasons to avoid

No redundancy (single hard disk)

While cloud storage is convenient, your data is at the mercy of your wallet. If you stop paying, your cloud account is gone and your data sinks into oblivion with it. The solution is to make a hard drive sitting at your premises its own cloud-accessible server. 

Western Digital is no newcomer to this field, we reviewed one eight years ago . The latest iteration has the same vertical format, but with a minimalistic and stylish design that combines white and some textured silver at the bottom. It has great internal airflow thanks to ample vents at the top and bottom of the case.  At its rear panel, you will find a 5Gbps USB 3.0 port to plug an external drive or flash drive and a Gigabit Ethernet port.

Setup is as simple as plugging the power adapter, and connecting the included network cable to the RJ45 socket and to your broadband router. Then you create a «WD My Cloud» account and associate it with the Android or iOS app -although that’s not mandatory. You can also access its contents by loading mycloud.com into a web browser, from there you can download, upload and manage content, including streaming of photos and videos saved on your My Cloud device.  Synchronization features with Google Drive , OneDrive , and Dropbox are also provided.

With a single internal hard drive, it has no redundancy. You can plug into it an external HDD of identical capacity or purchase the “Duo» version that comes with dual, mirrored drives from the factory. WD’s two-year worldwide warranty is the cherry at the top.

The perfect affordable storage for gaming consoles. (Image credit: Western Digital)

8. WD BLACK 5TB P10 Game Drive external hard drive

Best for gaming: truly plug-and-play

Specifications

Capacity: 2TB, 4TB, 5TB

Interface: USB 3.0

Dimensions: 11.81 x 8.79 x 2.08cm

Weight: 0.51lb (250g)

Storage Size

1TB — 8TB

Colour

Black

Storage Type

HDD

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Ample storage

+

Compatible with all game consoles

+

Pre-formatted as ExFAT

Reasons to avoid

Adapter for USB-C devices isn’t included

It’s not a shipping container but it looks like one, a black rectangle with ribbed sides and hex screws. In includes the familiar small activity LED of many external drives. It features a USB 3.2 Gen-1 interface at 5Gbps connected via a USB Micro-B connector at the back side. A 18-inch (45.7 cm) A-to-Micro-B is also included. 

What sets this drive apart aside from the gaming aesthetics is its total compatibility. Since it comes pre-formatted with the ExFAT file system in addition to being compatible with PCs and Macs it’s plug-and-play compatible with the Sony PlayStation 4, PS5 and the Microsoft Xbox One. 

Inside it there’s a 2.5″ 5,400 rpm SATA drive so don’t expect SSD speeds, but 140MBps at most. This is intended mainly for storing downloaded games to move back and forth to your console’s internal storage. For PC users, the WD Drive Utilities app and the WD Security app can be downloaded to set passwords, check the drive’s health and perform maintenance tasks. 

It is also well suited as long-term multimedia storage hooked up to a PC or large-screen smart TV from Sony or a recent Samsung as well — some smart TVs support NTFS and FAT32 or NTFS and ExFat, very rarely do they support all three file systems.

WD sales literature will tell you this stores 150 games, but game sizes vary widely. The firm puts the average size per game at 36GB while some reviewers claim it’s 80GB nowadays. In any case, it’s a lot of storage to expand your gaming system.

The iStorage diskAshur 2TB offer tight security like no other drives around.  (Image credit: Apricorn)

9. Aegis Desktop 4 TB FIPS 140-2 encrypted external hard drive

Best for security: unrivaled encryption and anti-hacking counter-measures

Specifications

Capacity: 2TB, 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 10TB, 12TB, 16TB, 18TB

Interface: USB 3.0

Dimensions: 11.43 x 18.28 x 3.81cm

Weight: 2.5lb (1.13kg)

Storage Size

2TB — 8TB

Screen Size

3.5-inch

Colour

Black

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

FIPS 140-2 certification

+

Brute-force defense and self destruct

+

Locks if unplugged from USB

+

Compatible with an OS

+

Software-free setup

+

Solid Aluminum enclosure

Reasons to avoid

Not USB powered

Only one year manufacturer’s warranty

If you deal with any sensible information leaving it in an unencrypted drive is risky. While encryption can be done in software with a high degree of fine-tuning, nothing beats a purely hardware-based solution that frees you from the software-configuration complexities. 

The Aegis Desktop 4 TB drive from Apricorn is an encrypted external hard drive available in capacities from 2TB up to 18TB that comes in a sturdy aluminum casing 4.5”x7.2” and 1.5” thick. Its Padlock button panel at the top resembles the familiar cashpoint or ATM layout with 0-9 digits plus Cancel and a Lock/Unlock key. Three clear indicator lights show the status: locked (red), unlocked (green), or Admin Mode (blue). All the configuration is software-free.

There is a perforated ventilation panel on the front of the drive, on the back, there’s its USB 3.0 port, power connector, an On/Off switch, and a lock slot for anchoring the drive to a desk. It comes formatted with an NTFS file system but you can use any file system. Internally it uses a 3.5-inch encrypted hard drive, and the circuitry doing the encryption is covered by a layer of epoxy coating protecting it from physical attacks.  

After the initial setup with a 7-digit to 16-digit code, the operation of this device is worry-free and configuration-free. If you lose your password there is no way to access the drive, and if the internal drive is removed and inserted into another PC its contents are unreadable as the data is encrypted before being sent to the drive for storage. 

It has handy features like an unattended auto lock, and the drive can auto-lock as soon as the USB connection is lost — e.g. if the USB cable is removed. It is exceptionally suited for scenarios where software-based encrypted devices can’t function such as diagnostic machinery or any embedded system.

The Sabent Rocket Nano is an external SSD with excellent portability. (Image credit: Sabrent)

10. Sabrent Rocket Nano 2TB external SSD

Best for physical size: speedy and half the weight

Specifications

Capacity: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB

Interface: USB 3.1 — Gen 2

Dimensions: 4.5 x 10.5 x 1. 4cm

Weight: 2oz (56.7g)

Storage Size

1TB — 2TB

Colour

Black, Blue, Gold, Pink, Red, Silver

Storage Type

SSD

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

10 Gbps USB 3.1 — Gen 2 interface

+

Aluminum casing

+

Bus powered

+

Supports Mac and PC

Reasons to avoid

Gets hot

Sabrent’s Rocket Nano drive comes in a fantastic aluminum case resembling a very large thumb drive and is powered by a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port which doubles performance over a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port. It is powered via the USB port and both USB-C and Type-A cables are included. It is also totally OS-agnostic, it works on Windows and Mac OS. 

It is handy to put in your pocket -sadly there doesn’t seem to be a way to attach it to a keyring- for PC work on the road. The rocket Nano measures 2.75″ tall and weighs just 2 ounces, making it a great option for storing backups when upgrading an NVMe SSD. Benchmarks show impressive 967 MB/s read speeds, so this device is a good option to boot operating systems on systems with limited internal storage but supporting 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2.

Due to its passive cooling using the case itself for cooling some reviewers have complained that after extensive use the unit gets hot to the touch. Might not pose a problem for people leaving it plugged in but caveat emptor. So far, SSDs can’t get much smaller and lightweight than this. Maybe it’s got a niche for use in controlled temperature environments.

The best external hard drive: How we choose them

The biggest deciding factors when it comes to data transfer rates are the connection the drive uses, and whether it is a standard hard drive or a solid-state drive (SSD). Many external hard drives utilize USB 3.0 connections. However, for faster speeds, you’ll want USB 3. 2 Gen 2×2 USB Type-C or Thunderbolt 3 or 4 connections. You’ll also need to ensure your PC or laptop also has a compatible port.

You’ll also need to think about how much storage space you need. The best external hard drives offer a range of storage space. We’d recommend 1TB to start, as that gives you plenty of space to store your files without costing too much money. That’s certainly good enough for most users.

However, if you’re dealing with large files – such as high-resolution photos and videos – in your typical workload, you should consider buying one with bigger storage space. Luckily, many external hard drives offer terabytes (TB) of storage space for not much more money.

We’ve also featured the best rugged hard drives

Round up of today’s best deals

Reduced Price

Seagate Backup Plus 5TB

$159.99

$119

View

See all prices

Western Digital 2TB Elements Portable

$65. 10

View

See all prices

Reduced Price

Sandisk Professional G-Drive

$109.99

$99.99

View

See all prices

Adata HD710M Pro

$119.30

View

See all prices

Sabrent Rocket XTRM-Q SSD (1TB)

$219.99

View

See all prices

Reduced Price

Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC 2TB

$114. 99

$94.99

View

See all prices

Reduced Price

WD My Cloud Home

$252.61

$152.99

View

See all prices

Western Digital Black P10 Game Drive

$118.99

View

See all prices

Low Stock

Reduced Price

Apricorn Aegis Padlock DT

$112.01

$81. 17

View

See all prices

Reduced Price

Sabrent Rocket Nano 2TB external SSD

$279.99

$229.99

View

See all prices

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Fernando Cassia is a freelance Tech Writer living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He has also written for Mike Magee’s The Inquirer, Theo Valich’s BSN, TechEye, and other online publications. When he’s not chasing Phishers, he’s procrastinating on Twitter. Find him at @fcassia

With contributions from

  • Collin ProbstB2B Hardware Editor, TechRadar Pro

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site .

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The 2 Best Portable SSDs for 2022

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more›

  1. Electronics
  2. Storage Devices

Photo: Sarah Kobos

FYI

We added new portable SSDs in our What to look forward to section below.

If you regularly need to move large files between computers or want a travel backup for your laptop, you should get a speedy portable SSD. They’re more expensive than portable hard drives, but because they have no moving parts, they’re inherently faster and more durable. After researching 17 new portable SSDs and testing the seven most promising candidates, we found that the updated 1 TB Western Digital My Passport SSD offers the best mix of affordability, speed, and lengthy warranty for most people.

Our pick

Western Digital My Passport SSD (1TB)

The Western Digital My Passport SSD has a good mix of reliability, speed, and size, along with a five-year warranty—the longest of any drive we found.

Buying Options

$117 from Best Buy

*At the time of publishing, the price was $130.

Our pick among portable SSDs, the Western Digital My Passport SSD (1 TB) is priced right in the middle of our latest pack of solid-state drive candidates, and it’s compact enough to tuck in almost any pocket on a laptop bag or briefcase or even to stash in a shallow drawer. Its USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port supports transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps and will max out the speed on most laptops’ USB ports, short of the fastest Thunderbolt 3 or 4 ports. It’s quick right out of the box, and the price includes software you can download to enable AES 256-bit hardware encryption—a good way to keep your data safe in case you lose the drive. It also has a lengthy five-year warranty, two years longer coverage than on most rivals.

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Runner-up

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 (1 TB)

The second version of the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD has the same speed, features, and short cable of our pick, the WD My Passport SSD. The SanDisk is more rugged and sometimes more expensive.

If the Western Digital My Passport SSD is sold out or unavailable, or if prices shift to make the My Passport SSD significantly more expensive, we recommend the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 (1 TB). Like the My Passport SSD, the Extreme Portable SSD supports some of the fastest USB transfer speeds (USB 3.1 Gen 2), and the two drives finished in a virtual dead heat in our tests. The SanDisk also comes with 256-bit AES hardware encryption, if you choose to use it. Compared with the My Passport SSD, the Extreme Portable SSD looks a bit more durable; it also has an IP55 dust- and water-resistance rating, and it should easily survive a drop onto a wet sidewalk or roadside. The SanDisk has a higher list price, but the actual price you pay has been the same as the My Passport over the past year, and the SanDisk also has a lengthy, five-year warranty.

Everything we recommend

Our pick

Western Digital My Passport SSD (1TB)

The Western Digital My Passport SSD has a good mix of reliability, speed, and size, along with a five-year warranty—the longest of any drive we found.

Buying Options

$117 from Best Buy

*At the time of publishing, the price was $130.

Runner-up

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 (1 TB)

The second version of the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD has the same speed, features, and short cable of our pick, the WD My Passport SSD. The SanDisk is more rugged and sometimes more expensive.

The research

  • Why you should trust us
  • Who this is for
  • How we picked
  • How we tested
  • Our pick: Western Digital MyPassport SSD (1 TB)
  • Runner-up: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 (1 TB)
  • Other good portable SSDs
  • What to look forward to
  • The competition
  • Footnotes
  • Sources

Why you should trust us

Wirecutter has been researching and recommending solid-state drives since 2013. As Wirecutter’s (and formerly PCMag’s) storage expert, I’ve evaluated a multitude of storage devices—from portable and desktop hard drives to SSDs to NAS devices to USB flash drives to microSD cards—to find the best options.

Who this is for

Portable SSDs are great for travelers and for people who frequently transfer large amounts of data between computers. Since SSDs have no moving parts, they can handle the bumps when you toss your travel bag on a couch, say, after a tiring trip or commute. If you need a drive just to back up your data at home and you aren’t worried about having the fastest transfer speeds, a portable hard drive is much less expensive, though it’s also slower, larger, less durable, and potentially less secure.

Portable SSDs are three to six times faster at transferring files than portable hard drives or desktop external drives. They’re also more secure and much more compact and durable, and they run cooler on less power. They are more expensive, however. Prices have come way down in the past two years, but a 1 TB portable SSD still costs about $110-$150, a price that would get you a 5 TB portable hard drive or an 8 TB desktop hard drive.

If you spend most of your time working at the same desk or you need more than 4 TB of storage, get an external desktop hard drive. A desktop hard drive is faster than a portable hard drive and much less expensive compared with a portable SSD for a similar amount of storage, but it’s bulky, so you shouldn’t plan to travel with it.

A 1 TB portable SSD costs about $110-$150, a price that would get you a 5 TB portable hard drive or an 8 TB desktop hard drive.

Although you can build your own portable SSD by purchasing an internal SSD and an enclosure to put it in, we don’t recommend that unless you already have a spare SSD that you want to repurpose. Building one wouldn’t save you any money compared with the WD My Passport SSD, and the resulting drive would require more time and energy to set up.

Readers also like

How we picked

A great external SSD should be reliable, fast, and small. Photo: Sarah Kobos

Though a portable SSD looks like a relatively simple device, we took all of the following factors into account when we decided which model to recommend:

  • Reliability and toughness: A portable SSD must keep your data safe. Since portable SSDs lack moving parts, they are less susceptible than mechanical drives to total failure when dropped, jostled, or subjected to changes in temperature or vibration. A portable SSD should also be sturdily built and not feel creaky or hollow.
  • Endurance: Flash-memory cells can be written to only so many times before wearing out. You’d have to write hundreds of terabytes of data to even begin to wear out most SSDs, though, and few people approach that limit. But better endurance is a bonus, especially if you’re using the drive for high-intensity tasks such as 4K video editing. Since SSD manufacturers don’t report durability ratings for external drives (only for internal models), we keep an eye on customer reviews for reliability information. For example, we note when reviewers mention that their SSDs run hot; too much heat during operation can shorten drive life or indicate that the drive is defective.
  • Drive speed: SSDs provide dramatically faster transfer speeds (less waiting for files to copy) than mechanical drives, and we tested both sequential and random speeds. Although fast sequential speeds are important for transferring and backing up large blocks of data to your drive, quick random speeds are essential if you must run programs or games directly off the portable SSD. (Note that we don’t recommend the latter; an internal solid-state drive is faster than an external drive, and with an internal drive you don’t have to worry about corruption from a cable getting disconnected. )
  • Connection type: For this review we primarily considered portable SSDs with USB Type-C (USB-C) connectors that were rated for USB 3.2 Gen 2 transfer speeds.1USB-C connectors (video), which are replacing older, slower USB Type-A connectors on thinner laptops, ensure that you get the speed you’re paying for.2 But all the drives come with either a Type-A adapter or a separate cable to ensure compatibility with the desktop PCs, laptops, gaming consoles, and tablets around your home. As a result, you’ll still get the best speeds your computer can handle, and your drive will be able to keep up with newer devices in the future.
  • Price: More expensive portable SSDs can offer faster speeds, but you shouldn’t overpay to get extra speed or other features you may not notice. For instance, Samsung claims the Portable SSD X5 has read and write speeds of 2,800 MB/s and 2,100 MB/s, respectively—more than twice as fast as those of the Samsung T7. But for most people, paying two to three times more than the price of our pick for that speed isn’t necessary.
  • Capacity: Currently, an SSD with a capacity around 1 TB and a price tag around $110-$150 represents the best mix of affordability, space, and speed. Drives with capacities of 2 TB tend to be about as cost-effective at about $300. Drives with 250 GB to 500 GB of space are too small for many people; they’re becoming less widely available and typically more expensive per gigabyte. Our picks for the best laptops have 256 GB to 512 GB of drive space, so a 1 TB portable SSD will allow you to back up such laptops with room to spare.

Portable SSDs can be smaller than a stack of sticky notes. Photo: Sarah Kobos

  • Size and weight: A portable SSD should be light and compact—many are roughly the size of a stack of sticky notes or even smaller.
  • Encryption: Portable SSDs that support the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), can more reliably protect your sensitive information. External solid-state drives with AES don’t require software to set it up, although they should include password-protection software to enable encryption to keep your data safe from unauthorized access even if someone removes the drive from its housing. Not all portable SSDs offer this feature, and we’ve seen technical issues crop up, particularly during upgrades of operating systems such as macOS.
  • Software: Backup software is a nice addition to a portable SSD, but it’s not essential. You can find plenty of backup service alternatives online.
  • Indicator light: Some drives feature an LED indicator that lights up when the drive is connected to your device, and although it’s not a requirement, we found this indicator to be very useful.
  • Warranty and customer service: Three-year warranties are standard among portable solid-state drives, though a few come with five-year warranties. Strong customer service is also valuable when something goes wrong.

To find worthy contenders, we investigated the most popular portable solid-state drives on Amazon, and we checked online reviews on tech sites like AnandTech, Dong Knows Tech, and PCMag. We also scoured the websites of well-known external-SSD manufacturers such as LaCie, Samsung, SanDisk, and Western Digital. We came up with seven finalists:

  • Adata SE800
  • Crucial X8
  • Samsung Portable SSD T7
  • Samsung Portable SSD T7 Touch
  • SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
  • Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD
  • Western Digital My Passport SSD

How we tested

We used CrystalDiskMark, Anvils Storage Utilities, and ATTO Disk Benchmark to test each drive’s sequential and random speeds. These tests, respectively, measure a drive’s ability to move large files like database sets or HD movies versus multiple small files such as when you run a program or game. (We show our CrystalDiskMark results as points of comparison, but the more-thorough Anvils and ATTO tests were in line with that data.) We ran all of our tests on a Dell G7 15 Gaming laptop; its NVMe PCIe solid-state drive and Thunderbolt 3 port were fast enough to avoid bottlenecking the drives we tested. We also explored each drive’s included software, if it had any, and we checked build quality to make sure there were no obvious red flags.

Our pick: Western Digital MyPassport SSD (1 TB)

Photo: Sarah Kobos

Our pick

Western Digital My Passport SSD (1TB)

The Western Digital My Passport SSD has a good mix of reliability, speed, and size, along with a five-year warranty—the longest of any drive we found.

Buying Options

$117 from Best Buy

*At the time of publishing, the price was $130.

Capacity: 1 TB Physical size: 4.0 by 2.2 by 0.4 inches
USB interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2 Warranty: Five years

The Western Digital My Passport SSD (1 TB) is the best portable solid-state drive for most people because it’s reliable, fast, and reasonably priced, and like most of the portable SSDs we tested, it’s compact enough to almost hide under a stack of sticky notes. As of this writing, it’s neither the most economical nor the most expensive 1 TB SSD we tested, though the race was tight. The My Passport SSD has a single USB-C port that supports transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps, and it includes a short cable with a USB-C–to–A adapter, which lets you connect the drive to most desktops, laptops, and game consoles. It also comes with easy-to-use software and AES 256-bit hardware encryption to protect your data. Plus, it has a sturdy metal case and a lengthy five-year warranty, in contrast to the three-year warranty of its competitors.

The Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD almost matched its “up to 540 MB/s” speed claims, while the other drives fell just short of their 1,000 MB/s potential. Longer bars indicate better performance.

You spend more for speed on an SSD, and the WD My Passport SSD is quick, more than enough to justify the expense. Using the Dell laptop’s Thunderbolt 3 port, the My Passport SSD gave us sequential read and write speeds (transferring largish files one after another, similar to when you’re backing up your laptop’s main drive) of 913.6 MB/s and 949.6 MB/s, respectively. That’s very close to the drive’s claimed 1,050 MB/s max write speed. The My Passport SSD and SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 (which had average speeds of 914.7 MB/s read and 950.5 MB/s write) were our class leaders during the sequential tests, in a statistical dead heat. The other drives, aside from the underperforming Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD, weren’t too far behind, with most finishing above 900 MB/s on the read test and above 861 MB/s on the write test. Accepting a little drag from the USB interfaces, we found that these results matched the SSD makers’ claims of up to 1,000 MB/s or 1,050 MB/s during data transfers.

Longer bars indicate better performance.

The random read and write tests are designed to simulate the demands of tasks such as transferring multiple small files or running programs off the external SSD. In these tests, the My Passport SSD had random read and write speeds near the top of the range, 23.5 MB/s and 40.3 MB/s, respectively, whereas the other drives’ results were distributed evenly in a narrow range of 18 to 25 MB/s read and 38 to 40 MB/s write, differences you’re unlikely to notice. In general, speeds in these kinds of tests don’t give you a reason to choose one drive over another.

Left to right: a smartphone (for comparison), the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2, and the Western Digital My Passport SSD. Photo: Sarah Kobos

The My Passport SSD has a relatively short USB-C cable. Photo: Sarah Kobos

The WD My Passport SSD’s USB-C port. Photo: Sarah Kobos

Left to right: a smartphone (for comparison), the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2, and the Western Digital My Passport SSD. Photo: Sarah Kobos

The My Passport SSD is slightly larger than some of the other models here, and it’s measurably larger than the Adata SE800, but all of the drives we tested could fit easily into the coin pocket of a pair of men’s jeans, and they certainly will fit in an accessory pocket on a laptop backpack.

Like most of the drives we tested, the WD My Passport SSD comes with a utility installer for Windows and Macs, though you don’t have to install those programs to use the drive. The Western Digital Dashboard software lets you check on the drive’s health and upload firmware updates to the SSD, if necessary. It’s simple and easy to use, but if you’re familiar with Windows 10’s erase-drive commands or macOS’s Disk Utility, you can skip it. You can also install an encryption password program to lock the drive’s 256-bit AES hardware encryption. But if you use a Mac, we recommend using the FileVault encryption built into macOS instead, or checking online to make sure you have the latest version of the WD Drive Security app. We’ve heard reports of people having third-party encryption-utility problems on Macs after updating to newer versions of the operating system (for instance, from macOS Mojave to Catalina).

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The USB-C cable that Western Digital includes with the My Passport SSD is somewhat short, measuring about 6 inches including both connectors. Although that length is fine for use with a laptop, if you plug the drive into the front panel of a desktop PC, the drive may end up hanging by its cable instead of resting on your table or desk; in this situation, gravity could compromise connectivity and may stress the cable and plugs. The drive also comes with a Type-C–to–Type-A adapter, which some buyer reviews on the PCMag and Amazon sites complain is easy to lose. (The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 has the same short cable and Type-A adapter. ) In addition, the WD My Passport SSD lacks an activity light, and though that feature isn’t a must-have, an activity light serves as a good reminder that you should always use your PC or Mac’s eject-drive command to safeguard your data.

During our testing, the My Passport SSD stayed around room temperature, but online reviews have mentioned that the drive gets warm to the touch during long backup sessions.

Runner-up: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 (1 TB)

Photo: Sarah Kobos

Runner-up

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 (1 TB)

The second version of the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD has the same speed, features, and short cable of our pick, the WD My Passport SSD. The SanDisk is more rugged and sometimes more expensive.

Capacity: 1 TB Physical size: 4. 0 by 2.1 by 0.4 inches
USB interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2 Warranty: Five years

If you can find this model for significantly less than the WD My Passport SSD, or if the My Passport SSD is unavailable, we recommend the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 (1 TB). The Extreme Portable SSD is about as fast and typically priced about the same, and like the My Passport SSD, it has a USB-C port that supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 (with transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps). The SanDisk is also a bit more rugged, in case you foresee extended travel or a rough commute in your future.

The second version of the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD has a USB-C port, and it comes with a USB-C–to–USB-C cable. The package also includes a tiny USB-C–to–USB-A adapter for older systems that’s easy to pop on and off, but like any tiny adapter, it’s potentially easy to lose.

The Extreme Portable SSD costs about the same as the My Passport SSD. Prices can fluctuate $10 to $30 overall over the course of a few months, so there may be a time when one or the other is more expensive.

Photo: Sarah Kobos

Western Digital’s My Passport SSD and SanDisk’s Extreme Portable SSD connect to older devices with a small USB-A adapter that could easily disappear. Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald

Photo: Sarah Kobos

The SSDs we tested were all pocket-sized, and the SanDisk is about as compact as the Western Digital. The SanDisk adds the advantage of an IP55 (dust and water resistance) rating, and its soft-touch exterior and carabiner loop make it look like it’s ready for travel, in contrast to the sculpted metal on the Western Digital, which suggests that model is more meant for an office.

The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 comes with Windows and Mac versions of SanDisk’s SecureAccess software, which allows AES 256-bit hardware encryption unlocked via password. As with the WD My Passport SSD, if you have a Mac, we recommend using macOS’s built-in FileVault encryption software or downloading the latest version of SecureAccess before upgrading your Mac from Mojave to Catalina or Big Sur.

The Extreme Portable SSD V2 also lacks an activity indicator light. In contrast, the Adata SE800 and Samsung T7 both include this useful feature, but they fail to match the SanDisk’s lengthy, five-year warranty.

Other good portable SSDs

Photo: Sarah Kobos

The following portable SSDs were just as fast as our top picks in our tests, but they both have at least one flaw—such as a shorter warranty or a higher price—that caused them to place behind our top picks in our rankings. They’re still good options that may meet your particular needs, especially if they happen to be on sale. (And both have a three-year warranty.)

The Adata SE800 was an odd duck in one regard: By default, it’s formatted as NTFS (Windows format) instead of exFAT, so if you want to use it with a Mac or a gaming console, you’ll have to reformat the drive. It performed just as well as our picks, and it’s a bit less expensive than the other drives here (typically by about $20 to $40), so it’s a decent choice if you want to save some money. But it has a shorter warranty than the SanDisk and Western Digital drives, falling short of their five years of coverage by two years.

Samsung’s Portable SSD T7 is the company’s follow-up to the T5, our previous portable SSD pick. It looks like the T5, but it’s slightly thinner and quite a bit faster on sequential reads and writes. Like the Adata SE800, the T7 has a three-year warranty. It’s a good alternative if you find it for significantly less than the Western Digital or SanDisk.

What to look forward to

Our pick and runner-up are now available in 4 TB capacities. Although this is a milestone, we think these particularly roomy models are too expensive at the moment, with a list price over $450. If you need to store that much data or keep archived backups over multiple years, a portable hard drive is much more economical (though slower, larger, and less durable) at about $100 for 4 TB.

Several new USB-C-based drives have been released since our last update, though supply chain issues may have affected stock levels. We’re planning on more closely evaluating these drives during our next guide update: Adata SE880, Kingston XS2000, Lexar SL200, OWC Envoy Pro mini, OWC Envoy Pro Elektron, PNY Pro Elite V2, Samsung T7 Shield, and the Sandisk Professional G-Drive SSD.

The USB-IF has certified USB 4.0, which will continue to use the USB-C physical interface but will incorporate Thunderbolt 3 specs. As a result, a fully compliant USB 4 drive will be able to transmit up to 40 gigabits per second. One of the first USB 4 drives we’ve seen announced is the Adata SE920, which is still unavailable as of this update.

What does that mean? Although all future portable hard drives and SSDs will have physically compatible USB-C interfaces (and cables), you’ll still have to check the specs to determine the speed of your drive. For the time being, USB 3.2 Gen 2 sits in the sweet spot between price and speed.

The competition

Samsung’s Portable SSD T7 Touch is about $20 to $40 more expensive than our picks, a price tag justified by a touch sensor that allows you to unlock the drive using a recognized fingerprint. Otherwise this SSD was about as speedy as the other models we tested. The fingerprint reader can help you get into the habit of locking your data securely, but we don’t think it’s a must-have feature.

The Seagate BarraCuda Fast SSD was significantly slower than the rest of the pack on sequential read and write operations, though it produced performance similar to what we saw from the other models on random reads and writes. That’s not surprising, considering that Seagate claims speeds of “up to 540 MB/sec” versus 1,000 to 1,050 MB/sec, and our testing confirmed that it was slower than the other drives here. It’s typically priced about the same as its competitors.

The Crucial X8 SSD is built into an attractive metal chassis and has an attractive price (11¢ per gigabyte at this writing). It also has the most comprehensive list of compatible devices (iPad Pro, macOS, PS4, Xbox One, and Windows), though all the drives we tested should work with most computers and gaming consoles. However, it was the only SSD that became noticeably warm during our recent tests. It wasn’t hot enough to burn, but it was cause for concern, as none of the other drives warmed up beyond room temperature. Our scans of Amazon reviews revealed that various owners had also observed the X8 heating up uncomfortably, and the issue was an apparent point of failure for one unfortunate Mac user.

We compared other current drives but dismissed them for other reasons, including a high price (G-Technology G-Drive, SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2, Seagate FireCuda Gaming SSD, Western Digital WD Black P50 Game Drive SSD), a slower claimed transfer speed (Adata SC685, Crucial X6), or an outdated USB 3. 0 interface (Seagate Expansion SSD, Seagate One Touch SSD, Seagate Ultra Touch SSD).

For a previous version of this guide, we tested several older SSDs including the Adata SE730H Portable External SSD, the Samsung Portable SSD T5, the first iteration of the SanDisk Extreme Portable External SSD, the Seagate Fast SSD, an older Western Digital My Passport SSD, and the Western Digital My Passport Go SSD. Although some of these models may still be available, we recommend buying any of the newer models reviewed above. Not only are the new models speedier, but they also have longer, five- or three-year warranties.

We also dismissed other models without testing in the previous version of this guide. All were aging or outdated models, and we don’t recommend them, even if you find them in stock online. This group includes the 480 GB Adata SD600Q, the Adata XPG SD700X, the Glyph Atom, the G-Technology Atomos Master Caddy 4K SSD, the G-Technology G-Drive ev RaW SSD and G-Technology G-Drive Slim, the 500 GB LaCie Mobile SSD and LaCie Portable SSD, the MyDigitalSSD BP5, the PNY Elite, the Samsung Portable SSD X5, the 480 GB SanDisk Extreme 510 Portable SSD, the Transcend StoreJet 500, the VectoTech Rapid Portable SSD, and the Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD.

Justin Krajeski contributed to previous versions of this guide.
This article was edited by Signe Brewster and Arthur Gies.

Footnotes

Sources

  1. Avram Piltch, USB 4: Everything We Know, Including Apple Support, Tom’s Hardware, November 13, 2020

  2. Dong Ngo, This is how SSDs work and what you can do to make yours last longer, CNET, April 15, 2017

  3. Dong Ngo, Dan Dziedzic, How to buy storage, CNET, April 3, 2017

  4. Joel Santo Domingo, SSD vs. HDD: What’s the Difference?, PCMag UK, September 2, 2020

  5. Geoff Gasior, The SSD Endurance Experiment: They’re all dead, The Tech Report, March 12, 2015

  6. Cameron Faulkner, How to Choose the Right Portable SSD, The Verge, May 13, 2019

  7. USB 3. 2 Specification (PDF), USB Implementers Forum, October 3, 2018

  8. Gordon Mah Ung, Best external drives for backup, storage, and portability, PCWorld, January 5, 2021

  9. Ganesh T S, SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD v2 and WD My Passport (2020) Review, AnandTech, September 30, 2020

About your guide

Joel Santo Domingo

Joel Santo Domingo is a senior staff writer covering networking and storage at Wirecutter. Previously he tested and reviewed more than a thousand PCs and tech devices for PCMag and other sites over 17 years. Joel became attracted to service journalism after answering many “What’s good?” questions while working as an IT manager and technician.

Further reading

  • The Best Things to Get for Your New Laptop

    by Haley Perry

    From laptop bags to headphones to chargers to dongles galore, here are the essential accessories to help you use your new laptop.

  • The Best Windows Ultrabook

    by Kimber Streams

    If you’re looking for a laptop, you probably should get an ultrabook—and we have recommendations in just about every price range.

  • The Best SSDs

    by Andrew Cunningham and Wirecutter Staff

    Whether you’re building a new computer or looking to upgrade an existing one, the best SSDs offer big speed improvements over traditional hard drives.

  • The Best Mini Desktop PCs

    by Andrew Cunningham

    A mini PC can be a great option for a home office or remote learning, and the Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Tiny is the best choice for most people.

Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). Subscribe now for unlimited access.

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Best External Hard Drive and SSD for 2022: Mac, PC, PS4, PS5 and Xbox

Games are large these days, and they’re only getting larger. That makes expandable storage a necessity if you want to store a decent chunk of your library at any one time. Managing that storage space can be a huge pain in the butt, so the more storage you have the less you’ll need to do that. The PS5 and Xbox Series X can’t run games off external drives, but transferring the games between the two is fast and efficient. There are also a huge number of high-quality hard drives and solid-state drives, too, making it easy to find the right one for your needs and budget.

A traditional hard drive or mechanical drive that uses «old» hard drive technology, with mechanical platters and a moving read-write head to access data, is adequate for most people, thanks to speedier USB-C and USB 3. 0 (as well as 3.1/3.2) interfaces. Prices have dropped significantly in the last few years, with even the high-capacity, state of the art, all-around best external hard drive models tipping the scales at 5TB but costing just over $100. Solid-state drives, on the other hand, don’t have moving parts, which gives them up to four times faster read and write speed, but they cost a lot more per gigabyte.

Most of the options on this list of the best external hard drive models will work across platforms — whether you have a Windows PC, Mac computer, PlayStation or Xbox — so long as the drives are correctly formatted for the right platform. But a lot of the time they’ll be designated as working with a specific platform out of the box and sometimes come with backup software that’s platform-specific. Unless otherwise indicated, all the PC drives mentioned here are compatible with Windows but can be formatted for a Mac. Many of them include cables or adapters to accommodate USB-C and USB-A ports. But if they don’t happen to be included, you can easily buy dongles for about $12.

And remember: A single backup doesn’t cut it. Ideally, you’ll want redundant backups either off-site or using cloud storage for key data and large files (such as family photos) in case of theft or fire. And make sure to encrypt your data, too.

One important note for console gamers is that the newer PS5 and Xbox Series X (and Series S) consoles are much more restrictive about using external drives. The PS5 can store and play PS4 games from an external drive, but not PS5 games; the Xbox Series X can store Series X games, but you’ll have to transfer them to the main SSD to actually play them. The Xbox Series X offers a proprietary Seagate-made storage expansion card and you can now install an M.2 SSD in your PS5 to expand storage for PS5 games. 

With those caveats noted, our current top picks for the best external hard disk drive and external solid-state drive are below. These (or nearly identical models with less storage capacity) have been used or anecdotally tested by CNET editors. We’ll update our list of the best external hard drives and SSDs as we test new products.

Sarah Tew/CNET

SanDisk Extreme Portable 1TB SSD

Rugged external mini SSD

Western Digital, which owns SanDisk, sells its WD My Passport SSD as well this SanDisk External Portable SSD for basically the same price. I like the design of this model a little better and it’s technically ruggedized with an IP55 rating, meaning it can withstand a sustained spray of water. It’s also shock-resistant and has a USB-C interface.

The cheaper «older» version has transfer speeds up to 550MBps while the next-gen version nearly doubles that speed with up to 1,050MBps (just over 1GB per second) and only costs slightly more for the 1TB version. The price for the 2TB model of this external drive jumps to $280 for the newer version.

Your speed will vary if you’re moving a mishmash of files to or from the USB drive, but when copying a single large file you should be able to get close to those fast transfer speeds.

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David Carnoy/CNET

Seagate Storage Expansion Card

Best for expanding storage for Xbox Series X/S games

For better or worse, there’s currently only one way to expand the storage on your Xbox Series X/S for next-gen Series X/S games: the Seagate Expansion Card. Similar to the storage situation with the PS5, you can plug in any external SSD or hard drive to expand the storage for standard Xbox games (previous-gen), but you can only store native Xbox Series X/S games on the game console’s internal memory or the Seagate Expansion Card.

It plugs into a proprietary slot on the back on the Xbox Series X/S and «replicates the Xbox Velocity Architecture» (Microsoft’s internal NVMe SSD tech) with peak speeds of up to 2.4GBps of raw I/O throughput. Microsoft says that’s more than 40x the throughput of the Xbox One.

The expansion card now comes in a more affordable 512GB version for $140 along 1TB ($220) and 2TB ($400) versions. The 2TB version can be hard to find in stock.

$140 at Microsoft

David Carnoy/CNET

Seagate FireCuda 530 with Heatsink

Best for expanding storage for PS5 games

You can expand storage for PS4 games on your PS5 by adding a standard external SSD because you can play PS4 games directly from an external SSD. However, that’s not the case for PS5 games, which take up a ton of space and can only be played from the PS5’s internal drive or an M.2 SSD that you install in a special expansion bay inside your PS5. 

While the Seagate FireCuda 530 technically isn’t an external SSD, it’s not so different from Seagate’s Storage Expansion Card for the Xbox Series X/S in that it’s an NVMe SSD with very high transfer speeds (up to 7,300MBps, according to Seagate, though my PS5 listed the top rate at 6,800MBps ).

Several M.2 SSDs will work with the PS5 (see our complete list) but ideally, you want one with an integrated heatsink. Otherwise, you’ll have to add one. 

The Seagate FireCuda 530 with heatsink starts at $140 for the 512GB version and jumps to $210 for the 1TB version (most popular), $400 for the 2TB version and over $1,000 for the 4TB version. 

Read more: Here’s How to Boost Your PlayStation 5 Storage

 

$876 at Amazon

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WD Black P10 2TB

Best value for Xbox One

If you’re looking for a high-capacity external drive for your Xbox One, the WD Black P10 2TB portable hard drive is a good value at around $90 (the 5TB version is about $140). It gives you portable storage for your coveted game collection. This external drive also comes with a digital code that gives you one month of Microsoft’s Game Pass Ultimate if you’re a new subscriber. There’s also a standard version of the portable hard drive, which also works with PCs and the PS4 for slightly less (it’s missing the Xbox branding but is otherwise the same drive). The portable drive can deliver speeds up to 130MBps.

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Amazon

Seagate Game Drive 4TB

Best value for PS4

An external drive means you don’t have to worry about managing the storage space on your PS4 (you can play games without lag directly from the portable hard drive). The 2TB version of the Seagate Game Drive is about $30 less at $80. But you might as well spend the extra dough and get 4TB for this portable external hard drive.

Note that Seagate makes an SSD Game Drive For Xbox but not PS4. The storage drive costs around $160 for 1TB.

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WD Black D30 Game Drive

Best SSD for game consoles

You can use any SSD with your PlayStation PS4/PS5 or Xbox One, Xbox One Series X or Series S to store PS4 and Xbox One games and other content and pick up a nice speed bump when loading games compared with a standard external hard drive like the WD Black P10 above. Note that with the Xbox Series X, you can only archive Xbox Series X and S games to this drive, you can’t store full games on it (the Seagate Storage Expansion Card is required for that). The PS5 has the same restriction — you can only store full PS4 games on external drives.

On its surface, then, the WD Black D30 game drive isn’t all that special (it has up to a 900MBps transfer rate, which is basically what a console’s USB 3. 1 connection caps out at). But it’s really its design that sets it apart. It’s thicker and more rugged-looking than your typical SSD or flash drive and includes a detachable stand with rubber feet to keep it from moving around wherever you place it. This is an NVMe SSD (Non-Volatile Memory Express) that provides efficient performance and interoperability. It essentially looks like a mini hard drive, which is kind of cool. 

The standard version works with PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and One X and S consoles, as well as PCs. The Xbox version shown in the image simply includes an Xbox logo and a month of Game Pass Ultimate, a $15 value, for $20 more. Alas, only new subscribers can use the included code, so if you already have a Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you’re really paying the extra $20 for the logo.

The 1TB version starts at $125 while the 2TB version starts at $180.

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David Carnoy/CNET

SanDisk 1TB Extreme Pro Portable SSD

Blazing-fast SSD

SanDisk makes the Extreme Portable SSD (see above) that delivers speeds up to 1,050MB per second transfer rates. But if you’re a photographer or videographer looking for an even faster SSD drive for your PC or Mac, the Extreme Pro Portable SSD is the way to go for extra storage space. The latest version is capable of delivering up to 2,000MBps (2GBps) read/write speeds if you pair it with the right equipment: In order to get the maximum speed, you need a host system that supports USB Gen 3.2 Gen 2×2 speeds.

Compatible with Macs and Windows PCs, it’s technically ruggedized with an IP55 rating, meaning this can withstand a sustained spray of water. It’s also shock-resistant and has a forged aluminum chassis that acts as a heatsink. It has a USB-C interface and includes both USB-C to USB-C and USC-A to USB-C cable. The 1TB version is around $190 while the 2TB model starts at $300

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Amazon

The Seagate Backup Plus Slim 2TB is one of the more compact non-SSD drives, making it the best external hard drive for those who are looking to save some space. And at less than $60, this backup drive is also a good value. This Seagate external hard drive can also be connected to Macs that have a thunderbolt port. Available in a few color options, it also comes in 1TB ($55), 4TB ($93) and 5TB ($115) versions, but the higher-capacity drives are thicker.

WD

WD My Passport Ultra USB-C

Versatile USB-C drive

This drive is about as future-proof — and backward-compatible — as they come. You pay a bit of a premium over the standard WD drive, but this newer model offers a USB-C connection, meaning it has the latest and greatest USB cable connectivity for Macs and PCs. No USB-C on your system? No problem: Western Digital also tosses in a USB-A to USB-C adapter, so this storage device will work with pretty much any computer straight out of the box.

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WD My Book 8TB (for Mac or Windows PCs)

Best-value desktop drive

The WD My Book desktop drive is available in up to a 18TB configuration, but the 8TB is the best value at around $200. It’s so popular it’s often out of stock. 

Read our WD My Book (Fall 2016) review.

 

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Amazon

LaCie Rugged USB-C 5TB Portable HDD

Rugged workhorse external hard drive

After Seagate acquired LaCie several years ago, LaCie became the company’s premium brand and this external HDD 5TB model can be found on a lot of video editors’ desks (including plenty at CNET). This rugged hard disk drive uses a USB-C interface, is compatible with Mac and Windows PCs and is water- and shock-resistant. A 4TB Thunderbolt with USB-C version is available for Thunderbolt-equipped Macs for about $250.

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David Carnoy/CNET

Crucial X6

Value 4TB SSD

Crucial’s X6 external SSD is considered entry-level because it’s just not as fast as higher-end models, which can offer read/write speeds that are twice or even four times as fast (the Crucial X8 is the step-up model). Even so, the X6 is about 4x faster than a drive that isn’t solid-state, with transfer speeds of up 540MBps for the 1TB and 2TB versions and up to 800MBps for the new 4TB version, which has one of the lowest prices for a 4TB SSD at around $340.

Comparatively, the 4TB SanDisk Extreme SSD, which has a transfer speed rating of up to 1,050MBps, costs $700. So you’re basically looking at a $360 savings if you’re willing to take a bit of a speed hit (again, at least the 4GB version of the Crucial X6 has been bumped up to 800MBps from 540MBps).

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TOP 10 best external SSD hard drives with Aliexpress

Affordable external SSDs from AliExpress are great for file sharing and an easy way to back up your data. We present you the best external hard drives SSD from Aliexpress.

The best portable external SSDs from AliExpress offer a level of storage performance, read/write speed and reliability that was not possible with older external hard drives (HDDs).

These cheap portable SSDs from AliExpress are lightweight and twenty times faster than external hard drives (HDDs). This gives you the ability to put all your most important data on a compact disc that fits in your hand and then access it instantly by simply plugging it into your laptop or desktop.

Portable SSDs are also less susceptible to physical failure and drop damage, making them a great solution for carrying data or media with you, giving you quick, instant access to that data wherever you are.

The best portable SSDs on AliExpress have a more durable design to withstand bumps, drops and other potentially dangerous incidents, so you can be sure that your important data is safe wherever you take it.

External SSDs also provide a reliable backup solution for data, files, photos and videos when you’re on the go and the cloud solution isn’t available or fast enough.

We’ve researched and compiled the best external SSDs on AliExpress to help you find the right external SSD for all your needs.

Our handpicked selection of portable SSDs on AliExpress will help you find and get the best external SSD for your budget and needs.

Table of Contents

  • 1 SAMSUNG T7 SSD
  • 2 SAMSUNG X5 PORTABLE SSD
  • 3 ADATA SE730H EXTERNAL SSD
  • 4 WD MY PASSPORT WIRELESS SSD
  • EXTMEAND SST
  • 50005

    Not only is this external drive fast, with sequential read and write speeds of up to 1,050 and 1,000 MB/s, respectively, but it also boasts a host of cool features in a palm-sized package.

    A key feature of this portable SSD is its built-in security, which uses AES 256-bit encryption and allows for fingerprint login, which can be configured using your own management software. 9The 0005

    Samsung T7 SSD is one of the best portable SSDs available on AliExpress and is worth considering buying.

    Buy on AliExpress

    SAMSUNG X5 PORTABLE SSD

    This portable SSD combines Thunderbolt 3 and NVMe interfaces for superior performance.

    Thunderbolt 3 allows you to transfer data at speeds up to 40 Gbps. That’s twice as fast as the maximum 20 Gb/s data transfer rate of the fastest USB-C ports and four times faster than the original Thunderbolt interface.

    Samsung X5 is the best portable SSD for those who care about speed, as it comes with a Thunderbolt 3 connector that takes full advantage of the ultra-speed capabilities of the amazing Samsung 970 Evo NVMe SSD installed inside.

    When it comes to performance, the Samsung X5 Portable SSD is definitely a portable SSD to look into.

    The sheer desire for speed comes at a price, for example, financial costs, since it is an expensive external SSD. It’s also bigger and bulkier than the Samsung T3 or Samsung T5. The device is quite heavy — 150 g.

    Buy on AliExpress

    ADATA SE730H EXTERNAL SSD

    This is the best high speed external storage device on AliExpress.

    This small and compact external hard drive offers very decent speed, as well as a rugged casing that protects it from water as well as drops and bumps.

    It’s not the fastest drive as it still uses legacy SATA technology rather than the newer and faster NVMe technology, but for the money you get a great performer.

    With dimensions of 72.7 x 44 x 12.2mm and only 37g without cable, this is the smallest external SSD, smaller and lighter than the Samsung T5 SSD.

    Adata SE730H external SSD comes with military certified security.

    Fast, waterproof and affordable, the Adata SE730H should be in your shopping cart on AliExpress if you’re looking for a versatile and reliable drive that can take on the tough stuff.

    Buy on Aliexpress

    WD MY PASSPORT WIRELESS SSD

    This is the best portable SSD on AliExpress and a must-have backup tool for every traveling photographer.

    Western Digital is a storage giant aimed at professional photographers, and with the WD My Passport Wireless SSD, they have created another great portable SSD that photographers and casual users alike will love.

    WD My Passport Wireless SSD joins WD’s growing line of wireless hard drives that allow you to view and move files over a Wi-Fi connection instead of using a cable, which is very convenient.

    However, you will not be able to use the full speed of the SSD over Wi-Fi. It also connects via a USB 3.0 port, which offers very good speeds, but not as fast as USB Type-C or Thunderbolt.

    However, the flexibility and durability of the WD My Passport Wireless SSD is certainly attractive, plus it comes with a built-in SD card reader, making it one of the best portable SSDs for photographers.

    Buy on Aliexpress

    SANDISK EXTREME PRO SSD

    AliExpress has many drives with multiple rubber bumpers on the corners, but the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD takes a whole new level of protection and durability without sacrificing speed.

    Encased in a heat dissipative aluminum chassis, the NVMe drive maintains high read/write speeds of around 2,000MB/s, yet is fully protected with a rugged IP55 rating. In other words, this portable SSD is virtually immune to dust and can withstand a continuous jet of water from a nozzle for up to a minute.

    Combined with a drop rating of up to two meters, this drive should be well protected against most of the threats and dangers it will encounter during your travels. This SSD is also very portable and easy to transport. A handy lanyard ring lets you keep your device close at hand, and an optional carrying case can be used for extra protection when transporting.

    Buy on Aliexpress

    SEAGATE STORAGE EXPANSION CARD (XBOX SERIES X)

    SanDisk is Microsoft’s official storage partner for the Xbox Series S/X Storage Expansion card, which is the only external SSD capable of delivering performance comparable to an internal SSD installed inside a gaming next generation consoles.

    The Seagate Storage Expansion Card takes full advantage of NVMe technology to load games faster than previous generation consoles and gaming PCs. Not only does it help you load games faster, but it also supports Quick Resume, allowing you to seamlessly transition from one game to another, whether they’re on the internal SSD or on a Seagate expansion card.

    The 1TB capacity is twice that of the Xbox Series X and four times that of the Series S, a significant upgrade from what ships with consoles. The Seagate Storage Expansion Card isn’t cheap, but it’s much more affordable than some other external NVMe drives — and it’s the best external SSD you can use with an Xbox Series X. 2TB, 4TB or 8TB versions.

    Buy on AliExpress

    KINGSTON XS2000 EXTERNAL SSD

    The Kingston XS2000 is a high performance external solid state drive that uses USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 speed to deliver next generation performance in a compact external drive. With lightning-fast transfer rates of up to 2000 Mbps, the XS2000 delivers enhanced performance with minimal disruption.

    The Kingston XS2000 is one of the first and possibly the only USB 3. 2 Gen 2×2 portable SSD. As a result, the device has impressive speeds. However, please note that your hardware must be compatible with the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 protocol to take full advantage of this portable drive.

    In addition, the Kingston XS2000 is lightweight — only 29 g — and quite compact. Kingston also comes with a rubber boot to further protect this water-, dust- and shock-resistant drive.

    Buy on AliExpress

    SAMSUNG T5 SSD

    The Samsung Portable SSD T5 is a phenomenal external solid state drive. This is a master class in portable storage, proving that external storage can be smaller than a powerful power bank or stack of credit cards.

    It builds on the great design and performance of its predecessor, the Samsung T3 SSD, but upgrades it with an incredibly fast USB Type-C connection that squeezes every last drop of performance from the SSD inside.

    It is backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 if your computer is not equipped with USB Type-C and is well worth the money.

    Buy on Aliexpress

    LEXAR SL200 EXTERNAL SSD

    This stylish portable drive is small enough to fit in your pocket or bag and reads at up to 550MB/s and writes up to 400MB/s. The drive connects to compatible devices via a USB 3.1 Type-C port and includes a USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable and a USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable.

    The solid state drive has no moving parts, making it resistant to drops, shock, vibration and adverse temperatures. Your data is also protected by automatic 256-bit AES encryption, which helps prevent damage, loss and deletion of important files.

    Buy on AliExpress

    KODAK X200 PORTABLE SSD

    Kodak’s portable mSATA X200 SSD offers fast data transfer speeds and large storage capacity. This makes it ideal for saving and transferring all your files: office, music, high resolution photos and videos.

    The Kodak Portable SSD has 128 GB of storage and is compatible with both Windows and Mac. Compact and lightweight durable design makes it convenient and portable to carry. Experience the speed, reliability and efficiency of the next generation of 3D NAND. Compared to a classic hard drive, it is more reliable and quieter during operation.

    Buy on AliExpress

    Best External SSDs in 2021 — Accessories

    Tiffany Garrett

    Accessories

    Source: Samsung

    Best External SSDsWindows Central 2021

    External SSDs can make life a lot easier for anyone who needs to store and transfer files at high speed. Imagine clicking on a file and opening it immediately with minimal latency, or with the ability to load programs quickly and efficiently while you play. An external SSD is a game changer. We recommend the Samsung T5 Portable Solid State Drive for its fast read/write speed and modern design. Portable Storage My Passport SSD WD 512 GB

Best Overall:

Samsung T5 Portable SSD

Source: Samsung

Samsung T5 Portable SSD is ideal for storing documents, files, media You’ll find it’s a great choice for students, gamers, and personal office use. This SSD comes in four unique colors and a sleek design with curved edges. The chassis of this SSD is rugged and can withstand drops up to 2 meters. It weighs 1.80 ounces and is 0.41 inches thick. It is smaller than the average business card.

This particular drive offers 500 GB of storage but can also come with 1 or 2 TB for a higher price. It supports USB 3.1 Gen2, providing a transfer rate of 10 GB per second. It is also backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0, offering read-write speeds of 540MB per second. This drive comes with USB Type-C to C and USB Type-C to A cables that make it easy to connect the drive to almost any device.

Your data can be easily managed with the included software that is compatible with Windows 7, Max 0S X 10.9, Android 4.4 or higher. Samsung T5 is equipped with optional AES 256-bit hardware encryption to protect your data and password protection. It also comes with a three-year warranty, so you don’t have to worry about damaging the drive.

Pros:

  • Less business card
  • 500 GB of memory
  • 3 years of warranty
  • Tested for fall

Mine:

  • Some MAC users report on failures

9.

Best overall

Samsung T5 Portable SSD

500 GB smaller than a business card

Available in four chic colors, this SSD offers 500 GB of storage while being smaller than the average business card .

  • $94 off Amazon

Source: Seagate

The Seagate 250GB External Fast SSD is great for people who work in a fast-paced environment and need to access files on the go, like photographers or videographers . This drive is impressively fast, running at speeds up to 540Mbps.

This drive measures 3.7 x 3.11 x 0.35 inches, making it compact and easy to carry. It’s extremely lightweight and impact resistant, so you don’t have to worry about it hitting your bag and getting damaged while you work. It can also conveniently organize your folders across devices with folder sync features. You have the option to designate a folder to automatically save the most recent changes to your files.

This external hard drive is equipped with a reversible USB-C cable for easy connection. This kit also includes a USB Type-C to Type-A cable to improve compatibility between additional devices.

Another benefit of the Seagate Fast SSD 250GB External SSD is that it comes with a free two-month Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan membership, making it ideal for photographers and videographers. Some users have noted that the drive is sometimes damaged in transit.

Pros:

  • Lightweight and shockproof
  • 250 GB of storage
  • Sync folders across devices
  • Free two-month subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan

Cons:

  • Occasionally arrives damaged due to shipping

Best value

External sold Seagate Fast SSD 250GB store images quickly on the go

3

Seagate 250 GB external sold Fast SSD is small and compact, great for photographers and videographers.

  • $92 from Amazon

Best Premium:

CalDigit Tuff Nano

Source: Windows Central

CalDigit Tuff Nano, available in four bright colors, 2.6″ x1 and weight 6.4 ounces. This external SSD is small enough to fit in your pocket, compatible with USB and Thunderbolt 3 ports, and backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0. This device provides high data transfer speeds up to 10 gigabits per second when paired with a device that supports USB-C Gen 2.

how to adjust mouse sensitivity windows 10

Although this external SSD is formatted for macOS, it only takes a couple of minutes to format it for compatibility with Windows devices. This hard drive comes with two host cables, one USB-C to USB-A and one USB-C to USB-C. This increases the compatibility of the CalDigit Tuff Nano as the USB-C to USB-A cable allows you to use a laptop that does not have a USB-C port.

CalDigit Tuff Nano is travel ready with hard travel case included. This case acts as an extra layer of protection on the go. However, the CalDigit Tuff Nano is durable on its own. It has a rating of 1P67, which means it can withstand drops from up to one meter underwater for half an hour. It is also shockproof and dustproof.

PLESS:

  • Compact and portable
  • Grade and dust grade 1p67
  • USB-C (Gen 2) Transmission speed up to 10 Gbits / s

Lessions:

  • Best Premium
    CalDigit Tuff Nano

    Robust CalDigit Tuff Nano is rated 1P67 and delivers high data transfer rates up to 10 gigabits per second.

    • $150 from Amazon

    Best Durability:

    ADATA SD600Q External SSD

    Source: Adata

    Available in three vibrant colors, the ADATA SD600Q external SSD measures 3.1 x 3.1 x 0.6 inches and weighs 2. 08 oz, making it the perfect SSD to use on the go as it fits easily into your pocket. or bag. The appearance of the ADATA SD600Q is covered with a protective and shock-absorbing silicone casing. You’ll never have to worry about damage from accidental drops as this drive can withstand drops up to 1.22 meters and offers military-grade protection.

    This SSD is hot swappable, which means you can turn it off without turning off the host device first. It is also compatible with Windows, Mac and Android. Equipped with a USB 3.1 interface and compatible with USB-A connections, the ADATA SD600Q can achieve read/write speeds of up to 440 GB per second.

    The

    ADATA SD600Q offers 3D NAND Flash, which means memory cells are stacked on top of each other, increasing the amount of available storage.

    Pros:

    • $110 from Amazon

    Best Portability:

    250GB TOROSUS External SSD

    Source: Amazon

    250GB TOROSUS External SSD is great for storing photos, videos and documents. It measures 66mm x 36mm x 9mm, making it incredibly compact and portable. Just put it in your pocket and walk out the door. The TOROSUS SSD offers 250GB of storage with NAND flash; however, it is also available with 500 GB of storage for a higher price.

    This SSD is shock and vibration resistant, so don’t let its small size fool you into thinking it’s fragile. This particular SSD can also dissipate and dissipate heat. Another plus is a three-year warranty for added peace of mind.

    This drive is great for transferring data on the go with read/write speeds up to 368MB per second. The TOROSUS SSD is compatible with Windows and Mac and includes USB 3.0 for Type-C interface.

    Pros:

    • Small and compact
    • 3 years of warranty
    • Stability to shock and vibration

    disadvantages:

    • Some users say that it is too small in size

    The best tolerance

    SSD 250 GB

    Extremely Small and Efficient SSD

    This extremely compact SSD is incredibly reliable and efficient with fast 368MB per second read and write capabilities.

    • $75 from Amazon

    Best Aesthetics:

    My Passport SSD WD 512GB Portable Storage

    Source: Western Digital

    fast and reliable. Measuring 3.5 x 1.8 x 0.39 inches, this drive features a black and chrome textured chassis that is shock resistant and pleasing to the eye. This SSD is 6.5 feet drop tested, so you don’t have to worry about it being damaged by accidental drops. This drive is great for people who work in the office as well as outdoors in harsh environments.

    Designed for PC or Mac, the WD My Passport SSD is compatible with USB Type-C and USB type-A ports. It is also compatible with USB 3.1 Gen 2, USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and USB-A. The Type C port can reach transfer rates up to 540MB per second, making it the fastest My Passport to date.

    Using the WD My Passport SSD is easy, all you have to do is take it out of the box and plug it in. The device includes WD Backup software that automatically saves your files to Dropbox or your drive. You also have the option to set a password using the built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption software through WD Security.

    Pros:

    • Plug and play immediately
    • WD Backup software included
    • 6. 5 foot drop resistant

    Cons:

    • Must be safely removed to avoid complications.

    Best aesthetics

    My Passport SSD WD 512GB portable storage

    SSD look and fastest My Passport to date

    This solid state drive with black and chrome texture delivers an incredible transfer speed of 540MB per second .

    • $90 off Amazon

    Lower Bound

    There are many reasons why an external SSD can make your digital life so much easier, including faster transfer speeds, storage flexibility, ease of installation, and low power consumption. Don’t waste time waiting for file transfers. Instead, boost your performance by using an external SSD.

    There are different types of SSDs for different industries and needs. If you are a photographer, you may need an external SSD that can handle high resolution images. If you work in an office and need to transfer and store important files and documents, you may want to opt for something simpler. We recommend the Samsung T5 Portable SSD as it offers a bit of everything as it is compatible with Windows, Mac and Android while providing 500GB of storage and 540MB per second read-write speed.

    Credits — the team behind this guide

    Top 7 | best portable external ssd drives from aliexpress

    Home • AliExpress, Ranked • Top 7 Portable External SSD from AliExpress 2022

    Best Portable External SSD from AliExpress delivers a level of performance, read/write speed and reliability that older external hard drives can’t offer ( HDD). These budget portable SSDs from AliExpress are lightweight and twenty times faster than conventional external hard drives. These devices give you the ability to put all your most important data on a compact disc that fits in your hand and access your data in an instant — just plug it into your laptop or desktop and you’re done!

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    Portable SSDs are also less prone to physical failure and drop damage, making them great for travel and file sharing on the go. The best portable SSDs on AliExpress are built more durable so they can withstand bumps, drops and other potentially dangerous impacts, so you can rest assured that all your important data is safe. Portable external SSD drives are also a reliable backup solution for data, files, photos and videos in case cloud storage is unavailable or not fast enough. In this ranking we have collected the best portable external SSD drives of 2022 available on AliExpress to help you choose the one that suits your needs and fits your budget.

    • 1. Samsung T7 is the best portable SSD on Aliexpress in 2022
    • 2. Samsung X5 is a good portable SSD with Thunderbolt 3
    • 3. Adata SE730H — universal compact external SSD drive on AliExpress
    • 4. WD My Passport Wireless SSD — Wireless Portable SSD for Photographers
    • 5. SanDisk Extreme PRO SSD — Excellent value for money
    • 6. Seagate Storage Expansion Card — Reliable portable SSD drive for Xbox with Aliexpress
    • 7. Kingston XS2000 is a decent mid-range external SSD

    Samsung T7

    This is the best portable SSD on AliExpress and will be appreciated by all those who care about the security of their files. If you are looking for a portable SSD on AliExpress with many features, then you should definitely take a look at Samsung T7 . This external storage is not only fast (sequential read and write speeds up to 1050 and 1000 MB/s respectively), but also boasts a lot of great features that are tucked away in a palm-sized case. A key feature of this portable SSD is the built-in security features that use AES 256-bit encryption and give you the ability to access files with your fingerprint (all of which can be configured using the accompanying software). The Samsung T7 SSD is one of the best portable SSDs currently available on AliExpress and is definitely worth considering when purchasing.

    • 7 601₽

    Samsung X5

    This portable SSD combines Thunderbolt 3 and NVMe for superior performance. Thunderbolt 3 allows you to transfer data at speeds up to 40 Gbps. This is twice the maximum bandwidth of the fastest USB-C ports and four times faster than the original Thunderbolt interface. The Samsung X5 is the best portable SSD for anyone who appreciates transfer speed. When it comes to performance, the Samsung X5 is on par with the competition. Because of the high read and write speeds, it costs a lot. It is also larger and bulkier than the Samsung T3 or Samsung T5. This disc is quite heavy, weighing 150g.

    • 16 899₽

    Adata SE730H

    This small and compact external drive offers very decent data transfer speeds as well as a rugged casing that protects it from water as well as drops and shocks. It’s not the fastest SSD as it’s still running legacy SATA technology (rather than the newer and faster NVMe technology), but for the price, you’re still getting a great device. Measuring 72.7 x 44 x 12.2mm, it weighs just 37g without cable, and is smaller and lighter than the Samsung T5, it’s the world’s smallest external SSD. External SSD Adata SE730H comes with military grade protection. Fast, waterproof and affordable, the Adata SE730H is sure to be worth looking at. You’ll love it if you’re looking for a versatile and reliable drive that can withstand drops and bumps.

    • 5 364₽

    WD My Passport Wireless SSD

    WD My Passport Wireless SSD is a must-have backup tool for all traveling photographers. Western Digital is a well-known brand that manufactures storage devices designed specifically for professional photographers. And with the launch of WD My Passport Wireless SSD has created another brilliant portable SSD that photographers and casual users alike will love. The WD My Passport Wireless SSD is part of WD’s growing line of wireless drives that allow you to browse and move files over a Wi-Fi connection instead of using a cable, which is very convenient. However, when connected via Wi-Fi, you will not be able to use the full speed of the SSD. It can also be connected via USB 3.0, this connection provides a very good transfer speed, but it is still inferior to the transfer speed via USB Type-C or Thunderbolt. However, the versatility and durability of the WD My Passport Wireless SSD is certainly enticing, plus it comes with a built-in SD card reader, making it one of the best portable SSDs for photographers.

    • 18 975₽

    SanDisk Extreme PRO SSD

    AliExpress has a lot of drives with rubber bumpers around the corners, but SanDisk’s portable SSD takes protection and durability to a whole new level — all without sacrificing speed. Hiding the filling in a heat-dissipating aluminum case, the manufacturer endowed the drive with a high read / write speed of about 2000 MB / s. The protection class complies with the IP55 standard. In other words, SanDisk Extreme PRO is impervious to dust and can withstand a continuous jet of water for up to a minute. Combined with a protection rating that allows it to withstand a drop of up to two meters, this drive will withstand many tests that can fall on its head. It’s also extremely portable and easy to carry, and you can use an optional carry case for even more protection during transport.

    • 5 014₽

    Seagate Storage Expansion Card

    SanDisk is the official Microsoft Drive partner for the Xbox S/X Series Memory Expansion Card. And this manufacturer is the only one that has released an external SSD that can provide performance comparable to the internal SSD of the next generation gaming console itself. The Seagate Storage Expansion Card takes full advantage of NVMe technology to load games faster. Not only does this technology help games load faster, but it also supports quick resume so you can easily switch between games, whether they’re on the internal SSD or a Seagate expansion card. The 1TB capacity doubles the storage of the Xbox Series X and quadruples the capacity of the Series S. The Seagate Storage Expansion Card isn’t cheap, but it’s much more affordable than some other NVMe external drives, and it’s the best external SSD you can use with your Xbox Series X.

    • 29 374₽

    Kingston XS2000

    Kingston’s XS2000 is a high performance external solid state drive that uses USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 speed to deliver next-generation performance (transfer rates up to 2000Mbps). The Kingston XS2000 is one of the first and possibly the only portable SSD to feature USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. As a result, the device demonstrates impressive speed. However, keep in mind that your hardware must be compatible with the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 protocol in order to take full advantage of this portable drive. The Kingston XS2000 is also very light, only 29g, and quite compact.

    • 9 587₽

    Using an old SSD as an external storage device

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    Dec 2020

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    Blog Home

    Can an SSD be used as an external storage device?

    Solid State Drives are widely used as internal storage on laptops and desktop PCs. But did you know that they can also be used as an external storage device? External drives provide a convenient, portable way to store files. External storage allows you to back up files and transfer them from one device to another. But do not rush to buy a new external drive, because everything you need may already be at your fingertips. We’ll show you how to breathe new life into an old SSD and turn it into an external storage device.

    Are solid state drives better than hard drives?

    In recent years, Solid State Drives (SSDs) have evolved significantly and have replaced Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) as the primary storage solution in most laptops. SATA SSDs are more than ten times faster than HDDs, have no moving parts, and are more reliable and perform better. This is why replacing your hard drive with an SSD is one of the best ways to improve your computer’s performance.

    Bring your old storage device back to life

    Have you recently upgraded your system with a new drive? Perhaps you’ve upgraded to an NVMe SSD? Great news! An old SATA or M.2 hard drive or SSD can find a new use.

    If you got rid of your old drive due to a serious problem, it is unlikely to work as an external storage device. However, if your decision is based on a desire to upgrade to a faster or larger SSD, then you can use your old device as external storage. For SATA drives, an SSD installation kit is sold separately. The kit includes a USB 3.0 chassis, USB cable, 3.5″ desktop mounting bracket, and Acronis Cloning software.

    Turning an old SSD into an external storage device

    • The first step is to transfer all the data from the old drive to the new one. It doesn’t matter if the new drive is installed in a PC or an external case; just make sure you clone the data to the new drive. Be sure to purchase a drive with a clone kit.
    • Open the case and insert the SSD. The 3.0 housing included with the SNA-B or SNA-B installation kit uses a latch. Other housings may require a screwdriver. An M.2 SSD can also be installed in the chassis. The case can be equipped with USB-A or USB-C connectors. If your computer supports USB-C and NVMe standards, be sure to use an NVMe M.2 enclosure. In the gallery below you will find videos on this topic.
    • Before using the old drive as external storage, you must either delete the files or simply format the drive.
    • You can now use it as an external storage device.

    What’s more, you can be original and creative. For example, decorate the body of the device with steampunk wood, leather and brass. Or use Lego. You can even clad the hull with concrete! An external drive doesn’t have to look boring.

    #KingstonIsWithYou

    • Installing an M.2 SSD on a desktop computer

      Step-by-step process for installing an M.2 SSD on a desktop computer.

    • Installing an M.2 SSD on a

      laptop

      Step-by-step process for installing an M.2 SSD on a laptop.

    • Installing a 2.5-inch SSD in a desktop computer

      Step-by-step process for installing a 2.5-inch SSD on a desktop computer.

    • Installing a 2.5″ SSD on a

      laptop

      Step-by-step process for installing a 2.5-inch SSD on a laptop.

    • XS2000 Portable Solid State Drive

      High Performance External Drive

      The Kingston XS2000 is a high performance external solid state drive that uses USB 3. 2 Gen 2×2 speeds to upload and edit high-resolution images, 8K video files and large documents in the blink of an eye.

    • 4:46

      Formatting a disk to completely delete data!

      We will show you the step by step procedure to format and clean your SSD or HDD.

    • Installing an M.2 SSD in an external enclosure

      Installing an M.2 SSD in an external enclosure is cheaper than purchasing an external USB SSD.

    • Building a Steampunk SATA SSD Enclosure

      An interesting way to give an external SSD case a «vintage» look.

    • Assembling a

      LEGO Steampunk Solid State Drive Case

      A fun way to build an external SSD case with LEGO bricks.

    • Making a Concrete SATA SSD Enclosure

      An interesting way to cast a solid state drive case out of concrete.

    • Build an SNES Style SATA SSD Enclosure

      An interesting way to create an external SSD case from a Super Nintendo cartridge.

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    #1 Best External SSD for Phones, Tablets, Laptops & PCs

    If you’re looking for fast external storage, you should consider an SSD. But what’s the best external SSD you can buy right now?


    Our #1 pick for 2020

    SAMSUNG T5 Portable SSD 1TB

    $131.00

    • Save

    VIEW LATEST PRICES

    10 02:2022 GMT

    When it comes to memory, Samsung has been leading the industry for the better part of a decade, so when it released the Samsung T5 External Portable SDD Drive , well…we really got excited.

    Why? Because this SSD is the best of the best, it supports all major computing platforms including desktop and mobile. And it makes it easy to manage data on the go. You don’t even have to worry about what you’re connecting your Samsung T5 to as it’s supported by everything from macOS to Linux to Windows.

    The

    Samsung T5 Portable SSD is also 100% shock resistant, and because it’s a solid state drive, it has no moving parts, meaning the T5 is virtually invulnerable. Just like the T1000 from James Cameron’s Terminator movies.

    How about security? You want your data to be safe, even if it’s on an external SSD. Well, Samsung thought about it; The T5 is equipped with state-of-the-art encryption (AES 256-bit hardware encryption) and you can even set a password on it to block anyone but you from accessing it.

    Samsung T5 Portable SSD Highlights:

    • Ultra portable design + impact resistant
    • Read/write speed 540 MB/s
    • AES 256 encryption
    • Works with Android, iOS, Mac, Windows and Linux
    • Additional password function
    • View latest Samsung T5 9 SSD offers0192

    Best External SSDs — Best Value Options

    • Save

    If you’re looking for value for money, the Western Digital My Passport SSD is one of the #1 portable SSDs you can buy right now.

    We currently recommend the following external SSDs. The Samsung T5 SSD is our #1 choice, but if you’re looking for something cheaper or more powerful (like the Samsung X5), we recommend the following SSDs right now.

    • Western Digital My Passport – Western Digital My Passport is another slightly cheaper option. Like SanDisk, it has an impressive read/write speed (55MB/s) and is compatible with all major computing and mobile platforms. On top of that, you have built-in encryption protection as well as password protection. Western Digital also offers a three-year warranty on all purchases.
    • SanDisk Extreme Solid State Drive – The SanDisk Extreme Portable External SSD 1TB is the cheapest and most affordable SSD on this list. The SSD itself is beautifully designed with a durable outer casing and a handy lanyard hole. But it’s not just about looks; The SanDisk SSD is shock and water resistant, making it great for outdoor use. It also has an impressive 550MB/s read speed so it doesn’t slouch. It is also compatible with all major computing and mobile platforms.
    • Samsung X5 SSD – The Samsung X5 SSD is a great option, but it’s VERY expensive — starting at $400! The reason is that this is one of the first NVMe-based portable SSDs from Samsung to support Thunderbolt 3 technology. It also has insanely fast read/write speeds — you’re looking at 2,800MB/s and 2,300MB/s respectively!

    What is an SSD (Solid State Drive) and why do I need it?

    SSD stands for Solid State Drive, and unlike traditional storage, it has no moving parts — hence the name Solid State. You can store media and files on an SSD, but what really sets them apart from cheaper hard drive storage devices is the speed; SSD has faster read/write speed. And that translates into better overall performance, which is why you’ll find SSD storage at the top of the line. laptops and PCs.

    How do SSDs work?

    SSDs consist of two main components: a flash controller and NAND flash chips. Unlike a traditional hard drive, an SSD has no moving parts; Standard hard drives use a mechanical arm called an actuator and a spinning disk to read and write files stored on them.

    Standard hard drives read and write data magnetically. But since processes depend on mechanical components, time is always a problem. Moving takes energy and time. But if you don’t have to move anything like you do with an SSD, you save both time and energy.

    • Save

    Solid state drives read and write information using a substrate of interconnected flash memory chips made from silicon chips. These chips, in turn, are then stacked on top of each other to increase the capacity of the SSD, so more memory means more layers of chips.

    Intel, Micron, Samsung and Western Digital are constantly pushing the boundaries of these «stacks», adding more and more layers for higher density storage potential. Solid state drives are relatively new, but it’s easy to imagine a huge leap forward in the next half decade. Add to that the rise of quantum computers and things only get more interesting as read/write requirements continue to grow.

    Currently the densest SSD manufactured by SK Hynix is ​​a 3GB 72-layer 256D NAND device. However, Samsung, Intel and others are constantly working on denser SSDs, so expect SK Hynix SSDs to be beaten in the near future.

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    Richard Goodwin

    Richard Goodwin has been a tech journalist for over 10 years. He is the editor and owner of KnowYourMobile.

    TOP 10 Best External Drives for Mac in 2022

    This is the ranking of the best external drives for MacBook, iMac, Mac Pro and Mac mini.

    Filling up the drive on your macOS computer isn’t that hard, and that’s where the best external hard drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) for Mac come in: these plug-in drives instantly add gigabytes of extra storage, giving you plenty of room for your photos, videos, music, podcasts and anything else you want to keep. It is a fact.

    You also have a huge choice — from small portable drives that fit in your pocket to hefty devices that take up a significant amount of workspace and can transfer files to any computer on your local network.

    You will see the two types of technologies mentioned below — the first HDD (hard disk drive), which is a conventional, slower mechanical technology. They can’t compete on transfer speeds, but they give you a lot of power for little money. There’s also an SSD (Solid State Drive), a faster storage technology with no moving parts for those who don’t mind paying extra.

    As we note in our ranking of the best SSDs, these drives offer orders of magnitude faster speeds than conventional hard drives. Insane speed isn’t everything, in secondary storage, capacity is often the most important thing, so it’s important to understand which product is best for the user’s needs.

    With so many makes and models to choose from, finding the best external drive for your Mac can be tricky. Everyone’s needs are different, and the right drive for you depends on how you’re going to use it, what you’re going to store on it, how much you’re willing to spend, and a number of other factors.

    But don’t panic, because our buying guide will tell you everything you need to know: we’ve rounded up the best Mac external drives you can buy and explain what makes each one so good.

    1

    Seagate Ultra Touch

    Best Mac external hard drive for most people

    Maximum capacity: 2TB
    Maximum read speed: 120MB/s.
    Portable: Yes

    Plus

    • Stylish fabric finish
    • Power supply unit does not require

    Consities

      not the highest speed

    9000 Seagate Ultra Touch. It simply and effectively gives you plenty of extra storage for your Mac, and at a very affordable price. Here we have presented a cheaper and slower version of the hard drive, but if you want to pay extra, a faster SSD model is also available.

    For most people, hard drives still offer the best value for money, even if you have to wait a few extra seconds when you copy large files. Whether you choose an HDD or SSD model, these drives are completely portable, so all you need is a drive and a USB3.0 cable (it has a USB-A connector, there’s a USB-C adapter in the box).

    A few words about the design of these drives, because they are one of the most stylish we have seen. Whether you choose white or black finishes, fabric adds a touch of class to your Mac. As an added bonus, you get a free 4-month subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography.

    • Not fast SSD
    • Expensive

    An external hard drive for a modern Mac really needs a Thunderbolt 3 connection to give it the best possible performance, and with a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports, this G-Drive offering is the leader. The sleek brushed metal body also looks like a piece of Apple hardware and doesn’t hide serious features. The

    Thunderbolt 3 G-Drive is available with a whopping 18TB of storage, although capacities up to 4TB are also available for a more affordable price. G-Drive is pre-formatted to work flawlessly with Mac devices right out of the box and is Time Machine compatible.

    If you buy a smaller capacity and later find that you need more space, you can use this second Thunderbolt 3 port to daisy chain an additional G-Drive so you don’t need to use another Thunderbolt port on your Mac.

    3

    LaCie Portable v2 SSD

    Best Premium External Drive for Mac

    Max Capacity: 2TB
    Max Read Speed: 1050 MB/s.
    Portable: Yes

    Plus

    • Excellent transfer speed
    • Technology USB 3.2 GEN 2

    Consities

    9004 9000 external hard drives, and while they can often cost more in terms of price per gigabyte than other models, the extra investment is usually worth it. Which brings us to one of their new drives, the LaCie Portable SSD.

    The name says just about everything you need to know about this external hard drive for Mac: it features ultra-fast SSD technology (read speeds up to 1050MB/s) and is portable so you can take it anywhere without a separate power supply. In our opinion, it also looks quite stylish.

    Thanks to the SSD technology installed here and the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface (USB-C cable included), you can, for example, transfer about an hour of high-definition video content in less than a minute. This is ideal if you regularly move large amounts of data on your computer(s).

    4

    Sandisk EXTREME PRO V2

    The fastest external hard drive for M1 IMAC or MacBook

    capacity: 500 GB-2 TB
    Technologies: NVME
    US: US 2
    Speed: to 2000 MB/C

    Plus

    • Incredibly fast
    • Portable and is powered by USB

    Cons

  • We need m1 mac to fully open
  • Only 2TB maximum capacity

If you have one of the latest M1 MacBooks or iMacs, you can connect the drive using the latest Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 interface. almost impossible nowadays, but this SanDisk drive is the best thing. While strictly speaking it’s a portable SSD and not a device that lives on your desk, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be used in place of a larger desktop external hard drive.

Capacity ranges from 500GB to 2TB, which isn’t that much by today’s standards, but the upside is that it’s one of the fastest external SSDs for Macs. If you’re using an older Mac with an Intel processor, we recommend the cheaper SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 (not Pro) as your portable option. It’s slower on paper, but will run at the same speeds as the Extreme Pro when plugged into a USB 3.2 port.

Also note that both of these drives will be pre-formatted to work with both Windows and Mac. However, if you want to use them with Time Machine, you will need to reformat, but this is a simple procedure.

5

Western Digital My Cloud Home Duo

The best external hard drive for MAC for storage

Maximum TB
The maximum reading speed:
9000 9000.

  • Lots and lots of space
  • Add-ons available

Cons

  • Large and heavy unit

external hard drives for Mac in terms of total storage capacity: depending on the drives you install inside the device (and there are two bays), you can set it up to have up to 20TB of space.

This allows you to store a large amount of data, although you will be charged accordingly. We’re impressed with how many configurations you can go with this drive — it starts at 4TB, so you can really choose the storage and price to suit your needs and your budget, while still keeping all the usual Western Digital quality.

In addition to storing files, Home Duo connects directly to your router, meaning it’s instantly accessible from all the Macs in your home. It can work seamlessly with backup programs like Time Machine, and the built-in software even lets you set up different storage slots for different users.

If you need to seriously upgrade your Mac’s storage without spending a fortune, this external hard drive from one of the biggest brands in the business is perfect. Elements Desktop is based on a regular hard drive, not a fast SSD, so don’t expect it to set any speed records. But the upside is that you pay much less per gigabyte of capacity, and you’ll still find transfer speeds fast enough to transfer high-resolution images and HD video without too much waiting.

The drive requires a separate power supply, but this applies to most external desktop hard drives. Capacity ranges from 4TB to a whopping 18TB, and they all have a good price for the capacity you get, but we think the 8TB version is a decent compromise between price and capacity.

6

WD My Book

Best Value Mac External Hard Drive

Capacity: 4TB-18TB
Technology: Hard disc
Interface: USB 3.0
Speed: NOT indicate

PLASS

  • +Available prices
      • NOT SPEC

        If you need to seriously upgrade your Mac’s storage without spending a fortune, this external hard drive from one of the biggest brands is perfect. Elements Desktop is based on a regular hard drive, not a fast SSD, so don’t expect it to set any speed records.

        On the plus side, you pay much less per gigabyte of capacity, and you’ll still find that the speed is fast enough to transfer high-resolution images and HD video without too much waiting.

        The drive requires a separate power supply, but this applies to most external desktop hard drives. Capacity ranges from 4TB to a whopping 18TB, and they all have a good price for the capacity you get, but we think the 8TB version is a decent compromise between price and capacity.

        7

        WD Elements SE

        Best Portable External SSD for Mac

        Max Capacity: 2TB
        Max Read Speed: 1050MB/s.
        Portable: Yes

        Plus

        • The power supply does not require
        • with a drop of 2 meters

        Minutes

          Other discs are more than

        , if you need external tough, which needs it exceptionally. From the USB port it’s plugged into, the WD Elements SE SSD is worth a look: it’s fast, stylish, and affordable, with capacities up to 2TB. It’s perfect for slipping into your bag or even your shirt pocket (depending on the size of your shirt pockets) as you move between computers and locations.

        Western Digital has made it too tough, it will withstand drops up to 2 meters, and comes with a three-year warranty for some extra peace of mind. It uses a USB 3.0 interface and you get a USB-A cable in the box (check the ports available on your Mac to determine if you’ll need an adapter).

        While not the fastest Mac external hard drive you’ll come across, your files will still speed up when you transfer them back and forth thanks to the SSD (Solid State Drive) technology used here. If 2TB is out of your budget, you can get them in 480GB or 1TB capacity configurations.

        Cons

        • Expensive, especially for high capacities

        2big Dock LaCie for desktop contains not one, but two hard drives. The idea is that your data is automatically copied to both drives internally so if one drive fails you will still have a copy of the data on the other, this is a technology called RAID: Redundant Array of Independent Disks.

        2big Dock goes one step further, it also has SD and CompactFlash card slots so you can upload images and videos directly to 2big or import them into editing software without the need for a separate card reader. There’s also a USB 3.1 port for even more data transfer versatility, while two Thunderbolt 3 ports provide ultra-fast data transfer speeds of up to 440MB/s, as well as DisplayPort compatibility to complement your Mac monitor with another 1080p or 4K display.

        Capacity ranges from 8TB to a whopping 36TB, all backed by an impressive 5 year warranty.

        9

        Samsung T7 SSD

        Best external hard drive for Mac with fast data transfer

        Max capacity: 2TB
        Max read speed: 1050MB/s.
        Portable: Yes

        Pros

        • Lightning fast speed
        • Very compact size

        Cons

        • More expensive HDD

        For those who want to buy one of the fastest solid state drives on the market without overpaying, the Samsung T7 should be noted. This incredibly compact and surprisingly fast external drive demonstrates the power and potential of SSD technology and is likely to be your go-to external storage companion if you invest in it.

        Measuring only 85 x 57 x 8 mm and weighing only 58 grams, this is a very small drive — it’s hard to imagine how small it is until you see it with your own eyes. It takes up the same amount of space in your pocket or bag as a smartphone. It’s definitely worth considering if you travel a lot and like to do it light, it’s drop-proof up to 2 meters thanks to the cool titanium case.

        With read speeds up to 1050MB/s and the latest USB 3.2 Gen 2 technology to connect your device to your Mac, it’s a true flagship. You get a USB-A cable included in the box, so you may need to pick up an adapter or another cable if you only have the newer USB-C on your Mac.

        10

        Synology DS218play

        External hard drive with internet connection and more

        Capacity: 4TB-16TB
        Technology: Hard disk or SSD
        Interface: USB 3.2 GEN 1, Ethernet RJ-45
        Speed: Depends on the set discs

        • access through the Local Network and the Internet. media transfer
        • Not the fastest USB connection

        Cons

        • Hard drives are optional and cost more
        • Some training required

        A NAS (network attached storage) drive is basically an external hard drive on steroids. It allows you to store your entire collection of photos and videos in one physical location at home or in the studio, just like on a regular external hard drive. But unlike a regular external hard drive, a NAS drive adds a network connection so it can be connected through an internet router to your home network and the internet.