If you wish to again up priceless information out of your PC, switch movies to a Mac or offload just a few video games out of your sport console, a superb exterior SSD will help. These tiny bricks could value greater than a standard transportable onerous drive, however they’re noticeably quicker, smaller and much more dependable in the long run. That mentioned, figuring out the very best exterior SSD for you isn’t so simple as selecting the one which’s priced the bottom or packs probably the most area. (A minimum of, it shouldn’t be.) If you happen to’re wanting so as to add some transportable storage to your desktop or on a regular basis carry, we’ve spent months weeding via the exterior solid-state drive market, testing a number of contenders and finding out which of them ship probably the most worth. You could find our favorites, plus a fast rundown of what to know earlier than shopping for one in every of this stuff, beneath.

Desk of contents

Greatest exterior SSDs for 2024

Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Capacities: 1TB, 2TB | Dimension: 2.74 x 1.28 x 0.53 inches | Weight: 1.01 ounces | USB interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2 | Controller/bridge chip: Silicon Movement SM2320 | NAND sort: TLC | Rated most sequential speeds: 1,050 MB/s learn, 1,000 MB/s write | Guarantee: 5 years

The Kingston XS1000 performs equally to the Essential X9 Professional however has offered for much less during the last a number of months, so it’s a superb various if you wish to avoid wasting money. A 1TB mannequin is out there for $75 as of this writing, which is $30 lower than the X9 Professional, whereas the 2TB model is all the way down to $120, which is a roughly $50 drop. There’s no 4TB choice, although.

At these costs, the XS1000 is an effective worth for on a regular basis backups and transfers. It saved up with or barely edged the X9 Professional throughout our benchmarks: In our customized file switch take a look at, for instance, its reads have been a second quicker, whereas its writes have been solely six seconds slower. (The 2 drives seem to have comparable internals and are primarily based on an identical controller — the Silicon Energy SM2320G — so this will not be an enormous shock.) It topped each USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive we examined in 3DMark’s gaming storage benchmark as nicely. It’s barely thicker than the X9 Professional however nonetheless splendidly transportable, with its stubby rectangular design weighing simply over an oz. Just like the Essential drive, it’s backed by a five-year guarantee.

The place Kingston’s mannequin falls behind Essential’s X9 Professional is within the extras. There’s no formal IP or drop scores, so we wouldn’t really feel as snug chucking it round on the go. It lacks hardware-based encryption, and it solely comes with a USB-C to A cable, so that you’ll want to produce your individual adapter in case your laptop computer solely has USB-C ports. It doesn’t keep fairly as cool because the X9 Professional with steady use, and its sustained write efficiency isn’t as quick both, so it’s price paying up in the event you plan to frequently copy tons of of gigabytes to the SSD (and may’t simply get a higher-class mannequin). For the cash, although, all of this can be simpler to miss.

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Execs

• Sooner than most 10 Gbps drives we examined
• Aggressively priced
• Extremely transportable
• 5-year guarantee

Cons

• No formal water-resistance or drop safety
• No USB-C to C cable within the field
• Solely out there in 1TB or 2TB
• Slower sustained write efficiency than X9 Professional with very giant recordsdata

$75 at Amazon

Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Capacities: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Dimension: 4.13 x 2.52 x 0.62 inches (with fan off), 4.82 x 2.52 x 0.62 inches (with fan on) | Weight: 6.4 ounces | USB interface: USB4 (40 Gbps) | Controller/bridge chip: Asmedia ASM2464PD | NAND sort: TLC | Rated most sequential speeds: 3,800 MB/s learn, 3,700 MB/s write | Guarantee: 5 years

If you happen to’re a media editor, IT skilled or simply an fanatic keen to pay for the quickest transportable SSD doable, get the ADATA SE920. It makes use of the newer USB4 interface, and it blew away each non-40 Gbps drive we examined throughout our benchmark assessments. In AmorphousDiskMark, for instance, the Essential X9 Professional delivered sequential reads and writes round 1,015 MB/s and 950 MB/s, respectively; right here, these have been about 3,350 MB/s and three,125 MB/s. In our customized combined file switch take a look at, we have been in a position to transfer our 70GB folder to our MacBook in 32 seconds; with the X9 Professional, that course of took about 81 seconds on common. Writing the folder to the drive, in the meantime, was about 30 seconds quicker. If you happen to’re shopping for an exterior SSD to maneuver round giant chunks of information, this type of leap provides up.

The drive itself is considerably larger and thicker than both of our picks above, however it’s not so giant that we’d name it unwieldy. It’s in regards to the dimension of a deck of playing cards, so it’ll match higher in a bag than a pants pocket. Past that, the brushed metallic exterior feels crisp to the contact, and ADATA helps the gadget with a five-year guarantee.

That mentioned, this factor can get critically scorching. The design features a built-in micro fan to assist dissipate warmth, which you activate simply by clicking the case down; that’s intelligent, however it’s not sufficient to maintain the drive cool by itself. All of this comes at a value premium, too, with a 1TB mannequin at present out there for $180. But when efficiency is the one factor that issues to you, it’s onerous to do higher.

Execs

• Blazingly quick 40 Gbps efficiency
• Slick metallic enclosure
• Smaller than different Thunderbolt SSDs we examined
• Intelligent built-in fan
• 5-year guarantee

Cons

• Will get scorching even with fan activated
• Pricier and nonetheless bigger than different picks
• Requires USB4 port to achieve most speeds

$180 at B&H Photograph

Different exterior SSDs we examined

The pre-built OWC Categorical 1M2 is a premium-feeling USB4 SSD that’s roughly as quick because the ADATA SE920, however it’s bigger and considerably dearer as of this writing.

If you happen to’re within the comparatively small group with a PC that helps USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 however not Thunderbolt or USB4, the Essential X10 Professional is basically a quicker model of our prime decide. The Lexar SL600 is a bigger however barely faster choice, whereas the Lexar SL500, Kingston XS2000 or Samsung T9 might additionally work in the event you see them on low cost. As a reminder, although, drives like these are aimed primarily at content material creators and different professionals, and it’s important to be sure you received’t improve to a tool with a quicker USB interface anytime quickly.

The Samsung T7 Defend has a conveniently rugged design with a rubberized, IP65-rated shell. It additionally comes with each USB-C and USB-A cables. Nevertheless it was constantly slower than the X9 Professional and XS1000 in our benchmark assessments, plus it has a shorter three-year guarantee.

The Silicon Energy PX10 is an particularly reasonably priced USB 3.2 Gen 2 mannequin. Its peak speeds weren’t too far off the X9 Professional or XS1000 in artificial benchmarks, however it could possibly get distractingly scorching and its sustained writes are markedly worse. It took 50 seconds longer to maneuver our 70GB customized take a look at folder to this drive in comparison with the X9 Professional, for instance.

The Essential X6 is one other low-cost choice that’s a superb bit slower than our prime picks. It’s restricted to a three-year guarantee and lacks an IP ranking as nicely. It’s not a horrible choice for the fundamentals, however there’s little motive to get it over the XS1000 when their costs are related.

The OWC Envoy Professional FX is well-built and helps Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.2 Gen 2, however it’s a smidge slower than the SE920 and Categorical 1M2, and it’s a lot pricier than the previous.

What to contemplate earlier than shopping for an exterior SSD

Capability

The very first thing to determine earlier than shopping for a conveyable SSD is simply how a lot space for storing you want. A lot of the drives we thought of for this information can be found in capacities starting from one to 4 terabytes, although loads of smaller and bigger choices exist.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule for which dimension is “greatest” — that’ll finally rely in your finances and what precisely you’re seeking to stash. However generally, it’s higher to overcompensate than underdo it. No person desires to be compelled into shopping for a second drive as a result of they crammed the primary one up too rapidly. If you happen to’re backing up a PC, a superb rule of thumb is to purchase an exterior SSD with twice as a lot area as your pc’s inside storage. This manner, it can save you not less than one full backup whereas additionally having room for extra information. If you wish to retailer a bunch of PlayStation or Xbox video games with enormous set up sizes, it’s possible you’ll want extra space. If you happen to simply need to again up a small assortment of recordsdata, it’s possible you’ll be higher off saving your money and simply getting a smaller USB flash drive as an alternative, which aren’t fairly the identical because the exterior SSDs we examined for this information.

Value

Usually, you get a greater price-per-gigabyte ratio the additional you go up the capability ladder. As of this writing, the 1TB Samsung T9 is priced at $135, or $0.14 per gigabyte (GB), whereas the 4TB model is out there for $350, or $0.09 per GB. That technically makes the bigger mannequin a greater “worth,” however not everybody must pay that rather more upfront.

SSDs in the identical velocity class are likely to not fluctuate too wildly when it comes to efficiency, so a part of our decision-making for this information got here all the way down to which of them are sometimes the most cost effective. However costs can fluctuate over time; in the event you see that one in every of our prime picks is priced approach greater than a comparable honorable point out, be at liberty to get the latter. At this cut-off date, prices are broadly trending upwards.

Velocity and USB interface

Nearly all exterior SSDs are considerably quicker than mechanical onerous disk drives (HDDs), so that you’ll save time ready for recordsdata to switch and video games to load it doesn’t matter what. Inside the market, nonetheless, there are distinct efficiency tiers. These are outlined largely by the USB interface a drive helps. Whereas all the SSDs we thought of for this information can join over USB-C, some USB-C connections can provide quicker switch speeds than others. Sorting via this will get actual complicated actual quick, so we’ll attempt to put it in easy phrases.

Primarily, you may divide right this moment’s crop of transportable SSDs into 5 segments. On the prime are drives that make the most of Thunderbolt 3 or 4 or the more moderen USB4 spec, which have a theoretical most switch price of 40 gigabits per second (Gbps). Word that USB4 is available in two totally different variants, although, one in every of which is proscribed to twenty Gbps. Under that’s USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, which additionally tops out at 20 Gbps. (Getting confused but?) Then you will have USB 3.2 Gen 2, which maxes at 10 Gbps. Subsequent is USB 3.2 Gen 1, which is capped at 5 Gbps. Lastly, we’ll bundle collectively SSDs that use older requirements and aren’t price contemplating right here.

For on a regular basis of us, a superb USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive is the candy spot between quick sufficient efficiency and an affordable sufficient value, so these make up our chief suggestions beneath. If you happen to work in a inventive area or don’t thoughts paying further to shave seconds off your giant file transfers, although, a “higher-tier” mannequin would make sense. Nevertheless, word that methods that make the most of USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 aren’t tremendous frequent — no Mac helps it, for one — and the interface is successfully being changed by USB4.

Usually, your chain is simply as sturdy as its weakest hyperlink: In case your pc solely has USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, for instance, you could possibly nonetheless use a Thunderbolt SSD, however you received’t get past Gen 2 speeds. Ensure you know what you’re working with before you purchase.

As a refresher, storage gadgets are broadly measured when it comes to learn and write speeds. The previous refers to how lengthy it takes to entry one thing from the drive; the latter, how lengthy it takes to save lots of one thing to it. From there, you may break these metrics into sequential and random efficiency. Sequential speeds are likely to matter extra with transportable SSDs, since most individuals use them to save lots of or entry lengthy, fixed streams of information resembling a bunch of high-res images. Random speeds could be vital if you wish to run video video games off the drive, since that’d contain studying and writing smaller, extra scattered recordsdata. Both approach, how nicely an SSD can maintain its efficiency with prolonged use can be crucial.

Different efficiency elements and enclosures

A contemporary transportable SSD’s speeds aren’t nearly its USB interface, although. Its efficiency may also depend upon how superior its controller is, whether or not it has a local USB flash controller or a separate bridge chip to speak with a bunch gadget, the type and high quality of NAND flash reminiscence it makes use of, whether or not it has a DRAM cache or it’s DRAM-less, and extra.

We’re simplifying issues, however listed here are some fast ideas: Drives with triple-level cell (TLC) reminiscence aren’t as low-cost as quad-level cell (QLC) SSDs, however they’re usually extra dependable they usually supply higher write efficiency. Having a devoted DRAM cache helps in the event you plan to hit your drive with extra intense, sustained workloads, however will not be price the additional value for most individuals. Some fashions with native flash controllers could not carry out in addition to these with a bridging chip, relying on the SSD inside, however they sometimes draw much less warmth and are bodily smaller. All of that is to say that an exterior SSD’s speeds aren’t fairly as easy as what the producer chooses to promote on the field.

It’s additionally price remembering you could flip an inside SSD into a conveyable answer with a superb enclosure. In case you have a spare drive and don’t thoughts going the DIY route, this could be a cheaper and extra versatile answer, although we’ve caught to pre-built fashions for this information for the sake of simplicity.

Dimension, sturdiness, endurance and guarantee

Most transportable SSDs are impressively small and lightweight, in order that they received’t be tough to tuck in a bag (or perhaps a pocket) and tackle the go. We word beneath if any drive is bulkier than ordinary.

Nothing we’re speaking about issues in case your drive can’t final in the long run. It’s onerous to definitively say which exterior SSDs are probably the most dependable, however we scoured via consumer opinions and suggestions whereas researching this information to make sure none of our picks present a sample of catastrophic errors. If there was an excessive amount of smoke round a selected mannequin, we steered clear. We dominated out sure drives from SanDisk and Western Digital, as an illustration, after experiences from Ars Technica and The Verge famous a difficulty that led to information loss (and lawsuits) in 2023.

That mentioned, one of many massive causes you’d purchase an SSD generally is its superior sturdiness. As a result of it has no shifting mechanical elements inside, an SSD has far fewer avenues to failure than an exterior onerous drive. You continue to don’t need to be careless with them, however an unintended drop shouldn’t be the tip of the world.

Some transportable SSDs construct on this inherent ruggedness with plastic or rubberized casings and extra strong waterproofing. These aren’t needed for everybody, however in the event you’re a frequent traveler or somebody who typically works open air, there are alternatives for you.

Nonetheless, all drives can fail. In case you have any type of information you’d be distraught to lose, it’s best to again it up frequently, then make a second backup, ideally with a cloud service. Alongside these protecting traces, we additionally took word of the guarantee coverage for every drive we examined. Nearly all of them are backed for both three or 5 years; after all, longer is best.

Encryption and software program

It’s not unusual to retailer delicate information on a conveyable SSD, so some fashions supply further safety features like hardware-based encryption — i.e., direct scrambling of information saved on the drive itself — built-in keypads and fingerprint readers to guard towards unauthorized entry if the drive is misplaced or stolen. Whereas not prime necessities, perks like these are actually good to have. Some SSDs additionally include companion software program to additional handle the drive. One of the best of these might be helpful to have round, however we wouldn’t name them important.

How we take a look at exterior SSDs

Sadly, we didn’t have entry to a tool that may make full use of USB 3.2 Gen 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 and Thunderbolt 4/USB4 speeds interchangeably, so we needed to break up our testing throughout a number of gadgets, together with an M1 Professional MacBook Professional and an Alienware gaming PC working Home windows 11. Due to this, we primarily in contrast the transportable SSDs inside every “class” towards each other. Earlier than switching OSes, we reformatted every drive to every platform’s normal file system format: APFS for macOS and NTFS for Home windows.

After researching which SSDs had sufficient optimistic suggestions to be price testing within the first place, we put 13 drives via a spread of artificial and “real-world” benchmark assessments. On Home windows, these included CrystalDiskMark, PCMark 10’s Information Drive Benchmark and 3DMark’s gaming-focused Storage Benchmark. On macOS, we used AmorphousDiskMark (successfully a Mac model of CrystalDiskMark), BlackMagic Disk Velocity Take a look at and ATTO Disk Benchmark.

We additionally timed how lengthy it took for every drive to learn and write a customized 70GB folder crammed with roughly 11,500 totally different recordsdata, together with images, movies, music recordsdata, PDFs and different giant and small information varieties scattered throughout quite a few subfolders. We carried out a number of passes for every take a look at to keep away from irregularities, and we saved observe of every SSD’s warmth ranges over the course of the entire suite. Our course of wasn’t an ideal science, however it gave us a normal sense of how every drive compares to different fashions in its value and efficiency vary.

Latest updates

October 2024: We’ve taken a sweep via this information to make sure all pricing and availability data continues to be right. Our suggestions are unchanged.