If you wish to again up precious information out of your PC, switch movies to a Mac or offload just a few video games out of your sport console, an excellent exterior SSD may also help. These tiny bricks could price greater than a standard moveable arduous drive, however they’re noticeably quicker, smaller and way more dependable in the long run. That mentioned, figuring out the most effective 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 trying so as to add some moveable 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 checking out which of them ship probably the most worth. You will discover our favorites, plus a fast rundown of what to know earlier than shopping for one in all this stuff, under.
Desk of contents
Finest exterior SSDs for 2024
Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Capacities: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Measurement: 2.56 x 1.97 x 0.39 inches | Weight: 1.34 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, 1,050 MB/s write | Guarantee: 5 years
The Essential X9 Professional completed at or simply beneath the highest in every of our benchmarks relative to its pace class, and it stayed noticeably cooler than a lot of the different drives we examined after prolonged use. It’s a USB 3.2 Gen 2 mannequin, so it’s slower than alternate options based mostly on Thunderbolt, USB4 or USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, but it surely prices much less, and it’s nonetheless fast sufficient for the non-professional duties most individuals do with a transportable SSD. Ports that may really make the most of USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds are typically extra ubiquitous on mainstream computer systems, too. This isn’t the most cost effective 10 Gbps drive round, but it surely’s in the identical ballpark as its friends and isn’t too costly. As of this writing, a 1TB mannequin is on the market for $105, although it typically goes for much less. (We’ve seen it fall as little as $60 up to now.) 2TB and 4TB variations are additionally obtainable.
In addition to its comparatively speedy efficiency, the X9 Professional stands out for being so tiny. Its aluminum case is shorter than a bank card and simple to slot in a pocket, weighing in at simply 1.34 ounces. The entire thing is IP55-rated, so it’ll survive mud and water splashes, and it’s backed with a five-year guarantee, which is a pair years longer than some alternate options.
Our solely actual complaints are that the included USB-C cable is small and there’s no adapter for USB-A ports within the field. And although the X9 Professional can make the most of 256-bit hardware-based encryption, Micron (Essential’s dad or mum firm) has been late to launch its personal password safety instrument to take full benefit of it. We’ll additionally be aware that there’s a less expensive non-”Professional” X9, however that one makes use of QLC flash, so it’s not as sturdy or quick (particularly with sustained writes). The X9 Professional is the higher purchase.
- Nice efficiency for its pace class
- Rugged and tremendous compact type issue
- Stays comparatively cool with prolonged use
- 5-year guarantee
- There are cheaper 10 Gbps drives
- Included USB-C cable is brief, and there isn’t any USB-A cable within the field
Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Capacities: 1TB, 2TB | Measurement: 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 over the past a number of months, so it’s an excellent different if you wish to avoid wasting money. A 1TB mannequin is on the market for $75 as of this writing, which is $30 lower than the X9 Professional, whereas the 2TB model is right 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 stored up with or barely edged the X9 Professional throughout our benchmarks: In our customized file switch check, 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 based mostly on an identical controller — the Silicon Energy SM2320G — so this might 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 moveable, 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 comfy 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 personal 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 value paying up should you plan to repeatedly copy lots 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.
- Quicker than most 10 Gbps drives we examined
- Aggressively priced
- Extremely moveable
- 5-year guarantee
- No formal water-resistance or drop safety
- No USB-C to C cable within the field
- Solely obtainable in 1TB or 2TB
- Slower sustained write efficiency than X9 Professional with very giant recordsdata
Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Capacities: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Measurement: 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 moveable SSD attainable, 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 exams. 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 blended file switch check, 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 sort of leap provides up.
The drive itself is considerably larger and thicker than both of our picks above, but it surely’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 steel exterior feels crisp to the contact, and ADATA helps the machine with a five-year guarantee.
That mentioned, this factor can get significantly sizzling. The design features a built-in micro fan to assist dissipate warmth, which you activate simply by clicking the case down; that’s intelligent, but it surely’s not sufficient to maintain the drive cool by itself. All of this comes at a worth premium, too, with a 1TB mannequin at present obtainable for $180. But when efficiency is the one factor that issues to you, it’s arduous to do higher.
- Blazingly quick 40 Gbps efficiency
- Slick steel enclosure
- Smaller than different Thunderbolt SSDs we examined
- Intelligent built-in fan
- 5-year guarantee
- Will get sizzling even with fan activated
- Pricier and nonetheless bigger than different picks
- Requires USB4 port to achieve most speeds
Different exterior SSDs we examined
The pre-built OWC Specific 1M2 is a premium-feeling USB4 SSD that’s roughly as quick because the ADATA SE920, but it surely’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 actually a quicker model of our prime choose. The Lexar SL600 is a bigger however barely faster choice, whereas the Lexar SL500, Kingston XS2000 or Samsung T9 may additionally work should 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 a must to be sure you gained’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. However it was persistently slower than the X9 Professional and XS1000 in our benchmark exams, plus it has a shorter three-year guarantee.
The Silicon Energy PX10 is an particularly inexpensive USB 3.2 Gen 2 mannequin. Its peak speeds weren’t too far off the X9 Professional or XS1000 in artificial benchmarks, however it may possibly get distractingly sizzling and its sustained writes are markedly worse. It took 50 seconds longer to maneuver our 70GB customized check folder to this drive in comparison with the X9 Professional, for instance.
The Essential X6 is one other low-cost choice that’s an excellent 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 purpose 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, but it surely’s a smidge slower than the SE920 and Specific 1M2, and it’s a lot pricier than the previous.
What to think about earlier than shopping for an exterior SSD
Capability
The very first thing to determine earlier than shopping for a transportable SSD is simply how a lot space for storing you want. Many of the drives we thought-about 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 funds and what precisely you’re seeking to stash. However on the whole, it’s higher to overcompensate than underdo it. No one desires to be compelled into shopping for a second drive as a result of they stuffed the primary one up too shortly. If you happen to’re backing up a PC, an excellent rule of thumb is to purchase an exterior SSD with twice as a lot area as your laptop’s inside storage. This fashion, 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, chances are you’ll want extra space. If you happen to simply need to again up a small assortment of recordsdata, chances are you’ll be higher off saving your money and simply getting a smaller USB flash drive as a substitute, which aren’t fairly the identical because the exterior SSDs we examined for this information.
Worth
Basically, 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 on the market 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 pace class are likely to not differ too wildly when it comes to efficiency, so a part of our decision-making for this information got here right down to which of them are sometimes the most cost effective. However costs can fluctuate over time; should you see that one in all our prime picks is priced means increased 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 arduous disk drives (HDDs), so that you’ll save time ready for recordsdata to switch and video games to load it doesn’t matter what. Throughout the market, nevertheless, there are distinct efficiency tiers. These are outlined largely by the USB interface a drive helps. Whereas the entire SSDs we thought-about for this information can join over USB-C, some USB-C connections can provide quicker switch speeds than others. Sorting via this may get actual complicated actual quick, so we’ll attempt to put it in easy phrases.
Primarily, you may divide in the present day’s crop of moveable 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). Notice that USB4 is available in two totally different variants, although, one in all which is restricted to twenty Gbps. Beneath that’s USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, which additionally tops out at 20 Gbps. (Getting confused but?) Then you have got 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 value contemplating right here.
For on a regular basis people, an excellent USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive is the candy spot between quick sufficient efficiency and an inexpensive sufficient worth, so these make up our chief suggestions under. If you happen to work in a inventive discipline or don’t thoughts paying further to shave seconds off your giant file transfers, although, a “higher-tier” mannequin would make sense. Nevertheless, be aware that techniques 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.
Basically, your chain is simply as robust as its weakest hyperlink: In case your laptop solely has USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, for instance, you can nonetheless use a Thunderbolt SSD, however you gained’t get past Gen 2 speeds. Ensure you know what you’re working with before you purchase.
As a refresher, storage units 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 avoid wasting one thing to it. From there, you may break these metrics into sequential and random efficiency. Sequential speeds are likely to matter extra with moveable SSDs, since most individuals use them to avoid wasting or entry lengthy, fixed streams of information reminiscent of a bunch of high-res images. Random speeds can be necessary if you wish to run video video games off the drive, since that’d contain studying and writing smaller, extra scattered recordsdata. Both means, how nicely an SSD can maintain its efficiency with prolonged use can also be essential.
Different efficiency components and enclosures
A contemporary moveable SSD’s speeds aren’t nearly its USB interface, although. Its efficiency may also rely on how superior its controller is, whether or not it has a local USB flash controller or a separate bridge chip to speak with a number machine, 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 below 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 should you plan to hit your drive with extra intense, sustained workloads, however might not be value the additional price 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 usually draw much less warmth and are bodily smaller. All of that is to say that an exterior SSD’s speeds aren’t fairly as simple as what the producer chooses to promote on the field.
It’s additionally value remembering that you may flip an inside SSD into a transportable answer with an excellent enclosure. When you’ve got 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.
Measurement, sturdiness, endurance and guarantee
Most moveable SSDs are impressively small and light-weight, in order that they gained’t be troublesome to tuck in a bag (or perhaps a pocket) and tackle the go. We be aware under if any drive is bulkier than regular.
Nothing we’re speaking about issues in case your drive can’t final in the long run. It’s arduous to definitively say which exterior SSDs are probably the most dependable, however we scoured via consumer evaluations 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, for example, 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 large causes you’d purchase an SSD on the whole is its superior sturdiness. As a result of it has no transferring mechanical elements inside, an SSD has far fewer avenues to failure than an exterior arduous drive. You continue to don’t need to be careless with them, however an unintentional drop shouldn’t be the tip of the world.
Some moveable SSDs construct on this inherent ruggedness with plastic or rubberized casings and extra strong waterproofing. These aren’t crucial for everybody, however should you’re a frequent traveler or somebody who typically works outdoor, there are alternatives for you.
Nonetheless, all drives can fail. When you’ve got any kind of information you’d be distraught to lose, you need to again it up repeatedly, then make a second backup, ideally with a cloud service. Alongside these protecting strains, we additionally took be aware 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 healthier.
Encryption and software program
It’s not unusual to retailer delicate information on a transportable 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 in opposition to unauthorized entry if the drive is misplaced or stolen. Whereas not prime necessities, perks like these are definitely good to have. Some SSDs additionally include companion software program to additional handle the drive. One of the best of these may be useful to have round, however we wouldn’t name them important.
How we check 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 cut up our testing throughout a number of units, together with an M1 Professional MacBook Professional and an Alienware gaming PC working Home windows 11. Due to this, we primarily in contrast the moveable SSDs inside every “class” in opposition to 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 constructive suggestions to be value testing within the first place, we put 13 drives via a spread of artificial and “real-world” benchmark exams. On Home windows, these included CrystalDiskMark, PCMark 10’s Knowledge 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 stuffed 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 check to keep away from irregularities, and we stored observe of every SSD’s warmth ranges over the course of the entire suite. Our course of wasn’t an ideal science, but it surely gave us a common sense of how every drive compares to different fashions in its worth 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.