The Best External SSDs

Since the invention of computers, storage devices have become an integral part of the machine. For a computer to perform its function, it requires permanent storage like a (Hard Disk Drive) HDD or SSD (Solid State Drive), volatile storage like RAM (Random Access Memory), and a basic input/output program storage like BIOS. However, the storage that can drastically affect your computer performance is the SSD. The difference between using an HDD or the best external SSD can be seen through benchmarks. Gamers usually go with SSD; they prefer drives with a lower bottleneck, which is ensured by using the best cheap SSD faster communication protocol. The maximum read/write speed of an HDD reaches around 160MB/s, and an SSD can reach up to 500MB/s, which is approximately 3x faster than an HDD. The faster speeds decrease the Windows boot-up time and drastically improve the program boot-up time.

Samsung companies released their first commercial SSDs, and they took the market by storm. The speed difference was drastic. Now SSD technology has matured, and interfaces have been improved. Initially, it was mostly a SATA interface-based storage device, and now the best internal SSD is designed with a PCIe NVMe-based interface. We mentioned that gamers use drives with lower bottlenecks ensured via faster communication protocol, and NVMe is the fastest available market. A typical NVMe provides a sustained 3.5 GB/s read/write speed which means the best M.2 SSD can load a complete game into the RAM in a second. If you are looking for portability, there are options for using the best portable SSD with a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 protocol. We aim to provide you with the option of top SSDs that can outperform their competition while providing the handy portability option.

Our top picks

Quick Shopping Tips:

Before you move on to the list, look at the following tips.

Communication Protocol: There are typically three readily available interfaces: USB, SATA, and NVMe. The fastest is NVMe, but it doesn’t provide portability. USB is the easiest way to plug an external SSD into the computer. There are different generations of USB interfaces available in the market, but typically the fastest is the thunderbolt connection, and then comes the Type-C (USB-C).

IP Rating: Ingress Protection is essential when it comes to external hardware. The numbers in an IP rating each represent different parameters. E.g., the first number in IP65 is the “6”. It is dust-tight; there will be no dust ingress into the device despite being exposed for 2-8hrs. The second number is “5,” which means that the device is protected against a water jet and permitted limited ingress. We will mention IP rating if there is any for all devices.

Capacities: The amount of data you can store in a drive is represented by capacity. If you have a big budget, go for a higher capacity SSD, typically around 1TB or higher. As a student, you would want to find an economical solution like using a combination of both HDD or SSD. Buy a smaller SSD for storing frequently accessed data and an HDD for rarely accessed data to have a fast interface and storage capacity.

Built Quality: SSDs inherently do not have similar problems to HDDs. The moving plates in HDD easily get damaged from shock or fall. SSDs are built solid, and there are no moving parts; thus, it performs better under vibration or movement. However, the low build quality of SSD might cause the casing to break or the circuit to be damaged due to bending. A solid chassis will always be a great choice, whether it’s an HDD or SSD.

The Best External SSDs: First look

The Best External SSDs: In-depth Review

ADATA has a brilliant reputation when it comes to manufacturing RAMs. SSD is similar to RAM due to its solid-state mechanism, and ADATA SE800 is the best external SSD with a Type-C interface. The highlight of the SSD is its small compact size that easily fits into any pocket. Its brushed metal surface comes in two colors, blue and black, which complements the hairline-brushed surface finish. ADATA has enabled UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol), allowing 70% faster-reading speeds than the traditional BOT protocol. Users can transfer 100GB of data within 100 seconds, which is exceptional compared to an external HDD.

To utilize its high-speed data transfer, you must ensure that your PC has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port. Otherwise, using converters would reduce its speed. While the SSD is not in use, a cover protects the port from any ingress of water or solid particles that may damage the SSD. Its ability to connect with an Xbox or PS5 makes it the best external hard drive. The reversible USB-C connector has removed the hectic process of inserting the cable unidirectionally. All you need to do is just plug and start using the drive without any driver installation.

Everybody requires their precious data to be protected, but data protection becomes essential for wedding shoots or capturing your favorite moments on a favorite trip. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro, as the name suggests, is designed to be rugged and handle the most challenging conditions. With incredible data transfer speeds of 2800Mbps, it is the best external SSD for MAC. Apple products are trendy among video editors and photographers. There have been many complaints about data loss when USB pen drives were the only way of storing data with portability.

SSDs have greatly improved data storage reliability, but only physical damage has remained. LaCie provides an IP67 rating which protects it entirely from dust irrespective of the conditions. You can carry it in the desert, and still, no dust would enter the drive. There are rarely any cases where the manufacturer protects water immersion. LaCie provides water submersion of up to 1m which is incredible for an electronic product and makes this the best SSD external hard drive. The 5-year warranty is a clear indicator of the manufacturer’s confidence in their device since it is very well manufactured for its small and lightweight characteristics.

Data can be precious, like your favorite trip, wedding shoot, or family pictures. Still, for professionals, data can be their whole life savings or a secret contract that needs to be protected from hackers and rivals. iStorage DiskAshur M2 is an innovative SSD that is PIN-authenticated. It has hardware encryption to provide you with the highest level of security achievable making it the best external SSD for security. It utilizes the FIPS PUB 197, encryption that converts data to an unintelligible ciphertext. AES-XTS 256-bit cryptographic keys are used to encrypt and decrypt data in blocks of 128-bit.

The device has a Criteria EAL 5+ (Hardware Certified) secure microprocessor which protects the device from hardware tempering or bypassing encryption. The device can endure massive physical damages, making it the best external SSD for encryption. Its capability doesn’t stop there, and it is IP68 certified, making it resistant to dust and water immersion. It can withstand a drop of 4m directly onto solid concrete and remain uncrushed under a 2.7ton vehicle. All of this is provided in a small 12mm thick ultra-portable design. It has a self-destruct PIN, which will cause all the data to be deleted from the drive instantly.

If you are looking for a portable SSD comparable to the USB flash drives, then Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD should be your go-to option. This option stands tall as the best small external SSD. It uses the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type C two-lane data transfer capable protocol with theoretical speeds up to 20Gbps. There is no possibility of any bottleneck in the process due to the protocol alone. However, it is tested read and write speed is around 2000MB/s, which is incredibly fast. It uses the NAND technology to store data without needing a power source and its non-volatile storage drive.

It is a basic SSD and does not feature physical or hardware protection certification. However, it does offer ingress protection of IP55. Kingston includes a rubber sleeve for added protection against any physical damage due to falling. The 5-year warranty shows that Kingston is willing to bet money on their best external hard drive performance. It comes in a single silver color enclosure with a black rubber sleeve when it comes to aesthetics. The minimalist look is ideal for a professional environment where presentations and supporting documents are stored in a drive. The main attraction is its ability to connect with all OS.

Samsung has been the pioneer in providing innovative semiconductor solutions to the world. Most brands use Samsung semiconductor products to enhance their performance. The Samsung Portable SSD T7 Touch is a premium SSD that comes in a standard Samsung look. The T7 Touch comes explicitly with an AES 256-bit encryption, making it the best biometric external SSD. The excellent read and write speed of 1050MBps is sufficient to run an 8k video from the drive and perform other storage-intensive activities like loading a game. It uses the USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C interface that theoretically allows speeds of 10Gbps.

It supports UASP mode, which allows faster transfer speeds. To fully utilize the speed, you require a USB 3.2 Gen2 port. You can protect your data with fingerprint security, and the light around the sensor indicates the power status of the drive. The built quality of the SSD is backed by three years of warranty. Its aluminum chassis protects it from up to 6ft of falls onto a solid surface, making it the best SSD external hard drive. The complete product weighs around 2 ounces, and the maximum dimension extends to 3.4inches which is miniature compared to HDDs.

If you are willing to pay extra for the extreme portability backed by ingress protection, there is no better choice than SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2. It comes in a tiny package that fits into any pocket with ease. The IP55 rating provides the comfort of mind for rugged conditions making it the best rugged external SSD. SanDisk offers a pass-through hole for a handy carabiner loop or a raumer. You can take this drive on a hiking trip where it may face harsh conditions of sun, dust, and water. The drive will remain intact and plug-n-play for an average user.

Our featured product has a capacity of 2TB since it’s the ideal storage space for any small SSD. The 5-year warranty is an indicator of the item’s consistent performance. SanDisk claims to have created the best external SSD with ingress protection from dust and water without any port cover. It can read and write at the speed of 2000MB/s which makes it ideal for loading footage from drones where extensive size footage needs to be copied immediately to an external drive to make room for more. You can even directly record clips from a drone into the product from a smartphone.

We thought about including another product from SanDisk as they have a wide variety of robust and durable products. The SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD provides a SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2) interface for rapid read/write speeds of 1050MBps, but that is not the highlight of this SSD. Its password-based 256-bit AES-XTS hardware encryption with downloadable software is the best external SSD for PROs. For a business or professional environment, you need to have a reliable product for storage. This drive is designed to withstand water submersion of approximately 10 minutes and provides complete protection against any dust entering its system.

IP67 rating with up to 3-meter drop protection topped with the ability to withstand a crushing load of 2000lb, making it ideal for professional data. There is an NVMe solid-state drive inside the rubber-based exterior, and as the best external hard drive, it comes with metal top and bottom plates that seal the inside electronics. The drive remains cool to touch, thanks to the cooling aluminum core. It is compatible across all platforms, mainly Macintosh (MAC) operating system, which users have reported to work across all versions. For Windows, you will have to reformat the drive into a compatible format.

Manufacturers that produce the world’s best RAMs tend to have the capability of producing high-end SSDs. Crucial X8 is a 1TB SSD manufactured by Micron. They are known to provide storage solutions that are fast and reliable for gaming and professional applications. The X8 model utilizes the USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C interface for providing 1050MBps speed as the best budget external SSD. Older generation protocol gives it the edge of having a stable rate across new or older generation ports. Its compact size that stretches to a maximum dimension of 4.3" makes it ideal for portability.

It runs at 7.5 times the speed of any portable hard disk drive. The solid-state design gives it the rugged dominance over traditional options. It’s ideal for students who tend to be rough on their hardware and provides long-lasting performance making it the best SSD external hard drive. It is compatible with gaming consoles like Xbox and Playstation. The plug-and-play configuration allows it to work with Android or iPad Pro device. Its body is made of plastic, so it is prone to catching some scratches when placed with keys or sharp-edged objects. The three-year warranty represents the quality of the product by Crucial.

Final Words

Having the capability of buying the top-shelf product with no cost-related second thoughts is not everybody’s trait. Most of us like to invest in products that give the best value for money. Usually, the top product in the market does not have a decent price/performance ratio. To find the right balance, you need to do a lot of research. Our purpose was to provide you with a list of the best external SSD available. We deliberately included products priced higher with features meant for professional users who would protect their precious data with their lives. Since there are many ways to bypass encryption, manufacturers are now providing hardware-based encryption that hackers cannot bypass through physical intervention. We included options that came with a self-destruction PIN, which will wipe off all the data and make it irrecoverable.

We understand that students also require an external drive that can be extremely handy for storing presentations, documents, and project data that a student must constantly share around PCs at the college. So we included some cost-effective solutions that perform moderately but are priced humbly for everyone. Storage devices have a massive application in photography, videography, and Vlogging. Data transfer speeds become critical when shooting from a drone in 4K and recording it directly to the storage device. The SSDs on our list can reach up to 2800MBps which is fast enough to store 8K resolution videos on the go. When it comes to capturing lifelong moments, the reliability of the storage device and its ability to withstand rugged conditions becomes crucial that we include some of the best drives capable of handling huge drops, significant vibrations, and crushing loads in tons. We hope you find our helpful review guidance to be a suitable device for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions