5 Best External SSDs You Can Buy
Jan. 9, 2020SSDs vs HDDs: Why is an SSD Better?
There are also two different types of SSDs you will find: NVMe SSDs and SATA SSDs. While NVMe SSDs offer considerably higher speeds than solid state drives using SATA interfaces, they are also usually priced higher than SATA SSDs. At the end of the day, it’s all about the price-performance trade-off you’re willing to make in your purchase.
The first SSD I’m putting on this list is the Samsung X5 SSD that comes with Thunderbolt 3 for speeds you’d normally expect to see on internal SSDs. The X5 is also an NVMe SSD at its core, but the reason it’s almost twice as fast as the other NVMe SSDs you’ll find on this list is because it’s usingThunderbolt 3 instead of USB 3.2 Gen1 or USB 3.2 Gen2 interfaces.
With Thunderbolt 3, the SSD gets a bandwidth of 40Gbps, and can transfer data at lightning fast speeds. Samsung claimsread speeds of up to 2,800MB/s and write speeds of up to 2,300MB/son the X5.
Bear in mind that theSSD will only work if your laptop has a Thunderbolt 3 port, like the new MacBook Pros, and someWindows laptops. Having a USB Type-C port will not give you the promised speeds here because even if your system has a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C port, it still only has a bandwidth of 20Gbps, which is half that of what Thunderbolt 3 offers.
The Samsung X5 SSD is a lot more expensive than most other options you’ll find on this list, but if you’re looking for speeds well over the 2,000MB/s mark, the Samsung X5 is definitely one of the best portable SSDs you can buy right now.
Buy the 500GB Samsung X5 SSD from Amazon ($199.99;₹19,999)
The SL100 Pro from Lexar is an NVMe SSD that bringsread speeds up to 950MB/s and write speeds up to 900MB/swhich is almost twice the speeds offered by SATA SSDs like the Samsung T5.
The Lexar SL100 Pro comes in a small, portable package that should be easy to carry around, weighing in at just around 69g. The SSD has aUSB Type-C port for connectivity, but Lexar ships both USB Type-C to Type-C and USB Type-C to Type-Acables with the SSD so even if your laptop doesn’t have a USB-C (or Thunderbolt 3) port you will be able to use the SSD without needing any adapters.
However, bear in mind that you’ll only get these high read/write speeds if your laptop supports USB 3.1 Gen 2. With a regular USB 3.0 port, you’ll be limited to speeds somewhere in the ballpark of around 400MB/s to 500MB/s because of bandwidth limitations.
You can get the Lexar SL100 Pro in both 512GB and 1TB variants, and the company also offers a limited3 year warrantyon the SL100 Pro external SSD.
Buy the 1TB Lexar Professional SL100 Pro from Amazon ($182.49; ₹9,999)
The Crucial X8 also comes in a small, portable design that’s almost the same size as the Apple Magic Mouse. Plus, it has a durable build with an aluminium core, it can tolerate extreme temperatures, it’sshock and vibration proof,and it’s also supposed to bedrop-proof from up to 7.5 feet.
Similar to the Lexar SSD I mentioned above, this one also comes with aUSB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C to Type-C cable, along with a USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C to Type-A cable in the box. However, you’ll get the fastest speeds when using the USB 3.2 Gen2 cable with a laptop that also supports that same USB standard.
The Crucial X8 is available in 500GB and 1TB variants, and the company offers a 3 year limited warranty on the SSD.
Buy the 1TB Crucial X8 from Amazon.com ($164.95)
For people who need a more rugged storage solution for their data, one that’s protected against accidental drops and possible exposure to water and dust, the SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD is definitely the one to go with.
The SanDisk Extremeuses USB 3.2 Gen 2to support these speeds which means your system needs to have support for this standard as well if you want the maximum speed available. The SSD does ship with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C to Type-C cable along with a Type-C to Type-A cable as well, so you can connect it to USB-A ports if needed.
The SSD is available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB variants for a starting price of $119.99.
Buy the 1TB SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD from Amazon ($229.99;₹21,268)
If you’re looking for a rugged SSD, but you don’t really need the faster speeds offered by NVMe options in the market,SanDisk also has a SATA based variant of the SanDisk Extreme that offers speeds up to 540MB/s.
Buy the 1TB SanDisk Extreme SSD from Amazon ($166.96; ₹12,999)
Another SSD you can consider buying for your storage needs is the Samsung T5 Portable SSD. This is one we use at the Beebom office a lot for our video team’s storage requirements, and it’s battle tested for sure.
The T5 from Samsung is a SATA SSD, though, so you’ll getread/write speeds of up to 540MB/swith this SSD using the USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C to Type-C cable that’s included in the box. There’s also a Type-C to Type-A cable here for connecting the SSD with devices that don’t have a Type-C port.
Samsung’s T5 SSD is comes inside a metal casing and it’s fairly durable, plus its small size is definitely a positive when it comes to portability and easy of carrying it around.
Buy the 1TB Samsung T5 Portable SSD from Amazon ($169.99; ₹14,999)
Those were the best external SSDs you can buy right now. There are some others you can check out as well, including the Seagate Fast SSD ($169), and the WD MyPassport ($149.99) both of which are SATA based SSDs that offer speeds up to 540MB/s. While you can choose to go with either NVMe or SATA based SSDs for your storage needs, you should know that while SATA based SSDs are relatively more affordable, NVMe drives will offer much faster transfer speeds. Moreover, if you get an SSD that uses Thunderbolt 3, you’ll get the fastest speeds while transferring data.
So, which external SSD are you planning on buying and what’s your use case for it? Also, if you think I missed out on mentioning a great external SSD that should’ve been on this list, let me know in the comments down below.
