The 12 Best External SSDs Buying Guide in 2020

With the continuous development of the digital era, it has become more critical than ever to conserve knowledge. Including images to photos and other artistic data, our personal archives need to be saved for posterity and subsequent usage. The Best External SSDs selection ensures that your data and documents are kept in safe hands for as long as you need to.

External SSDs appear to be more favored when it comes to computing devices than standard hard disk drives in the software industry as they operate at a far greater pace. Being of higher quality, picking one to purchase is just no question. Here’s a rundown of the better choices available to select.

Samsung (MU-PA1T0B/AM) T5 Portable SSD – 1TB

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When it comes to choosing External SSDS, the Samsung T5 Portable SSD-1 TB is your best bet, without any doubt. Compatible with Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks), Android 4.4 (KitKat), or better, this SSD has rendered data storage simpler than ever. The revolutionary intuitive app allows the system to be compliant with most popular smartphones and notebooks, meaning that data and files are conveniently transferable from your computers. The Samsung T5 Portable SSD has a sturdy shock resistance structure with no rotating parts – which ensures it can withstand drops of up to 2 meters.

In addition, the device comes with optional password protection coupled with AES 256-bit hardware encryption to keep your personal and private data safe. Our guide to the best mini PCs provides more compact choices such as this.

Key Features

  • Read-write speeds of up to 540 MB/S
  • Portable design
  • Optional password
  • AES 256-bit hardware

WD 1TB Black My Passport Portable External Hard Drive

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For a number of purposes, the Western Digital My Passport Portable SSD stands out on the market, one of which is its Auto Backup function that you can plan for whenever you like and as much you like, mitigating the failure of sensitive data or papers. It comes in multiple colors to choose from and often slips into your hand seamlessly, helping you to hold your treasure trove of images, music, and videos wherever you are headed. The Western Digital My Passport Portable SSD is an easy-to-use tool with a huge storage capacity which makes buying worth it. For more storage choices, check out our guide to the best storage tools for your network.

Key Features

  • USB 3.0 port
  • 3-year warranty
  • USB 2.0 compatible
  • Auto backup with included WD Backup software

SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable External SSD

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Due to its ability to transfer large size files in a relatively short time, the SanDisk Extreme Portable External SSD-USB-C has become a favorite on the market. It is the perfect option for you if you are always on the run and you can always have it with you, thanks to its compact design.

Beyond its capacity to easily transfer files, the SanDisk Severe Portable External SSD is renowned for being shock-resistant, vibration-resistant, and water-resistant, rendering the system extremely robust and at the same time securing the data from failure. If you are searching for any upgrades in networking, be sure to check out our guide to the best Thunderbolt 3 Docks.

Key Features

  • Water-resistant
  • High speed transfers up to 550MB/s
  • Shock resistant

WD 1TB My Passport SSD External Portable Drive

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The WD My Passport SSD Portable Storage was lauded for its elegant and stylish lightweight style. It’s often renowned for being powerful and simple to use, outside its size. Moreover, it is compliant with the various current on market smartphones and laptops.

Like other Western Digital Solid State Drives, WD My Passport SSD Portable Storage provides easy file transfers and is superiorly designed. Also, you can download data from the cloud and social networking, an uncommon function of computing tools. Check out our impressions of the best USB hubs for more useful items like this.

Key Features

  • Cloud storage import
  • File transfers with speed up to 540 MB/S
  • 3-year warranty

G-Technology 1TB G-DRIVE mobile SSD Durable Portable External Storage

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One system that should not be ignored, is the G-Technology G-DRIVE Handheld SSD Robust External Disk. First, it comes with an industry-leading 5-year exclusive fabricator guarantee. In addition, the External SSD also has a crush resistance of 1000 lb, meaning that it can withstand even the hardest traumas, protecting your records.

Thanks to its transfer speed, massive media archives can be easily copied, modified, and stored. This system will withstand immersion in water for 30 minutes at 1 meter during internal testing; this serves as confirmation that this SSD is committed to protecting your data at all costs. You may also be interested in some of our list ‘s best microSD cards so take a moment to test them out.

Key Features

  • Durable design with IP67 water/dust resistance
  • 5-year warranty
  • Rates up to 560MB/S

Samsung X5 Portable SSD 2TB

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You’ll be having a superior storage device with the Samsung X5 Compact SSD. To begin with, it comes with a 40Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 networking GUI that provides quick data transmission at virtually unparalleled speed. It is also the perfect option for workers in the tech industry or computer savvy in general.

Also, the Samsung X5 Portable SSD comes with Thermal Management Technology that lets the system sustain optimum temperature for high-quality output. The good news is that this is only the tip of the iceberg on what the Latest Solid State Drive has to bring. For more fantastic storage choices, don’t hesitate to check out our top selections of the best USB flash drives.

Key Features

  • Shock-resistant internal frame
  • First-ever Samsung Nvme-based portable SSD with Thunderbolt 3 technology
  • Non-slip bottom mat

Pioneer 3D NAND External SSD(240 GB)

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Look no further than the Founder 3D NAND External SSD if you are searching for one of the more inexpensive alternatives on this list. While this external SSD is cheaper than most of the other products, it also provides a variety of features that make it worth your time.

The Revolutionary 3D NAND External SSD is not only compliant with any device to be anticipated, but it is also four times faster than the conventional external hard disk. It’s also easy to use, lightweight and efficient without excessive power consumption.

Key Features

  • Durable
  • Light Weight
  • Pocket Size

Seagate Fast SSD 500GB External Solid State Drive Portable

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While the Seagate Fast SSD 500 GB External Solid State Drive has plenty to offer, its most exciting feature is that it comes with a two-month complimentary membership to the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan that provides access to amazing video and photo editing apps. As such any creative thinking person needs to have this one External SSD.

Another factor this is a must-have is the fact that the Seagate Quick SSD 500 GB Solid State Drive comes from a highly trusted brand in the data storage industry. An understated aspect that should be appreciated is that this gadget comes with capabilities to synchronize folders which help to organize files across devices.

Key Features

  • Three years warranty
  • Light Weight
  • 540 MB/S speed

Sabrent Rocket Nano 1TB USB 3.2 10Gb/s External Aluminum SSD

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Sabrent may not be as well established as Seagate, SanDisk, or Samsung, but they’re quickly becoming a big player in the SSD industry. Sabrent ‘s Rocket sequence includes a few specific items, based on what you are searching for from your SSD. The Sabrent Rocket Nano, our pick, soon became a best-seller on Amazon and other online marketplaces.

Why do we want this SSD so much? Well, it combines a lot of disk capacity and decent data transmission rates into a tiny box (hence the name). Measuring about the same as a thumb drive, this SSD contains one terabyte of space (512 GB and 2 TB variants are available) and ultra-fast 10Gbps. It’s also easy to carry around and has a sleek sandblasted alloy shell.

Key Features

  • Ultra-fast 10Gbps
  • 1TB storage

Samsung T7 Touch Portable SSD – 2TB

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The Samsung T7 Touch Portable SSD is one of the most technologically advanced consumer SSDs on the market. This model has a storage capacity of 2 TB, can read up to 1050MB / s, and writes up to 1000MB / s per second. So, it is quick but it is not the market’s highest producing SSD. Although, while it’s not the quickest or even the highest business value SSD, it has some unique features that users enjoy.

The most obvious feature is the built-in fingerprint scanner, which lets you remain physically safe on your details. Besides this, it also has hardware encryption that provides another degree of security. Plus, it’s one of the most difficult SSDs there. Generally speaking, SSDs are much more durable than HDDs but this one brings things a step further with a shock-resistant case that can survive drops up to 6 feet.

Key Features

  • 2TB storage
  • Reads up to 1050 MB/s
  • Hardware encryption

WD 1TB My Passport Wireless SSD External Portable Drive

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The WD My Passport Wireless SSD External Portable Drive is just another Western Optical Electronic Solid State drive to join the chart. This special built SSD comes with an integrated sd card reader and can import data easily. You can display and upload RAW files on Android and iOS with this SSD, too. It comes with a long-lasting battery that helps you to stream videos and display your images with the My Cloud software that supports them.

Unlike all of his Western Digital colleagues, this isn’t the typical SSD, it’s far ahead of their peers. It comes with a one-touch copy button which makes content simple and fast to back up.

Key Features

  • Unique design
  • 4k video wireless stream
  • 1TB Storage

Seagate Game Drive for Xbox 500GB SSD External Solid State Drive

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The Xbox External Solid State Drive Seagate Game Drive was developed specifically with gamers in mind. Although this SSD provides several awesome features, here are several that will cater to its target audience. This computer comes with more than ample room to boot games more easily and even store up to 15 + players. What’s more, it comes with subscriptions to 100 + titles for a limited time subscription and subscriptions to the Xbox Sports Key.

It also comes with a multi-year warranty and a fast step-by-step setup. It’s simple, quick to use, and adaptable to your gaming life, but it also allows a perfect gift in your life for gamers.

Key Features

  • Xbox Exclusively
  • USB 3.0 Connectivity
  • Cost-effective

Buying Guide of External SSD

How to Choose an External SSD?

Reviews – It was essential for us to recognize the available feedback when choosing our collection of External SSDs. We have selected our collection from the highest-rated and most highly received products on the market. We have picked products with comprehensive feedback that offer an overview of how the item functions, and what to expect while making a purchase.

Price – The ‘Size’ was one of the most significant factors considered when putting together our list of External SSDs. We selected options that offered a range of services and features without a lot of cost demands. Although External SSDs are much more costly than conventional hard drives, there is a clear difference in the facilities they offer, rendering SSDs worth the cost. The above-mentioned choices are the most wallet-friendly solutions that provide a wide range of apps.

Features to look for External SSDs

Transfer Speed – When buying an SSD, first you should consider how often you plan to use it. If you really regularly move data from and into your SSD, you will choose one with an excellent transfer speed so that you don’t have to waste an excessive amount of time transferring your files back and forth. You will need to take a closer look at the storage technology and the connector it uses to influence your choice when checking for transfer speed.

Connectivity – Connectivity is an important aspect to remember when selecting a Solid State Drive external to it. The compatibility can be verified by the form of device the SSD provides, which is influential in how quickly the drive operates. Most solid-state drives have a USB interface, the most common of which is the USB 3.1 Gen 2 which provides up to 10Gbps transfer speed.

Durability – It goes without saying that when purchasing an external Solid State Drive, attention should be given to a long-lasting unit. Recent versions of SSDs come with a durable packaging to shield them when dropping from sustaining any injury. When making your order, consider external SSDs with durable casings. Since an SSD has no moving pieces, compared to a standard hard drive, this is a more robust choice.

Storage Size – Unquestionably, the capacity space of an External Solid State Drive is the most significant aspect to remember when making a purchase. The size that you require depends on what you plan to use the Solid State Drive for.

Final Thoughts

If you are going to use the External SSD as a tool to store memories such as images and videos in the coming years, it is advised that you get one with significant capacity (e.g. – 5 TB) because it can be used for many years. However, if you’re looking to get one to easily and efficiently transfer relatively bulky files from one system to another, then you don’t need a huge space SSD, but a less voluminous one (e.g. – 500 GB) because you’re carrying items and not storing them on the device.

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