What is the best ssd external hard drive? Comparison and opinion

Most

• Excellent read and write throughput
• Successful finishes
• Small and practical
• USB-C and USB-A cables included
• Heats up quickly

The lessers

• No storage system for USB cable

• 2. Samsung T7

  
• Available in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB, the Samsung T7 portable SSD has become one of the benchmarks in the field . Little brother of the grandiose T5, it can boast of offering faster speeds (1050MB / s write and 1000MB / s read), thanks in particular to its type of NVMe memory , all in a very light and compact pocket size (58g for dimensions of 87x57x8mm). Ultimately, its only flaw is that it is more expensive than its predecessor , but it will delight those who need such speeds and who prefer to bet on an SSD a little more up to date.

  It is interesting to note that a Touch version , secured by fingerprint, exists on the market at higher prices.

  Most

  • High flow rates
  • Pocket size
  • Samsung’s SSD know-how

  The lessers

  • More expensive than the T5, which is therefore still a benchmark

  3. SanDisk Extreme Portable (250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB): ultra-compact and powerful

  
• One of the specificities of this disk is that it can be SATA or NVMe. With its particular look, it immediately catches the eye. Light and small , this SSD can easily be held in one hand since it offers a minimum footprint. If you don’t want to spend too much and quality is your first purchase criterion, this hard drive is the one for you. Even if it is robust, we advise you to pay attention to the USB port, which is quite fragile.

  The transfers offered can go up to 550 MB / s . This allows high resolution multimedia content to be transferred quickly. This SSD also has an IP55 certification. This means that it is protected against dust and water jets. On the other hand, it is regrettable that there is no fixing for the cable.

  Most

  • Excellent read and write speed
  • Compact size
  • Quality finishes
  • IP55 certification
  • Very good heat dissipation

  The lessers

  • No case and cable grip on the box
  • USB port not very solid and can degrade only after a few weeks of use

  4.WD Black P50 Game Drive

  
• Need a fast SSD? Thought to be used on a PC or console for gaming ? Western Digital has got you covered with its Black P50 Game Drive. WD is announcing great things: an NVME SSD built into a case for Type-C use on a computer or console, with read and write speeds of up to 2000MB / s . The WD Black P50 Game Drive leaves you dreaming. Truth be told, this is a great portable SSD with high bit rates and very good temperature handling.

  Nevertheless, it was quite logical that the 2000 MB / s were not reached: these are the figures of the SSD plugged into the motherboard (internally as they call it), and it is currently difficult to determine. ‘get the same in USB, same Type-C. Instead, count on around 1000 to 1500 MB / s read and write, which is still excellent.

  Most : 

  • Very high speeds (1000 to 1500 MB / s in writing and reading)
  • The very pretty design

  The lessers : 

  • The promise of 2000 MB / s broken
  • Still quite expensive

  5. Seagate Expansion SSD

  
• Small, light and affordable , here comes the STJD500400 SSD from Seagate . We are dealing here with a very classic external SSD: micro USB to USB A cable, USB 3.0 connection, write and read speeds up to 400 MB / s, sober design and compact format, availability in 500 GB and 1 TB … you will have understood, there is no great advance here. But this is precisely the strong point of the STJD500400: by avoiding unnecessary risk-taking, Seagate is very fair and offers a very balanced SSD that will do what is asked of it, for an affordable price. The little extra is the 4-month Adobe Creative Cloud subscription offered for the purchase of the disc, perfect for photo or video professionals, for example.
  Most : 

  • Classic but effective
  • Consistent read and write speeds with the micro USB connection
  • Lightweight, compact
  • Free 4-month Adobe Creative Cloud membership

  The lessers : 

  • Undoubtedly a little too classic despite everything

  6. PNY CS1050 Elite (240 GB, 480 GB, 960 GB): ideal size and robustness

  
• This PNY SSD incorporates a durable and ultra-compact aluminum case . This shock-resistant hard drive offers comfortable speeds. This SSD offers transfer speeds of up to 430 MB / s read and 400 MB / s write. These are excellent numbers for a device of this type. The transfer speed is faster than USB 3.0. This model offers 240 to 960 GB of free space in a small form factor with a MicroUSB 3.0 cable.

  Thus, given the speed offered, you can use this equipment to put large files such as movies and series. If you are looking for an external storage medium that is small and can be taken anywhere, this model is a perfect option.

  Most

  • Speed ​​of access
  • Do not encumber
  • Affordable price
  • Long-term reliability
  • Solidity

  The lessers

  • If you are chaining large files, the transfer rate may drop
  • Connection cable included too short

  7. WD My Passport Go (500 GB, 1 TB): easy to carry and sturdy

  
• This model is a solid hard drive, ideal for travel. In particular, it is protected with a shock absorber made of rubber and it is provided with an integrated cable. Thus, thanks to its format and excellent ergonomics, you can take it everywhere, without any danger. Its look is successful with flashy colors and two two- tone versions available (one with yellow and the other with blue). This SSD is 2.5 faster than many portable hard drives on the market, with performance up to 400MB / s .

  The WD My Passport Go 500GB is a solid, compact and easy to transport external SSD. It can withstand drops of more than two meters. On the other hand, it unfortunately has several weak points such as limited capacity, average performance compared to the competition and a rather disappointing price / capacity ratio.

  Most

  • Solidity
  • Thin and light SSD
  • USB cable directly integrated into the housing
  • Three-year warranty
  • Compatibility with PC and Mac

  The lessers

  • Average performance for an SSD
  • Limited storage space

  8. Samsung T7 Touch 1TB

  
• Is it still really useful to present Samsung portable SSDs ? After the excellent T5s, the Korean brand launched the T7s, the logical evolution of their range of external SSDs. The Touch 1TB version of the T7 brings with it an interesting and practical feature: securing your data . Thanks to the built-in software and the fingerprint sensor affixed to the top of the drive, no one but you will have access to the contents of the SSD. Apart from that, the QLC flash memory present in the SSD allows to go up to 1000MB / s in writing and reading .
  Most : 

  • A safe bet on the market, highly regarded SSD
  • Possibility of securing data via fingerprint
  • Lightweight, compact
  • Very good read / write speed

  The lessers : 

  • Still a bit expensive
  • Not much else to blame him for

  9. WD My Passport SSD (1 TB): efficient, compact and low heat

  
• With this model, you will be able to enjoy a reading speed for data transfers of 540 MB / s. This is possible thanks to the presence of a USB type C port. Thus, with such speed, you will be able to run virtual machines on your PC. On the security side, the AES 256-bit hardware encryption as well as the WD Security software will allow you to specify a password to ensure optimal protection of the content. This model was manufactured to cope with falls of more than two meters. The main thing remains that it offers a high level of continuous performance.

  The specificity of this SSD is the simplicity of setting up the protective password but also its minimum size. Offering excellent storage capacity, we recommend this model even if it does not offer a case or cable storage system.

  Most

  • Compact SSD
  • Modern look
  • Presence of a USB-C cable with Type-A adapter
  • Heats slightly
  • Disk speed

  The lessers

  • No case or cable management system
  • No software information

  10. Integral SSD Portable (120 GB, 240 GB, 480 GB and 960 GB): reliability above all else

  
• Fast and scalable, this SSD offers the possibility of backing up your content thanks to its fast USB 3.0 connectivity . This SSD is rugged, lightweight, compact, and can withstand bumps and drops from two meters. One of its main strengths is that it is smaller than a credit card with its dimensions of 80 x 49 x 9 millimeters. So you can easily take it wherever you go.

  With this SSD, know that a USB Type C and a USB 3.1 are included. The reading speed can go up to 460 MB / s and the write speed up to 460 MB / s (for the 960 GB model). In the end, this model is a real gem of technology, reliable, efficient and offering safe operation. Too bad it lacks features.

  Most

  • Optimal operation
  • Adaptable and reliable
  • Speed
  • Minimum dimensions
  • Resists shocks and drops

  The lessers

  • Disappointing price-performance ratio
  • Average ergonomics and software not included

  11. Samsung SSD X5 (500go, 1to, 2to): speed above all else

  
• The X5 is an SSD as small as a PC mouse. Offering dimensions of 199 x 62 millimeters, this hard drive puts on an original look while length with a magnificent shiny gray on the top. As for the underside, you will find a beautiful racing red, optimizing the premium aspect of the disc. Note that a USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 cable is included. With this model, the sequential read speed is 2800 mb / s and 2100 mb / s write (for 500 GB SSD) and 2300 mb / s (for 1TB and 2TB models).

  The strengths of this model are numerous: speed, lightness and power . On the other hand, the price is exorbitant and despite this price, weak points are present such as rapid overheating.

  Most

  • Can handle heavy projects
  • Lightweight therefore easy to transport
  • Optimal write speed
  • Eye-catching design
  • High level of performance

  The lessers

  • Encryption application not working on Mac and Windows
  • Heats up pretty quickly

  12. LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C external SSD (500go): original look and performance

  
• The first impression emanating from this SSD is its robustness. Thanks to the IP54 standard (protection against dust and splashing water), this model can withstand falls from two meters. Aside from strength, the flashy orange look is also an undoubted highlight of this hard drive. Regarding the transfer speed, it is 510MB / s. Even if the size and weight are high compared to a lot of competitors, you can take it anywhere. This model is particularly ideal for nomadic photographers thanks to its good storage capacity (500 GB).

  Despite a fairly high price, we recommend this SSD. It is an uncompromising product: fast, efficient, solid and compact . It is a real benchmark in the storage industry even if flaws are present.

  Most

  • All-terrain appearance with excellent build quality
  • Strong against shock, water and dust
  • Hard drive speed
  • Dual Thunderbolt (cable included) and USB 3.0 connectors
  • Optimal security with hardware data encryption

  The lessers

  • Rate
  • No storage system for the USB cable used
  • Small tendency to heat up quickly

  Our Complete SSD External Hard Drive Buying Guide, How To Choose?

  Easy to install and affordable, the ssd external hard drive is a perfect option to optimize the storage space of a PC . Whether you use it on a network or not, or to play multimedia files or not: you must first of all choose it according to your needs.

  

• Functioning

  The SSD external hard drive does not use a turntable as well as a read head. Storage is done with virtual memory components. This is flash memory . Unlike RAM, information is kept even when the drive is turned off and disconnected from the PC, just like a USB stick. Regarding the lifespan, mechanical storage lasts longer than flash memory because flash cells are damaged after a certain number of writes. But the latter remains less fragile to shocks and falls than its mechanical equivalent.

  With SSDs, the number of possible writes is still quite large (count years). However, this lifespan is greatly compensated by very high processing speeds, the ease of use of the disk and its portability. Keep in mind that flash memory cells wear out extremely slowly: five years of heavy use to completely wear out an SSD. When the cap on the number of writes is reached, the SSD will not stop working all at once but will have various small operating flaws. This will give you time to do whatever it takes so that you don’t lose your data.

  What type of ssd external hard drive to choose?

  In general, SSDs on the market have similar characteristics. However, it is possible to classify them according to the type of memory used. There are three major types of memory for SSDs. You should know that the more bits there are per cell, the shorter the life of the hard drive.

  SLC

  This type of SSD stores only one bit per cell . These are the most reliable SSDs and offer the best write speed. This kind of memory is found on hard drives for extremely powerful servers and PCs. Regarding the lifetime, this memory provides at least 10,000 write cycles.

  MLC

  Here is the most common chip on external SSDs. Two bits are present on each cell. Regarding the duration, count from 3000 to 5000 writing cycles. This kind of memory is suitable for normal , even intensive use.

  TLC

  Here is the memory type of low-end models. This kind of memory stores three bits for each cell. It only guarantees a thousand write cycles. The TLC can be useful for normal or occasional use .

  What are the criteria to take into account?

  When purchasing an SSD, there are various criteria to consider. These are the processing speed, connectivity, capacity, compatibility and robustness.

  Processing speed

  The read and write speeds largely characterize the time during which the various operations (such as for example copying, reading or saving) will be carried out.

  However, keep in mind that a model offering a lower write speed is certainly not less powerful , since the speed of execution also depends on the specifics of the PC and the size of the files that you are going. to treat.

  Connectivity

  SSDs with a USB-C interface are the preferred models, since they are significantly faster. Other connectivity interfaces such as Thunderbolt for Apple also offer real advantages.

  Capacity

  The desired capacity depends only on your needs. However, we advise you not to go below 500 GB since lower capacity equipment is often more expensive per gigabyte.

  Cloud Compatibility and Features

  Some SSDs, compatible with Cloud applications, offer you the possibility of backing up or processing information on a virtual storage platform. This compatibility is most of the time present on modern hard drives.

  Regarding the most popular functions, there is automatic backup as well as encryption . These two features make it possible to perfectly secure the files.

  Robustness of the hull

  The shell protects the electronic storage cells. We recommend that you opt for models with rigid shells made of aluminum. . They are more robust and can therefore protect the SSD against drops and shocks.

  Conclusion

  The use of an external SSD hard drive offers many positive points compared to conventional mechanical hard drives: faster , more efficient or even more secure . With our comparison , you can choose a model that suits your needs, whether professional or personal. If you can’t decide, consider the following criteria when making your choice: processing speed, connectivity, capacity, shell strength, and compatibility .