When your favourite devices run out of space, the best Portable SSDs offer an easy and quick fix. Solid-state drives are typically more expensive than hard-disk drives, but they are typically far faster and have less moving components, allowing for a thinner design. You should often pay attention to the drive speed, connection type, capacity, cost, and durability when purchasing a portable SSD. Your final purchase should result in a wonderful SSD that will assist you in transferring, storing, and even protecting your most crucial data if you take these factors into account.
It’s crucial to balance pricing, speed, features, and even durability when choosing the best external hard drive or SSD for your unique needs. But how can you choose the best external drive when there are so many portable storage options available? Should you choose a portable hard drive composed of relatively brittle spinning platters and an actuator arm over a faster, more durable external SSD? Or perhaps a slower, more spacious, and far less expensive portable hard drive could meet your storage needs. Below we have mentioned some of the best portable SSDs.
8 Best Portable SSDs
Samsung T7 SSD
The Samsung T7 SSD may interest you if you’re seeking for a portable SSD with lots of features. With sequential read and write speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and 1,000 MB/s, respectively, this external storage is not only quick but also packs a lot of useful functions into a palm-sized compact.
The most crucial of these functions is undoubtedly its built-in security features, which support fingerprint sign-in and utilise AES 256-bit encryption. You may configure these capabilities through its management program. The Samsung T7 SSD is one of the best portable SSDs currently on the market, and although it isn’t cheap and might use a tough case, it is still well worth considering as a purchase.
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2
Although the Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 presently holds the title of SanDisk’s top-of-the-line portable SSD, the less expensive non-Pro version is still the one to choose. This is due to the fact that nearly no computer now in use can fully utilize the additional performance provided by the Extreme Pro, making it marginally faster than this best portable SSDs in actual use.
The Extreme Portable SSD’s top read speed, according to SanDisk, is 1050 MB/s. This assertion was confirmed by the storage test tool Crystal Disk Mark, albeit it is doubtful that real-world file transfers would occur at such a fast rate. Despite testing on a lightning-fast laptop, we could “only” reach a peak reading speed of 780 MB/s and a writing speed of 564 MB/s when writing a huge video clip to the drive. Even so, that’s really quick, and the 693/496 MB/s read/write picture transfer rates are astounding.
SanDisk Pro-G40 SSD
SanDisk Pro-G40 is a best portable SSDs all-around. It can connect to a variety of devices because it supports Thunderbolt 3 and USB, albeit you might require a Type-C to Type-A adaptor or cable. Overall effectiveness is strong, writing effectiveness is great, and your experience should generally be swift. Despite the drive’s fairly outdated hardware, it is a well-established platform that performs admirably as a portable option.
Another benefit is that the drive is kept cool by the metal and rubberized case, which also shields it from the majority of environmental dangers. The Pro-pricing G40’s is its main drawback. There are better solutions available if you don’t want Thunderbolt capabilities, such as the Samsung T7 Shield. Alternatively, you can assemble your own portable solution by purchasing the proper enclosure and drive. But the Pro-G40 is the drive for you if you want premium mobility and performance in a tough design.
Crucial X6
A wonderful option if you want to save money while still getting a high-quality product is Crucial’s portable storage, which is also among the most reasonably priced PC storage available. The Crucial X6 is a small, best portable SSDs with very affordable 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB storage options. Depending on where you shop, the 500GB model costs around $50, while the 4TB model costs around $240.
Even the mid-range 1TB and 2TB models are less expensive than many other portable drives available right now. Despite its low price, the Crucial X6 is incredibly small and light, can withstand drops of up to 6.5 feet, and can transmit data at a rate of up to 800 MB/s. These specifications need to be adequate for a large number of people who don’t want to spend excessively and merely want some dependable storage on hand for emergencies.
WD Black P10 2TB
The WD Black P10 2TB portable hard drive, which costs about $80, is a decent choice if you’re searching for a high-capacity external drive for your Xbox One. It allows you to carry around your prized game collection. Additionally, if you’re a new subscriber to Microsoft’s Game Pass Ultimate, this external drive comes with a digital code that entitles you to a free month of service.
The portable hard drive is also available in a normal form that costs a little less and is compatible with both PCs and the PS4. The portable drive is capable of 130MBps of speed. Currently, this is one of the best portable SSDs that you can buy right now.
OWC Envoy Pro Elektron SSD
OWC drives are the ideal option if you require a drive that can withstand being dropped into hard surfaces, being in a camera bag or backpack, or becoming wet. There are many excellent options, making it difficult to choose a winner, however benchmark tests showed that OWC’s Elektron drive edged out the competition. We also like that the disc inside the metal enclosure can be changed, so in two years you could buy a quicker bare SSD and insert it into the Elektron. For now, this is one of the best portable SSDs you can consider.
OWC’s Envoy Pro FX is a fantastic option if you want a larger drive, both physically and in terms of storage space. Although the latter costs a startling $699, it is significantly speedier and has capacities up to 4 TB. Even though it costs $369, the 2-TB model is more than enough for most people. It is reasonably drop-proof and has an IP67 rating. The fact that this drive maintains its incredible cooling even when under a heavy load is what most struck me about it.
Seagate Fast SSD
The well-known storage business Seagate has revolutionized the best portable SSDs market with the incredible Seagate Fast SSD. It is only 9mm thick, has a footprint of 94 x 79mm, and an external SSD that is remarkably thin. This suggests that it can be easily and comfortably put into your pocket.
At 82g, it is still exceptionally light and tiny even though it is not quite as small as the My Passport SSD. The best features include its good performance, small size, affordability, attractive design, and three-year warranty. The Seagate Fast SSD is unquestionably a consideration if you’re looking for the best portable SSD at a reasonable price.
WD My Passport SSD
This is the best portable SSDs iteration of WD’s well-known MyPassport SSD; it should not be confused with the earlier model, which is still available. Although the new version has a nicer, more rounded shape, it still uses the same My Passport SSD name, just to add a little bit more confusion. Although the old My Passport SSD’s speeds weren’t all that impressive, the new one, which is based on NVMe SSD technology, promises to be nearly twice as quick, with maximum read/write rates of 1050MB/s and 1000MB/s, respectively.
WD’s promises were surprisingly accurate, as CrystalDiskMark detected read/write rates of 1041MB/s and 1002MB/s, which is really impressive. Performance naturally suffers when switching to real-world testing, but the new My Passport SSD still works well. With video files, we averaged read/write speeds of 651MB/s and 569MB/s, and with multiple picture files, read/write speeds of 538/364MB/s. With the exception of the image write speed, where the My Passport SSD was roughly 30% slower, these findings are slightly faster than those of the excellent Extreme Pro Portable SSD from SanDisk.
Conclusion
There are best portable SSDs available right now, but the Samsung T7 offers the perfect balance of portability, sturdiness, speed, and affordable price. If you require more security or resilience, the Touch and Shield variations will be useful. They are all available in various capacities. For those on a stricter budget, those who require more speed, or those who spend a lot of time outside, the various portable SSDs we’ve gathered here also have something to offer.
