Read update
- We've reviewed our recommendations and have updated our best budget pick after Verge's report on Sandisk's Extreme SSD.
External solid-state drives can provide for the speeds that modern games and software need to run properly and without lag. Couple that with their decreasing cost, and the best SSDs have become a great alternative to external HDDs.
UPDATE: 08/22/2023
We've reviewed our recommendations and have updated our best budget pick after Verge's report on Sandisk's Extreme SSD.
What to Look For in a Solid-State Drive in 2023
Solid-state technology has progressed so much over the past few years that you only need to be considering two things when buying an external SSD: storage and use-case.
When it comes to storage, that's relatively straightforward. Most people tend to go for larger capacities, but that's not always necessary, especially if you're willing to do some storage management in the form of deleting old files.
The truth is that SSD storage space gets exponentially more expensive as you go up in tiers, so it's best to aim for a 1TB or 2TB external SSD. If you need more space, it may be better to look into an external hard disk drive (HDD) and deal with the slower speeds instead.
The next thing you want to consider is how you're going to use the SSD. Are you going to be carrying it around a lot? If so, you'll probably want to pick a more rugged design, especially ones that are resistant to shock.
On the other hand, if you're primarily using it to supplement low capacity internal storage for a laptop or a console, you should focus on an SSD with a read/write speed.
Finally, and equally as important, pick something you like the look of! It's probably going to be spending a lot of time right next to you, so getting something you find nice to look at is a good idea.
With all this in mind, let's get into the best SSDs you can buy.
How Did We Research |
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Best External SSD Overall: Samsung T7
Pros |
Cons |
---|---|
✓ Small and stylish |
✗ Only 3-year warranty |
✓ AES 256-bit encryption |
✗ No water or dust resistance rating |
✓ Long included cable |
✗ Lack of DRAM cache |
✓ Excellent overall performance |
While at first glance, the Samsung T7 Portable SSD may not look like much, on further inspection it ends up being more than the sum of its parts.
Take, for example, the read/write speed, which comes in at a rough 1,050MB/second. That's a pretty middle-of-the-road speed for an SSD, but when you consider that the 1TB version only costs $139, that's a great price compared to some of its competitors.
Then, add on to that the form factor---it's truly tiny, about the size of a credit card, which means it's really easy to carry around.
When you combine the speed, price, and size, the T7 punches outside its weight class. But when you realize that it also has 256-bit AES encryption, a military-grade encryption protocol, you know that Samsung is going all out on this one.
Finally, in the round-up of great features, it comes with two different 18-inch long cables, a USB Gen-C to C cable, and a USB-A to C cable. These are cables that can support speeds up to 20Gbps, which is very fast. It's also impressive that these two high-end cables come in the box; it's not something you often see with these SSDs at this price range.
The only real downside that the T7 has is that it doesn't have any IP rating for water or dust, which means you'll have to be somewhat careful with it, affecting portability. It also only comes with a 3-year warranty compared to the 5-year warranty most other SSDs come with.
Still, the positives overwhelmingly outweigh the negatives, making the T7 the best overall external SSD.
Samsung T7 Portable SSD
Put together a great speed, lots of space, a small size, and an excellent price, and you get the Samsung T7 Portable.
Best Budget External SSD: Crucial X8 1TB SSD
Pros |
Cons |
---|---|
✓ Universal design supports most devices |
✗ Limited three-year warranty |
✓ Speeds up to 1050 MB/s |
|
✓ Small footprint |
|
✓ Well-priced for 1TB SSD |
Crucial may not be as well-known as Samsung or Western Digital, but the company is responsible for tons of great and affordable storage solutions. Nowhere is that more evident than the X8 1TB SSD, which can be bought for less than $70.
Before going into why the drive is so great, it’s worth pointing out that you’ll only get a limited three-year warranty. That’s a bit lacking compared to other drives on this list that offer five-year warranties, but it likely won’t be a dealbreaker---especially if you’re also backing up your files to the cloud.
Aside from that minor caveat, the X8 1TB SSD gets a lot of things right. This includes speeds up to 1050MB/s, the ability to withstand a 7.5-foot drop, and a slim design that makes it easy to slip into a backpack and take with you on the road. And like any good SSD, it works with a wide variety of devices, including PC, Mac, Android, and even gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox.
Crucial X8 Portable SSD
If you’re looking to upgrade your storage game without spending a lot of cash, the Crucial X8 1TB SSD should be near the top of your list.
Best External SSD for PS5: WD_Black P50 Game Drive
Pros |
Cons |
---|---|
✓ Fast read/write speeds |
✗ Not great for PC use |
✓ Looks great |
✗ A bit on the expensive side |
✓ 5-year warranty |
If there's ever an external SSD that looks like it means business, it's the WD_Black P50. At 2,000 MB/seconds, this small drive can transfer files between your SSD and your PS5 relatively quickly, and while it won't likely beat installing an internal NVMe drive, it is the best external PS5 SSD you'll find.
While at first glance the P50 is a bit expensive per GB, when you consider how well it works for the PS5, it's actually a good price. The value proposition for PC users, on the other hand, is middling. The rated speeds of the WD_Black are mainly reserved for USB 3.2 gen 2x2, which isn't something that most laptops or desktops have. So, if you are mostly planning to use this for a PC or Mac, better to look elsewhere.
As for sizing, you can find the P50 from 500GB to 4TB. If you can do some good storage management, then 1TB or 2TB is the size we'd suggest since they have the best price point. There's also a 1TB Call of Duty edition, which looks great and is an excellent option if you're a fan of CoD.
Be aware that you cannot play PS5 games off an external SSD; that can only be done by an internal SSD expansion card. You can still store PS5 games, as well as play compatible PS4 games off of it.
WD_Black P50 Game Drive SSD
A stylish look and some of the best read/write speeds around means that this little drive is perfect for the PS5.
Best External SSD for Xbox Series X/S: WD_Black P50 Game Drive
Pros |
Cons |
---|---|
✓ Fast read/write speeds for copying games |
✗ Not great for PC use |
✓ Fits the Series X look |
✗ A bit on the expensive side |
✓ 5-year warranty |
It should come as no surprise that the WD_Black P50 is also a great external SSD for the Xbox. Given that the Xbox Series X comes with 1TB internal storage, and the Series S only comes with a relatively small 500GB, you'll almost certainly need some form of expandable storage, and the P50 is a great option.
Of course, if you are willing to throw in a little bit more money, you can get the official Seagate expansion card explicitly made for the Xbox Series consoles. While they come at a steep cost for 2TB, they also take advantage of Microsoft's Velocity Architecture, allowing you to play Series X/S and optimized games.
Just like with the PS5, you cannot play Xbox Series X/S games off an external SSD or optimized games from the previous generation. Instead, external SSDs are an excellent option for storing games that you aren't currently playing or backward-compatible games that are not Series X/S optimized.
WD_Black P50 Game Drive SSD
If you want great speeds and need that extra little bit of storage, this is an excellent and cost-effective option.
Best External SSD for Mac: LaCie Rugged SSD Pro
Pros |
Cons |
---|---|
✓ Thunderbolt 3 |
✗ On the expensive side |
✓ IP67 water and dust rated |
✗ Short cable |
✓ Rugged exterior coating |
✗ No 256-bit AES encryption |
✓ Compatible with USB-C 3.1 and 3.2 |
|
✓ 5-year warranty with data recovery |
One of the best things that the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro has going for it is that it's extremely fast for an external SSD. In fact, it not only competes and supersedes the WD_Black P50, being able to hit 2,800 MB/second, but it can easily hit them given that it runs with Thunderbolt 3.
Even better, it can use USB-C and is compatible with USB 3.1 and 3.2, so you don't have to worry about it working with any current gear you have.
Speaking of gear, The LaCie is pretty rugged and has an IP67 rating, making it pretty durable. This is great if you do a lot of live shows, film in the desert, or generally like to do production work outside of the house. With the LaCie, you don't have to worry about it falling and getting damaged, and even if it does, it comes with a 5-year warranty and data recovery.
Of course, you do pay a pretty penny for all these features, but it's well worth it for the peace of mind.
LaCie Rugged SSD Pro
The LaCie can keep your data safe and do it with blistering speeds too, and while the 256-bit encryption is missing, it's still a beast of an external SSD.
Best Rugged External SSD: Samsung T7 Shield
Pros |
Cons |
---|---|
✓ Fast read/write speeds |
✗ Relatively short three-year warranty |
✓ IP65 dust and water resistance |
✗ More expensive than the base T7 model |
✓ Can survive drops from up to 9.8 feet |
Our best overall pick---the Samsung T7---is a fantastic external SSD for most people. But if you are looking for something more durable, then the Samsung T7 Shield will be a better bet. It keeps everything we love about the T7 and adds IP65 water and dust resistance. As a result, you don't have to worry about dust, and the SSD can even survive low-pressure jets of water.
In addition, you get a rubber sleeve on the T7 Shield that can absorb the impact of drops from as high as 9.8 feet.
Like Samsung's other T7-series SSDs, the T7 Shield supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 and has an advertised read/write speed of up to 1,050/1,000MB/s. However, you are more likely to get around 800MB/s write speeds and 700MB/s read speeds, as we found out in our testing.
Among other highlights, the Samsung SSD includes support for hardware-based AES-256 encryption. So if you want, you can secure your data with a password. However, you will need the company's Portable SSD software to unlock the drive.
The Samsung T7 Shield is available in 1TB and 2TB sizes, and you can choose from three color options.
Samsung T7 Shield
The Samsung T7 Shield gives you peace of mind thanks to its dust, drop, and water resistance. Additionally, the SSD is extremely fast and supports encryption.
Best Portable External SSD: Adata SD700
Pros |
Cons |
---|---|
✓ IP68 rating |
✗ Performance is a bit slow |
✓ Mil-standard shockproofing |
✗ No USB-C |
✓ Very compact design |
|
✓ Great pricing |
When someone thinks of portable SSDs, they think of something that can withstand the elements relatively well. The Adata SD700 manages that in spades, with its IP68 rating, one of the highest for water and dirt resistance.
Similarly, it also has a MIL-STD-810G 516.6, a standard created by the United States military and encompasses various tests and different products. This even includes even MIL-STD phone cases, although millage can vary. Regardless, all that means for you is that it can withstand a drop of 2 meters without damaging the internals.
Of course, it's not a perfect external SSD, and one of the more significant downsides is that it doesn't use USB-C connections. ADATA's SSD uses a SATA cable instead, so if you lose the one that comes with the drive, you'll have to buy a new SATA to USB cable. It's not something you generally have laying around!
Also, the speeds are slightly slower at 440MB/second compared to some other drives on the list. This isn't a deal-breaker given how rugged it is, but certainly something to consider.
Overall, the downsides aren't too bad given what you're getting and for the price point, and if you're willing to put up with the slower speeds and lack of USB-C, this is an excellent portable SSD.
ADATA SD700
Having a rugged outer coating, IP68 rating, and a great price, the Adata SD799 can handle pretty much any environment.
FAQ
Are external hard drives solid state drives?
No, they are not. Hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) are two different types of digital storage. Hard drives are slower in terms of read and write speeds, but can come in much larger capacities at a more affordable price. To determine which you need, you need to figure out what's more important---storage space or speed.
How do you format a solid state drive?
To format a solid state drive on Windows, open File Explorer, then navigate to the drive in the 'This PC' section. Right-click the drive, and choose 'Format...' from the drop-down menu. Choose the settings you think are best for your drive (read our guide for more information), click 'Start', and the drive will be formatted.
For Mac, you'll be using Disk Utility. Once you navigate there, find the SSD under the External drives section, and click on it. Once there, you choose 'Erase' and it will format the drive for you.
How long do solid state drives last?
The age of a solid state drive will depend on three factors: The actual age of the hardware, terabytes written (which is how many terabytes a drive can write over the life of the SSD), and how much data you write during a specific amount of time. These three factors vary a lot from drive to drive, so there is no standard amount of time an SSD will last.
Are solid state drives more reliable than hard drives?
It is generally believed that solid state drives are more reliable than hard drives, due to the fact that hard drives have moving mechanical parts that could break. A Backblaze report from 2022 determined that the two are equally reliable, but more data is needed to know the actual reliance rates of the two drive types.
Do solid state drives fail?
Yes, solid state drives will eventually fail, much like hard drives will. When they fail will be dependent on the three factors mentioned above.