Best External SSD Device in 2024

A portable hard drive, or SSD, is a storage device capable of performing various tasks. It can hold multiple items that PCs, Macs, tablets, and phones can share up to its capacity. The best external SSD in 2024 can save entire system backup data you can utilize to rebuild the OS and software on a crash. Superior SSDs are more dependable for travel use because they withstand physical shocks and vibrations better than HDDs. Stronger flash memory cells and wear-leveling algorithms have extended SSD lifetimes, among other technological developments. You can also run programs straight from the drive. But if you want to do the second thing, an SSD is a much better choice than a portable hard drive, which is slower.

Once too expensive to buy, all types of SSDs, internal and external, have dropped sharply in the past few years. Small enough to fit in your pocket, USB-powered external SSDs of days last far longer and run up to 10 times quicker than portable hard drives. It lacks metal platters that must spin up or read-through heads that must move to a designated area on a plate to locate the required file. Because they don’t have any moving parts, mobile SSDs are smaller, thinner, and better able to handle drops and regular travel than even ruggedized hard drives.

Benefits of using Best External SSDs in 2024

Considering technological developments and growing needs for quick and dependable storage solutions, using an external SSD (Solid State Drive) in 2024 has several advantages. Here are several main benefits:

• Speed: External SSDs provide notably quicker read and write speeds than conventional HDDs (hard drives). This results in faster file transfers, lower application loading times, and better performance in data-intensive jobs. As the newest USB 4 and Thunderbolt 4 connections become more common, external SSDs can reach even greater data transfer speeds, enhancing performance. Superior SSDs are more dependable for travel use because they withstand physical shocks and vibrations better than HDDs. Stronger flash memory cells and wear-leveling algorithms have extended SSD lifetimes, among other technological developments.
• Flexibility: External SSDs run with PCs, Macs, gaming consoles, cellphones, and tablets,. Their flexibility gives any tech setup considerable value. Bootable CDs provide an easy way to run several OS environments or diagnostic tools.
• Better Workflow: Increased Productivity: Particularly for professionals handling big files or running programs straight from the external drive, including video editors, photographers, and software developers, the speed and dependability of external SSDs can greatly enhance processes. Data security depends critically on fast and consistent backups. SSDs ensure that critical data is securely kept by accelerating and guaranteeing the operation’s dependability.

Cost-effectiveness: With falling prices, SSDs are becoming more reasonably priced and accessible. The price difference has closed significantly, although overall, per gigabyte, the cost is still greater than that of HDDs.

Top Seven Best External SSD in 2024

1- Crucial X9 Pro

Pros

• It’s small and light,
• it’s dust and water-resistant (IP55),
• it can withstand drops from up to 7.5 feet,
• It comes with a five-year guarantee; 
• It’s hardware-based encryption is 256 bits.

Cons

• The USB-C cord that comes with it is short;
• It doesn’t come with a USB-C-to-A cable or adapter;

The Crucial X9 Pro is a small but Best External SSD that did well in our tests and comes in sizes up to 4TB. Its interface supports the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard; it works with practically all PCs featuring a USB port. Connecting to a USB-A port will require an adaptor. The X9 Pro’s basic ruggedizing characteristics and 256-bit AES encryption shield it against drops and hazards from people and the elements while you’re en route.

The Crucial X9 Pro is the best external SSD. It is reasonably priced and easy to carry. It should appeal to most people and is a great choice for anyone who wants a fast, fairly rugged, and safe portable SSD. The Crucial X9 Pro is the best external SSD. It is reasonably priced and easy to carry. It should appeal to most people and is a great choice for anyone who wants a fast, fairly rugged, and safe portable SSD.

2- Crucial X10 Pro (Best External SSD)

Pros

• Great 20Gb/s performance
• Small, sturdy shell
• Reasonably priced

Cons

• There aren’t many 20Gb/s USB ports, so don’t use them.

Crucial’s X10 Pro is fast and inexpensive if you work with big files or libraries. The price is also pretty fair: the 2TB model we tried cost $170, and the 4TB model cost $289. It, along with good software and a small, metal-clad body, makes it simple to suggest.

Ensure you have the right ports to get the most out of its speed. Most of us have Thunderbolt or 10Gb/s USB systems, and you can get drives that work just as well on those ports for less money. It has 2TB and costs less than $130, about $40 less than the faster X10 Pro.

3- Silicon Power PX10 (Best External SSD)

Pros

• It works very well for a 10Gbps drive
• It’s cheaper than other names
• A nice USB-C cord with braiding
• It can hold up to 4TB of data.

Cons

• There is no hardware-based encryption, and the aluminum shell gets very hot when writing for a long time.
• Performance is also slower than other options.

Even though Silicon Power is less well known than Samsung or WD, the Taiwanese company makes many great items that are often very good value for money. The PX10 portable SSD is another one of these products. It has some of the fastest peak speeds from a 10 Gbps drive and performance that stays above 800 MB/s for longer periods, though less than drives from Crucial and Samsung.

Professionals who often move terabytes of files on and off of their drives should spend an extra $15 to $30 on Crucial’s X9 Pro or Samsung’s T7 Shield, based on their capacity and any sales that might be happening. In our 15-minute continuous test, these drives had write speeds about 150 MB/s faster. But for people who don’t do that often, Silicon Power’s X10 Pro is a great choice at a great price. Ensure you know the prices before you buy since drives are always on sale, and SSD prices will increase greatly this year.

4- ADATA Elite SE880 External SSD

Pros

• It’s very small and light,
• it doesn’t cost much per gigabyte, and
• it reads and writes quickly (and gets a high PCMark 10 Storage score).

Cons

• It can only hold 1TB of data; you need a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port to get the fastest speeds.
• It doesn’t have the attached port cover that ADATA’s SE800 does.

The external drive ADATA Elite SE880 looks good, is light, and has a small frame. When matched with appropriate hardware, it boasts lightning-fast sequential read and write speeds; the price per gigabyte is typical. Though it can run almost twice as fast over a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 link, the ADATA SE800—which preceded it and won awards—looks far bigger than this one. Although it has a longer warranty, it’s not tough; hence, it performs best in the office or indoors.

It is a wise decision for portable SSD users with a computer with a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface or who are ready to buy a Gen 2×2 desktop expansion card to benefit from its quick speeds. You could carry a few of these in your pocket; they look excellent and are not too expensive.

5- Samsung Portable SSD T9

Pros

• Over USB 3.2 Gen 2.2×2 (20Gbps), it boasts outstanding speed;
• it can contain up to 4TB of data;
• supports 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption,
• It comes with practical Samsung Magician software and is certified drop-proof.

Cons

• A little pricey
• You might need an add-on card to get Gen 2×2 speeds

Should your computer have a fast USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port that is fast, the Samsung Portable SSD T9 is a quick portable SSD with up to 4TB of storage. Should a PC require a 2×2 expansion card, you can add one. It astonished us that it ran even faster on an Apple MacBook Pro with a Thunderbolt 3/USB 3.1 Gen 2 port with a 2×2 extension card than on our Windows testbed. An improved Samsung Magician software package and AES 256-bit hardware-based encryption, the best encryption method for regular people, improve things.

The Samsung Portable SSD T9 is the Best External SSD for Windows or Mac users who need to quickly access or back up big files. It’s marketed as a drive for creators. It’s a powerful drive for artists and other power users with either a Windows PC or a Mac, and it comes in capacities of up to 4TB. (You can also use it with Android phones.)

6- The Samsung T7 Touch (Best External SSD)

Pros

• Nice looks
• It has storage capabilities of up to 2TB and
• comes with 18-inch USB-A and USB-C cables.

Cons

• Warranty for 3 years
• Small write cache

With its USB 3.2 Gen 2 speed and AES 256-bit hardware security that you can open with a fingertip, Samsung’s T7 Touch is the Best External SSD. The built-in fingerprint reader is the easiest way to get to your files we’ve seen so far. The design is very impressive and better made than most compact drives. The aluminum construction is strong, and you can choose different colors to fit your tastes.

However, G-Technology’s new ArmorLock drive is a strong competitor to Samsung’s secure storage. To open your drive, you use an app and key that you store on your Android or iOS phone. It might not be as easy as touching a sensor on your external SSD with your finger, but it might be safer.

7- Lexar SL660 Blaze Game Portable SSD

Pros

• 256-bit AES hardware encryption
• A carrying pouch, a stand that can be detachable, and a
• strong aluminum frame.
• high PCMark 10 storage value
• Good RGB lighting.
• A five-year guarantee

Cons

• It had a sequential write speed that was much slower than its rate in our tests,
• and it could only hold up to 1TB.
• It would help to have a PC that supports USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 for the best results.

If it doesn’t have that bling, there’s no point in having something. However, Lexar’s SL660 Blaze Game Portable SSD offers more than just a cool RGB lighting system, a nice removable stand, and a protective bag. Thanks to its USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, it is the fastest SSD on the market. Lexar includes 256-bit AES hardware encryption and a five-year guarantee.

Like the WD Black P50, the SL660 won’t work at its best unless your PC is one of the few with a few ports. Its highest capacity of 1TB is also small for today’s big games; you can look for a 2TB or 4TB drive from a different company. This SSD is for gamers who care about style and speed.

How do we test the Best External SSD?

We tested the Best External SSD using real-world and made-up measures.

• Rates of Transfer: With a unique 50GB dataset, we use the DiskBench storage benchmarking tool to test how fast files can be sent in the real world. We write 4,617 files to a folder on the test drive. These are pictures, movies, and software ISO files. We next run the same test backward, relocating the test folder to another location on our PCIe 4 testing drive and letting the system idle for five minutes. That’s why this drive isn’t our boot drive: we don’t want to slow down our computer with background jobs that are hard to control.
• CrystalDiskMark is a synthetic test: CrystalDiskMark (CDM) is a free and simple-to-use tool for testing the performance of storage devices. SSD manufacturers often use it to set performance standards for their products. It helps us understand how each gadget deals with various file sizes. We ran this test with the settings that came with it. In a way, the sequential read-and-write test is like the best-case situation that is often very close to what the drive’s makers say about its read-and-write specs in the specs and on the box. On the other hand, the 4K read/write test checks how well the drive handles many small files, which you might see when you run an OS, a program, or a game straight from the drive.
• Iometer for Long-Term Writing Performance: A drive’s recommended write specs are only one part of how well it works. When much work fills the cache and moves to the native TLC or QLC flash, sustained write speeds often drop significantly. We use Iometer to write sequentially to the SSD for 15 minutes to see how big the write cache is and how well it works after it is full.

In this test, so-called professional runs stand out. Fast, sustained write speeds are needed for people who often put huge stores of files on external drives, frequently filling whole drives all at once. On the other hand, people who don’t use the Best External SSD very often tend to write smaller files or folders that are 100GB or less. Fast continuous writes can still help these types of users to drive at once from a quick source to use up an SSD’s fast SLC cache.