The top 10 most reliable external SSDs for Windows and Mac to take tour backups on the go.
Do you want to speed up the operation of your system? SSD is the answer! Get these most reliable external SSDs for your Mac or Windows PC to serve your purpose.
Choosing the best external SSD for your PC, Mac, iPad, or console is really important, whether you want to use it for video editing or perhaps for gaming (PS5, Xbox). They are useful for a wide range of functions. However, the most common purpose of an SSD is to increase the speed and efficiency of the computer or device you are working on.
In this article, we will discuss what SSDs are and what their benefits are. We’ll take a look at some of the best external SSDs for taking your backup on the go.
What is SSD?
An SSD (Solid State Drive) is a computer storage device similar to a hard drive, except that it is much faster and more reliable. SSDs use flash memory, which allows them to achieve almost instantaneous startup and loading times. Furthermore, by not looking for data mechanically on a turntable (unlike a hard drive), they can access the data instantly, or almost instantly. Observe the difference:
Inside a hard drive
On a hard disk, the data must be searched on a turntable. It takes longer to start your system, load applications, and backup files.
Inside an SSD
In terms of design, an SSD is similar to a giant USB stick capable of replacing your hard drive and making your system faster. Because SSDs do not have a small, fault-tolerant mobile part, they can search for data more quickly, and without these moving parts, hard drive and data loss problems are no longer common in storing data. Because all your photos, videos, files, and programs are loaded from your storage drive, the increased reliability of an SSD protects your important data while greatly enhancing your performance.
Advantages and disadvantages of SSD (Solid State Drive)
SDD Hard Drive Benefits
I will not go back over all the points I mentioned above, but as we have just seen, the two major advantages of the SSD are velocity and reliability. SSD drives are used to speed up all equipment. If you replace the hard drive of your computer with an SSD, you will understand what I am talking about. Your computer will start and work much faster! The transfer speed of the best HDD hard drives hardly reaches 100 MB /s when SSDs exceed 500 MB / s. Similarly, file access time is in the order of 7 milliseconds for an HDD and 0.1 (!) milliseconds for an SSD.
There’s more. They are totally silent and do not risk breaking in case of shock. They do not heat, consume much less energy, and extend a little the autonomy of the notebooks.
Disadvantages of SDD
The SSD still has some flaws. The main one is still an exorbitant price. At this level, hard disks remain much more competitive. The other major disadvantage of the SSD is that it supports a limited number of read-write and erase cycles. Of course, your SSD will not stop working after 6 months, but this is a big drawback for a storage medium.
The best solution is to use a small to medium-capacity SSD (64 or 128 GB) to install the operating system and one or more conventional hard disks to store the data. Naturally, nothing prevents the use of SSDs, but the cost would be prohibitive. Installing the operating system on an SSD significantly accelerates the computer’s start-up and also gives access to data. This is a good way to give a second life to a computer that is technically outdated.
The format and connector
SATA 2.5 Inch
SATA 2.5″ is the standard size at the right time used for all kinds of drives for notebook computers. New disks in this format use the classic SATA 3 connection that promises speeds up to 6 Gbps. The SATA connector is the standard that you find in most 2.5 and 3.5-inch drives.
mSATA
It uses the same SATA connector and connects it with different sizes, designed to meet the needs of thinner and lighter computer space on the market. It is an actual card and does not come in a box. With the support of SATA Express, we can achieve a theoretical maximum speed of 16 GB/s (2 GB/s).
M.2 SSD
The latest generation of laptops and new gaming PCs come with this connector. It can work via PCIe connectivity, guaranteeing tremendous performance, theoretically much higher than the SATA connection that is still implemented in this new form factor, albeit not exploiting the maximum potentiality of this connector. In SATA Express mode, it can be up to 2 GB/s, while with the support of the x4 PCIe standard of 32 GB/s (4 GB/s), always on the maximum theoretical line.
The 10 most reliable external SSD hard drives on the market right now
You wonder, which SSD is better? If you’re running out of space in your production studio, no matter what you’re looking for, even if brands are a consideration, we’ve curated some great options for you right here. Without further ado, we show you the 10 best external SSDs on the market.
Intenso Premium Edition External SSD
Let’s start with a model that, although inexpensive, has a good quality/price ratio. The Intenso Premium Edition external SSD offers the bare minimum to have a fast drive to carry around.
It is a model that does not cost much but, despite this, promises great performance. It connects via a USB cable, which is included and can be detached from the case, and supports a USB 3.2 Gen 1×1 interface.
Now, the standard can go up to 5 Gbps, while this Intenso SSD stops at just over 300 MB/s.
In any case, this is better performance than any internal or external hard disk, at a low cost.
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- It supports USB 3.2 Gen 1×1 standard
- Speed around 400 MB/s reading and writing
- Good impact resistance
Cons
- It gets a little hot during use.
- It has no management software
- Capacity up to 1TB
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WD Elements SE: Portable SSD
If you need to carry a lot of files with you, from home to the office and back again, or to a friend’s house for his game console, the choice is WD Elements SE. WD, which stands for Western Digital, is one of the best-known companies in the memory industry.
Manufacturers of some of the best HDDs for some years now have also been points of reference for SSDs, with the Blue and Black series leading the way.
The WD Elements SE is the classic external SSD designed to be one of the best possible compromises.
It supports a USB 3.2 Gen 1×1 interface and allows sequential read and write speeds of up to 400 MB/s. It connects with a USB Type-A cable and is therefore also suitable for older computers.
Pros
- Good quality/price ratio
- Compact and lightweight
- Speed up to 400 MB/s writing and reading
- Outperforms external hard drives and USB sticks
Cons
- USB 3.2 Gen 1×1 only
- Old-fashioned cable
- There is no improvement in performance with larger versions
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Samsung T7 Portable SSD
Producer of one of the best series of SSDs ever designed, Samsung also has its say in the field of external SSDs with its Samsung T7.
With its metal body and 2m drop resistance, it already offers good protection against shocks, while AES 256-bit security also protects against intrusions.
In terms of transfers, the Samsung external drive supports a USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 interface, which can reach speeds of 10 GB.
The read speed of the model can reach up to 1050 MB/s, while the write speed can reach 1000 MB/s. In the package, however, you will find a cable from Type C to Type A and from Type C to Type C for a versatile connection.
Pros
- Tiny and ultra-light
- 256-bit AES hardware encryption
- Durable construction
- On-par speed for its class
- Discrete Type-A and Type-C USB cables
Cons
- Requires USB 3.2 for maximum performance
- No DRAM cache
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Crucial X8 SSD
Style, size, speed, reliability—the Crucial X8 SSD is all this and much more.
It is, in fact, a model made of anodized aluminum and capable of withstanding falls from heights of 2 meters.
To connect it, you will need a Type C to Type C USB cable, but if necessary, you can also use a Type C to Type A adapter for older PCs.
And this is good news: the presence of a USB Type C as the primary connector serves to introduce the interface supported by the model. Here too we have USB 3.2 Gen 2×1, with speeds up to 10 Gbps.
In sequential reading and writing, you will therefore have 1050 MB/s and 1000 MB/s, respectively.
Pros
- Small and sturdy.
- Attractive cost per gigabyte.
- Solid performance.
- Compatible with PC, Mac, PS4, and Xbox One
- Durable, high-quality metal shell
Cons
- No activity indicators
- No IP water-resistance rating
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SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
The SanDisk Extreme is certainly among the best-selling external SSDs due to its excellent quality/price ratio. It is a truly compact SSD with more than satisfactory performance, capable of reaching 1000 MB/s in reading and writing.
It is also equipped with the USB-C standard, but a USB-C to USB-A adapter is available in the package to be able to connect the unit to devices without the USB-C standard.
This device is also resistant to shocks and falls up to 2 meters, as well as being waterproof and IP55-certified. Finally, it supports 256-bit data encryption, in case you want to protect your external drive with a password.
Pros
- Overall, the fastest USB SSD currently available
- Relatively affordable
- IP55 water- and dust-resistance rating
- Five-year warranty
Cons
- Slightly slower reading files than Samsung’s T7
- Unprotected USB Type-C port
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Seagate Barracuda Fast
Let’s level up with the Seagate BarraCuda Fast, a portable SSD with a square and captivating design. On the front, when connected via the USB-C 3.0 port, the large green LED immediately stands out. The shell is solid enough and resistant to bumps and scratches. The maximum speeds declared in reading and writing are around 540 MB/s, an important figure that makes this model suitable for streaming and gaming, therefore also as an accessory for external storage of Xbox or Playstation games. It is available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB memory sizes.
Pros
- Attractive design
- Excellent SuperSpeed
- It comes with USB-C and USB-A cables
- Sync software
Cons
- Only two years of recovery service
- Not as fast as flash
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LaCie Mobile Drive
The new Mobile Drive has a slim, rectangular design that has rounded corners. The LaCie logo is right in the center instead of on the side like before.
You can use it to store your time machine backups, but the LaCie ToolKit app (for macOS 10.14 or later) also lets you create a mirror folder that automatically updates whenever you make changes.
The drive has a USB-C interface, with a USB-C cable included in the box, and recorded write and read speeds of 126 MB/s and 130 MB/s, respectively, when running the BlackMagic Drive Speed Test.
There are faster hard drives available, but it’s still a respectable speed for a compact hard drive like this. Thus, it remains an affordable backup option for MacBook owners.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Available in capacities up to 5TB
- LaCie Toolkit software handles backup, restore, and mirroring
- Compatible with Windows, Macs, and iPads
Cons
- Relatively pricey
- Not cheap, Very Mac-centric, USB 3.1, not Thunderbolt
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G-Drive ArmorATD
The ArmorATD is a case that has a hard drive inside and protects it from shocks. This aluminum case is surrounded by silicone tape for added protection. It will withstand minor knocks, especially when it is turned off.
The connection is USB-C with a speed of 5 Gbps (USB 3.1/Gen 1), fast enough for any hard drive. The unit warranty is three years.
You’ll get around 120MB/s write and 127MB/s max read (with large files) on your Mac, which is pretty cool. The ArmorATD is delivered formatted in exFAT, so it can work on both Windows and macOS.
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G-DRIVE Mobile SSD R-Series
If you are looking to buy an external hard drive for Mac, the G-DRIVE Mobile SSD R-Series is a great choice. This hard drive has a futuristic appearance and is quite resistant to shocks, dust, water, and drops of up to 3 meters.
The type of connection it handles is Type C (perfect for Mac), it is USB 3.1 Gen 2, and it reaches speeds of up to 560 MB/s. Being an SSD, it resists more vibrations and, of course, impacts quite well. If you were looking for a 2TB Mac external hard drive, this is an excellent option. It also comes in 500 GB, 1 TB, and 4 TB capacities.
You can use the G-DRIVE Mobile SSD R-Series as the main external hard drive and save backups on your Mac’s internal storage drive. This is possible thanks to its high data transfer rate of up to 560 MB/s.
Plug-and-play system: seamlessly play and save 4K videos, edit from the drive, or play your favorite games from the hard drive.
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In conclusion
The SSD hard drive has been around for years. However, three disadvantages slowed down its democratization among mass populations: price, storage capacity, and lifetime. Now, technological advances are such that these three major drawbacks virtually no longer exist, and manufacturers are already offering standard solid-state drives on their computers. In a few years, this will be the norm, and conventional (mechanical) hard disks will disappear.
Besides the products featured in this guide, there are others, perhaps equally valid and performing. You can comment on this article, recommending your favorite product, even if it is not on this list.