Finest Exterior Arduous Drive (2026): SSD to Retailer Knowledge, Video & Extra

When you’re operating out of cupboard space in your laptop computer or you might want to again up your information and retailer that backlog of movies you are going to edit someday (I’m, I swear), an exterior laborious drive can resolve your drawback. The difficulty is, there are tons of of drive choices starting from dirt-cheap to crazy-expensive—which one is correct on your wants? I’ve examined dozens, throughout working programs and with totally different use circumstances in thoughts, to seek out one of the best exterior laborious drives for storage, backups, gaming, video modifying, network-attached storage (NAS) gadgets, and extra.

Try our different guides, together with The way to Again Up and Transfer Your Images Between Companies, The way to Again Up Your Digital Life, and The way to Again Up Your iPhone.

Up to date January 2026: We have added Seagate’s One Contact SSD, swapped out our padding drive choose, and eliminated the Essential X6, which, sadly, has been discontinued. We have additionally added a observe explaining the rebranding of WD_Black and WD Blue drives as SeaGate Optimus GX, and up to date costs and hyperlinks all through.

Finest for Backups

For incremental backups, which we advocate, velocity is not an enormous issue. That is why the primary drive I like to recommend is that this Western Digital Parts laborious drive. I’ve been utilizing a variation of the Parts desktop laborious drive to make incremental backups of my information for greater than a decade. These drives are large and require exterior energy, however they’re among the most cost-effective, most dependable drives I’ve used.

Switch speeds aren’t off the charts—the Parts drive I examined scored 120 megabytes per second (MB/s) for sequential writes on Home windows—however once more, you need to ideally be operating backups in a single day anyway, and even at these speeds the typical PC backup shall be finished by morning. These drives use USB-C with help for USB 3, and I’ve had no drawback utilizing them with Home windows, macOS, and Linux.

Storage choices go all the best way as much as 20 terabytes. Simply examine the costs; generally you will get a 10- and even 12-TB drive for not rather more than the 8-terabyte model. And I’ve not seen an enormous distinction between the Parts line, the WD My E-book drives, or the WD My Passport drives. The My Passport drives command a premium worth as a result of they’re smaller, and the My E-book drives have some encryption options that drive up the worth, however I discover the fundamental Parts drive is enough for most individuals.

Different Nice Backup Drives

• Seagate Enlargement 8-TB Exterior Arduous Drive for $159: Seagate is one other dependable drive maker. It by no means hurts to have extra backups, and in case you do need a number of backups, use drives from totally different manufacturers, since it can cut back the prospect that each fail concurrently.

Finest for Transportable Backups

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

Western Digital

My Passport Extremely

When you journey lots, you will need one thing that is simpler to hold than the Parts drives, which are not one of the best in a suitcase. For backups when touring, I like Western Digital’s My Passport collection, particularly the brand new “Extremely” model, which makes use of a typical USB-C twine, eliminating the necessity to carry a separate cable. It is not the thinnest drive available on the market, however it’s lower than an inch thick and stable sufficient that I by no means fearful about tossing it in my bag. (Though it ought to be stated that this can be a spinning drive, so do not actually toss it.) I additionally like that the corners are properly rounded and there are not any screws or anything that can catch on material in your bag.

There are a number of colours accessible and you will get from 1 TB to six TB. I examined the 5-TB mannequin, however Western Digital claims the identical speeds no matter drive dimension. I examined it utilizing CrystalDiskMark on Home windows, AmorphousDiskMark on macOS, and KDiskMark on Linux and averaged the outcomes to provide you with 121 MB/s for learn velocity and 115 MB/s write velocity. It is not what you’d wish to copy images shortly for a consumer within the area, however quick sufficient to run a day by day backup in your resort room.

Different Transportable Backup Drives

• Western Digital Parts 5-TB Transportable HDD for $135: This drive is barely thinner than our high choose, however feels flimsier in my expertise. Speeds are tad slower as effectively, however in case you’re on a funds this can prevent somewhat money. Corsair is advertising and marketing this as a great way to backup your iPhone ProRes footage, and whereas it definitely works for that, efficiency is proscribed by the iPhone’s USB-C interface. For optimum throughput, join it to a PC with a USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 port.
• Seagate One Contact 4-TB for $125: Seagate’s One Contact drive provides some encryption instruments, however speeds lagged somewhat behind our high choose. Nonetheless, this can be a stable choice for backups and it is surprisingly small for a spinning drive enclosure. Additionally observe that this drive is typically offered with 4 months of Adobe Artistic Cloud (a roughly $40 worth), however in case you use it, make sure you cancel as a result of after these 4 months you will be charged.

Finest USB5 Drive: The Thunderbolt 5

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

LaCie has up to date its rugged SSD line with the Rugged Pro5. This one ditches the long-lasting orange padding for blue, however it’s in any other case identical to the unusual LaCie padded drives on the surface. On the within, that is an amazingly quick drive. The 5 within the identify is for, you guessed it, Thunderbolt 5, which regardless of being introduced seemingly without end in the past, has been painfully gradual to trickle onto the market. This made testing a bit difficult, however thankfully a buddy let me borrow his brand-new MacBook Professional 14 for testing. The outcomes have been spectacular.

LaCie claims learn/write speeds of as much as 6,700 MB/s and 5,300 MB/s, which it says are sufficient for real-time modifying of 8K and 6K RAW footage. In testing the best speeds, file transfers have been 5,787 MB/s learn and 5,188 MB/s write—which, whereas not fairly matching the declare, remains to be far and away the quickest drive on the web page. However uncooked speeds are simply numbers for spreadsheets; I used to be extra taken with real-world efficiency. Since I occurred to even be testing the Nikon Z6III (8/10, WIRED Recommends), which might shoot 6K ProRes RAW, I loaded a great little bit of footage on the Pro5 and was certainly in a position to edit utilizing DaVinci Resolve Studio.

The draw back right here is the worth. At $600 for the 4-TB model (which is the minimal you’d need for working with ProRes RAW video recordsdata), this can be a very dear drive. It’s, nevertheless, effectively definitely worth the cash if it is velocity you are after.

Finest USB4 Drive

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

When you do not but have any gadgets with Thunderbolt 5 help, this Thunderbolt 4 drive could be my advice for anybody obsessive about velocity. Corsair’s EX400U is a formidable little drive, persistently delivering speeds of round 3,800 MB/s for sequential learn and and three,550 MB/s write. Once more, that is solely going to be potential if in case you have a tool that helps USB4/Thunderbolt 4 (together with latest Macbooks, Dell XPS, and others—see our information to one of the best laptops for extra). Technically, simply as I used to be wrapping up this replace, Lacie’s new rugged SSD got here out which beat this drive in my exams by about 10 MB/s, however this drive is smaller, lighter, and cheaper.

I additionally like that Corsair has included a Magsafe connector on the again of the case, which makes nice choice for backing up ProRes video footage out of your iPhone.

Finest for Photographers

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

Essential’s X9 Professional hits the candy spot of velocity, portability, and worth to be top-of-the-line drives on the market for photographers seeking to make backups within the area. These drives are tiny, about half the scale of a deck of playing cards, and weigh a mere 1.3 ounces (38 grams). They’re going to hook up with absolutely anything. I examined the X9 Professional on Home windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS and by no means hit any points with any of them. Relating to velocity, the X9 Professional claims symmetrical learn and write speeds, at 1,050 MB/s. I really persistently received larger speeds, as much as 1,110 MB/s for learn and 1,100 MB/s for write. That places the X9 Professional on the high of the pack when it comes to moveable drive velocity.

I have been testing the X9 Professional for a number of months now, and whereas I can not but communicate to the long-term survival charge, I’ve been testing X6 and X8 drives from Essential for over two years now with out challenge. There’s additionally the X10 Professional drive ($235), which provides even quicker speeds if in case you have a PC that helps USB 2X2. (The newest Intel chips help this spec, however Apple doesn’t, so there is no level in shopping for the X10 Professional if in case you have a Mac.) I don’t personal a PC that helps USB 2X2 for in depth testing, however I did get an opportunity to at the very least strive it, and the X10 Professional does certainly ship on its promise of two,100 MB/s (I received it as much as 2,050 MB/s). In case your {hardware} helps it, the X10 Professional is value the additional cash.

Finest Tiny Drive

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

Seagate’s new Extremely Compact SSD straddles the road between USB thumb drive and conventional exterior drive. The dimensions, design, and built-in USB-C connector make it a thumb drive, however the drive inside is far quicker, providing 1,000 MB/s throughput through USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps). In my CrystalDiskMark take a look at, it managed 1034 MB/s and a write velocity of 1018 MB/s, which, whereas not as quick as among the new Thunderbolt 5 drives coming available on the market, remains to be means, means quicker than most USB sticks. In some methods, performance-wise, this can be a extra compact, down-market model of the X9 drive above (LaCie is Seagate’s high-end, Mac-focused model). You do get barely much less efficiency for the cash, however the compact, no-cable-needed type issue could be value it to some individuals.

My one gripe with this drive is that it is on the broad facet for a thumb drive, which signifies that in case your laptop computer has USB-C ports shut collectively it’d cowl two. You may mitigate this by ditching the rubber housing, however then you definitely lose among the safety (the drive with housing is rated to face up to 3 meter drops and is IP54 rated for mud and water resistance). It additionally goes out and in of inventory incessantly. Seagate’s Extremely Compact SSD is one among a number of SSDs adopting the thumb drive type issue. We have additionally examined and just like the SK Hynix Tube 31, which is featured in our information to the Finest USB Flash Drives.

Different Nice Tiny Drives

• Kingston XS1000 2-TB for $203: This tiny little drive is without doubt one of the smallest on this information. Just like the Essential X6, it has a principally plastic enclosure, however it has withstood life in my bag fairly effectively. Whereas it isn’t as strong because the padded choices under, it is sturdy sufficient for many issues. It is also speedy. Kingston claims as much as 1,050 MB/s. I by no means managed that, however I routinely hit round 800 MB/s, with some older laptops nearer to 600 MB/s, which remains to be fairly good. The drive bogs down a bit with giant recordsdata (MP4s, for instance), so it isn’t one of the best for professional videographers, however for everybody else, this can be a stable, barely cheaper choice.

Finest Go-Wherever Drive

OWC

Envoy Professional Elektron SSD

When you want a drive that may stand as much as life in a backpack or digicam bag, get moist, or deal with a drop onto laborious surfaces, OWC drives are your best option. It is robust to select a winner right here as a result of there are numerous stable choices, however OWC’s Elektron drive narrowly beat others in benchmark exams. I additionally like that you could swap out the drive contained in the aluminum casing (it is simple to unscrew), which implies two years from now, you’ll be able to choose up a quicker naked SSD and drop it within the hardy Elektron enclosure.

Different Nice Rugged SSDs

• Sabrent Rocket Nano 1-TB SSD for $170: I actually like this one. It is smaller and barely quicker than the OWC, however it has two drawbacks. The primary is that it may get sizzling. When you’re making an attempt to work with it in your lap, it may be downright uncomfortable. The opposite challenge is that generally it is gradual to be acknowledged by my PC. I might discover no sample to this; generally it appeared immediately, and different instances it took a few minutes. If these issues do not hassle you, this drive is tiny, cheaper, and features a padded rubber case.

Finest Padded Drive

{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson

Samsung’s T9 has been my go-to moveable drive for a pair years now. Whereas I do just like the LaCie drives (just like the rugged Pro5 above) that often dominate this class, the Samsung is loads quick. The 20Gbps T9 was in a position to take full benefit of that velocity, clocking in at over 1350 MB/s, handily beating the Essential X9. The T9 additionally appears to have a decrease energy draw, or at the very least after I plug it into my Android pill it drains the battery far lower than another drive I exploit frequently.

The padding on the T9 is lower than what the LaCie drives provide, however it’s additionally significantly cheaper and has assist up effectively to life on the highway. The one catch is that its not waterproof or mud proof. The padding stops on the ends so it isn’t utterly sealed. I have never had any points, however in case you get it moist it is going to be an issue. When you’re fearful about that, try the T7 Protect under.

One other Nice Padded Choice

• Samsung T7 Protect 2-TB SSD for $235: That is similar to the above, however it provides an IP65 score, which implies it is tremendous within the rain and is protected against mud and sand. The T7 line is notable for its built-in security measures like hardware-based encryption, however not like the Contact mannequin, the Protect doesn’t have a fingerprint reader.

Finest Gaming Drive

{Photograph}: Western Digital

Western Digital

P40 Gaming Drive

Take this class with a grain of salt. A lot of the drives right here will work simply tremendous for gaming (simply keep on with the quickest you’ll be able to afford). That stated, Western Digital’s new P40 does have some cool RGB lights on the underside if that is your jam. In my testing, that did not appear to influence energy consumption.

As for velocity, my exams have been inconsistent. This drive is able to speeds that handily beat each the Envoy Professional and Samsung T7, however at different instances it appeared to lavatory down (at the very least in benchmarks). In real-world use, the bottleneck I persistently hit was some lag in transferring big quantities of knowledge. That could be a deal-breaker for some, however for the worth, it stays a stable alternative.

Finest Naked Drive

If you wish to put an even bigger SSD in your laptop computer, all you want is a naked drive, which is mostly cheaper than the drives with enclosures listed above. The very first thing to determine is which drive your PC makes use of. Seek the advice of your producer’s documentation to seek out out. As of late the most typical type issue is M.2 2280, which is the lengthy, skinny drive within the picture above. Extra compact laptops could use the same, however shorter, M.2 2242 design. Once more, examine your PC to verify the drive it wants before you purchase. Of the handfuls I’ve tried, Western Digital’s WD Black collection has stood out for velocity, and it does not run very popular.

The SN 990 PRO SSD NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen4 achieved speeds of seven,458 MB/s reads in my testing, kind of matching the claimed 7,450 MBs / 6,900 MBs learn/write speeds. When you’re doing a whole lot of drive-intensive duties, like modifying video or gaming, this drive is effectively definitely worth the cash. The most important model you will get is 4 TB, and the worth is cheap contemplating the velocity. There are quicker drives, however you will pay for them and I discover that at the moment, past this drive there’s a diminishing return within the velocity vs worth curve. I have been utilizing this one as my foremost drive for a number of months months now and it really works nice for modifying 5.2K video footage and compiling software program. My favourite half? It generates little or no warmth.

Different Choices

• Western Digital SN850X 1-TB SSD for $245: One other quick one, Western Digital claims as much as 7,300 MB/s learn speeds, and in benchmark exams, this drive’s outcomes got here shut. Just like the Samsung above, to take full benefit of the velocity right here, you will want a system that helps the PCIe 4.0 SSD normal, however this can be a nice drive if you wish to improve a gaming system, whether or not it is a desktop PC or your PlayStation. This drive can be one of many few I’ve seen that is accessible as much as 8-TB capability.
• Samsung 990 Evo Plus 2-TB for $273: The 990 EVO Plus is an improve to the extremely popular 990 EVO. The unique didn’t provide something compelling and by no means made this information, however the brand new model manages to be impressively speedy and never overly sizzling, as many Gen 5 PCIe disks I’ve examined have been. The 990 EVO Plus additionally launched with a 4-TB mannequin, one thing lacking the primary time round. When it comes to velocity it does not fairly match the SN850X above, topping out at 5,677 MB/s learn, however it’s loads quick for many makes use of and stays fairly cool even when pushed. When you’re searching for a great all-around drive that stays cool, this one makes a sensible choice, although it’s on the dear facet for what you get.

Incessantly Requested Questions