From magnetic tapes in olden days to tiny SD cards these days – data storage has come a long way. The way we store data has changed a lot and depending on the purpose, we have different types of storage options available to choose from.
The latest and one of the fastest ways of storing data these days is Solid State Drives – known as SSDs. SSDs provide ultra-fast data transfers at an unbelievably small size.
A hard disk drive uses a mechanical arm with a read/write head to read information. Solid State Drives have no moving parts and the information is stored in a ‘chip’ – making them faster than HDDs.
In addition to speed, SSDs also provide convenience as they come in very small sizes. They are more reliable, lightweight and faster – making them the perfect replacement of conventional HDDs.
The only downside of SSDs as of now is the storage size or rather value per gigabyte. Hard Disk Drives come is varying storage sizes as high as 10TB. SSDs on other hands, don’t offer this much storage – and their prices are pretty much higher than HDDs.
Taking this into consideration, it depends on the priority whether you should buy an SSD or an HDD. If you need more space at less price, go for an HDD. If you need more speed and portability, SSD is for you.
In this list, GizmoGIGA showcases some of the best external SSDs available right now to help you enhance your storage with more speed, portability, and reliability.
Best External SSDs You Can Buy Right Now
1. SanDisk Extreme 500
Size: 120GB/250GB/500GB/1TB
Price (250GB): $93.47 (Save $46.52)
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At A Glance
- Read speed of up to 415MB/s for fast transfers
- Password protection and 128-bit AES encryption software included
- Designed with a rugged rubber bumper. Shock and vibration resistant
- USB-powered
2. Samsung T3
Size: 250GB/500GB/1TB/2TB
Price (250GB): $147.85
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At A Glance
- Read/write speeds of up to 450MB/s
- Shock-resistant metal case and internal frame
- USB 3.1 Type-C port
- AES 256-bit encryption algorithm
- Weighs less than two ounces
3. PNY Elite
Size: 240GB/480GB
Price (240GB): $109.99
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At A Glance
- Super fast transfer speeds of up to 430MB/s
- Durable, ultra-compact aluminum housing
- USB 3.0 connectivity
- Weighs merely 1.3 ounces
4. SanDisk Extreme 900
Size: 480GB/960GB/1.92TB
Price (480GB): $288.00
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At A Glance
- Up to 850MB/s read and write speeds
- Work directly from the drive with up to 35X faster access times
- Password-protection and 128-bit AES encryption software
- Designed with a rugged rubber bumper. Shock and vibration resistant
5. Verbatim Vx450
Size: 128GB/256GB
Price (128GB): $68.50
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At A Glance
- Read Speeds up to 450MB/sec, Write speeds up to 295MB/sec
- Shock resistant
- USB 3.0 connectivity and internal mSATA interface
- Weighs 1.6 ounces
6. Western Digital My Passport
Size: 256GB/512GB/1TB
Price (256GB): $199.80
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At A Glance
- Blazing-fast file transfers with speeds up to 515MB/s
- Password protection with built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption
- USB Type-C and USB 3.1 Gen 2 ready
- Shock-resistant
7. VectoTech Rapid
Size: 128GB/250GB/500GB/1TB/2TB/4TB
Price (250GB): $99.99
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At A Glance
- Super fast Read/Write speeds up to 450Mb/s
- USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface
- Shock and vibration resistant
8. MyDigitalSSD BP5
Size: 256GB/512GB
Price (256GB): $109.99
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At A Glance
- Data transfer speeds up to 465MB/s
- USB 3.0 interface
- Compact design: 112.5mm x 47mm x 10.5mm
- Includes four interchangeable rubber sleeves
9. ADATA SE730
Size: 250GB/256GB/512GB
Price (250GB): $120.19
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At A Glance
- Data transfer speeds up to 500MB/s
- ip68-certified, waterproof design
- MIL-STD-810G 516.6 certified for shock resistance
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 type C interface
- Measures 2.8” x 1.7” with thickness of merely 0.7”
10. LaCie Rugged SSD
Size: 250GB/500GB/1TB/2TB/4TB/5TB
Price (250GB): $250.99
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At A Glance
- Thunderbolt speeds of up to 387 MB/s
- Integrated Thunderbolt cable
- IP-54 certified: shock, dust, and water resistant
- USB 3.0 port
Best External SSDs: Summary
With many external SSDs available from different makers at varying prices, choosing the best one could be a tough job. To make your task easy, GizmoGIGA has listed top 10 best external SSDs above. Just choose any of them depending on your budget and requirement.
Looking for more options in external storage? Go have a look at all external HDDs/SDDs available on Amazon.
Please note that the data transfer speeds mentioned above are indicative only. The performance may vary depending on actual usage conditions.
Prices mentioned here are for comparison purpose only. Actual prices may differ. Check final prices before you place your order.
