External Portable SSD Drives gives you more capacity than the regular USB sticks , and at the same time gives you high performance. How? most of these drives will have a high-performance storage I/O controller which typically load balances across multiple NAND chips. So why do you need them?
It is because our storage requirements are increasing day by day. Conventional HDDs are great for having a substantial data-storage capacity at your disposal. However, the main issue with them was that you could not carry them with you everywhere. They were not intended to be more portable. Moreover, you had to open up the entire system & laptop to replace your internal HDD’s. Then came mobile HDDs. These hard-disks are highly portable since all they require is a simple USB connection to get connected to the system, let it be your desktop or laptop or even a mobile device.
Portable SSDs are similar to these portable HDDs. They use a Thunderbolt / USB connection for getting installed on the system without installing any additional drivers . The main advantage is that you get the high performance of an SSD with portability support. Most of these models ship with a protective enclosure, so it is pretty safe to carry them along. Moreover, they are pretty small in size too, compared to conventional portable – external hard disk drives.
External Portable SSD Drives Today, we have compiled a list of some of the best external portable SSD drives available out there in the market, with their full technical details, features, and specifications. It will help you to pick the right product for yourself. Here we go:
1. Samsung Portable SSD T5 (500GB):
Check On Amazon Check On Newegg
Miscellaneous Encryption Algorithm 256-bit AES Color Category blue Hardware Encryption Yes
Power Interface Provided Qty 1 Connector Type 24 pin USB-C Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2
Hard Drive Features USB Attached SCSI Protocol (UASP) compliant, V-NAND Technology, password authentication, shock-resistant Hard Drive Type external hard drive External Drive Type portable Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2 Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2
Performance Max Data Transfer Rate 540 MB/s Interface Transfer Rate 10.0 Gbps (USB 3.1) / 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.0) / 480 Mbps (USB 2.0)
External Hard Drive Power Source USB bus Interface Speed 10.0 Gbps (USB 3.1) / 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.0) / 480 Mbps (USB 2.0) Max Data Transfer Rate 540 USB-C Port Yes
Dimensions & Weight Width 2.9 in Depth 0.4 in Height 2.3 in Weight 1.8 oz
2. SanDisk Extreme 900 Portable SSD (480GB):
Check On Amazon Check On Newegg
Miscellaneous Encryption Algorithm 128-bit AES Color Category black
Interface Provided Qty 1 Connector Type 24 pin USB-C Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2
Hard Drive Features impact-resistant, shock-resistant, software encryption, vibration dampening Hard Drive Type external hard drive External Drive Type portable Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2 Interface USB 3.1 Internal Data Rate 850 MBps Internal Data Rate (Write) 850 MBps
Performance Internal Data Rate 850 MBps (read) / 850 MBps (write)
Software & System Requirements Software Included SanDisk SecureAccess
System Requirements OS Required Apple MacOS X 10.6 or later, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 8.1
Environmental Parameters Min Operating Temperature -4 °F Max Operating Temperature 158 °F
External Hard Drive Dimensions & Weight Width 0.7 in Depth 3.2 in Height 5.2 in Weight 7.42 oz
Service & Support Details Full Contract Period 3 years Type limited warranty
3. ADATA Durable SD700 – 512 GB:
Check On Amazon Check On Newegg
Miscellaneous Power Interface Provided Qty 1 Connector Type 10 pin Micro-USB Type B Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 1
Hard Drive Features DRAM cache, dustproof, shock-resistant, water-resistant Hard Drive Type external hard drive External Drive Type portable Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 1 Interface USB 3.1 Gen 1 NAND Flash Memory Type 3D triple-level cell (TLC) Internal Data Rate 440 MBps Internal Data Rate (Write) 430 MBps
Performance Internal Data Rate 440 MBps (read) / 430 MBps (write) Interface Transfer Rate 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.1) / 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.0) / 480 Mbps (USB 2.0)
System Requirements OS Required Android 5.0 or later, Apple MacOS X 10.6 or later, Linux 2.6 or later, Microsoft Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10
Environmental Parameters Min Operating Temperature 41 °F Max Operating Temperature 122 °F
External Hard Drive Power Source USB bus Interface Speed 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.1) / 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.0) / 480 Mbps (USB 2.0)
Dimensions & Weight Width 3.3 in Depth 3.3 in Height 0.5 in Weight 3.53 oz
Cable Details Type SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Type A to micro-USB Type B cable Form Factor external Included Qty 1
Service & Support Details Full Contract Period 3 years Type limited warranty
4. WD My Passport SSD (512GB):
Check On Amazon Check On Newegg
Miscellaneous Encryption Algorithm 256-bit AES Color black top with gunmetal (medium metallic gray) bottom Color Category black Hardware Encryption Yes
Power Interface Provided Qty 1 Connector Type 24 pin USB-C Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2
Hard Drive Features automatic backup, password authentication, shock-resistant Hard Drive Type external hard drive External Drive Type portable Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2
Performance Max Data Transfer Rate 515 MB/s Interface Transfer Rate 10.0 Gbps (USB 3.1) / 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.0) / 480 Mbps (USB 2.0)
Software & System Requirements Software Included WD Security, WD Drive Utilities, WD Backup, WD Discovery
System Requirements OS Required Apple OS X 10.10 Yosemite, Microsoft Windows 7 / 8.1 / 10
Environmental Parameters Min Storage Temperature -4 °F Max Storage Temperature 149 °F Min Operating Temperature 41 °F Max Operating Temperature 95 °F
External Hard Drive Power Source USB bus Interface Speed 10.0 Gbps (USB 3.1) / 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.0) / 480 Mbps (USB 2.0) Max Data Transfer Rate 515 USB-C Port Yes
Dimensions & Weight Width 1.8 in Depth 3.5 in Height 0.4 in
Cable Details Type USB-C cable, USB-C to USB-A adapter Included Qty 1
Service & Support Details Full Contract Period 3 years Type limited warranty
5. SanDisk Extreme 500 Portable – 250 GB:
Check On Amazon Check On Newegg
Miscellaneous Interface Provided Qty 1 Connector Type 9 pin USB Type A Storage Interface USB 3.0
Hard Drive Features heat-resistant, shock-resistant, software encryption, vibration dampening Hard Drive Type external hard drive External Drive Type portable Storage Interface USB 3.0 Interface USB 3.0 Internal Data Rate 415 MBps Internal Data Rate (Write) 365 MBps
Performance Internal Data Rate 415 MBps (read) / 365 MBps (write)
Software & System Requirements Software Included SanDisk SecureAccess
System Requirements OS Required Apple MacOS X 10.6 or later, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows 8, Windows 8.1
Environmental Parameters Min Operating Temperature 32 °F Max Operating Temperature 113 °F
Dimensions & Weight Width 3 in Depth 0.4 in Height 3 in Weight 2.78 oz
Service & Support Details Full Contract Period 3 years Type limited warranty
6. SanDisk Extreme – 500 GB:
Check On Amazon Check On Newegg
Miscellaneous Encryption Algorithm 128-bit AES Color Category black, red
Interface Provided Qty 1 Connector Type 24 pin USB-C Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2
Hard Drive Features dustproof, rugged, shock-resistant, software encryption, vibration dampening, water-resistant Hard Drive Type external hard drive External Drive Type portable Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2 Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2 Internal Data Rate 550 MBps
Performance Internal Data Rate 550 MBps
Software & System Requirements Software Included SanDisk SecureAccess
System Requirements OS Required Apple MacOS X 10.4 or later, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows 10, Windows 8
Environmental Parameters Min Storage Temperature -4 °F Max Storage Temperature 158 °F Min Operating Temperature 32 °F Max Operating Temperature 113 °F
External Hard Drive Dimensions & Weight Height 0.4 in Weight 2.78 oz
Cable Details Type USB-C cable, USB-C to USB-A adapter Form Factor external Included Qty 1
Shock & Vibration Tolerance Shock Acceleration (Operating) 1500 g Shock Acceleration (Non-operating) 1500 g
7. Samsung Portable SSD T3 (250GB):
Check On Amazon Check On Newegg
Miscellaneous Encryption Algorithm 256-bit AES Color Category black, silver Hardware Encryption Yes
Power Interface Provided Qty 1 Connector Type 24 pin USB-C Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 1
Hard Drive Features USB Attached SCSI Protocol (UASP) compliant, shock-resistant Hard Drive Type external hard drive External Drive Type portable Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 1 Interface USB 3.1 Gen 1
Performance Max Data Transfer Rate 450 MB/s Interface Transfer Rate 10.0 Gbps (USB 3.1) / 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.0) / 480 Mbps (USB 2.0)
External Hard Drive Power Source USB bus Interface Speed 10.0 Gbps (USB 3.1) / 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.0) / 480 Mbps (USB 2.0) Max Data Transfer Rate 450 USB-C Port Yes
Dimensions & Weight Width 2.9 in Depth 0.4 in Height 2.3 in Weight 1.8 oz
Service & Support Details Full Contract Period 3 years Type limited warranty
8. Monster Digital OverDrive – 240 GB:
Check On Amazon Check On Newegg
Miscellaneous Color silver Included Hard Drive Accessories carrying pouch
Power Power Source Thunderbolt bus
Interface Provided Qty 1 Storage Interface Thunderbolt
Hard Drive Features Apple Time Machine compatible, LED access indicator, passive cooling, rugged Hard Drive Type external hard drive External Drive Type portable Storage Interface Thunderbolt Interface Thunderbolt
Performance Data Transfer Rate Details Thunderbolt (read): 500 MB/s Max Data Transfer Rate 500 MB/s Interface Transfer Rate 10 Gbps (Thunderbolt)
System Requirements OS Required Apple MacOS X 10.6.8 or later, Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8
Environmental Parameters Min Operating Temperature 32 °F Max Operating Temperature 158 °F
External Hard Drive Power Source Thunderbolt bus Internal Drive Interface Serial ATA-600 Interface Speed 10 Gbps (Thunderbolt) Max Data Transfer Rate 500
Data Transfer Rate Details Interface Thunderbolt (read), Thunderbolt (write) Speed 450 reps, 500 reps
Dimensions & Weight Width 3.3 in Depth 0.6 in Height 5.2 in Weight 8.01 oz
Cable Details Type Thunderbolt cable Form Factor integrated Included Qty 1 Length 9.8 in
Service & Support Details Service Included data recovery Full Contract Period 3 years, lifetime Type limited warranty
Shock & Vibration Tolerance Shock Acceleration (Non-operating) 500 g
9. Glyph Blackbox Plus (1TB)
Check On Amazon Check On Newegg
Miscellaneous Power Interface Provided Qty 1 Connector Type 24 pin USB-C Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2
Hard Drive Spindle Speed 7200 rpm Features HFS+ formatted, rugged, fanless design Hard Drive Type external hard drive Storage Interface USB 3.1 Gen 2 Interface Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Data Transfer Rate 140 MBps
Performance Max Data Transfer Rate 140 MB/s Drive Transfer Rate 140 MBps (external) Spindle Speed 7200 rpm
System Requirements OS Required Apple MacOS X 10.4 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista or later
External Hard Drive Power Source USB bus Max Data Transfer Rate 140 USB-C Port Yes
Dimensions & Weight Width 0.4 in, 3.7 in Depth 5.7 in, 0.6 in Height 0.8 in
Cable Details Type USB-C cable, USB-C to USB-A cable Form Factor external Included Qty 1
Service & Support Details Service Included advance parts replacement, data recovery Full Contract Period 1 year, 2 years, 3 years Type limited warranty
10. Verbatim Store ‘n’ Go USB 3.0 External SSD (128GB):
Check On Amazon Check On Newegg
Miscellaneous Color sleek black Color Category black Included Hard Drive Accessories carrying case
Power Interface Provided Qty 1 Storage Interface USB 3.0
Hard Drive Features rugged Hard Drive Type external hard drive External Drive Type portable Storage Interface USB 3.0 Interface USB 3.0
Performance Interface Transfer Rate 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.0)
System Requirements OS Required Apple MacOS X 10.4 or later, Linux 2.4.0 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista / XP / 7
External Hard Drive Power Source USB bus Interface Speed 5.0 Gbps (USB 3.0)
Dimensions & Weight Width 1.7 in Depth 3.5 in Height 0.4 in Weight 1.48 oz
Cable Details Type SuperSpeed USB cable Form Factor external Included Qty 1 Length 7.1 in
Service & Support Details Full Contract Period 2 years Type limited warranty
Conclusion: We hope our list of best external portable SSD drives helps you to pick the right product for yourself. Do let check out our other reviews and article about storage solutions. If you have any query or suggestion, feel free to contact us directly or simply comment below. See ya until next post!
Disclosure: We are a professional review website that sometimes receive compensation or free units from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.
