Best external drives 2021: Reviews and buying advice

Exterior USB/Thunderbolt drives are a super-convenient method to shortly again up your necessary recordsdata, in addition to retailer any information that you just don’t want in your laptop’s inner storage. They’re additionally an especially helpful method to transport information between places and units.

Whereas any of those can be a terrific purpose to select up an exterior drive, some great benefits of having dependable backup is the number-one purpose your setup isn’t full with out one. Why? Likelihood is you could have necessary information in your PC you could’t afford to lose. To guard that information you’ll wish to do two issues: retailer it off-site on the cloud if doable and again it as much as an exterior drive. This manner you guarantee your information is totally secure ought to something go mistaken together with your laptop.

Whereas we extremely advocate that you just take into account cloud storage as a backup choice, restoring from native storage is usually far, far sooner than pulling your information down from the cloud. Due to this fact, an exterior drive must be your main hedge towards catastrophe.

Why you need to belief us: We’re PCWorld. We’ve been placing laptop {hardware} by its paces for many years. We’ve seen all of it and we all know learn how to root out a drive’s strengths and weaknesses, utilizing a mix of rigorous benchmark testing and real-world hands-on use. Beneath we provide our skilled suggestions on one of the best exterior drives for all the things from blazing-fast efficiency, to finances choices, to portability, and extra.

Up to date 1/5/2023: To incorporate the OWC Specific 1M2 as our new selection for finest USB4/Thunderbolt combo. Learn extra about this quick and versatile decide in our abstract beneath.

Essential X9 Professional – Greatest 10Gbps exterior SSD

Execs

Tremendous small type issue

Nice 10Gbps efficiency

Good-looking design

Cons

Not the least costly 10Gbps SSD out there

Not everybody needs and even wants 20Gbps USB drive efficiency, which comes at a value premium anyway. The Essential X9 strikes a compelling stability between top-shelf efficiency and affordability that ought to please the vast majority of customers. In our benchmark exams, it traded prime scores with the SK Hynix Beetle (our runner-up selection beneath), however at a considerably decrease value. Making it an indeniable win-win for customers.

It’s additionally good-looking, described by our reviewer as “a svelte object of need.” Extra importantly, it feels properly made, and is rated for IP55 mud and spray resistance, so that you don’t must child this moveable drive while you take it out.

Learn our full

Essential X9 Professional evaluation

SK Hynix Beetle X31 – Greatest 10Gbps exterior SSD runner-up

Execs

High 10Gbps performer

Compact, rounded design

Cons

Accessible solely in pale gold

Pricier than the competitors

As acknowledged above, the SK Hynix Beetle X31 is each bit the performer as our prime decide within the 10Gbps realm, with the 2 having fun with an equal variety of wins in our benchmarks and handily besting the competitors. However the place the SK Hynix loses its edge is on value. Proper now, it’s about $13 extra for 1TB than the Essential X9.

It’s additionally extra blinged out. Peep that gold scarab-inspired exterior. It can sit proudly on any desk, and for some consumers which may make the additional value price it.

Essential X6 Moveable SSD (2TB) – Greatest finances 10Gbps exterior SSD

Execs

Ergonomic design

Good on a regular basis efficiency

Very reasonably priced for an exterior SSD

Cons

Efficiency tanks when cache runs out

The Essential X6 Moveable SSD is sq. to be hip (search Huey Lewis). Or positioned in your hip pocket, at any price. In a sea of moveable SSDs whose form and typically sharp edges makes them a literal ache when located in your shirt or trousers, the skinny, rounded-edge X6 is a sigh of reduction. It’s not state-of-the-art quick, but it surely’s quick sufficient for many customers and intensely reasonably priced.

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Essential X6 Moveable SSD evaluation

Essential X10 Professional – Greatest 20Gbps exterior SSD

Execs

Near Thunderbolt 3 SSD efficiency in real-world transfers

Tremendous-svelte type issue

IP55 rated to withstand mud and spray

Cons

Pricier than 10Gbps SSDs

No Sort-A adapter included

When you’ve received a 20Gbps USB port, you possibly can’t get higher efficiency than this drive (wanting a a lot pricier Thunderbolt choice). This makes it good for gaming—the place as of late a single recreation can absorb 50GB or 100GB—or actually any job involving giant quantities of information that have to be transferred quick.

The Essential X10 was most spectacular in our real-world benchmarks, doing exceptionally properly in 48GB and 450GB reads and writes, the place it beat all 20Gbps contenders and was surprisingly neck-and-neck with a Thunderbolt 3 competitor. (Study extra about how we consider one of the best exterior SSD for gaming.)

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Essential X10 Professional evaluation

Teamgroup M200 – Greatest finances 20Gbps SSD

Execs

Quick on a regular basis efficiency

Accessible in as much as 8TB (ultimately) capability

Attractively styled

Cons

No TBW ranking

Firm will change elements if shortages demand

Writes sluggish to 200MBps off cache

Rated for 20Gbps and promoting for $90 with 1TB of storage, the Teamgroup M200 is a pretty (in a navy vogue) exterior drive for the budget-conscious efficiency fanatic.

It may not be as low cost because the Essential X6, however for the additional outlay you get excellent on a regular basis efficiency — in lots of exams, it’s the quickest 20Gbps drive we’ve ever examined. At simply 4.13-inches lengthy and a couple of.18-inches broad and weighing underneath 3 ounces, it’s additionally extraordinarily moveable and its slick styling will attraction to avid gamers.

Learn our full

Teamgroup T-Power M200 20Gbps USB SSD evaluation

Samsung T7 Protect 4TB – Greatest 20Gbps high-capacity efficiency drive

Execs

Quick 1GBps sustained transfers

Wonderful actual world efficiency

Huge 4TB capability

Svelte and good-looking

Cons

Not low cost

Small 4K efficiency glitch underneath CrystalDiskMark 8 writing 4K recordsdata

As soon as our prime decide total, the Samsung T7 Protect has been overtake in uncooked speeds by the 2 newcomers above. But when the 2TB restrict of the drives above has you feeling too confined, the T7 Protect 4TB is an effective choice.

The T7 Protect additionally leans into bodily safety, with an IP65 scores towards particulate matter and water spray. Going mountaineering together with your information? A T7 Protect is an effective selection, and you may safe it with software-based password safety in lieu of a fingerprint.

With its top-tier speeds and huge capability, the T7 4TB mannequin is able to dealing with the most important end-user information units on the go.

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Samsung T7 4TB evaluation

Adata Elite SE880 SSD – Most moveable 20Gbps exterior drive

Execs

Very quick, over-20Gbps USB connection

Extraordinarily small type issue

5-year guarantee

Cons

Slows significantly throughout lengthy contiguous writes

Considerably low TBW ranking

No exterior SSD we’ve seen can match Adata’s Elite SE880 for portability. Certainly, measuring solely 2.55 inches lengthy, 1.38 inches broad, and 0.48 inches thick, it reminds you extra of a USB thumb drive than your commonplace exterior SSD. It additionally weighs a mere 1.1 ounces, so it vanishes out of your consciousness within the pocket.

In real-world 48GB switch exams, the Elite SD880 beat out fairly a couple of of its opponents, although it misplaced vital floor within the longer 450GB write check. Photograph and video professionals with giant recordsdata to switch would possibly wish to take into account speedier choices.

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Adata Elite SE880 SSD evaluation

Kingston XS200 USB SSD – Most moveable high-capacity 20Gbps exterior SSD

Execs

Tremendous svelte

Good 20Gbps efficiency

Accessible in as much as 4TB in capability

Cons

Slower than a lot of the competitors

Not a lot of a looker

The Kingston XS2000 is an admirable mix of dimension, capability, velocity, and affordability. With as much as 4TB in capability, it is likely one of the most capacious drives that also suits in smaller pockets.

The XS2000 is a 20Gbps USB drive, and whereas it lagged as a reader in comparison with many of the 20Gbps competitors, it beats the pants off of the 10Gbps drives in artificial benchmarks and our 48GB transfers. The 450GB write was very sluggish, however total, it’s a decently quick SSD and a strong product that provides a ton of storage in a really small type issue.

Word: Kingston despatched us a up to date model that solved its sluggish learn efficiency in artificial benchmarks. The 450GB write remained sluggish.

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Kingston XS2000 USB SSD evaluation

OWC Specific 1M2 USB4 SSD – Greatest USB4/Thunderbolt combo exterior SSD

Execs

Over 30GBps transfers with USB4

Works with all USB and Thunderbolt 3/4 ports

Accessible unpopulated so you possibly can leverage any NVMe SSD

Cons

A bit expensive when loaded with an SSD

Massive (however beefy) for an exterior SSD

Positive the SanDisk Professional-G40 is a quick, twin USB/Thunderbolt drive, however the OWC Specific 1M2 takes quick USB transfers to a complete new stage with USB4. The brand new USB4 expertise permits for blazing-fast information switch charges as much as a most of 40Gbps — the identical as Thunderbolt 4. And the OWC Specific proves it. In our exams, it was the quickest exterior drive over each bus: Thunderbolt 4, 20Gbps USB, and 10Gbps USB. So it doesn’t matter what you select to make use of, the 1M2 is the final word drive for velocity.

The drive itself appears to be like very very like a large silver heatsink (the pink hue is the results of lighting) and feels fairly giant and hefty in comparison with among the different drives on this record. We don’t thoughts it as the entire design makes the drive really feel prefer it means enterprise, but it surely doesn’t make the 1M2 probably the most moveable exterior SSD both. Regardless, the OWC Specific 1M2 is at present one of many absolute quickest exterior drives round for those who’re feeling the necessity for velocity.

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OWC Specific 1M2 USB4 SSD evaluation

Samsung T5 EVO – Greatest exterior SSD for big backups

Execs

As much as 8TB of capability

Small and rugged

Far sooner than exhausting drives

Cons

Solely 5Gbps USB (400MBps)

Silicon-like jacket attracts small particulate matter

Typically you simply want house, a whole lot of house. Perhaps you’re a video editor or inventive skilled who must retailer large media recordsdata. Or possibly you simply have the world’s largest library of cat movies. No judgment. Both manner, you want the Samsung T5 EVO. This rugged unhealthy boy comes with a whopping 8TB of space for storing. You learn that proper — 8 terabytes. That must be sufficient regardless of your wants, feline or in any other case.

The T5 EVO has a pretty design with a rugged silicon-like exterior that’s rated as much as a formidable 1500Gs. It isn’t the quickest drive because it makes use of USB 3.2 (Gen 1), which implies information switch charges will likely be capped at 550MBps. However the T5 EVO is all about capability slightly than stellar efficiency anyhow. For reasonably priced capability from a reliable model, the Samsung T5 EVO must be your go-to.

WD My Passport 5TB – Greatest exterior exhausting drive

Execs

Wonderful value per gigabyte

Good styling

Complete software program suite

Cons

Slower than common with giant recordsdata

In case your main want from an exterior drive is information backup, WD’s My Passport 5TB is for you. You wish to know why? It’s proper there within the identify — that further 1TB might be invaluable on this age of 4K/8K. Moreover, you don’t want the velocity of an SSD to carry out upkeep backups, which might be scheduled for instances that create the least doable disruption. And by going with a tough drive over SSD, it can save you a great deal of cash.

What it is advisable to know before you purchase

Capability versus value

For many customers, the first purchasing standards for exterior storage are capability and value. Nonetheless, when you would possibly suppose that the lowest-cost drives present probably the most worth–they don’t. In actual fact, greenback for greenback, cheaper low-capacity drives have at all times been the worst deal by way of value per terabyte.

You possibly can see the phenomena within the charts beneath the place we examine the favored WD Components desktop exhausting drive’s out there capacities and costs. You’re paying greater than twice as a lot per terabyte for the lowest-capacity drive versus the subsequent step up. It’s nearly as unhealthy on the WD Components Moveable drive.

IDG

One of the best “worth,” as you possibly can see, usually means probably the most capacious exhausting drives. However it additionally means increased whole value, and never everybody wants most capability.

How a lot capability do you want?

So how a lot storage do you really want? For backup, we advocate a drive that’s not less than twice the capability of the overall quantity of information residing in your PC’s inner storage.

You probably have 1TB of storage in your PC, a 2TB drive permits you to make a full backup whereas conserving earlier variations, in addition to extra differential and incremental backups. I.e., the bigger the capability, the extra backups over an extended time period you possibly can preserve, or the extra PCs you possibly can again as much as the identical drive.

Whereas a desktop exhausting drive (learn 3.5-inch) supplies much more capability (as much as 26TB at present for those who’re an information middle), it additionally requires an influence cable, weighs extra, and customarily received’t be as shock resistant as a conveyable 2.5-inch exhausting drive. The latter is designed to take bumps in a laptop computer, even when powered up. Then once more, for those who actually need rugged–go the SSD route.

Interface

The overwhelming majority of exterior drives right now are USB drives. Nonetheless, USB is available in many speeds: 5Gbps, 10Gbps, 20GBps, and—ultimately with USB4—40Gbps as with Thunderbolt 3/4. Ignore the model quantity (3.x) and search for the velocity.

The USB Discussion board has modified its nomenclature to point throughput velocity—SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps (previously USB 3.x gen 1), SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps (previously USB 3.x gen 2), and SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps (previously USB 3.2 2×2). For the sake of brevity (and our sanity), we typically shorten these to, for instance, USB 10Gbps, 10Gbps USB, 10Gbps and so on.

All USB exhausting drives use a slower commonplace, usually USB 5Gbps. No exhausting drive, until mixed with different drives in RAID 0 or above, can saturate even the 5Gbps interface (roughly 500MBps real-world after overhead). Due to that, you’ll by no means see one rated increased.

The place SuperSpeed 10Gbps/20Gbps, USB4, or Thunderbolt are of worth is with the aforementioned RAID exhausting drive setups, or extra doubtless—an SSD. USB 10Gbps is quick sufficient for many customers, and getting cheaper by the week. A 10Gbps Samsung T7 Protect might be had for $80 in a 1TB capability.

Sooner USB 20Gbps (Gen 2×2) principally doubles velocity however strikes you right into a higher-price bracket, with the Seagate Firecuda Gaming SSD costing $100 for under 500GB of storage. Though far sooner than 5/10Gbps, there nonetheless aren’t a whole lot of USB 20Gbps/USB4 ports on the market.

Thunderbolt 3 and the newer Thunderbolt 4 (nearly precisely the identical factor with stricter implementation necessities) are the highest-performing interfaces for exterior storage. The important thing negatives are the premium pricing and a common lack of compatibility with the much more common USB.

That mentioned, there are twin Thunderbolt/USB SSDs out there such because the Sandisk Professional-G40. The G40 is costly at $160 for 1TB, however a unbelievable drive for many who can afford it. Pure Thunderbolt exterior SSDs might be even pricier, as they’re nearly all bought by Mac-oriented boutique distributors akin to OWC and Sabrent.

Ports

Exterior drives include quite a lot of ports, although they’re progressively (and fortunately) consolidating on the orientation-agnostic Sort-C connector. Right here’s the record of connectors you would possibly see in your drive:

USB 3 Micro-B — This wider, flatter port continues to be quite common on many lower-cost moveable and desktop exterior exhausting drives. It’s truly the identical Micro USB port used in your telephone, however with extra information strains to hit USB 3.0 speeds. It’ll do 5Gbps and is okay for exhausting drives and SATA (internally) SSDs. Micro-B cables are typically Sort-A on the PC finish.

USB 3 Sort-B is the bigger, squarer model of USB 3.0 Micro B. Sort B ports have gotten uncommon, although you would possibly discover one on older 5.25-inch enclosures, printers, and scanners. It helps speeds as much as 5Gbps and cables are typically Sort-A on the PC facet. 

USB Sort-C or just Sort-C is the most recent USB connector and the one the world is standardizing on. It’s small, simple to insert, and also you don’t have to fret about which facet faces up as with Sort-A.

Needless to say Sort-C refers solely to the connector itself. What’s carried over the wires varies drastically: USB 2.0 Excessive Pace (480Mbps) to USB 3.2 SuperSpeed 20Gbps, in addition to USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 and any mixture of them.

USB Sort-A You received’t discover this acquainted rectangular port on any drive, however you’ll nonetheless discover it on loads of PCs and laptops in addition to the male model on the opposite finish of most Sort-B and Sort-C adapter cables.

Thunderbolt 2 is lifeless at this level. It’s discovered on older Macs, however even Apple put it out to pasture in 2017. There’s no have to spend money on a Thunderbolt 2 drive until it’s for legacy help points. That mentioned…

…Apple sells a bi-directional Thunderbolt 1/2 to three adapter if it is advisable to join the one technology to the opposite. The adapter doesn’t, nonetheless, carry energy, so bus-powered exterior drives (no energy jack) would require a powered dock.

eSATA is one other legacy port that’s disappeared from newer tech. Created for attaching exterior storage to your laptop’s SATA bus, eSATA was an affordable manner in its day to maneuver past the toddling 60MBps efficiency of USB 2.0.

5Gbps USB 3.0 put the final nail in eSATA’s coffin. As with Thunderbolt 2, the one purpose to spend money on an eSATA drive is to be used with older computer systems.

Two drives for backup?

There’s a basic maxim in backup, appropriately named the Rule of Three. It states that you need to at all times keep three copies of your irreplaceable information: the unique information, a backup, and a backup of the backup.

Ideally, the 2 backups are stored in separate places, one being offsite (on-line, or one other location). Holding a replica on-line is nice for smaller quantities of information and positively meets the offsite standards.

Nonetheless, for huge photograph, audio, and/or video collections, exterior drives in pairs (or extra), are a far sooner answer. Particularly with most broadband nonetheless being comparatively restricted in upstream velocity.  

For steering on constructing out one of the best backup plan doable, see our roundups of one of the best cloud backup companies and finest Home windows backup software program.

How we check

A few of the older evaluations you would possibly discover right here function outcomes gathered on an Intel Core i7-5820K/X99 motherboard with 64GB of Kingston DDR4 reminiscence operating Home windows 10. A discrete Gigabyte Alpine Ridge Thunderbolt 3 card and Ableconn USB 3.2 2×2 20Gbps card (Asmedia 2142 controller) had been used for connecting the exterior drives. An Asus USB 3.1/10Gbps (Asmedia 1142 controller) card was employed for among the actually previous drives on the chart. 

Subsequently, drives had been examined utilizing Home windows 11 64-bit operating on an MSI MEG X570/AMD Ryzen 3700X combo with 4 16GB Kingston 2666MHz DDR4 modules, a Zotac (Nvidia) GT 710 1GB x2 PCIe graphics card, and the Asmedia ASM3242 USB 3.2×2 card. Copy exams make the most of an ImDisk RAM disk utilizing 58GB of the 64GB whole reminiscence.

At the moment, we’re utilizing Home windows 11 64-bit operating on an X790 (PCIe 4.0/5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 4800MHz modules (64GB of reminiscence whole). Each 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 4 are on the board and Intel built-in graphics are employed. The 48GB switch exams make the most of an ImDisk RAM disk taking on 58GB of the 64GB of whole reminiscence. The 450GB file is transferred from a Samsung 990 Professional 2TB which additionally runs the OS.

We run numerous artificial benchmarks together with Crystal Disk Mark 6/7/8, AS SSD 2, and Iometer. We additionally carry out real-world switch exams utilizing a 48GB batch of small recordsdata and folders, in addition to a big 48GB and 450GB recordsdata. The testbed boots from a NVMe drive, however the real-world (Home windows) file transfers are carried out to and from a 58GB RAM disk.

Word that each one evaluation charts function outcomes garnered from the identical check mattress.