External SSDs: A Comprehensive Review and Comparison of 1 TB Models for Capacity Expansion and Data Transfer

We conducted the last test of external SSDs at Computer in 2019. Apart from price reductions, not much has changed in this category over the next three years, but now the time has come for another comparison. An innovative USB interface with twice the speed has arrived even in reasonable price ranges.

As far as prices are concerned, in the current comparison they are at very similar levels to four years ago, but the capacity is double. You can thus purchase a terabyte external drive for a price slightly above two thousand. Compared to the higher-quality internal NVMe SSD, the external version costs about 700 CZK extra.

Capacity expansion and data transfer

While in the past we perceived external storage of all types primarily as a tool for transferring data from one computer to another, currently the purpose has changed significantly. Many users purchase a fast external SSD as a capacity expansion for their laptop, which does not allow for a regular upgrade.

For Apple and its MacBooks, this policy has been set for several years, but other manufacturers are gradually joining. Therefore, if you do not pay for a higher capacity of internal storage immediately upon purchase, you will not be able to increase it in the future. The solution may be to buy an external SSD. When used at home (ideally with a docking station), it practically does not reduce comfort, of course an external drive will be extra when traveling. At the same time, thanks to the speeds, it doesn’t even have to be a storage place for photos and movies, all applications can be fully installed on fast external SSDs and used just as quickly as internal storage. A second system can even be installed on such storage and used at full speeds.

Samsung or WD also add an application to their storage that allows you to encrypt the data on the disk and protect it with a password. Without it, the data will not appear in the system

However, data transfer can also be the primary purpose of an external SSD. You will appreciate the advantage of fast transfers not only when working primarily with data, but also if you want to encrypt sensitive data. For some models, you will find the software for password security directly on the disk after purchase, but in truth we recommend some of the open-source solutions. An excellent cross-platform utility is, for example, VeraCrypt.

USB i Thunderbolt

If you want really fast external storage, then Thunderbolt is your only option. In its third version, which you usually find with external SSDs, it offers a theoretical maximum data transfer rate of 40 Gb/s. Data should thus flow at a speed of up to 5 GB/s during sequential access. Although this is not possible in real operation, as the measurement showed, it is easy to get above 3 GB/s. That’s enough speed for smooth 8K video editing directly from external storage, let alone any less demanding use.

However, the problem is the prices and poor availability of such repositories. We managed to secure a single SSD with a Thunderbolt 3 interface for our test, the price of which climbs to ten thousand crowns. This is more than four times the cheapest storage with a USB interface. At the same time, Thunderbolt is not a standard feature of laptops or motherboards, and only a fraction of machines support it. However, Apple, for example, is betting on it, so it will be a suitable way to expand the capacities of MacBooks.

If you are satisfied with lower (about half) speeds, then USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 comes next. This offers a theoretical maximum of 20 Gb/s, and in real life we ​​achieved speeds of around 2 Gb/s when reading sequentially. This is a third of the speed drop compared to storage equipped with Thunderbolt, but at a quarter of the price.

Even here, however, things are not happy with interface support – we find this interface primarily on upper-middle-class motherboards, and the same applies to notebooks. Of course, there is also no backward support for USB 4, when MacBooks are again a typical example. Those in the physical USB-C connector combine the Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 interfaces. However, Apple has rejected backward compatibility with the Gen 2×2 standard, and storage with this interface will be degraded to USB 3.2 Gen 2 with a theoretical maximum of 10 Gb/s and real sequential at speeds around 1 GB/s.

The paradox of MacBook Air with Apple M2. On the left is the speed of the internal storage, on the right is the fast external SSD with Thunderbolt 3 – when reading sequential data, it is 3x faster!

The same applies, for example, to the latest work machine Dell XPS 13 with USB 4 or to the gaming Alienware m15 R7. On the contrary, Lenovo did not forget about USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 in the ThinkPad Z13 notebook.

Before buying storage with this interface, always check carefully whether your machine supports it – look for either a direct mention of the name in the specifications, or a transfer speed of 20 Gb/s for one of the USB-C connectors.

Be careful with cables and consoles

In addition to the interface itself on both sides, you also need to use the correct cable – ideally the one you will find in the package. However, if you want, for example, a longer variant, check the supported interfaces again when purchasing. It will be easiest in the case of a cable for Thunderbolt, when you will explicitly find this interface named. However, there is a real stew with cables with a USB-C connector and it is not entirely easy to know them. And that’s not only because of the number of current standards, but also because of the older designation that many sellers still use in product descriptions.

In the table you will find all the standards you may encounter.

If you want to buy a fast external SSD for a game console, choose according to the standards here as well. In this test, you will find a pair of storage devices that are directly aimed at gamers, but both work with the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface. The catch is that none of the latest consoles support this interface and the speed will be degraded to the fastest compatible interface.

For the PlayStation 5, it will be a single-line USB 3.2 and therefore the speed will be reduced to half of 10 Gb/s, for the Xbox Series X/S then even to 5 Gb/s. Therefore, data from an external SSD will not flow nearly as fast as in the case of internal storage (40 Gb/s), which would require support for the Thunderbolt 3 interface.

They survive the fall and the water

Compared to conventional mechanical disks, the durability of external SSDs is a huge advantage when transferring data. Even if the manufacturer does not add a durable case, the very principle without mechanical parts will help. In addition, if the memory module is enclosed in a durable structure, the data will at least be safe from physical destruction. All of the storage in the test can easily withstand a normal drop from a tabletop, and most of them add extra durability.

Kingston chose a variant with a rubber sleeve that protects the corners and edges of the storage, but at the same time it can be removed. Without it, the storage weighs only 41 g, the smallest in the test

Manufacturers often indicate drops from a height of three meters, and four models out of nine tested boast one of the degrees of protection (IP6X). While the test winner can withstand long-term submersion in water (IP68), others can also survive being splashed with water (IP65). Such properties are practically unthinkable for mechanical discs, if we did not put them in thick foam covers. And even in such a case, a crash could occur with strong vibrations.

The overall processing level is one of the biggest surprises in the test. Most manufacturers rely on metal or at least metal frames in combination with very strong plastic. By the way, metal here not only plays a role in durability, but also in cooling. Thanks to its good heat dissipation, it can completely eliminate thermal throttling, i.e. performance reduction due to overheating.

Do it yourself

Whether you’re upgrading your laptop or desktop storage, you’ll most likely be left with an extra NVMe SSD module. If you can’t fit it into a board with two M.2 slots, it can still be used as external storage. A frame with a fast USB or Thunderbolt interface into which you insert the module will suffice.

The price of such a box starts at around five hundred for the version with USB 3.2 Gen 2. For a faster interface, unfortunately, it is necessary to expect larger surcharges. Depending on the selected controller in the box itself, higher speeds can be achieved than with standard external SSDs. After all, this was also shown in our test, in which a similar kit under the Asome brand took part. This box with an embedded SSD from Goodram managed speeds of around 900MB/s in sequential data transfer, making it the fastest variant with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface.

If you have an NVMe SSD left over after upgrading, you can turn it into a fast external storage with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support. Roline is selling the box for about two thousand

Such a kit can be worthwhile if you desire an external SSD with a higher capacity (2 TB and more). The surcharges for common solutions are higher here, and the kit can thus be a more advantageous option. However, when purchasing, you need to pay attention to compatibility with these capacities. Many controllers in these boxes are limited by a capacity of 2 TB and will not load larger NVMe SSDs.

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