External SSDs Reviews

4,000 MB/s external storage at 2,000 MB/s pricing

LaCie’s Thunderbolt 5 drive is the fastest we’ve tested – but you may want to skip it even if you have TB5

More performance, please

The Beetle portable SSD gets a roomier 2TB option, and a silver metal shell with an included bumper case and two USB cables.

The Team Group PD20 Mini External SSD looks good and performs well enough for speedy mainstream use. But its sustained write performance is lacking, and some similarly performing drives cost less.

Seagate's Game Drive External SSD performs well and looks the part of a PlayStation accessory, but similarly-performing alternatives are available for much less.

Adata's SC750 delivers true 10Gbps SSD speeds in a compact (but wide) form factor. It's one of the fastest flash drives we've tested, and it will soon be available in capacities up to 2TB.

Perhaps the last hurrah for the portable hard drive

Lexar's SL500 and Professional SL600 do well on most of our tests. But our sustained write testing shows better-performing options are available at lower prices.

PNY's 20 Gbps "rugged" external drive performs well in bursty tasks, but can it handle sustained writes as well as similarly priced alternatives like Crucial's X10 Pro?