Finding the best external hard drive (HDD) or the best external SSD has several factors to consider. You need to think about what type of files you will store on your device, how often you will use them, and what kind of portability you need. To find the best storage device you must first know your goal with the device and then find the one with specifications that match your needs.
External hard drives are the most common type of portable storage device. They are usually cheaper than SSDs, and they offer a lot of storage space for their size. However, external hard drives are slower than SSDs, and they are not as durable.
External SSDs are newer than external hard drives, and they offer many benefits over their older counterparts. External SSDs are much faster than external hard drives, and they are also more durable. However, external SSDs are more expensive than external hard drives.
Important: No matter the device you choose, it can’t be the only place to hold your backup. Remember that, to keep your data safe, you must have at least two backups, even if it’s one on your cloud drive account and the other on your external SSD or external HDD.
If you need lots of storage space and you don’t mind if your device is a little slow, then an external hard drive is a good option for you.
If you need lots of storage space for your backups and have a budget, then an external hard drive would be your best choice since they usually have the best cost per GB.
The Seagate Backup Plus is the currently most compact external HDD, meaning you can keep it in space you can find in your home. The best news is that you can find it for less than $60. You can connect the Seagate Backup Plus on both Windows PCs and Macs, as long as they have a thunderbolt port.
The Seagate Backup Plus is available in 1TB, 4TB, and 5TB versions.
But, if you need an external HDD for a Mac backup, then SanDisk G-Drive Professional would be your best choice. It starts on 4TB, and it’s faster than most external hard drives. One more plus is its 5 years warranty. The downside, it costs more than other external HDDs.
If you need to store large video files, the best external hard disk for you is LaCie Rugged Portable HDD. It has a lot of storage capacity (up to 5TB), and you can use it with both Windows computers and Macs.
If you need to store large photo files, then LaCie d2 Professional is for you. It has speed, with reading speeds ups to 240MB/s, and space, with storage capacity from 4TB to up to 14TB. The bad news is it costs more than other external HDDs.
Games take up a lot of space. And you don’t want it to close without saving because your external HDD can support the game file.
WD Black P10 is a good choice for Xbox One. It has a high-speed and storage capacity of up to 5TB. It also works well with PC gaming and PS4.
Seagate FireCuda Gaming Hub is another great option for external HDD gaming. It has a low cost per GB and great performance.
Remember that even the best HDD can’t compete with a gaming SSD.
If you need a lot of storage space, the best external hard drive for your backups would be WD My Passport. It has drives with capacities of 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB options. Its warrant is for 3 years.
It has high-speed and hardware encryption, meaning that you can use it for different outcomes and guarantee data protection.
If you need a fast and durable device, then an external SSD is the best choice.
If you need a fast and durable device for your backups, then Samsung X5 external SSD is the best choice.
It has a storage capacity of up to 2TB, however, it doesn’t have hardware encryption or IP rating. Still, Samsung’s X5 is the fastest Thunderbolt 3 portable SSD we’ve tested.
If you need to store large video files and you need a fast device, then the SanDisk Extreme Pro v2 external SSD is the device for you.
On the plus side, it has high speed. The drawback is its high price.
It’s designed for professionals, so it’s durable, with an impact-absorbing silicone cover. It is also a secure SSD, with AES 256-bit full-disk encryption and password protection for those who need to keep their data locked with extra protection.
If you need to store large photo files and you need a fast device, then Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD is your best choice. It has 1TB and 2TB capacity available and a 3 years warranty.
This fast portable SSD (read speeds of up to 1,050MB/s) also is self-encrypting and gives you the option to use fingerprint sign-in.
Although there are HHD options for gaming that cost less, an SSD is always the best choice if you have an extra budget.
Seagate FireCuda is your best option for expanding storage for PS4 games as well as to use on your PC gamer.
It has high transfer speeds (up to 7,300MBps), which is a requirement for modern games.
Another external SSD for gamers would be WD Black P50 Game Drive, which has a USB-C connection. The great thing about this drive is its 5 years warranty.
For general use, backups, or professional use, you can go with Samsung T7 Touch. It has capacities from 500GB to up to 2TB.
It is designed for high security, with hardware security that’s unlocked by the touch of your fingertip.
Learn more: If you’re looking for a new storage device, you can also learn more about SSHD data storage, also known as hybrid drives. It’s a technology that has both speed and large storage, being great for high-performance needs, such as video editing and games.
If you need any help with your external SSD or external HDD, make sure to contact SalvageData 24/7 for secure data recovery.
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