At a Glance
- LaCie’s Rugged SSD Pro5 hits 5,787 MB/s read via Thunderbolt 5
- Samsung 990 PRO bare drive tops 7,458 MB/s inside PCs
- Crucial X9 Pro SSD gives 1,110 MB/s in pocket-size 1.3-oz shell
- Why it matters: Faster backups, smoother 8K editing, and cheaper high-capacity storage
External drives just got a speed injection. From $125 spinning disks to $600 Thunderbolt 5 SSDs, Megan L. Whitfield tested dozens to find the best mix of pace, price, and peace-of-mind for every laptop, console, or camera bag.
Best Backup Workhorses
Western Digital Elements Desktop drives remain the go-to for nightly backups. The 3.5-inch disks need wall power but hit 120 MB/s and climb to 20 TB. Check prices: 10- or 12-TB models often cost only a few dollars more than 8-TB versions.
- USB-C with USB 3 support
- Works with Windows, macOS, Linux
- Run backups overnight; most PCs finish by morning
Need a suitcase-friendly version? The My Passport Ultra shrinks to under an inch thick, offers 1-6 TB, and averaged 121 MB/s read / 115 MB/s write across three operating systems.
Speed Demons: USB4 & Thunderbolt 5
LaCie’s Rugged SSD Pro5 is the first drive to exploit Thunderbolt 5. Connected to a 14-inch MacBook Pro it delivered:
| Claimed | Measured |
|---|---|
| 6,700 MB/s read | 5,787 MB/s read |
| 5,300 MB/s write | 5,188 MB/s write |
The 4-TB model edits 6K ProRes RAW in DaVinci Resolve without dropped frames, but costs $600.
No Thunderbolt 5 yet? Corsair’s EX400U USB4/Thunderbolt 4 SSD hits 3,800 MB/s read / 3,550 MB/s write for roughly half the price and includes a MagSafe-ready case for iPhone ProRes dumps.
Pocket Rockets for Photographers
Crucial’s X9 Pro SSD balances speed, size, and price:
- 1,110 MB/s read / 1,100 MB/s write-faster than its 1,050 MB/s rating
- 1.3 oz, half a deck-of-cards size
- Works with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS
Step-up X10 Pro pushes 2,050 MB/s if your PC supports USB 2×2; Macs don’t, so save the extra $90.
Seagate’s Ultra Compact SSD mimics a thumb drive yet manages 1,034 MB/s read / 1,018 MB/s write. The wide body can block neighboring ports unless you pop off the rubber sleeve, losing IP54 splash protection.
Armored Options for Rough Rides
OWC Envoy Pro Elektron survived drops, rain, and backpack abuse while posting the best rugged-SSD benchmarks. Bonus: the aluminum enclosure unscrews, letting you swap in a faster bare SSD later.
Samsung’s T9 Portable SSD adds light padding and lower power draw, clocking 1,350 MB/s over 20 Gbps USB. Skip the T7 Shield unless you need IP65 weather sealing.
Gaming & Bare Internal Upgrades
Western Digital’s P40 Gaming Drive throws RGB lights under the chassis and keeps pace with Samsung T9 speeds, though huge file moves occasionally lag. For internal upgrades the Samsung 990 PRO M.2 PCIe Gen4 hit 7,458 MB/s read, matching its 7,450 MB/s claim while staying cool during 5.2K video edits.
Brand Shake-Up Alert
WD_Black and WD Blue SSDs are rebranding to SanDisk Optimus GX and GX Pro after Western Digital spun off its flash division. Spinning WD_Black HDDs remain unchanged.
How to Choose
Balance speed, size, price:
- Backups overnight→cheapest HDD you trust
- Travel→bus-powered portable HDD or 1,000 MB/s SSD
- 8K/6K RAW editing→Thunderbolt 4/5 SSD
- Gaming→fastest SSD your console/PC can afford
Stick with known names-Seagate, Western Digital, Samsung, OWC, Crucial-based on News Of Fort Worth‘s long-term tests and Backblaze failure stats.
Key Takeaways
- Thunderbolt 5 is finally here and it’s blistering
- USB4 drives give 90% of that speed for half the cash
- Rugged doesn’t have to mean slow-pick padded SSDs for field work
- Match your ports: a 2,000 MB/s USB 3 drive on a USB 2 laptop wastes money
