Best external SSDS tested

USB 3.0 solid-state drives are an affordable way to add fast storage to your desktop PC or laptop. We test six of the latest options

Six of the latest solid-state drives you can plug into your PC for faster storage

External SSDS work as soon as you plug them into your PC, don’t need a separate power cable and aren’t easily damaged. Capacities vary from 128GB to 4TB, and speeds from around 500 megabytes per second (MB/S, about four times faster than a hard drive) to 3,000. Exactly how fast data moves depends on what kind of files you’re reading or writing.

Speed may also be limited by the connection used. The drive’s socket will be either USB Mini-b or the newer USB-C. Whether it’s described as USB 3.0, 3.1 or 3.2 doesn’t matter, but you need to distinguish between Gen1, Gen2 and Thunderbolt 3. The Mini-b interface could be either Gen1, supporting up to 5Gbps speeds (a similar limit to the internal SATA III connection) or Gen2 (up to 10Gbps). Most USB-C ports are Gen2, while those labelled Thunderbolt 3 support Gen2 but go up to 40Gbps with compatible products.

If your PC has a USB-C port, check if it’s Thunderbolt 3, usually indicated by a lightning bolt. Each standard USB port (the bigger rectangular socket) may be Gen1 or Gen2 – find out from the manual or the manufacturer’s website. It doesn’t make much sense to pay for a Thunderbolt 3 drive unless you can use its full speed. An SSD with a USB-C port can be connected to USB-C or USB using the appropriate cable; both are usually included. A Micro-b drive will come with a USB cable, but can also be connected to USB-C.