WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Performance-wise, your choice is between a drive based on the SATA interface with a bridge to USB, or an NVMe interface, again behind a USB bridge. SATA-based USB Type-C drives top out at around 540MB/s peak performance, while the NVMe options up the ante to a maximum of 2GB/s.

At least they do in theory. To achieve those peak speeds, you’d need a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port with 20Gbps capability.

Interface specification isn’t the only deciding factor when it comes to performance. Features like controller specification and the type and quality of NAND flash used are also important, though it’s not always easy to identify the finer details. Many manufacturers are reluctant to quote full specifications. Drives with four-level QLC NAND memory, for instance, will tend to have worse underlying performance than those with triple-layer TLC memory.