Size: External drives are extremely popular for their portability, but that doesn’t mean every drive is pocket-sized.

Just because it’s an SSD doesn’t mean it will be a particularly fast one, so we’ll make sure to let you know the speeds of all the drives on this list.

Speed: To go along with the previous section, just getting an SSD isn’t enough: You’ll also want to keep an eye on the read and write speeds (which is how fast the drive can retrieve data from a device and send it back, respectively).Both types of SSDs are more expensive than HDDs for their increased speed, but there are other benefits-for example, HDDs can make a small amount of noise due to the spinning disc, while SSDs are quiet. SSDs have no moving parts and can transfer data much quicker, and NVMe’s even more so. HDDs use physical, analog discs to read and write data and are the slowest of the lot for it, but they’re also significantly more affordable. Drive Type: There are three main types of hard drives to pick from: Hard Disk Drives (or HDDs), Solid-State Drives (or SSDs), and Non-Volatile Memory Express SSDs (or NVMes for short).There’s a lot to consider about a drive before buying one, from how fast it can transfer data to the tech it uses to save that data in the first place. Hard drives are more complicated than how much data they can store. What to Look for in an External Hard Drive Justin Duino / Review Geek Update, 3/2/23: Content verified and updated for 2023. ✓ Extremely durable against impacts, dust, and water Save the content you're working on, no matter where you're working! The LaCrie Rugged drives protect against both physical and digital threats excellently.

If you need a lot of storage, then the My Book is happy to comply. This HDD may be slower than its SSD counterparts, but it's much more affordable. Fast NVMe speeds with a durable, portable design.Ī drive small enough to fit on a keychain while still providing the specs of larger drives.

Best external solid state drive for mac