The LaCie Rugged SSD Pro external drive is designed for professional videographers and others who work in the field with Thunderbolt 3-equipped computers (most often Macs). Small, light, and even. USB 3.0 can hack most of an external SSD's speed, with theoretical max of 625MB/s, or a chunk lower in real-world use. Think twice if your computer is rather old, say a 2011 MacBook Pro, and only. Thanks to speedier USB-C and USB 3.0 (as well as 3.1/3.2) interfaces, a traditional hard drive that uses 'old' hard drive technology (mechanical platters and a moving read-write head to access data) works just fine for most people.Prices have come down a lot in recent years, with even mega-capacity models tipping the scales at 5TB but costing just over $100. Adata SD700 is an affordable External SSD which is IP68 rated which certainly makes it a water-resistant storage device. The overall performance of this SSD is commendable and as per our research, Adata SD700 External SSD is the only SSD with an IP68 rating. Whether you prefer HDD or SSD, you're looking for your first drive or your third, an external drive is usually a great solution for data backup and file storage on both your Mac and PC. Moving files off your computer will also help tune up your PC a little bit and will protect your important files from potential damage.
How To Pick An External SSD
Picking an external SSD takes a few steps more than simply clicking on the desired capacity and then clicking buy. You have drives that come with physical encryption, which is great for security-minded users. Next, you should look at the interface used to determine whether you'll be able to achieve max read and write speed on your computer.
Some users need rugged drives capable of withstanding shock and falling into water. There's also the question of compatibility with your OS. And in case you have an old SSD you aren't using, you can turn it into a portable drive for cheap. Let's cover each of these points individually.
Picking The Right Capacity
You know the best which capacity you need so make sure to pick the right one. Most people should be comfortable with 512GB capacity but if you're working with large video files and/or always have new files to copy to your portable SSD it's better to get a unit with at least 1TB of storage.
Design And Portability
Mac rouge a levre mehr. Some external SSDs are larger than others. Check dimensions of the external drive you're interested in case you need an extremely small and portable drive. If you aren't planning to move the drive around the size shouldn't be an issue.
Different Interfaces Mean Different Read And Write Speeds
While internal storage devices use SATA, M.2, or PCIe interfaces external drives are limited to the USB interface. But USB can be confusing since there are so many different standards and technologies, each with its own max transfer speed. External SSDs use one of the three main interfaces:
- USB 3.0/3.1/3.2 Gen 1 interface achieves up to 5Gbps bandwidth
- USB 3.1/3.2 Gen 2 interface achieves up to 10Gbps bandwidth
- Thunderbolt 3 interface achieves up to 40Gbps bandwidth
Today, most external SSDs use either a USB-A or USB-C port and come with a transfer cable so you shouldn't have issues with connecting them to your computer or a console. The fastest SSDs use Thunderbolt 3 interface. And if you see an external SSD with USB 2.0 or eSATA port avoid it, transfer rates on that disk are extremely slow.
You should also know that most external SSDs work when hooked to slower ports. For instance, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 SSD will work when connected with a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port on a computer, it will only have slower transfer rates. Thunderbolt 3 drives can only work when connected to a USB-C drive that supports Thunderbolt 3 speeds. Vice versa, if you have a Thunderbolt 3 port on your computer, it should work with any external SSD.
Free excel spreadsheet templates for mac. Finally, remember that the maximum transfer rate also depends on the drive inside your computer. If you have an HDD or a slower SSD transfer rates will be affected. You can't achieve max transfer speeds on your external SSD with Thunderbolt 3 interface if your internal storage is slow.
Do You Need A Rugged Drive With Shock And Water Resistance?
If you plan on taking your next external SSD with you on camping, hiking trips, or some other outdoor adventure make sure it's shock and water-resistant. There are drives out there with different IP certificates so keep a close eye when looking for a rugged external SSD. Mac on your pc.
Also, many portable drives are shock-resistant so you don't need to worry about damaging them in case you drop them from a relatively low height (1-1.5 meters).
And What About Security?
If you're worried about your data being stolen in case you lose external drive, you can always install encryption software on the external drive. But some external SSD models come with AES 256-bit hardware encryption that encrypts your password and make it incredibly hard – practically impossible – to hack.
Further, there are external drives out there that come with a fingerprint reader, which is an even better method to keep your data secure.
You know the best which capacity you need so make sure to pick the right one. Most people should be comfortable with 512GB capacity but if you're working with large video files and/or always have new files to copy to your portable SSD it's better to get a unit with at least 1TB of storage.
Design And Portability
Mac rouge a levre mehr. Some external SSDs are larger than others. Check dimensions of the external drive you're interested in case you need an extremely small and portable drive. If you aren't planning to move the drive around the size shouldn't be an issue.
Different Interfaces Mean Different Read And Write Speeds
While internal storage devices use SATA, M.2, or PCIe interfaces external drives are limited to the USB interface. But USB can be confusing since there are so many different standards and technologies, each with its own max transfer speed. External SSDs use one of the three main interfaces:
- USB 3.0/3.1/3.2 Gen 1 interface achieves up to 5Gbps bandwidth
- USB 3.1/3.2 Gen 2 interface achieves up to 10Gbps bandwidth
- Thunderbolt 3 interface achieves up to 40Gbps bandwidth
Today, most external SSDs use either a USB-A or USB-C port and come with a transfer cable so you shouldn't have issues with connecting them to your computer or a console. The fastest SSDs use Thunderbolt 3 interface. And if you see an external SSD with USB 2.0 or eSATA port avoid it, transfer rates on that disk are extremely slow.
You should also know that most external SSDs work when hooked to slower ports. For instance, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 SSD will work when connected with a USB 3.1 Gen 1 port on a computer, it will only have slower transfer rates. Thunderbolt 3 drives can only work when connected to a USB-C drive that supports Thunderbolt 3 speeds. Vice versa, if you have a Thunderbolt 3 port on your computer, it should work with any external SSD.
Free excel spreadsheet templates for mac. Finally, remember that the maximum transfer rate also depends on the drive inside your computer. If you have an HDD or a slower SSD transfer rates will be affected. You can't achieve max transfer speeds on your external SSD with Thunderbolt 3 interface if your internal storage is slow.
Do You Need A Rugged Drive With Shock And Water Resistance?
If you plan on taking your next external SSD with you on camping, hiking trips, or some other outdoor adventure make sure it's shock and water-resistant. There are drives out there with different IP certificates so keep a close eye when looking for a rugged external SSD. Mac on your pc.
Also, many portable drives are shock-resistant so you don't need to worry about damaging them in case you drop them from a relatively low height (1-1.5 meters).
And What About Security?
If you're worried about your data being stolen in case you lose external drive, you can always install encryption software on the external drive. But some external SSD models come with AES 256-bit hardware encryption that encrypts your password and make it incredibly hard – practically impossible – to hack.
Further, there are external drives out there that come with a fingerprint reader, which is an even better method to keep your data secure.
Make Sure the SSD Is Compatible With Your Operating System
This is a small annoyance that can be remedied by formatting the drive but it can be irritating. Most external disks are formatted to work with new versions of Windows and macOS out of the box. If you want to use the drive on Linux or Android either look for a drive that is preformatted for these operating systems or be ready to format it once you buy it.
SSD Durability Shouldn't Be An Issue
Years ago SSD durability was a valid issue. Older flash memory technologies weren't very durable and looking for an SSD with the best durability was recommended. But today most internal and external SSDs are based on modern flash memory tech that can last for decades.
Unless you're planning on using the external SSD on a server where large amounts of data are written 24/7 you'll be fine with virtually any decent model on the market.
Best External Ssd For Mac And Pc
Some Models Are Designed To Fit With Xbox One And PlayStation 4 Design
Getting an SSD for your gaming console is a great way to reduce loading times. You can drastically reduce loading times by installing your games on an external SSD.
Best External Ssd For Mac And Pc Computer
As is the case on PC, NVMe drives using PCIe interface, and boasting ultra-fast transfer speeds aren't faster than SATA SSDs when it comes to loading games. The best SSD for gaming on consoles is an affordable and reliable SATA drive with a read speed of about 500MB/s.
If design matters to you you can get an external SSD that matches the design of your console. You can find a decent number of models that feature green and black design found on the Xbox One or blue and black design of the PS4.
Turn An Old SSD Into A Portable SSD
Best External Ssd For Mac
In case you have an old SATA or even NVMe SSD lying around, you don't even have to buy an external SSD. There are plenty of external enclosures for SATA and NVMe drives out there that cost next to nothing and that'll allow you to turn your old SSD into an external drive in just a couple of seconds.
