
One way to manage it all is to find the best external hard drive and solid-state drive for your needs.

And most new computers don't come with much internal hard drive storage space unless you're splurging on a high-end model - they usually have 256GB or 512GB.
#Best thunderbolt ssd external hard drive full
Anyone who needs a high-performance external SSD is going to love this drive, but just make sure your PC has Thunderbolt 3.Game consoles today usually come with 1TB drives (equivalent to approximately 1,000GB of hard drive storage), but the drives get full quickly if you aren't good about taking games off the drive as you add more. This drive is compact and lightweight, meaning it shouldn't be much of a burden if you need to take it with you wherever you're going. That's a good thing since the non-removable host cable could cause issues if it becomes damaged. The drives are available at respectable prices for this type of performance, and you get a three-year warranty to make the purchase a bit more comfortable. Those are some impressive numbers, and while there might be drives out there with faster performance still, the price here is far more competitive. Plugable's Thunderbolt 3 SSD fits the criteria here, offering read speeds surpassing 2,400MB/s and write speeds more than 1,800MB/s. If you're looking for an external drive that can keep up with large file sizes and withstand a rather rigorous schedule, this should make a great option.Įxternal SSDs that rely on Thunderbolt 3 to connect to your PC have been coming down in price over the last few years, putting them more in the range of the casual user who doesn't want to wait around at all for their data to transfer. You also get a two-year warranty to protect your investment. Grab the CalDigit Tuff nano in four different colors, and choose from 500GB or 1TB sizes. It uses the USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2) standard to deliver read speeds around 1,050MB/s and write speeds around 950MB/s, half that if you connect with the included USB-A cable. It can withstand small particles or dust and dirt, and it's been drop-tested for about 10 feet (three meters). The drive is IP67 certified, meaning it can sit in about three feet (one meter) of water for 30 minutes. It's built into a compact aluminum chassis that has about the same footprint as a credit card, and it comes with an optional silicone cover that protects against drops. And if you'd really like to protect your data, get something like CalDigit's Tuff nano. In that case, spending more money on a solid-state drive (SSD) without internal moving parts is no doubt a better idea. The life of an external hard drive isn't always easy, especially if you travel often and can't live without it. To connect to your PC, the included USB-A 3.2 to Micro USB-B cable will work, as will any USB-C adapter.
#Best thunderbolt ssd external hard drive install
All you have to do is install some software on your PC, and it will take care of the rest. The drive has built-in 256-bit AES encryption to help protect your data should you misplace the drive.

WD likewise offers a three-year warranty to protect your purchase.


This also means, should the cable be damaged, you won't have to replace the drive. You should be able to slip this drive into a pocket without much trouble, and the host cable can be removed to save space. This is a compact drive, with 1TB and 2TB models measuring just 0.44 inches (11mm) thick and the 4TB and 5TB models measuring 0.75 inches (19mm). The fact that it's available in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB sizes also makes it easy to get exactly what you want. You can expect read and write speeds somewhere around the 130MB/s range, which is enough for casual use. As long as you're not dealing with specialized work involving large files you want to transfer quickly, the WD My Passport should make for a great choice. Not everyone needs to invest in a more expensive solid-state drive (SSD) to reap the rewards of an external hard drive.
