If you’ve ever felt frustrated with your PC’s slow performance and lack of storage or found yourself constantly transferring huge data or carrying it between devices, you’re not alone—there’s a solution that can make your life a whole lot easier. An external SSD for PC can be the great savior you are looking for. With lightning-fast speeds and durability that can handle anything life throws at it, these drives are a simple way to give your PC the upgrade it deserves. Even they arrive on a pretty affordable budget. Let’s explore some of the best options to help you make the right choice.
Form Factor and Build Quality
ADATA
- Very compact and lightweight design weighing only 70 grams,
- You can compare it with an AirPod or a Credit Card. That means you can understand how comfortably you can carry it with you,
- This external SSD for pc has good quality plastic as the built material. Grey color tone with a rough texture on the top. The company calls it a brushed aluminum-type body casing. Overall, it looks great, the SSD is durable and gives a premium feel.
SSK
- It’s a very tiny SSD with a strong cloth hook. With which you can hang it on your key ring. Its weight is only 60 grams. Due to this, you can carry it very comfortably in your pocket or bag,
- The pleasurable part is its durability. A very strong barrier of aluminum alloy covers the border of the SSD, which provides a kind of shield to the SSD from all sides. This shockproof shield will protect the SSD even if it falls from a height of 1m,
- Its heat dissipation facility is quite commendable. During file transfer, the SSD naturally gets quite hot. Then the device can handle the situation quite well and cool itself, which protects it from internal damage.
SanDisk
- This external SSD for pc looks similar to the SSK, but a bit longer, with dimensions of ‎3.81 x 1.85 x 0.39 inches. However, the weight is much less than the other two SSDs, only 40 grams,
- Its built material is plastic and drop damage protected, which is shock-resistant even if it falls from a height of 2 meters. But it does not have extra protection to be ultra-durable. So, no matter how shockproof it is, be careful not to drop it from a height too often, because all electronic devices can get damaged by falling,
- The device looks stylish and has a good grip due to the dot-type texture.
Performance
ADATA
Here, we get a 2×2 USB 3.2 Gen connector. USB 3.2 is essential for connected devices if you want to admire its full potential. The company claims its read/write speed is 2000 MB/s. But hold on, what was found in real-life testing is the important thing. The main reason why it is not possible to get such high speed from this external SSD for pc is its thermal throttling system. It starts receiving or transferring data with high acceleration. The write speed is around 1500-1800 MB/s and the read speed is around 1550-1950/MB/s.
But whenever it reaches around 10%-20% and starts getting a little hot, the device automatically reduces the speed to cool itself, which can decrease by up to 50%. However, the device prioritizes device health over speed. It has storage capacity options ranging from 500 GB to 2TB. Along with speed, some have removable cables and some have attached connectors.
SSK
This external SSD for pc has capacity options of 250 GB, 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage. In the case of 250 GB, the speed is a little less but in the case of the rest, the speed is similar. This device is acquiring NVMe technology. That’s why the speed and data management system are pretty good. Because many times, there are reports of data vanishing even after storing it, which is very rare with this SSD.
If you use a 10 Gbps cable of USB 3.2 Gen 2 with this SSD, then the read speed can be up to 1000-1040 MB/s and the write speed can be up to 980-1070 MB/s, and when it decreases to handle device temperature, 748 – 900 MB/s speed remains consistent. We can find this device’s durability, speed, data management, and heat management are commendable considering the price.
SanDisk
The device uses USB A to C connectivity. But nowadays, people consider C to C to be more convenient. It only has two storage options, 1TB and 2TB. And both the variants have similar read/write speeds. The company claims its read speed is 800 MB/s. But is it really so?
Real life tests say that its write speed is capable of going up to 600-720 MB/s and read speed is capable of going up to 625-750 MB/s. And the speed is quite consistent in between. This speed is not too bad for regular basic usage. But when it comes to massive size files, this speed is not enough.
Pros and Cons
ADATA
Pros
- Attractive look,
- The shape is very small and compact,
- Even if you press on the body, there is no risk of bending or flexing. Which means good built quality,
- Comparatively good read/write speed for the price,
- UASP driver technology,
- It supports both USB 3.2 Type C to C and Type C to A,
- Supports multiple type of devices and consoles.
Cons
- 70 grams weight is not very heavy but the other two SSDs are lighter than this one,
- It may damage roughly if falls from the very top.
SSK
Pros
- It is a top-notch SSD in durability that you can understand from its exterior,
- Despite focusing on durability, the outlook has been kept quite sleek and minimal,
- It is very portable due to its light weight of 60 grams,
- It has a 2mm thick aluminum case which has made it great for heat dissipation. In addition, it can withstand heavy damage even if it falls from a height of 1 meter,
- NVMe drive technology,
- Good speed with better consistency.
Cons
- You must need a 2X2 USB Type-A 10 Gbps cable if you want to achieve maximum transfer speed. Otherwise, you will get mid-range speeds from it.
SanDisk
Pros
- Lightweight,
- There is an attractive dot texture on the body which improves gripping,
- It can deliver speeds close to the speed claimed by the company and it is consistent,
- Although made of plastic, it is resistant to minor damage and scratches. So there is an ease in terms of durability,
- NVMe technology maintains good performance in terms of data storage and transferring,
- You can instantly access its data and work with large files simultaneously, which is a life-savior thing for professionals.
Cons
- Currently, SSDs with higher speeds are available at the same price.
- Several user reports show that it has data management issues. Not in all cases, but many people have encountered such problems. So before buying, you should be careful about this and see if there is a return option. If there is, test the device well first. If you do not find such problems, keep it. Otherwise, return it and buy an alternative.
Conclusion
In addition to the differences between the presented SSDs, there are slight differences in their specialties. If you look at the overall aspect, you can notice that they are good at their purposes. Overall, we found the SSK to be quite good. But we’re not forcing you to buy this one because the other two also have some good aspects that might attract you.
We have presented them so you can identify each of them consistently and decide which one suits your needs. Because users also have different preferences. Hopefully, our discussion will inform you of important factors and help you make the final decision about the perfect external SSD for pc.