If you're looking for the best Samsung SSD (solid state drive), your search is going to be both fruitful and short. This is because Samsung make only three external SSDs – the Samsung T5, the Samsung T7, and the Samsung X5. They're all industry-leading: The entry level, fast and reliable Samsung T5; the interactive T7; and finally the high end X5. We detail all you need to know about all three below, as well as the very best prices you can currently get them.
Solid state drives feature regularly in our round up of the best external hard drives – and for good reason. Whether you need to store and transfer a lifetime's worth of photos, hefty 4K film files, a creative project, or all of the above, the best Samsung SSD will provide lightning fast read and write speeds, while being hand-palm-small, and lighter than traditional hard drives. Here are the three best Samsung SSD options available now, at the lowest prices.
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(Image credit: Samsung)
01. Samsung Portable SSD T5
The best Samsung SSD for price
Specifications
Capacity: 250GB / 500GB / 1TB / 2TB
Interface: USB 3.1 (Gen 2)
Reasons to buy
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Great performance
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Very high capacity
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Portable
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Excellent value
The Samsung T5 is a great performing storage device, reaching speeds of up to 550 MB/sec, making the most of its USB 3.1 connection. It plugs directly into PCs and Macs with either a newer USB-C port or USB-A, is slightly larger than a matchbox and being a flash storage device, contains no moving parts, so can survive being dropped (though we wouldn't advise it). It is our number one pick of the best Samsung SSD due to its price, capability, speed and security. It's an all round great SSD.
External SSDs may cost considerably more than hard disks, but the extra money means faster speeds of data transfer. You’ll be able to easily load edit and save 4K video directly on the T5 (which would otherwise be very slow with a USB hard disk), you can install applications onto it, or even run an entire alternative operating system off it at full speed, if you’re so inclined.
The only downside is the pricing. SSDs give you less capacity for more money, so we don’t recommend the T5 for basic backup. It’s better to have a bigger hard disk for that and use the T5 in more specialised situations that need all that lovely performance.
(Image credit: Samsung)
02. Samsung Portable SSD T7 Touch
The nest stage of best Samsung SSD with extra security
Specifications
Capacity: 500GB / 1TB / 2TB
Interface: USB 3.2 (Gen 2)
Reasons to buy
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Super fast
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Platform agnostic
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Fingerprint technology
Reasons to avoid
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Bigger than other SSDs
Samsung's T7 is the latest SSD to be released by the tech company, and it's a beautiful piece of technology. It's the best Samsung SSD is what you're looking for is extra security – coming in two versions, with or without the fingerprint reader, the T7 looks similar to the T5 in design, but is a little bit bigger and weightier. Though we must note that it's still a tiny 85 x 57 x 8mm and 58g, so it's still small and extremely portable.
Under its sleek, solid aluminium body is where you'll see the main difference between the T7 and T5. Instead of the SATA-based SSD in the T5, we get an NVMe SSD behind the USB 3.2 Gen 2 bridge. This gives it a great performance, and it can achieve read/write speeds of up to 1.05GBps (about twice as fast as the T5). With the fingerprint unlock security, this is a brilliant, secure option for the professional on the go.
(Image credit: Samsung)
03. Samsung Portable X5
The very best Samsung SSD – spare no expense
Specifications
Capacity: 500GB / 1TB / 2TB
Interface: Thunderbolt 3 port (USB-C
Reasons to buy
+
Exceptional performance
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Hardware encryption
Reasons to avoid
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Expensive
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Weighty
This is the best Samsung SSD, if cost is no concern, and you're looking for the absolute fastest solid state drive out there. Weightier than the other two options at 150g, the pebble-shaped SSD is built to perform, with its magnesium body incorporating an internal heat sink so it doesn't overheat, and for those with butter fingers, it can withstand a 2m drop.
With its Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, the Samsung X5's read/write speeds are an insanely quick 2.8GBps and 2.3GBps – that's incredibly fast! And for those that want your files secure at all times, the X5 has an optional password protection, based on AES 256-bit Encryption. Coming with a three-year warranty, this is the option for the professional that wants a lot from their hard drive.
There are two types of external hard drive: hard disk drives (HDDs, also known as mechanical or traditional hard drives) and solid state drives (SSDs) – such as these Samsung hard drives. All SSDs are faster, lighter and less power-hungry than HDD drives, which will be cheaper but also slower. HDDs are also good for storing lots of data as they often have a high capacity.
If you want to store huge amounts of data while keeping prices low, a HDD is the way to go – such as the ever-popular WD My Passport. But if speed is your top priority, then choose an SSD. Or, you can always use a smaller SSD for files that you need to access or move around often, and then store the other data that you use less often on a higher capacity HDD.
