Amazon Prime Early Access SSD and external hard drive deals are coming!

A blue and an orange external hard drive on a lighter orange background, with Amazon Prime Early Access Sale in print.
(Image credit: Future)

Although Amazon Prime Day SSD and hard drive deals are long gone, the smiling retail giant has announced a new retail event for October, and so we're looking forward to reporting on some decent Prime Early Access Sale hard drive deals.

Officially going live 11-12 October, the Prime Early Access Sale hard drive deals we expect to see are going to be quite a lot like the ones we reported on in July's Prime Day. Prime member-specific discounts on all the best SSD (solid state drive) and traditional hard drives through Amazon. OK, they may not be the coolest of all the tech out there, but they're pretty essential for digital creatives, so we're pretty excited about reporting on all the best deals. 

So what to expect? Have a quick scan down below, and see if there are any Prime Day deals that have survived beyond the official Prime Day dates (it happens). Then, if you want to see all the best non-Prime related SSD deals, head over to our page on the best external hard drive deals. 

Same thing if you're looking for deals further afield: check out our best Apple Prime Day deals page, which will be covering all the best Apple deals over Prime Early Access Sale. You might also want to take a look at our pick of the best power banks.

The best SSD deals we saw in 2022 (some are still live!)

The best Prime Day SSD deals: US

SanDisk 2TB SSD: $459.99 (opens in new tab)

SanDisk 2TB SSD: $459.99 $180.49 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save $279:
This is one of the best SSD deals that we've seen this Prime Day. This SSD model is from a quality brand, is super fast, is a whopping 2TB size, and most importantly, there's a massive 59% off! 

Seagate gaming SSD, 2TB: $99.99 (opens in new tab)

Seagate gaming SSD, 2TB: $99.99 $59.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save $40:
This limited edition SSD sports the main character from the Horizon Forbidden West game. It's an official Playstation SSD, is a sizeable 2TB large, and you can save 40% off its price!

Kingston SSD, 2TB: $284.99 (opens in new tab)

Kingston SSD, 2TB: $284.99 $199.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save $85:
This 2TB SSD is fast, but it's also portable. It's diminutive size means you can easily pop it in your pocket, but don't let that fool you. With its USB 3.2 Gen connectivity and 2000MB/s transfer speed, this is a powerhouse.

Samsung T5 2TB Portable SSD: $249.99 (opens in new tab)

Samsung T5 2TB Portable SSD: $249.99 $229.99 at B&H Photo (opens in new tab)
Save $20:
Samsung's T5 SSDs don't offer read/write speeds as fast as the SanDisk models above, coming in at 540MB/s. But they strike a good-value middle ground for those who want an SSD for better reliability than a traditional HDD but aren't too concerned about speed.

WD 2TB My Passport SSD:  $379.99 (opens in new tab)

WD 2TB My Passport SSD: $379.99 $179.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save $200:
Amazon has impressive discounts on a whole range WD SSDs, from 500GB right up to 4TB. This 2TB option offers more than enough storage for most people and a massive saving of 38%. If you get in before they sell out, there's a range of colours available too.

WD 500GB My Passport Go SSD: $119.99 (opens in new tab)

WD 500GB My Passport Go SSD: $119.99 $79.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save $40:
There's another decent saving to be had on this smart Western Digital SSD. At up to 400MB/s for transfers, it's not the fastest model, but this a great price for an SSD, and it's just got an extra $20 off.

SAMSUNG 870 QVO SATA III 2TB External SSD: $229.99 (opens in new tab)

SAMSUNG 870 QVO SATA III 2TB External SSD: $229.99 $199.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save $30:
Amazon has 22% off this fast and reliable 2TB Samsung SSD, which comes with tools to monitor the drive's health and status. There was previously a bigger discount, but some deals are already getting snapped up quickly.

The best external hard drive deals: US

LaCie Rugged, HDD 1TB: $84.99 (opens in new tab)

LaCie Rugged, HDD 1TB: $84.99 $52.24 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save $32:
LaCie specialises in hardy, drop-proof HDD that you can take out and about with you, with peace of mind that it won't get damaged. And right now, you can save 35% on the 1TB model (and all the other sizes).

WD Easystore 5TB: $179.99 (opens in new tab)

WD Easystore 5TB: $179.99 $109.99 at Best Buy (opens in new tab)
Save $70:
If you need to back up a lot of data, look no further than this Western Digital drive. It has a USB 3.0 connection, a fast data transfer rate, and it comes with easy-to-use automatic backup software. 

The best Prime Day SSD deals: UK

SanDisk 1TB SDD: £221.99 (opens in new tab)

SanDisk 1TB SDD: £221.99 £135.80 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save 39%:
Get £86.19 off the 1TB SanDisk SSD in the UK, offering fantastic value for money on a super fast, super secure, light and compact external drive.

Samsung T7 1TB SDD: £118.99 (opens in new tab)

Samsung T7 1TB SDD: £118.99 £76.46 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save £42: T
his Samsung option is slightly heavier than the SanDisk above but offers comparable speeds for a slightly lower price. It's a tough call between the two but this one just got an extra £30 off.

The best Prime Day hard drive deals: UK

Seagate 4TB External Hard Drive: £114.99 (opens in new tab)

Seagate 4TB External Hard Drive: £114.99 £69.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save £45:
This Seagate 4TB external hard drive will not only keep your data safe, but it also comes with four months' of Adobe CC Photography, and a two-year data rescue service. Plus, there's 39% off! For Prime members only.

WD 8 TB external hard drive:  £169.99 (opens in new tab)

WD 8 TB external hard drive: £169.99 £134.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save £35: If you're serious about storage then this 8TB should suit you perfectly. It has speedy data transfer, and is compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0. Other sizes are available.

LaCie Rugged, HDD 1TB: £69.99 (opens in new tab)

LaCie Rugged, HDD 1TB: £69.99 £47.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab)
Save £22:
LaCie deals in rugged hard drives that can take a few knocks. This 1TB external hard drive claims to be shock, drop and pressure resistant and is currently 31% off, there are also discounts on other sizes.

How do I know if it's a good Prime Day SSD deal?

We've been covering Prime Day SSD deals for a number of years now, but we don't want you to just take our word for it. There are free tools that can help you make sure that you really are making the best buying decision when you see a deal that looks good to you. 

Top of our list are easy tools that will allow you to see the price history of the product that you're thinking of buying. Google Shopping (opens in new tab) is good if you want to compare information of products, and the big one for Amazon (which we use all the time), is CamelCamelCamel. You can use the site, or get a browser extension, which will make checking the price an easy one click exercise. 

What's the difference between SSD and HHD?

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). 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.

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Beren Neale
Deals Editor

Beren has worked on creative tech magazines and websites at Future Publishing for 13 years. He started this journey as Staff Writer on the digital art magazine ImagineFX, and in 2012 found himself bridging the magazine/website divide as Commissioning Editor on the newly launched Creative Bloq. Since then he took the editor role on ImagineFX, was Launch Editor of the fine art magazine Paint & Draw, moved to Canon Pro Europe website as Deputy Editor, and then edited the graphic design magazine Computer Arts. In 2020 he moved back to Creative Bloq, the biggest global art and design website, and as Deals Editor has applied his expertise in creative tech to help digital creatives get the best deals on the kit that they need and love. Outside of work, Beren likes nothing better than to climb himself a bit of rock.