External SSD: All you need to know

This article will cover external SSDs, their differences from external hard drives, and whether they’re worth the investment. We’ll also provide a guide on formatting your external SSD for MAC or Windows, discuss their lifespan, and explore the secret of external SSDs.

What is an external SSD?

An external SSD(solid-state drive), also known as a portable SSD, is essentially an internal SSD that is enclosed in an external case with a USB port. These drives are available for purchase from major brands or can be assembled at home using an SSD drive and an enclosure. External SSDs utilize similar technology as traditional USB sticks but have the added advantage of larger storage capacity and faster data transfer speeds. Due to these benefits, external SSDs are becoming increasingly popular for storing and transferring large files such as videos, photos, and music. Whether purchased or DIY, an external SSD is a convenient and reliable solution for all your storage needs.

External SSD vs external hard drive?

External Solid state drives and external hard drives are both used for data storage and can be accessed via a USB port. Portable SSDs are significantly lighter in weight than external hard drives. However, the key difference between them lies in their internal components. External SSDs are a newer generation of storage that is shockproof and can withstand drops better than hard drives, which have spinning mechanical parts that can be damaged by even tiny drops.

SSDs are completely silent compared to HDDs, which can produce distracting levels of noise and vibrations. Additionally, external SSDs can be much faster than hard drives, with transfer speeds up to 15-20 times faster. They also consume less energy, making them more suitable for laptop use when running on battery power. However, external SSDs can be more expensive than hard drives and can get hot, which can cause them to lose some of their speed. Overall, the choice between an external SSD or an external hard drive depends on your specific needs and budget.

Specs	SSD	HDD
Speed	Faster	Slower
Lifespan	Shorter	Longer
Price	Expensive	Cheap
Build	Flash memory	Moving parts
Shock resistance	Yes	No
Capacity	Typically smaller	Typically larger
Noise level	Quieter	Louder
Power consumption	Lower	Higher
Weight	Lighter	Heavier

Is it worth getting an external SSD?

When considering whether to invest in an external SSD, two crucial factors to keep in mind are capacity and price. If you require a large amount of storage space, it’s important to note that portable “consumer” SSDs have a maximum capacity of 8TB and are generally quite expensive. If you come across a manufacturer offering a portable SSD with 16TB of available space, they likely use RAID 0 technology, which involves two SSDs working together. However, if either SSD fails, you will lose all your data.

As of today, the largest SSD based on a single drive is 8TB. Some enterprise edition drives can go up to 100TB, but they are extremely expensive and cost $40,000.

In contrast, SSD drives up to 2TB offer good value for money and are comparable in price to external hard drives. Over time, we can expect the cost of 8TB SSD drives to decrease to a level that is similar to that of traditional hard drives while offering much more benefits. Ultimately, your decision to invest in a portable SSD will depend on your specific storage needs and budget.

Formatting external SSD for MAC and Windows

The vast majority of external SSDs come pre-formatted as ExFat. This file system allows the external SSD to work on both operating systems without requiring any reformatting. One of the main advantages of ExFat is that it allows for easy file transfer between different OS, making it a convenient option for users who switch between Mac and Windows devices.

The downside of the ExFat file system is that it is sensitive to corruption. Make sure to safely eject the portable SSD before removing it.

(!) Formatting will delete all data. Make sure there is no important data stored on it. The instructions provided below are suitable for 99% of users. However, if you have a specific situation and would like to check the available options, you can do so by checking the file system formats and partition schemes available in Disk Utility on your Mac.

Here are the instructions:

1. Type “Disk Utility” in the spotlight search and open the application.
2. In the application, click on “View” menu and select “show all devices”
3. Select the external SSD you want to format on the left-hand side.
4. Click on the “Erase” button at the top of the Disk Utility window.
5. In the name field, give a desired name to the drive.
6. In the “Format” dropdown menu, select “exFAT”.
7. In the “Scheme” select “Master boot record” and click erase.
8. Mac OS will start formatting the drive.
Once done, you will be able to use the drive on Windows and MAC.

See the video instructions in the link below:

The instructions provided are suitable for 99% of users. However, if you have a specific situation and would like to check the available options, you can do so by checking the file system formats and partition schemes available in Disk Utility on your Mac.

Formatting external SSD only for MAC OS

Most of the time, users select to format the external drive only for MAC OS if they want to use it as a time backup machine or if they want to take advantage of all features and speed offered by Apple Inc.

(!) Formatting will delete all data. Make sure there is no important data stored on it. The instructions provided below are suitable for 99% of users. However, if you have a specific situation and would like to check the available options, you can do so by checking the file system formats and partition schemes available in Disk Utility on your Mac.

Here are the instructions:

1. Type “Disk Utility” in the spotlight search and open the application.
2. In the application, click on “View” menu and select “show all devices”
3. Select the external SSD you want to format on the left-hand side.
4. Click on the “Erase” button at the top of the Disk Utility window.
5. In the name field, give a desired name to the drive.
6. In the “Format” dropdown menu, select “APFS”.
7. In the “Scheme” select “GUID Partition Map” and click erase.
8. Mac OS will start formatting the drive.

Once done, you will be able to use the drive on Windows and MAC.
See the video instructions in the link below:

Formatting external SSD only for Windows

If you are only using Windows PC and not planning to use the drive on Mac, then format your external SSD as NTFS. NTFS stands for New Technology File System. Microsoft developed its proprietary journaling file system.

(!) Formatting will delete all data. Make sure there is no important data stored on it.
Here are the instructions:

1. Press the “Windows” key and type “Disk Management”. Click on “Create and format hard disk partitions” from the search results.
2. Locate the external SSD in the list of drives in the Disk Management window.
Right-click on the external SSD and click on “Format”.
3. In the “Format” dialog box, choose “NTFS”
4. In the name field, give a desired name to the drive.
Keep the “Quick Format” option selected. Otherwise, Windows will perform a full format which can take a few hours.
5. Click “OK” to begin the formatting process.
After the formatting process, the external SSD will be ready for use.

How long will an external SSD last? Lifespan

The lifespan of an external SSD depends on the frequency of data writing. The act of writing and overwriting data causes wear and tear on the flash cells, which can eventually render them unusable. On average, an SSD can last up to 8 years.

Secret inside the box

The external SSDs come in various designs, colors, and shapes, but what matters is what’s inside. The type of SSD and interface it has are crucial factors to consider. There are a total of four types of SSD interfaces: SATA, mSATA, m.2 SATA, and m.2 NVMe. While SATA, mSATA, m.2 SATA are more affordable, NVMe offers greater performance.

What temperature is too hot or too cold?

It is crucial to maintain the appropriate temperature for your external SSD. The temperature range limit for an external SSD is between 2°C to 60°C (35°F to 140°F), as temperatures above or below this range may lead to damage and a shorter lifespan.

When a portable SSD is exposed to higher temperatures, its performance slows down. External SSDs are typically designed without cooling fans to keep them portable and noise-free. Therefore, avoiding placing your external SSD in direct sunlight or on top of a heat-emitting device is important.

What are the top 5 best external SSD brands?

We took into account various factors such as failure rate, customer ratings, speed, largest available capacity, and customer service while selecting our top 5 brands.

• Sandisk
• VectoTech
• Samsung
• Crucial
• Seagate