External SSD hard disk performance & benchmark tests
Here you can find detailed speed performance tests of external USB-C hard drives. You can also use them with a USB Type A plug via an adapter, but they will only reach a maximum of 5 Gbit/s (~450 MB/s). However, the HDDs tested here achieve 10 Gbit/s (~1000 MB/s) or 20 Gbit/s (~1,900 MB/s). If your USB interface is not fast enough, you can also upgrade it on a PC using a PCIe card. The card needs an ASM3242 chipset to deliver USB Type-C 3.2 (Gen 2x2) at 20 Gbit/s, and you also need a 15-pin SATA connector for the power supply. You can get such a card from the company IO CREST.
The following external hard drives were tested:
| Product | Image | Capacity | Read | Write | Score | Price | $/GB | Test | Shop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADATA Elite SE880 512GB |  |
512 GB | 2078 MB/s | 1822 MB/s | 1319 | 92 $ | 0,18 $ |  |
|
| ADATA SD810 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 2075 MB/s | 1854 MB/s | 1345 | 90 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| ADATA SE900G 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 2057 MB/s | 2089 MB/s | 1838 | 70 $ | 0,07 $ | |
|
| ADATA SE900G 2TB | |
2048 GB | 2069 MB/s | 2074 MB/s | 1801 | 135 $ | 0,07 $ | |
|
| ASUS ROG Strix Arion S500 500GB |  |
500 GB | 1002 MB/s | 1063 MB/s | 1354 | 246 $ | 0,49 $ | |
|
| ASUS TUF Gaming AS1000 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 1081 MB/s | 1056 MB/s | 1070 | 111 $ | 0,11 $ | |
|
| Corsair EX100U 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 1584 MB/s | 1527 MB/s | 1220 | 100 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| Corsair EX100U 2TB | |
2048 GB | 1547 MB/s | 1523 MB/s | 1287 | 165 $ | 0,08 $ | |
|
| Crucial X10 Pro 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 2073 MB/s | 1673 MB/s | 1263 | 120 $ | 0,12 $ | |
|
| Crucial X10 Pro 2TB | |
2048 GB | 2072 MB/s | 1810 MB/s | 1307 | 185 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| Crucial X6 500GB |  |
500 GB | 854 MB/s | 773 MB/s | 795 | 49 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| Crucial X6 1TB | |
1024 GB | 824 MB/s | 813 MB/s | 851 | 72 $ | 0,07 $ | |
|
| Crucial X6 2TB | |
2048 GB | 828 MB/s | 818 MB/s | 959 | 108 $ | 0,05 $ | |
|
| Crucial X8 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 1051 MB/s | 1014 MB/s | 1051 | 150 $ | 0,15 $ | |
|
| Crucial X8 2TB | |
2048 GB | 1052 MB/s | 1014 MB/s | 1083 | 188 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| Crucial X9 Pro 2TB |  |
2048 GB | 1089 MB/s | 1008 MB/s | 1018 | 159 $ | 0,08 $ | |
|
| Kingston XS1000 Portable SSD 2TB |  |
2048 GB | 1090 MB/s | 1032 MB/s | 1016 | 106 $ | 0,05 $ | |
|
| Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD 500GB |  |
500 GB | 2075 MB/s | 1850 MB/s | 1144 | 75 $ | 0,15 $ | |
|
| Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD 1TB | |
1024 GB | 2081 MB/s | 1884 MB/s | 1231 | 100 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD 2TB | |
2048 GB | 2081 MB/s | 1878 MB/s | 1317 | 187 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| LaCie Portable SSD 500GB |  |
500 GB | 1052 MB/s | 838 MB/s | 826 | 75 $ | 0,15 $ | |
|
| LaCie Portable SSD 1TB | |
1024 GB | 1052 MB/s | 1028 MB/s | 915 | 115 $ | 0,11 $ | |
|
| Lenovo PS8 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 1060 MB/s | 1057 MB/s | 1183 | 100 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| Lexar SL660 BLAZE Gaming Portable SSD 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 2076 MB/s | 1868 MB/s | 1229 | 111 $ | 0,11 $ | |
|
| Netac Z SLIM 500GB |  |
500 GB | 541 MB/s | 510 MB/s | 449 | 54 $ | 0,11 $ | |
|
| Netac Z SLIM 1TB | |
1024 GB | 561 MB/s | 512 MB/s | 588 | 97 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| Netac ZX10 500GB |  |
500 GB | 1088 MB/s | 991 MB/s | 1125 | 62 $ | 0,12 $ | |
|
| Netac ZX10 1TB | |
1024 GB | 1086 MB/s | 1082 MB/s | 1312 | 99 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| Netac ZX10 2TB | |
2048 GB | 1088 MB/s | 1047 MB/s | 1318 | 163 $ | 0,08 $ | |
|
| Netac ZX20 512GB |  |
512 GB | 2073 MB/s | 1787 MB/s | 1263 | 67 $ | 0,13 $ | |
|
| Netac ZX20 1TB | |
1024 GB | 2075 MB/s | 1889 MB/s | 1317 | 93 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| Netac ZX20 2TB | |
2048 GB | 2078 MB/s | 1769 MB/s | 1308 | 186 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| ORICO GV100 512GB |  |
512 GB | 1074 MB/s | 1014 MB/s | 1007 | 100 $ | 0,20 $ | |
|
| ORICO GV100 1TB | |
1024 GB | 1040 MB/s | 1016 MB/s | 1010 | 160 $ | 0,16 $ | |
|
| ORICO MTQ-10G 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 1230 MB/s | 1240 MB/s | 1211 | 100 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| PNY EliteX-PRO 500GB |  |
500 GB | 1556 MB/s | 1513 MB/s | 1254 | 60 $ | 0,12 $ | |
|
| PNY EliteX-PRO 1TB | |
1024 GB | 1543 MB/s | 1505 MB/s | 1249 | 100 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| Samsung Portable SSD T7 500GB |  |
500 GB | 1091 MB/s | 918 MB/s | 861 | 80 $ | 0,16 $ | |
|
| Samsung Portable SSD T7 1TB | |
1024 GB | 1003 MB/s | 1017 MB/s | 889 | 90 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| Samsung Portable SSD T7 2TB | |
2048 GB | 1091 MB/s | 1031 MB/s | 908 | 150 $ | 0,07 $ | |
|
| Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 1085 MB/s | 1049 MB/s | 943 | 110 $ | 0,11 $ | |
|
| Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield 2TB | |
2048 GB | 1089 MB/s | 1053 MB/s | 964 | 160 $ | 0,08 $ | |
|
| Samsung Portable SSD T9 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 2021 MB/s | 1879 MB/s | 1082 | 151 $ | 0,15 $ | |
|
| Samsung Portable SSD T9 2TB | |
2048 GB | 1933 MB/s | 1899 MB/s | 1089 | 262 $ | 0,13 $ | |
|
| SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 500GB |  |
500 GB | 1092 MB/s | 1070 MB/s | 1072 | 89 $ | 0,18 $ | |
|
| SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 1092 MB/s | 1081 MB/s | 1116 | 99 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 2TB | |
2048 GB | 1092 MB/s | 1080 MB/s | 1102 | 180 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD V2 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 2060 MB/s | 2094 MB/s | 1817 | 122 $ | 0,12 $ | |
|
| SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD V2 2TB | |
2048 GB | 2076 MB/s | 2083 MB/s | 1787 | 220 $ | 0,11 $ | |
|
| SanDisk Portable SSD 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 930 MB/s | 654 MB/s | 962 | 80 $ | 0,08 $ | |
|
| SanDisk Portable SSD 2TB | |
2048 GB | 890 MB/s | 803 MB/s | 1273 | 120 $ | 0,06 $ | |
|
| Seagate One Touch SSD 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 1052 MB/s | 1028 MB/s | 1026 | 88 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| SK hynix Beetle X31 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 1087 MB/s | 1087 MB/s | 1412 | 90 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| SSK SD500 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 1230 MB/s | 1237 MB/s | 1035 | 73 $ | 0,07 $ | |
|
| TeamGroup T-Force M200 Portable SSD 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 2066 MB/s | 1965 MB/s | 1660 | 85 $ | 0,08 $ | |
|
| Transcend ESD370C Portable SSD 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 1091 MB/s | 1092 MB/s | 1210 | 85 $ | 0,08 $ | |
|
| Transcend ESD380C Portable SSD 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 2073 MB/s | 1720 MB/s | 1198 | 100 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| Transcend ESD380C Portable SSD 2TB | |
2048 GB | 2077 MB/s | 1861 MB/s | 1282 | 156 $ | 0,08 $ | |
|
| Verbatim Store 'n' Go Portable SSD 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 468 MB/s | 223 MB/s | 287 | 106 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| Western Digital WD My Passport SSD 500GB |  |
500 GB | 1092 MB/s | 1046 MB/s | 1149 | 92 $ | 0,18 $ | |
|
| Western Digital WD My Passport SSD 1TB | |
1024 GB | 1090 MB/s | 1078 MB/s | 1119 | 86 $ | 0,08 $ | |
|
| Western Digital WD_BLACK D30 Game Drive SSD 500GB |  |
500 GB | 935 MB/s | 842 MB/s | 860 | 50 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| Western Digital WD_BLACK D30 Game Drive SSD 1TB | |
1024 GB | 935 MB/s | 841 MB/s | 874 | 90 $ | 0,09 $ | |
|
| Western Digital WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive SSD 1TB |  |
1024 GB | 2072 MB/s | 2051 MB/s | 1343 | 120 $ | 0,12 $ | |
|
| Western Digital WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive SSD 2TB | |
2048 GB | 2070 MB/s | 2062 MB/s | 1387 | 200 $ | 0,10 $ | |
|
| Western Digital WD_BLACK P50 Game Drive SSD 500GB |  |
500 GB | 1954 MB/s | 1991 MB/s | 1631 | 150 $ | 0,30 $ | |
|
| Western Digital WD_BLACK P50 Game Drive SSD 2TB | |
2048 GB | 2009 MB/s | 2057 MB/s | 1793 | 300 $ | 0,15 $ | |
We are currently expanding the test of external hard drives; you will find more HDDs here soon.