The best external SSD for gaming

best external ssd for gaming it’s a relatively inexpensive way to expand storage and speed up game loading without having to delve into the guts of your gaming PC. Simply plug it into a free USB port, install the game, and play your way.

They don’t have to be flashy, either: Adata relies on the distinctive honeycomb effect with RGB lighting, while Sandisk makes a dust- and water-resistant NVMe drive that fits in the palm of your hand. You can even do it yourself if you have a spare internal NVMe, thanks to an enclosure from Asus that turns your existing drive into a portable storage device.

The portable and external options, of course, have some caveats, such as slower speeds. This is a marked improvement over hard drives, but you’ll want to pick the best SSD for gaming if performance is important to you, and check out our guide on how to install an SSD to make sure it’s installed correctly.

The advantage of a portable SSD is that you can easily switch between devices. With so many prices to choose from and read speeds from 540MB/s to 2800MB/s, we’ve rounded up several drives for every use and every budget so you can choose the best external SSD for you.

Here are your options for the best external SSD for gaming:

• The best external SSD for gaming – Adata SE900G
• best portable ssd – Sandisk Extreme Portable
• The fastest external SSD -Samsung X5
• The best NVMe enclosure – Asus ROG Strix Arion
• The best cheap external SSD -Samsung T5
• Best SSD for Xbox Series X – Seagate Storage Expansion Card

Adata SE900G

best external ssd for gaming This is the Adata SE900G.

Adata’s NVMe-based model is one of the fastest external drives we’ve seen, with sequential read and write speeds of up to 2000 MB/s. It connects via a USB Type-C cable, although Adata includes a Type-A adapter in the box. to better serve more devices. We recommend the 1TB model, although it is also available in a 512GB or 2TB version.

The RGB lighting that covers the top of the player is a brilliant touch that makes you feel right at home with the best gaming keyboard and mouse.

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SanDisk Extreme Laptop

best laptop ssd Sandisk Extreme Portable.

Despite its small size of 2.07 x 3.97 inches, the Sandisk Extreme Portable still makes a good impression. With NVMe storage under the hood, it offers fast sequential read and write speeds of 1050MB/s and 1000MB/s respectively. Il peut également prendre a coup avec deux mètres de protection contre les chutes et une résistance à l’eau et à la poussière IP55, ce qui en fait le compagnon de voyage ideal pour le meilleur portable ordinateur de jeu – pas que nous recommandions de le Leave.

It connects via USB Type-C, although a Type-A adapter is included. You can choose from a drive with capacities ranging from 500GB to 4TB.

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Samsung X5

Faster external SSD This is a Samsung X5.

The Samsung X5 is one of the fastest on the market in terms of sheer speed, but it comes with a hefty price tag and some Thunderbolt 3 compatibility considerations. If your wallet and computer support it, this drive can read and write at speeds of 2800 MB/s and 2300 MB/s respectively, downloading your games and transferring files in a snap.

The X5 is still surprisingly small at 4.7 x 2.4 inches, and its beautiful, shiny chassis can withstand drops of up to two meters.

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Asus ROG Strix Arion

best nvme enclosure it is the Asus ROG Strix Arion.

If you already have a spare internal NVMe drive, the Arion can be converted into an external SSD which looks more attractive than other enclosures. The USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 connection provides data transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to take full advantage of faster NVMe models.

The aluminum chassis also features adjustable RGB lighting to add style, while thermal pads inside help keep temperatures down to prevent thermal throttling.

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samsung t5

best cheap external ssd It’s Samsung T5.

The T5 uses SATA technology instead of the faster NVMe form factor, but it helps keep the price per GB down. In fact, it is the best budget external SSD that is almost five times faster than an external hard drive, with 540MB/s sequential read and 515MB/s sequential write.

The all-metal body gives it strength and allows it to withstand a fall from a height of two meters. And if you’re worried about security, you can use Samsung’s software to password lock your drive.

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Seagate Storage Expansion Card

best ssd for xbox x series it is a Seagate storage expansion card.

The Xbox Series X/S will not allow you to install and play current generation games on any random external SSD, instead you can use the expansion slot on the back of the Xbox Series X/S console. Seagate NVMe is currently the only model to fit Microsoft’s proprietary port and offer identical read and write speeds to the console’s internal NVMe SSD.

However, there’s no USB connection, so it’s just an external SSD for the latest Xbox consoles, not your PC.