Finest external SSD for gaming 2024: Moveable performance drives
Image: Western Digital
Perchance your gaming computer doesn’t have enough storage. Otherwise you merely favor an easy methodology to electrify your sport library transportable. An external SSD can repair each of these concerns (and more) by providing an easy methodology to electrify bigger storage that you just’ll likely be ready to rob on the scoot.
But picking an external SSD methodology sorting through a dizzying array of options, and making a unlucky quite lots of can scoot away you feeling great carried out by. Lucky for you, we’ve carried out the attempting out and would possibly maybe likely offer some particular-fireplace solutions which could maybe likely well be assured to abet, and no longer hinder, your gaming setup.
Why you would possibly well still belief us: We are PCWorld. Our reviewers were putting computer hardware through its paces for a protracted time. Our external power critiques are thorough and rigorous, attempting out the boundaries of each product — from performance benchmarks to the practicalities of celebrated consume. As consumers ourselves, each person knows what makes a product distinctive. For more about our attempting out assignment, scroll to the underside of this text.
Updated July 2, 2024: Watch our contemporary decide for the ideal durable external power. Moreover to to featuring snappily 20Gbps performance, the PNY RP60 is also in a position to withstanding the parts, so you’ll likely be ready to rob your video games on the scoot with total self perception.
Lexar SL600 Blaze – Finest 20Gbps external SSD for gaming
Pros
- Correct 20Gbps performer
- Prime bang for the buck
- Five-yr guarantee
Cons
- 4TB mannequin no longer yet accessible
Designate When Reviewed:1TB: $129.99
The opponents is awfully shut in the tip tier of 20Gbps external drives, with the huge-name contenders trading wins up and down the benchmark charts. But a winner is a winner, and in the tip, the Lexar overtook our previous champ, Major’s X10 Proeven though simplest by a hair.
The upshot is that you just’ll likely be ready to inquire very fair true performance from the Lexar SL600. It also comes in a uniquely formed make element, total with an opening to accommodate a lanyard, for uncomplicated toting. Gamers would possibly maybe likely care for that you just’ll likely be ready to even add some bling by opting for the SL660 variant, which gains RGB lighting within its limited tackle. The capability comes with the celebrated five yr guarantee.
When performance is that this intently matched amongst products, the figuring out element must be designate. And here, too, the SL600 is neck-and-neck with the Major X10 Pro, and priced a little of to noticeably more cost-effective than some of its opponents, on the very least as of this writing — specifically on the 2TB degree.
Read our stout Lexar SL600 Blaze 20Gbps USB SSD review
Seagate FireCuda Gaming SSD (1TB) – Finest top rate 20Gbps external SSD for gaming
Pros
- Tumble-uninteresting gorgeous
- 2GBps transfers through SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps
Cons
- Costly
- Superspeed USB 20Gbps ports are few and a ways between
Designate When Reviewed:$110.92
Seagate’s FireCuda Gaming SSD is a noteworthy quite lots of, however it has a fundamental steeper designate designate for equal performance. Nonetheless, the FireCuda is an absolutely gorgeous external SSD and is noteworthy of a device on any desktop. It’s no longer factual a moderately façade even supposing—it’s like minded with a SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps port, meaning it will attain transfer charges of as a lot as 2GBps. It’s absolutely the ideal-attempting external SSD on this list.
Read our stout Seagate FireCuda Gaming SSD review
Teamgroup M200 – Finest funds 20Gbps external SSD for gaming
Pros
- Snappy on each day basis performance
- On hand in as a lot as 8TB (in the extinguish) capability
- Attractively styled
Cons
- No TBW rating
- Firm will commerce parts if shortages ask
- Writes leisurely to 200MBps off cache
Designate When Reviewed:$40 for 256GB | $58 for 512GB | $260 for 2TB | $300 for 4TB
The Teamgroup M200 supplies very fair true bang to your buck with 20Gbps transfer charges and as a lot as 4TB of storage for a indubitably realistic designate. It has gargantuan on each day basis performance, too.
Its slick defense pressure-model have is according to the CheyTac M200 sniper rifle—a best match for these leisurely evening frag lessons. Sadly, Teamgroup doesn’t provide a TBW rating or reliable IP rating for the M200 so it’s more sophisticated to study it as an total to its opponents. Nonetheless the M200 is a snappily, extraordinarily successfully priced external SSD with a gamer-friendly have that would possibly explore trusty and compose successfully in practically any setup.
Read our stout Teamgroup T-Force M200 20Gbps USB SSD review
PNY RP60 20Gbps USB SSD – Finest rugged 20Gbps external SSD for gaming
Pros
- Beautiful, IP65-rated have (mud-proof, water resistant)
- Correct 20Gbps performance
- Nice flat Form-C USB ribbon cable
Cons
- USB port lumber tether is sophisticated to reinsert.
Designate When Reviewed:1TB: $100 I 2TB: $180
For these that tend to rob your gaming power in each device, and/or you’re no longer the most careful particular person with hardware, a ruggedized external SSD is a functional answer.
The PNY RP60 supplies more than factual a rugged IP65-rated exterior that protects against mud and water droplets; and while very gorgeous and light-weight in addition; the capability is also an admirable performer, even besting one of many fastest 20Gbps drives we’ve examined — the Major X10 Pro — in a few our tests.
The RP60 is also competitively priced at $100 and $180 for 1TB and 2TB, respectively.
Read our stout PNY RP60 20Gbps USB SSD review
Sabrent Rocket Nano V2 – Most transportable 20Gbps external SSD for gaming
Pros
- Extraordinarily miniature profile
- Shock-interesting silicone jacket
- Prime-flight packaging
- Correct overall performance
Cons
- A tad in the again of the 20Gbps curve performance-intellectual
Designate When Reviewed:1TB: $120 I 2TB: $200 I 4TB: $450
For these that’re after a indubitably miniature SSD that you just’ll likely be ready to with out problems match into a pocket, the Sabrent Rocket Nano V2 is that. This USB 3.2×2 20Gbps power measures a limited 2.73 inches long, 1.16-inches wide, and zero.44-inches thick. It weighs a dainty 1.7 ounces.
Pointless to claim, you’ll doubtlessly are seeking to spin on its incorporated shock-interesting silicone jacket (shown in image), that would possibly add .06 inches to all its dimensions, while giving it a badass explore.
But appears to be like apart, the Nano V2 is a obtain performer. It wasn’t rather on the identical degree as our high picks in all the pieces, however it traded wins and losses within the pack. For instance it change into 2nd simplest to the Major X10 Pro in our 450GB write take a look at. And it took the tip space in CrystalDiskMark 8’s random writes, and change into very aggressive in random reads.
This wee power also comes in as a lot as 4TB capacities, making it an all-around trusty quite lots of whenever you’re seeking to get rather loads of storage and performance in a limited kit. We’re also fond of its five-yr guarantee and the nifty metal field it comes in, which could maybe likely well be repurposed for assorted makes consume of.
Read our stout Sabrent Rocket Nano V2 review
Adata SE920 EX – Finest USB 4 external SSD for gaming
Pros
- Fastest external storage we’ve examined (at 40Gbps)
- Cheap for the ilk
- Orderly enclosure
- On hand as a lot as 4TB
- Furthermore snappily on the Mac
Cons
- Pricier than USB 3.2×2 (20Gbps)
Designate When Reviewed:1TB: $140 I 2TB: $200 I 4TB: $380
A USB 4 external SSD isn’t for all people. Now not simplest does your PC must toughen the spec in repeat to rob attend of the 40Gbps transfers, however you’ll also must be willing to pay a top rate for the privilege.
For these that’re ready to enter the membership, on the assorted hand, the Adata SE920 EX will reward you with the fastest USB 4 performance that we’ve skilled, and at a diagram more inexpensive designate than our previous decide for USB 4, the OWC Explicit 1M2 — we’re talking $140 for a 1TB Adata SE920 versus $250 for the OWC power. And whenever you’d like rather loads of capability, the Adata SE920 EX comes with as a lot as 4TB, for a realistic $380.
In practically every benchmark, the SE920 EX beat the OWC Explicit 1M2 at 40Gbps performance, albeit by miniature margins. It also comes with a nifty built-in fan, which is activated by sliding delivery the enclosure. This kept our power noticeably free of heat for the period of our benchmark tests.
The SE920 EX is also rather transportable at 4.13 inches long by 2.52-inches wide by 0.62-inches thick, and weighing 7 ounces — one other attend it has over the bulkier OWC Explicit 1M2.
In the tip, the assorted for a USB 4 external SSD is obvious.
Read our stout Adata SE920 EX USB4 SSD review
How we take a look at external SSD sport performance
The ideal ask you like to know is, how fundamental does utilizing an external power hurt sport performance. To give us a opinion of how fundamental it matters, we veteran UL’s contemporary 3DMark Storage Benchmark. To blueprint the benchmark, UL basically records the capability get entry to patterns for the period of several general gaming tasks to electrify “traces.” These power-get entry to traces are then jog on the examined storage machine more than one times to copy the patterns with out having to indubitably load the game.
For its take a look at, 3DMark reproduces what happens loading to the starting up menus of Battlefield V, Name of Duty: Unlit Ops 4and Overwatch. 3DMark Storage also tests utilizing OBS, or Originate Broadcast Arrangement, to list Overwatch being carried out at 1080p decision at 60fps, putting in The Outer Worlds from the Legend launcher, and saving a sport in The Outer Worlds. For the final take a look at, 3DM ark Storage tests copying the Steam folder for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive from an external SSD to the aim power.
We veteran a 12th-gen Intel Core i9-12900K running Dwelling windows 11 on an Asus ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard. The board gains native Thunderbolt 4 and USB 3.2 10Gbps ports. We added a Silverstone ECU06 for USB 3.2 SuperSpeed 20Gbps toughen. We then veteran a Vantec M.2 NVMe SSD to USB 3.2 Gen2x2 20G Form C enclosure with a Western Digital SN700 NVMe SSD to take a look at USB 3.2 20Gbps and 10Gbps performance. We also installed the identical SN700 into a PCIe 3.0 riser card to take a look at its native performance. This supplies you a opinion of how fundamental you lose going from being installed within the computer or PC when put next to utilizing a USB port. For added distinction, we also ran 3DMark Storage on an older Plextor PX-512M7VG SATA SSD interior of a Silverstone MS09 SATA enclosure that change into plugged into a USB 3.2 10Gbps port. And since you like to understand how leisurely an improbable power would possibly maybe likely likely be, we also ran the identical take a look at on a Western Digital 14TB EasyStore great power plugged into a USB 3.2 10Gbps port. The EasyStore is on the total minute to USB 3.2 SuperSpeed 5Gbps.
IDG
IDG
IDG
What must still you impact of the above outcomes? Nicely, clearly whenever you’ll likely be ready to set up an SSD interior of your PC, you’ll get the most performance out of it. But you like to have in options one of the most context. For these that’re simplest attempting on the huge long crimson bar on the tip of the chart, have in options that the specific take a look at is measuring what would happen whenever you copied a successfully-kept folder of recordsdata to the SSD. For many of us, that’s simplest carried out in most cases.
The more general subject is awaiting a sport to originate. Working an internal NVMe power will still be faster, however the gap closes a little. Between the three stylish USB interfaces: USB 20Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and SATA on USB 10Gbps, the fastest is USB 3.2 20Gbps. With a USB 3.2 20Gbps SSD, you would possibly maybe likely likely likely interrogate Battlefield V shave 25 p.c of the burden time versus a USB 3.2 10Gbps power. Pointless to claim, performance is also sport dependent. For instance, each Name of Duty and Battlefield interrogate Forty five p.c or so higher bandwidth on the interior SSD, however with the less graphically intense Overwatchit’s closer to 30 p.c.
The assorted surprise is the performance of the SATA SSD versus the NVMe SSD when the NVMe SSD is in a USB 3.2 10Gbps port. In sport hundreds, saves, and set up scenarios, they’re moderately shut. The NVMe external SSD does delivery as a lot as huge lead over the slower SATA whenever you transfer to a assignment the set apart you’re copying a gargantuan amount of recordsdata—such because the CS:GO outcomes. But again, how regularly manufacture you manufacture that?
Pointless to claim we are in a position to’t scoot away this with out declaring factual depraved great drives are. Would it no longer be more improved with a faster great power? Unlikely. The very minimum you would possibly well still consume if storing video games on an external power is a SATA SSD, so don’t jog a sport out of your external great power except you love to live up for all the pieces.
