Best external drives 2026: Fast SSDs and roomy hard drives
The article highlights top external storage options for 2026, focusing on SSDs and hard drives that balance speed, capacity, and portability. It provides recommendations based on use cases such as fast data transfer, budget-friendly bulk storage, or portable backup solutions. Various models are evaluated for performance, design, and value across different connectivity standards like USB4 and Thunderbolt.
- ▪The Corsair EX300U is the fastest 10Gbps external SSD tested, featuring a compact design and magnetic attachment.
- ▪The PNY RP60 is recommended as the best 20Gbps external SSD with a durable, water-resistant IP65-rated build.
- ▪The Adata SE920 is the fastest pre-populated 40Gbps USB4 SSD, offering high-speed performance on both PC and Mac.
- ▪The WD My Passport is the top portable hard drive, offering up to 6TB of storage at a low price per terabyte.
- ▪The Seagate Expansion Desktop is the best desktop hard drive, providing up to 24TB of capacity with higher throughput than smaller external HDDs.
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Best Picks Best external drives 2026: Fast SSDs and roomy hard drives Whether you're looking for speed, capacity, portability, or all of the above, you can upgrade your data game with external storage. By Gordon Mah Ung and Jon L. Jacobi Apr 29, 2026 1:42 pm PDT Image: Markus Spiske / Unsplash External USB/Thunderbolt SSDs and/or hard drives (aka direct-attached storage, or DAS) are a super-convenient way to add storage capacity to your system as well as back it up. External drives are also extremely handy for transporting data between locations and devices in what used to be known as sneaker-net. PROMOTIONHigh Capacity Bus-powered USB-C desktop Get in touch with total storage freedom. Revolutionize your workflows with game-changing convenience and ease.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at PCWorld.
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