Picking the Best External Drive or SSD for You Some of the fastest flash drives these days, though, are getting close to SSD performance, and some models offer up capacities up to 2TB, so they are a much more viable performance option than they used to be.

You could also go for one of the best Flash drives, which are all pocket-friendly but usually not as performant as SSDs. If you're looking for a less expensive, more-DIY alternative you can also create your own external drive with one of the best SSD and hard drive enclosures. To help you pick the right storage device for your needs, we test and review dozens of drives as they become available and publish our list of specific recommendations for the best portable SSDs and hard drives on this page.

But with dozens of portable storage options available, how do you know which is the right external drive to buy? Should you opt for a speedier, more rugged (and more expensive) external SSD instead of a portable hard drive made up of comparatively fragile spinning platters and an actuator arm? Or could a slower, roomier and much cheaper portable hard drive be adequate for your storage needs?

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