After this long quarantine, many of us are waiting for what will be our next vacation. If the pandemic allows us, we are on the search for our next destination. If you are fond of photography or filming it absolutely everything, if you are an image professional or if you are thinking of opening a travel blog along the way; you will need a lot of space on your tech storage devices and you may need some external hard drives.
In recent years, the volume of data on our devices has soared exponentially, where today we find large file formats such as RAW or 4K, video formats that already reach 8K, or amounts of data in presentations and documents that make it unworkable for us to store it on our computers.
There are several points to keep in mind when choosing the best external hard drive. First of all, what devices we’ll take on the road, like a camera but you don’t plan on carrying your computer. What brand of laptop we have, what technology we work with, what files we will store and approximately how much space we plan to use. It’s not the same to store video – much heavier – than photos. Pay attention to which one best suits your specific needs.
Details to keep in mind before purchasing an external hard drive
Capacity. You’ll find hard drives of all kinds of storage capacity, up to 14Tb.
Security. Some devices offer software to copy data to the cloud or encrypt it using passwords.
External power connection via USB: We find different memory speeds on the hard drives:
- 2.0. It is slow, with a data transfer rate of up to 480 Mbps.
- 3.0. Multiply performance by ten, with a transfer rate of up to 5Gbps.
- 3.1. The fastest. Ready to transfer up to 10Gbps
Read and write speed by rotating the disk. It is measured in revolutions per minute from 5,400 to 7,200 rpm. At higher revs, faster and faster, although they tend to increase noise.
Dimensions, weight and quality of finishes. External hard drives must be portable, durable and with a shock-resistant finish and adverse weather conditions. Magnetic discs will be more durable and faster depending on their components and product manufacturing.
Support for MAC, Linux or Windows. It is important to read if the hard drive we like is compatible for all operating systems.
File formats. These devices are formatted by default in NTFS, so if we work with a MAC we must format in FAT32 or exFAT if we don’t want a read-only device.
- FAT32. It is the most compatible file format system, although it does not allow you to store files larger than 4Gb, unless they are partitioned.
- NTFS. It is the most advanced file format system, with no storage limitation, although it is a system not compatible with Mac or Linux.
- exFAT. It is a flash file format system, without the limitations offered by FAT32. Provides better compatibility with Windows, Linux, and Mac devices. It is the most recommended for transferring large files.
Our recommendation
Samsung T5
Samsung T5 it is a compact, high-speed storage unit that represents a world-class storage solution.
Using the latest generation of Samsung’s 3D V-NAND technology, available in a variety of storage sizes at different prices with options of up to 2 TB of storage space in a small design.
Samsung T5, the solid-state drive passed all reading and writing tests, keeping your image. It has a well-solid aluminum housing, the company claims that it can withstand a drop of up to six feet without any damage.
Adata SD600Q
You may give up the modern USB-C standard for connectivity, but the Adata SD600Q is still a good device that will serve anyone looking for a portable SSD and doesn’t have many demands.
The SD600Q offers a good combination of design, affordable prices and a variety of more than decent capabilities if you don’t require more than one TB, offers great speed to copy files and can also make use of Adata’s free software if you wish, an option to consider without a doubt.
SANDISK EXTREME SSD
It is one of the smallest on the market. This SanDisk external hard drive, fits in the palm of your hand, but in turn, one of the fastest in terms of reading and writing files. It has great capacity and several benefits for the traveler who likes extreme adventure.
At 96 mm high, 50 mm wide and only 9 mm thick, the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD withstands drops up to 2 meters in height, is rain and dust resistant, without putting stored information at risk. It comes with USB-C connection and its respective USB 3.1 adapter, which allows you to reach speeds of 550 MB/s. There are several versions of this same model: 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB and 2TB.
Adata SE800
It has read and write speeds of up to 1,000 MBps, whether you’re using the 512GB or 1TB model. It connects via a USB-C port and supports USB 3.2 Gen2, although it supports USB 2.0.
This unit features a durable housing complemented by a brushed surface with a black or blue view. The company claims that this unit meets the MIL-STD-810G 516.6 impact resistance standard, completely resists dust and can remain submerged in six feet of water for one hour.
Caldigit Tuff nano SSD Drive
Using NVMe technology, the 512GB drive achieves read and write speeds close to 1,000 MB/s., it is also robust as it is IP67 certified, meaning it can be submerged in water and is water-tight. It can also withstand drops up to 4M.
It is compatible with most computers (comes with USB-C and USB-A cables), and, being USB-C, can also work with Apple’s iPad Pro.
G-DRIVE EV RAW
Another storage option for your trip is the G-Drive ev Raw, comes with a removable fall and vibration protector that will protect all your documents even at the most extreme moments of your journey. Also, it is possible to add an airtight protective housing to protect it 100% from dust and falls.
It is a compatible SSD that comes formatted for Mac, though, it can be easily reformatted for Windows. As for their capacity, you can find the external G-DRIVE travel hard drives from 500 GB, 1TB, 2 Teras or 4TB. Your file transfer speed can reach 425 MB/s.
There are many options to purchase an external hard drive, especially that suits the customer’s need. To know how to choose the one that best suits our lifestyle. What is true, that today the variety of options are amazing, where you should sit and analyze each of them.