SSD external which is best

When choosing an external SSD for a MacBook (or any computer, for that matter), several factors come into play, including speed, durability, price, and compatibility. Here's a comparison of the three SSDs you mentioned:

1. Samsung T7:

• • Speed: Offers read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and write speeds up to 1,000 MB/s.
  • Durability: It's shock-resistant and can withstand drops from up to 2 meters.
  • Compatibility: It comes with both USB Type-C to C and USB Type-C to A cables, making it compatible with a wide range of devices, including all versions of MacBook.
  • Other Features: It has an optional password protection with AES 256-bit hardware encryption.

1. SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD:

• • Speed: Offers read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and write speeds that are slightly lower but comparable.
  • Durability: It's water and dust resistant (IP55-rated) and also shock-resistant.
  • Compatibility: Like the Samsung T7, it's compatible with both USB-C and USB-A devices.
  • Other Features: It also offers 256-bit AES hardware encryption.

1. Crucial X8:

• • Speed: Offers read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s. The write speed is not always advertised, but it's competitive.
  • Durability: It's built to be rugged, but specific drop heights or IP ratings might not be as prominently advertised as with the other two.
  • Compatibility: Works with a variety of USB devices, including both USB-C and USB-A.
  • Other Features: While it doesn't emphasize encryption as much as the other two, it's a solid performer in terms of raw speed and reliability.

Which is best for a MacBook?

All three SSDs are compatible with MacBooks and offer similar performance metrics. Your choice might come down to brand preference, price, or specific features like encryption or ruggedness.

• If you prioritize encryption and security, the Samsung T7 or SanDisk might be more appealing.
• If you're looking for a balance of performance and value, the Crucial X8 is often praised for offering good speeds at a competitive price point.
• If durability (like water and dust resistance) is a concern, the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD has a slight edge with its IP55 rating.

Remember to always check the latest reviews and benchmarks, as the tech world is continuously evolving, and newer models or firmware updates can change the performance landscape.

Samsung T7 is a better choice than Sandisk. No experience with Crucial, but reviews are mixed (on their own site). I had a Sandisk Extreme that quit working when I upgraded my MacOS. I discovered this was a known problem with a firmware fix available. Installing the firmware requires a Windows PC. I tried to use my local library's Windows PC, but they appear to use Virtual Machines and it wasn't able to access the external drive. I bought the Samsung T7 after confirming Samsung supports Macs for firmware updates. Happy with the Samsung for my Time Machine backups ever since. By the way, my Sandisk was under warranty, so I mailed it back to them for the firmware update (as documented as a workaround for non-PC owners). They simply sent me a new Sandisk drive. I decided to keep it sealed and sold it on eBay.

Right now the fastest external drive is the ZikeDrive USB4 enclosure.  Over 3 gigabytes a second on

Macs that have come out in the last few years. Three times the speed of the Samsung T7 mentioned. Will work with older computers as well but at slower speeds

"Best" is purely subjective.

We have 11 T7 SSDs in service and they all work flawlessly.

I use both the Samsung T7 2TB, and the Sandisk 2TB external SSD's. Both of the drives work really well. I ordered the new iPhone 15 Pro, and I have seen videos on YouTube where people have used the Samsung T7 SSD to use when recording 4K 60FPS, and the reviews are very good. Again, it is truly up to you which drive you like more, but I can tell you I like using both of them. I use my Sandisk 2TB SSD for my Photos library.

Looks like Crucial supports MacOS firmware updates, but it's a bit cumbersome. They want you to create a bootable image on a CD or DVD, then boot up on the CD/DVD to install. I'd go with Samsung.

Cyril_A Said:

"SSD external which is best: Which brand SSD external device: Samsung T7 or Sandisk or Crucial X8, which is best external ssd for apple MacBook all versions?"

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Which Hard Drive to Get:

Look up the specs and System Requirements. If all is met, then expect it to work, 100%. If you so not have the required port, then this would be the adapter to get: USB-C to USB Adapter - Apple

Looking to Back Up your Mac?:

If you are looking to back up your Mac, then you need to extract what need be, and then format accordingly, by erasing it in Disk Utility. Create the Time Machine Backups from there: If you Need to Create a New Backup from Mac - Apple Support

It’s an enclosure. Lots of great NVMe drives you can put in

it. If by some chance the enclose fails, you can easily put the drive in

another case.

It’s got a great heat sink. After a 2tb write it’s only slightly

warm.

I bought one and a week later ordered a second.

ku4hx wrote:

"Best" is purely subjective.

We have 11 T7 SSDs in service and they all work flawlessly.

I'm trying to install and format a T7, and the instructions I've gotten don't seem to be doing it. I am trying to have it format to APFS, I've erased it, it then was in extended journal format, so I erased again, set it to APFS, it went through the steps, but after saying "Created a new APFS Container disk7" & "Created new APFS Volume disk7s1" Then tried mounting it, it said "Couldn't mount disk.. (-69842)" & Operation failed

So what do I do now?

I have a Samsung T7 and it has been operating flawlessly. I('m happy. Don't know about the others.

And the established reliability is????? How about it's running temperatures??

FWIW, I have 2 Samsung T7s. One of those developed an "ooze" issue where an internal thermal pad melted and oozed out of the housing (of course it occurred when it was just out of warranty). There have been a few reports on the internet of similar occurrences. The drives were purchased 3 years ago so maybe Samsung has since resolved this. The second drive has as worked without issue during the same period.

I also have a Sandisk Extreme Pro that so far has worked without any issues. However, there have also been several reports of the Sandisk Extreme (not Pro version) having catastrophic data loss failures. How common are they? Enough that there have been rumors of starting a class action suit.

So, regardless of the above, depending on what the external drive is used for, I would very strongly suggest purchasing two of what ever drive you decide on with one being the "main" use drive and the second as a backup. Whether you you use an SSD or regular HDD there is always the chance a drive can fail but more likely than that is that data can be corrupted, erroneously removed or overwritten so you should have a back up to restore data on the "main" external drive.