Best External Hard Drive for PC Gaming
They are two categories of external hard drives:
Best External Hard Drive for PC Gaming Solid State Drives (SSD) 1. ADATA SU800 1TB SSD – 512GB & 1TB 2. SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable 1TB – 4TB 3. Samsung T7 Portable SSD 500GB – 2TB 4. Samsung T5 Portable SSD – 500GB Hard Disk Drives (HDD) 1. Western Digital My Passport, 1TB – 5TB 2. Seagate Portable External Hard Drive, 500GB – 2TB 3. Transcend Rugged External Hard Drive, 500GB – 2TB 4. LaCie Mini Portable External Hard Drive, 1TB – 8TB
Hard Disk Drives (HDD) Solid State Drives (SSD)
You can choose between the two on the basis of their performance, storage, speeds, etc. Read our comprehensive article on SSD Vs HDD: Which one is Better and Why? before making a decision.
Solid State Drives (SSD)
A Solid-State Drive is a storage device that utilizes integrated circuit assemblies to store data persistently, even when no power is supplied. It uses flash memory and semiconductor cells to store data.
These are durable & shock resistant Drives run silently More importantly, they provide quick response time & low latency.
It will be a great choice for storing large-sized games. Some of the best external SSD for PC gaming are listed below.
1. ADATA SU800 1TB SSD – 512GB & 1TB
ADATA SU 800 ranks in the list of best external SSD for PC gaming because of the following advantages: Pros:
IP68 Dust & Water Proof Speeds up to 1000MB/s USB 3.2 USB C-type Supports PS4 Durable & tough
Cons:
Slightly Expensive Not made for extreme conditions Uses the 10Gbps Generation-2 interface
2. SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable 1TB – 4TB
It is the best rugged & portable high-speed SSD. Pros:
IP55 Water & Dust Resistant Rugged & Handy Design Sequential Read/Write Speeds up to 1050MB/s 256-bit AES Encryption USB 3.2 & USB C-type 5 Years Warranty
Cons:
Prolonged use may lead to heating issues Requires reformatting to use in macOS Overpriced
3. Samsung T7 Portable SSD 500GB – 2TB
Pros:
USB 3.2 1GB/s read-write speed Dynamic Thermal Guard AES 256-bit hardware encryption Ideal for Gaming Compact & Portable
Cons:
Runs hot despite Dynamic Thermal Guard Average integrated software Requires USB 3.2 compatible device to fetch maximum speeds
Click here to purchase it.
4. Samsung T5 Portable SSD – 500GB
It is the best external SSD for PC gaming which is also budget-friendly. Pros:
Shock Resistant Password Protection Compact & Light Speeds up to 540MB/s USB C-type Best for budget gaming
Cons:
Slower read/write speed USB 3.1 is a bit slower Performance could be better
Also Read: How to Download Steam Games on External Hard Drive
Hard Disk Drives (HDD)
A hard disk drive is a data storage device mainly used for storing, accessing, and retrieving digital information in the form of data using a rotating disk/platter with magnetic material. It is a non-volatile storage media which means that data will remain intact even when powered off. It is used in computers, laptops, gaming consoles, etc. As compared to SSDs, they have mechanical parts and spinning disks.
It creates a little sound when it is running. It is less durable, and more prone to heating & damage.
But if used under satisfactory conditions, it can last up to several years. They are more in use beacuse:
These are cheaper than SSDs. They are easily available Additionally, they offer a wide range of compatibility for various operating systems.
Here is the list of best external hard drive for PC gaming.
1. Western Digital My Passport, 1TB – 5TB
This ranks in our list of best external SSD for PC gaming since it provides the following: Pros:
256-bit hardware encryption Plenty of Space from 1TB to 5TB USB 3.0 Reasonable Price 2 Years Warranty Compact design
Cons:
Less durable Have to reformat to use in macOS Slower read/write speeds
2. Seagate Portable External Hard Drive, 500GB – 2TB
This is one of the best external hard drive for Steam games because of the given features: Pros:
Universal compatibility Up to 120 MB/s transfer speeds Comes under $50 Supports Windows, macOS, and consoles too Compact design with USB 3.0 Fits in your palm
Cons:
Only 1-year limited warranty Requires registration with Seagate Not suitable for high-end gamers
Also Read: Check If Your Drive is SSD or HDD in Windows 10
3. Transcend Rugged External Hard Drive, 500GB – 2TB
You can read more about Transcend products here. Pros:
Military-grade shock resistance Three-layer damage protection High data transfer speeds with USB 3.1 One-touch auto-backup button Quick reconnect button
Cons:
Not ideal for games that require more than 2TB of storage Slightly overpriced Minor heating issues
4. LaCie Mini Portable External Hard Drive, 1TB – 8TB
Pros:
IP54-level dust & water-resistant Up to 510 MB/s transfer speeds Two-year limited warranty Portable, compact & durable USB 3.1 with C-type
Cons:
Only orange color available Slightly expensive Little bulky
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We hope that this guide will help you make an informed decision and buy the best external hard drive, SSD or HDD, for PC gaming. Once you buy an external HDD or SSD, read our guide on How to Download Steam Games on External Hard Drive to do the same. If you have any queries or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comments section.
