Best 2TB USB SSDs
There are 7 2TB USB SSDs compared here. The fastest is the ADATA EXTERNO XPG SE900G at 2000 MB/s read at 2TB. Sequential reads across the group span 450–2000 MB/s at 2TB.
Why this configuration
A 2TB USB SSD is a portable, take-anywhere configuration. External SSDs trade a little peak speed for the freedom to move data between a PC, console and laptop without opening anything up.
2TB is the current default for people who'd rather not think about free space for a while.
Usually chosen for: backups, working off an external drive, and console storage overflow.
Good fit: mainstream desktop and laptop builds.
Ranked list
Speeds on this page are the manufacturer's 2TB ratings where published (7 of 7 drives), not the family headline figure. 1 of the 7 are rated slower at 2TB than at their fastest capacity. Rated writes at 2TB run 450–2000 MB/s.
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 2TB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High-end | SANDISK 20-82-0070 10 (3-Core, 28n | 1000 | — | Find on Amazon | |
| 2 |  Samsung T7 TOUCH PORTABLE SSD 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | "SAMSUNG 2-core Samsung Pablo + SA | 1050 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 3 |  Samsung T5 PORTABLE SSD 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | SAMSUNG 2-core MGX controller(S4LN | 540 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 4 |  Samsung T3 PORTABLE SSD 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | SAMSUNG 2-core MGX controller(S4LN | 450 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 5 |  ADATA EXTERNO XPG SE900G 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | — | — | 2000 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 6 |  Crucial Externo CRUCIAL X8 1TB, 2TB | — | "Silicon Motion SM2263ENG (2-Core, | 1050 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 7 |  Crucial Externo CRUCIAL X6 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | — | "Silicon Motion SM2258XT (1-Core, | 540 | — | Find on Amazon |
The parts, explained
2TB is today's sweet spot for large game libraries and creative work.
USB and Thunderbolt portable drives trade peak speed for pocketability and cross-device use.