Samsung T3 Portable SSD - 500GB - USB 3.1 External SSD (MU-PT500B/AM)

These external SSD drives from Samsung are fantastic for anyone whose looking for both portability, reliability, and fast read/write speeds in a small, rugged package. Just how fast are these drives? For my tests I decided to use the Disk Speed Test application from Blackmagic Design. This is a nifty little MacOS application that allows you to easily stress test any drive that you can connect to your computer. First, I started by testing the internal 512GB Apple SSD in my laptop and got a staggering 1604 MB/s write and 2604 MB/s read speed. Those are insane numbers! No wonder these new MacBooks feel so fast. Next, I tested the Samsung T3 and was pleasantly surprised to see quick 392 MB/s write and 404 MB/s read speeds. Sure, that's no where near as fast as the internal SSD, but it's crazy fast compared to traditional spinning disk media. Just to be fair, I also tested my external G-Drive which uses an HGST 7200RPM internal drive. The HGST, as expected, scored woeful slow speeds of only 28 MB/s write and 24 MB/s read. As you can see, these Samsung SSD drives fall nicely between traditional drives and Apple's insanely fast SSD drives. In fact, these are so nice that I've gone all SSD for backing up the internal SSD in my laptop and for archiving my personal files. Yes, you can get twice as much space for half as much money when you buy a 72000RPM platter-based drive. However, the pathetically slow speeds will soon have you pulling your hair out. Do yourself a huge favor and just stick with SSD drives and this Samsung drive in particular. You can thank me later. :-)

This is the best external hard drive out there (June 2017)! It is reliable, light, and surprisingly small. Its speeds are quite impressive and match what is advertised. This SSD also comes with a 3 year warranty which is great in the unlikely event that there is a manufacturing error. It was easy to reformat and works well with my MacBook Pro. My only wish is that it would come with a USB-C to USB-C cable so I wouldn't have to use an adapter with my Mac's ports. I ended up buying USB 3.1 Type C Cable 1FT - 3 Pack, FosPower Reversible USB 3.1 (Gen 2) Type C to Type C Nylon Braided Cord for Nintendo Switch, MacBook, Galaxy S8/S8 Plus, LG G6, Google Pixel/XL, HTC 10 & More to make the connection easier for me. I am also using a Mountie by Ten One Design - Mount Your Phone or Tablet to Your Laptop - an Instant Second Screen for Your Computer Monitor (T1-MULT-109) - Blue to attach it to my MacBook when I am using it for extended periods of time. I keep recommending this drive to friends because it is so great!

This is the fastest USB drive i've ever owned. It's pricing is a fair bit higher than others, but it really justifies the cost even at the higher tiers. On desktops/laptops, you'll transfer files faster than ever before, especially larger ones like movies. Samsung also includes software to password-protect the drive, which is compatible with both Windows and MacOS. I also tried this out on my Xbox One, loading up some of the games that I've had troubles with loading times on, and I'm happy to say that it dos help some, but it's probably not worth the price premium there unless you've got the money to burn. The included USB Type-A to Type-C cable is short, but gets the job done. I don't have any other USB-C devices so I was fine with just the one cable, but if you have any USB-C devices (laptops, phones, etc.), you will probably need to invest in a USB-C to USB-C cable. You really don't get a sense for how small this thing is until you hold it in your hands. And it is VERY small once you're holding it. It's fantastic for traveling (I'll be picking up another one to load my movies on for when i'm on the go) due to its very small size, and you don't have to worry about it getting beat up while traveling since there are no moving parts inside.

This SSD is compact in size, excellent quality and appearance, fast in performance, easy to use and place in service.

I love it

Si necesitas hacer algún respaldo o te gustaría almacenar fotos y verlas al instante, este SSD es el ideal. Quizá sea muy caro para algunas personas pero vale la pena invertir en él. Las tasas de transmisión para guardar archivos en esta memoria externa son muy rápidas. Para los que son dueños de discos duros externos, como yo, se les hará absurdamente pequeño esta memoria SSD.

Un disco externo súper rápido en USB 3.0. Yo lo compre para mí iMac para usarlo de forma externa y montar el S.O. Para no perder la garantía uso el disco de forma externa, para el arranque e instalar algunos programas. El disco duro interno lo uso para almacenamiento únicamente

Works as it should, as expected. It is very fast. The fastest external hard drive I have ever had. Although a bit pricey, in the years to come the price will fall or the storage capacity will simply increase. I use it to transfer data between my iMac and my MacBook Pro.