External storage comes in two flavours, and picking the wrong one wastes either money or patience. A portable SSD is fast and tough but costs more per GB; an external HDD gives you the most space for the least money but is slower and more fragile. Here's how to choose for your actual use.
The core difference
- →Portable SSD: no moving parts — fast (400 up to 2,000 MB/s), shock-resistant, compact, silent. Costs more per GB
- →External HDD: a spinning disk — much cheaper per GB and available in large capacities, but slower (~120 MB/s) and vulnerable to drops
Choose a portable SSD if…
- →You edit photos/video directly off the drive or move large files often
- →You travel with it or toss it in a bag (durability matters)
- →You want fast, snappy access and don't mind paying more per GB
Our pick for speed is the Lexar SL500 — USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 at up to 2,000 MB/s, rugged and pocket-sized:
Lexar SL500 Portable SSD 1TB
USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 portable SSD. Blazing 2000MB/s read speed. Rugged and compact design.
RM 759.00
On a tighter budget, the Lexar SL260 still massively outpaces any hard drive for everyday use:
Lexar SL260 Portable SSD 512GB
USB 3.2 Gen 1 portable SSD. Up to 390MB/s read, 400MB/s write. Compact pocket-sized design.
RM 419.00
Choose an external HDD if…
- →You want maximum capacity for the lowest price (bulk backups, photo/video archives)
- →The drive mostly sits on a desk rather than travelling
- →Speed isn't critical — it's cold storage or scheduled backups
The WD My Passport is a reliable, encrypted classic for backups:
WD My Passport 1TB Portable HDD
USB 3.0 portable hard drive. Hardware encryption and password protection. Compact and lightweight.
RM 229.00
The Seagate One Touch is another solid, affordable backup drive with one-touch backup software:
Seagate One Touch 1TB Portable HDD
USB 3.0 portable hard drive with one-touch backup button. Compatible with PC and Mac.
RM 199.00
Quick recommendation
- →Working files, editing, travel → Portable SSD (Lexar SL500 / SL260)
- →Cheap bulk backup & archives → External HDD (WD My Passport / Seagate One Touch)
- →Best of both: an SSD for active work + a big HDD for backups
💡 Whatever you choose, follow the 3-2-1 rule for anything irreplaceable: 3 copies, on 2 types of media, with 1 offsite (or cloud). One drive is not a backup.
Browse all drives in the Fix It Sukil storage shop. Need an internal SSD to speed up your laptop instead? Read our SSD upgrade guide.
