Summary :
SanDisk Extreme 500 is one of the best external SSD for computer users, photographers, videographers, and graphic designers who need to transfer or back up large files on the go. The SanDisk Extreme 500 offers a sequential read speed of 430MB/s and a sequential write speed of 400MB/s.
Samsung is one of the best hard drive manufacturers around the world. In this post, MiniTool Partition Wizard introduces some Samsung external SSDs with high performance. Besides, you can also learn about how to use them here.
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- Seagate Barracuda Fast SSD 500GB External Solid State Drive Portable – USB-C USB 3.0 for PC Laptop and Mac (STJM500400).
- An external SSD is a simple and easy way to add storage to your laptop without having to swap out your internal drive or delete your precious data. Creatives, gamers, and casual users can all benefit from the additional storage capacity. Here are some of the factors you need to keep in mind when choosing an external SSD for your laptop.
- Seagate is a well-known brand when it comes to storage, and it's brought its impressive experience to the portable SSD market with the brilliant Seagate Fast SSD. This is an impressively slim.
- It will take a few moments for the external USB drive enclosure to be recognized by your laptop. Once the USB external drive is recognized, you are ready to launch the data transfer software. Launch the data transfer software then wait until the software lets you know that the transfer is complete. Installing the BarraCuda SSD on your laptop: 1.
About External SSD
The SSD (solid-state drive) is a type of storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently, typically using flash memory.
Compared with HDDs, SSDs lack the physical spinning disks and movable read-write heads, which makes them smaller in size and more resistant to physical shock than HDDs. And thanks to the fast data transfer speed, SSDs are quite popular among PC users.
According to the usage, SSDs can be divided to internal SSD and external SSD. The former one is usually installed in a device like PC while the external SSD is the portable SSD which can be connected to the device wirelessly or through a USB connection.
External SSDs usually come with the capacities of 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB. They are portable and easy to be upgraded to larger one, which makes them popular among users. Western Digital, Seagate and Samsung are the biggest external SSDs manufacturers around the world.
In the following contents, you can learn about some Samsung external SSDs. If you are looking for an external SSD, you can take them into consideration.
Recommended Samsung External SSDs
To choose the right external SSD for yourself, you need to pay attention to the storage capacity, read/write speed, portability, durability, security and extra features. Here are some recommended Samsung external SSDs and some of the basic information is listed with them. If you want to know more about the drives, please contact with the vendor before buying one.
#1. Samsung T5 SSD External Hard Drive
- Storage Capacity: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Read/Write Speed: up to 540/515 MB/s (with USB Type-C Gen 2 connector)
- Interface: USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 2, backwards compatible
- Color: Blue, Gold, Red, Black
- Price: start at $114.99 (for 500GB) on Amazon (250GB is not available on Amazon now)
- Warranty: 3-year limited warranty
- Extra features: optional password protection and AES 256-bit hardware encryption
The superfast read and write speeds enable the Samsung T5 SSD external hard drive to transfer large data quickly, such as 4K videos, high-resolution photos, games, and so on. With the compact and portable design, it can be easily put in the pocket and taken out for work or entertainment.
It can be connected to devices including PCs, Macs, and smartphones through a USB Type-C or Type-A cable. You need to know that this SSD requires Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.9, Android 4.4 and higher versions. It may be unable to run properly on older versions of operating system, and you should check that from the vendor if you're using an old device.
This post introduces various USB types and the corresponding USB speeds to you. In addition, it provides pictures to help you understand them better.
#2. Samsung Portable SSD T7
- Storage Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Read/Write Speed: up to 1050/1000 MB/s
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2, backwards compatible
- Color: Blue, Red, Gray
- Price: start at $79.99 on Amazon
- Extra features: password security and heat control
It weights 58 grams and has the size of a credit card which can fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. Similar to Samsung portable SSD T5, Samsung portable SSD T7 is also compatible with PC, Mac, Android devices and gaming consoles. The major difference between them is that Samsung portable SSD T7 is almost twice as fast as the T5 SSD.
This Samsung portable SSD could be a nice choice if you need to transfer large files like games and videos. And it is recommended for game players and students.
#3. Samsung Portable SSD T7 Touch
- Storage Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Read/Write Speed: up to 1050/1000 MB/s
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2, backwards compatible
- Color: Black, Silver
- Price: start at $109.99 on Amazon
- Extra features: LED status indicator, fingerprint and password security
Compared with other Samsung external SSDs, Samsung Portable SSD T7 Touch is added with fingerprint security solution, which makes it secure and convenient to access the data on it. And it is designed with software to help you set up the password and fingerprint.
Besides, the LED status indicator lights will turn on and off and rotate during data transfer process, and you can see the status of the SSD easily. This SSD is compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0. For its security and high data transfer speed, it is recommended for gamers and professionals.
#4. Samsung Portable SSD X5
- Storage Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Read/Write Speed: up to 2800/2300 MB/s
- Interface: Thunderbolt 3
- Price: start at $389.70 (for 1TB) on Amazon
- Warranty: 3-year limited warranty
- Extra features: optional password protection and AES 256-bit hardware encryption
Samsung X5 SSD external hard drive should be the fastest Samsung SSD external device you can find on the market. It is weightier and much more expensive than the Samsung SSD external devices above, but it is worthy.
Besides, it is designed with a full metal body, non-slip bottom mat and shock resistant internal components which features Dynamic Thermal Guard technology to help maintain performance and temperature. If you require high performance and can afford the Samsung X5 SSD, it should be the best choice for you.
How to Use a Samsung External SSD on PC
Usually, an external SSD can be used as an extended storage device or backup device. But for a new external SSD, you need to make some preparations before you can use it.
Preparations You Need to Make
Before using a new Samsung external SSD, you have to initialize it to MBR or GPT. It is recommended to use GPT style for your SSD if it is supported by your operating system, as GPT supports more than four primary partitions, and it's better for the newer UEFI-based system.
To initialize your external SSD, you can use Disk Management, a built-in disk manager in Windows. The detailed steps are as follow.
Step 1: Connect your Samsung external SSD to PC with a cable.
Step 2: Press Win + R to invoke Run window.
Step 3: Type diskmgmt.msc in the box and press Enter to access Disk Management.
Step 4: As the disk is brand new, a window requiring you to initialize disk will pop up automatically. You just need to choose a partition style according to your needs and click OK. Here I select GPT.
Once you initialize the disk successfully, you can right-click the Unallocated space and choose New Simple Volume. Then follow the pop-up wizard to create partitions reasonably on the disk for data storage and better management.
Use the Samsung External SSD as an Extended Storage Device
The most common use of an external SSD is as an additional storage device. You can connect it to your PC and use it to store the data (which you need to take out or which wouldn't be used so frequently), move some of the files and folders from your local disk to the external SSD, or set the external SSD as the default device to download items.
In this way, you can free up the disk space of your local disk, which might be helpful to speed up your PC, especially when your system disk is running out of space.
Now, let's see how to move your files and folders to the Samsung external SSD.
Step 1: Press Win + E to open File Explorer quickly.
Step 2: Navigate to the target files and folders which need to be moved and select them.
Step 3: Switch to Home tab from the tool bar and click Move to.
Step 3: In the pop-up menu, click Choose location. Then select a location on your external SSD and click Move to start transferring data to your Samsung external SSD. Starcraft complete edition.
Wait until the process is finished. If there are a large number of files and folders, it might take a long time and you need to be patient.
It could be a waste of time if you need to move large files and folders every time. Fortunately, you can change where new files are saved by default. You just need to follow the steps below.
Step 1: Keep your Samsung external SSD connected to PC, and press Win + I to access Windows Settings. Then click System category.
Step 2: In the left pane, select Storage. In the right pane, scroll down to find Change where new content is saved under More storage settings section and click it.
Step 3: In the following window, you can see 6 types of contents, including apps, documents, music, photos and videos, movies and TV shows, and offline maps. You can click each drop-down menu next to the content type and select your external SSD to save the new contents according to your needs.
Step 4: Click Apply for the changed types of contents.
If you don't want to move any files/folders from the local disk, you can enlarge a partition for more free space with the help of a professional partition manager, MiniTool Partition Wizard, as long as there is free space on the disk. It can help you resize your partitions without data loss as long as you have free space on the disk.
If you find that one of your partitions is running out of space, you can take some free space from another partition. You can download and install MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition to have a try by clicking the following button.
Step 1: Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard.
Step 2: When you get the main interface, right-click the partition you want to enlarge and select Extend.
Step 3: Decide a partition to take space from and how much space to take. Then click OK.
Step 4: When you go back to the main interface, click Apply to execute the operation.
Use the Samsung External SSD as a Backup Device
Another way to take advantages of an external SSD is to back up your important data with it. Compared to cloud backup services, an SSD can transfer data with a faster speed and better security, and it might help you save more money. Most cloud services require you to pay for month.
It's not recommended to use Samsung X5 Portable SSD as a backup device as it would be a kind of waste, but Samsung T5 or T7 SSD should be a good choice for backup. Make sure that your external SSD is large enough to store all the data you want to back up.
For the backup tool, you can use MiniTool Partition Wizard, especially you have plenty of files to back up. You can copy a partition or the whole disk to save time with this tool. If you need to back up your system disk, you need to upgrade to the Pro Ultimate Edition. In this way, you can even boot your computer from the backup SSD.
Here are the detailed steps.
Step 1: Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard Pro Ultimate to get its main interface.
Step 2: Right-click the disk you want to back up and select Copy from the pop-up menu.
Step 3: In the pop-up window, select your Samsung external SSD as the destination disk to store the backup. Then click Next to continue.
Step 4: Configure the Copy Options and Target Disk Layout. Then click Next.
Step 5: Read the pop-up note and click Finish. Then click Apply in the main interface.
Then you just need wait for a while until the backup process is finished.
Bottom Line
Do you prefer hard drives from Samsung? Here are some Samsung external SSDs on the market and you can choose one if you want to take your files out or if you need a backup device. In addition, you can get suggestions about how to use them properly.
You are welcome to post your ideas in the following comment section. For any problems about MiniTool Partition Wizard software, you can contact our team via [email protected].
Samsung External SSD FAQ
Feb 26, 2021 • Filed to: Answer Hard Drive Problems • Proven solutions
When you open up Windows and go to 'This PC', the drives displayed there are the first things you see, right? What sets them apart? Each drive has a drive letter. These letters help you identify your SSD from other drives; they also help your Windows recognize and access the SSD.
So, what happens when errors hide the SSD from Windows? Problems abound, of course: Running applications in your Windows becomes an issue while moving files between your drives are next to impossible. These occur because the drive letters that guide your OS in executing the actions are missing. Use the solutions below to fix this.
Why SSD Is Not Recognized?
Since it's already been established that SSDs can fall victim to errors, the obvious step to take is to determine what those errors are. Don't worry about fixing them for now. That will be delved into a little later. Know the errors so you can identify them when you see them, alright?
- New SSD that is Yet to Be Initialized
It's going to be quite ironic-and hilarious-if you plug in a brand-new SSD into your PC and see it doesn't work, won't it? The fix is simple, fortunately. You just have to initialize the SSD so it becomes usable.
Why SSD Is Not Recognized?
Since it's already been established that SSDs can fall victim to errors, the obvious step to take is to determine what those errors are. Don't worry about fixing them for now. That will be delved into a little later. Know the errors so you can identify them when you see them, alright?
- New SSD that is Yet to Be Initialized
It's going to be quite ironic-and hilarious-if you plug in a brand-new SSD into your PC and see it doesn't work, won't it? The fix is simple, fortunately. You just have to initialize the SSD so it becomes usable.
- Driver Issues
The problem here could be as simple as your PC running on outdated drivers. And remember, the SSD you're connecting to your PC may be more recent than the Windows installed in it, which could make updated drivers a necessity for you to be able to even detect the SSD. You can use Windows' native 'Device Manager' to update your drivers. If it comes to it, you could even use a third-party driver updater tool, but that should be your last option.
- The Drive Letter of the SSD Partition Goes Missing
This issue is common with both HDD and SSD. Your Windows might be a little less efficient sometimes as it fails to assign a drive letter to a partition or drive. The error is mostly caused by file system issues or even with the SSD itself. Another simple way out of this issue is to assign a drive letter yourself using 'Disk Management.'
- Improper Connection
Did you check the connection to make sure you inserted the SSD's USB cable properly into your USB port? Make sure it's pushed in there so it's snug. Better yet, examine the cable and make sure it's not damaged. That's a likely problem too.
This problem thus has nothing to do with your Windows. It's either a hardware issue (USB cable) or a result of you being too hasty when you plug in the cable.
What's The Difference Between SSD and HDD?
7 Solutions to SSD Not Showing up in Windows 10
The errors listed up there are only a few of the many that could be wreaking havoc on your SSD, so it's time to get to work. It's time to teach you amateurs how to get yourselves out of the mess you put yourselves in. Why only 7 solutions, though?
Well, 7 is a lucky number, isn't it? As pervasive as the errors affecting your SSD are, you might not need to go beyond these 7 solutions to fix the problematic SSD.
1 Fix Faulty Hardware
There's no single way to go about fixing your SSD if it's a hardware issue. Only the most effective methods will be discussed here. Do you see the error in the image below?
It's an error that pops up when your SSD is physically damaged, making it inaccessible to Windows. You can fix it by doing this:
Celebrity voice changer online. SMART Attributes/Command Prompt/Properties
SMART is a native tool in Windows that analyzes and checks your SSD's parameters via some minor operations. If, after you analyze your SDD, you see results that show 'Caution' or 'Bad' or 'Unknown', it's highly possible your SSD is on the verge of failing. This makes it incumbent on you to back up your data before the worst happens. Use the SMART tool by doing this:
1. Press these keys: 'Windows' + 'S', then type 'command prompt'. Once the command prompt opens up, right-click on it, and choose 'Run as administrator.'
2. Type this command in command prompt again: wmic diskdrive get status
If you see the 'Bad' and 'Caution' warning signs in the results, you know what to do, don't you? But if the results look anything like the picture below, close command prompt and move on to the next step.
3. The 'chkdsk' command can solve your problem here, particularly if the problem stems from a minor error. Launch 'command prompt' again and select 'Run as administrator.'
4. Type this command and hit 'Enter' to execute it:
Buy Ssd For Laptop
CHKDSK [volume [[path] filename]] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/X] [/C] [: size]]
In the command up there, [/F] will try to fix any system errors while [/R] will rectify any bad sector.
5. If both SMART and command prompt fail to do the needful, type these keys: 'Windows' + 'E'. Go to your SSD and right-click on it.
6. Select 'Properties', click on 'Tools' and then select 'Check'. Reboot your PC once the process concludes.
A word of caution: Don't put all your eggs in one basket and expect these solutions to always work. Sometimes, the hardware damage may be so great the best solution is to take it to an expert or replace the drive itself.
2 Configure BIOS settings
1. Restart your PC and press the 'F2' key (though this may vary depending on the computer brand or manufacturer) and press 'Enter' to get into 'Config.'
2. Choose 'Serial ATA' and press 'Enter.' You'll see 'SATA Controller Mode Option'. Select 'IDE Compatibility Mode.'
3. Save the changes you made and restart your PC to get into BIOS, which should now be able to detect your SSD.
3 Update SSD drivers
Just like any component of your PC, you can't expect your SSD to function properly if it's running on outdated drivers, can you?
1. Press the 'Windows' key and type 'Device Manager' in the start-up menu's search field. Click on it or hit 'Enter' to launch it.
2. Go to the 'Disk drives' category and expand on it, then right-click on every item under it and click on 'Update driver.' Once the update is through, reboot your PC.
4 Initialize New SSD Drive
Ssd Drives For Laptops
1. Press the 'Windows' + 'R' key. The 'Run' window will pop up. Type this command in its search bar: diskmgmt.msc.
2. Once you hit the 'Enter' key, 'Disk Management' and another prompt will open up. The latter will ask you to initialize the SSD to proceed. Choose either 'MBR' or 'GPT' depending on your system's motherboard and click 'OK.'
3. Go back to 'Disk Management' and right-click on the 'Volume' of your SSD. Select 'Initialize Disk'.
4. Once that's done, right-click on the SSD volume again and select 'New Simple Volume'. Follow the set of instructions you'll be given from there to assign a drive letter, type in a volume name, and define file system (whether exFAT or NTFS). Click on 'Next' and your SSD will become accessible in 'File Explorer.'
5 Repair by Disk Management
1. Once more, start-up 'Disk Management' and ascertain if the volume of your SSD is unallocated, has turned RAW, or is free. If either of these is the case, formatting the drive should easily repair the problem.
2. If your SSD is new, there's probably no data in it, so you can safely format it. Right-click on the volume of your SSD and click 'Format.'
3. A smaller window will pop up asking you to input particular details. You can label the partition and change the file system here.
4. The last message will pop up, warning you about data loss. Click on 'OK' to format.
6 Assign or Change SSD Drive Letter
1. Go to 'This PC' and right-click on it, then choose 'Manage'. In the 'Storage' menu, select 'Disk Management.'
2. You will see all the SSD partitions. Go over them and pick out the one without a drive letter. Right-click on it and choose 'Change Drive Letter and Paths.'
3. Click on 'Add', then choose any drive letter from the tiny dropdown menu. Click 'OK' to end and complete the process.
7 Recover SSD Data (Recoverit Data Recovery)
Quick question: What happens when you realize the SSD you formatted still had files you need? Well, if shock doesn't freeze your mind, the first thing you'll start pondering on is how to get all that data back, isn't it?
Ponder no more, because Wondershare Recoverit data recovery software is here to save your files. As one of the leading data recovery software currently in the market, Recoverit prides itself on its ability to dig through a hard drive and recover files and data that were believed to be gone for good.
The software not only delves into each sector of a formatted or corrupt SSD, but it also executes the same function with excellent results on HDD. Recoverit was developed to cater to both Windows and macOS (there are separate versions for either operating system).
Don't fret about complex procedures or clicking multiple buttons to make Recoverit work. 3 steps are enough to get the job done. Follow them below:
Step 1: Choose a Location
- Connect the SSD to your PC and start Recoverit, then choose the SSD from the list of drives you see on the PC.
- If you don't know which of them is your SSD, just look under the 'External Devices' category. It should be there. Check your SSD's size to be sure you chose the right drive. Click on 'Start.'
Step 2: Scan the Location
- Recoverit will start scanning the SSD. The moment the scan is done, the next window you see will show you a preview of the files that were in the SSD before it was formatted.
- Recoverit makes it possible for you to select and deselect filters to make your search easier and with little time wasted. Take note of the 'File Type' filter in particular because if you only intend to recover certain files types, it simplifies the process for you.
Step 3: Preview and Recover Data
- Once you're done selecting the files or data to be recovered, click on the 'Recover' button-it will be at the bottom and to the right. Recoverit will restore everything you've ticked. All you have to do is wait for the process to start and end
- Don't save the recovered files in the same SSD. Plug in an external or look for anywhere else on your PC where you have space, then save the files there.
So, a quick recap on how to use Recoverit: Select your SSD, scan it, preview your files and restore them to a new location.
SSDs are more complex than HDDs, so it wouldn't be wise to use any average data recovery software on them. Disregard what you hear about other data recovery software and give Recoverit a spin
The features it comes loaded with means neither the capacity nor the model of your SSD will matter. The software will scan it thoroughly, then recover your files and keep them for you anywhere you want. Recoverit is surprisingly simple to use, yet it's shockingly powerful; enough reasons to use it if the need arises.
How to Protect Your SSD Drive and SSD Files?
Can it be safely assumed that your computer now uses an SSD? If your computer is still running HDD, it honestly belongs in a retirement home (along with you).
Come on, it's 2019! If you haven't upgraded your PC's storage to an SSD, what are you waiting for? Of course, getting the drive means you also have to know how to maintain it.
- Avoid Temperatures that Go into 'Extreme' Territory
As durable as SSDs are, common sense should tell you to be mindful of where you place your PC-and thus, your SSD-lest you expose it to extreme heat or cold. Then again, not everyone has common sense, lol.
Make a note of this right now: Don't expose your SSD to either heat or cold for extended periods, and that entails both the summer and winter seasons.
- Be Wary of Power Outages
If your PC's power cuts out or runs down while you're writing onto the drive, the data could be lost or the drive itself could end up in the funeral home. Always make sure your PC is plugged into a power source that's more reliable than a lottery number.
- Free Up Some Space
Even though SSDs were built to be strong, filling them up with files can eventually slow them down because they will be harboring half-filled blocks; such blocks are slower to write than empty blocks. Here's a little tip: Try not to fill up more than 75% of your SSD or you'll be trading performance for capacity.
- Limit How Often You Write to Your SSD
This tip might seem counterintuitive because the whole propose of an SSD is for you to write data to it, right? Yes, but the more you erase data from your SSD, the more you exhaust its write cycle (the measure of endurance for an SSD).
Here's a simplified explanation: Your SSD is an eraser on a pencil that slowly wears away as you use it until it can't erase anymore; that's when it has reached its life expectancy. But don't let this trouble you. Your SSD will serve you for many years to come, but the less you format it or erase data from it, the longer it lasts.
- Defragmenting your SSD is NOT a Good Idea
It's ok to defragment mechanical hard disks but not SSDs. For one, it can spawn more extra writes that eat away at the lifespan of the SSD.
Closing Words
SSDs are justifiably more expensive than HDDs, but you still have to take care of them to extend their lifespan even further. Just because they are very capable and efficient pieces of hardware doesn't mean you should subject them to anything which can damage them. If this happens, in the end, your files will suffer more than anything else.
If, for some unavoidable reason, you do end up losing your files from your SSD, make use of Recoverit Data Recovery and get everything back. The more time you waste, the more your files remain in jeopardy, so be quick about it, yeah?
What's Wrong with Drive
- Recover Your Drive
- Fix Your Drive
- Format/Wipe Drive
- Know Your Drive