Samsung 2TB Portable SSD USB 3.2 Gen 2x2

The T9 is a speed demon that stays cool under pressure, but only if your hardware can keep up. Skip it if you don't have Gen 2x2, otherwise grab one on sale and enjoy the fastest transfers this side of an internal NVMe.

The sustained 2000 MB/s read and write speeds are the headline, and they hold up even during longer transfers thanks to Samsung's Dynamic Thermal Guard. That's the part that surprised us most. A lot of external drives start fast then throttle hard once the heat builds up. The T9 keeps its skin temperature under 140°F in controlled testing, which means no sudden drop-offs mid-transfer. It's DRAM-less, which usually makes us nervous, but the MLC NAND and Samsung's in-house controller clearly pick up the slack. In our database, the speed lands right around the middle of the pack for external SSDs, but real-world consistency matters more than peak numbers, and the T9 delivers there.

Against the WD Black SN850X and Crucial T500, the T9 holds its own on sustained performance but gives up some ground on raw internal drive speed. The SN850X is an internal NVMe, so it's not a direct comparison, but if you're building a desktop, that's where you'd go. For external use, the T9's real competition is other portable drives, and most of them can't touch the thermal consistency here. The Kingston Fury Renegade and Lexar NM1090 PRO are internal drives too, so the T9's portability is its edge. If you need an external drive that won't throttle, this is the one.

Here's where it gets interesting. US prices swing from $250 to $490 depending on where you shop, and that's a huge spread for the same drive. If you're paying the top end, you're overpaying. Shop around and you can grab it at the lower end, which makes it a much easier sell. In Canada, the gap is CAD 555 to CAD 780, so same story. The affordability percentile is rough, 21st, meaning this is not a budget drive. But for the speed and reliability, the lower end of that price range feels fair.

The Samsung T9 is the portable SSD you buy when you're done messing around with slow transfers. It hits 2000 MB/s read and write, which is basically the ceiling for USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, and it does it without turning into a hand warmer. The catch? You need a host device that actually supports Gen 2x2, or you're leaving a lot of speed on the table. For creators moving 4K footage or anyone tired of watching progress bars crawl, this thing is a genuine time saver.

If you're looking for a cheap external drive for occasional backups, this isn't it. Go grab a basic USB 3.2 Gen 1 drive for half the price and save your money. Same goes for console gamers, the T9's console performance is weak in our testing, so you'd be better off with an internal SSD upgrade for your PS5 or Xbox.

Buy it if you need a fast, reliable external drive and your machine supports USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. The T9 is the best portable SSD for sustained transfers we've tested in this category, and the 5-year warranty plus Samsung's track record make it a safe bet. Just don't pay full price. Hunt for a deal, and you'll be happy.