Samsung T9 Portable SSD 1TB USB 3.2 Gen 2

The Samsung T9 hits 2,000 MB/s reads and writes, feels tough, and carries a 5-year warranty. Console performance is a real letdown, but for laptops and desktops with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, it's a strong portable pick. Shop around, US prices swing from USD 145 to USD 260.

Sequential reads and writes both top out at 2,000 MB/s, which puts it right in the middle of the pack for speed in our database. That's fast enough to move a 2GB file in about a second, assuming your machine actually has a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port. The DRAM-less design doesn't hurt much here because the USB interface is the bottleneck anyway. Thermal protection keeps speeds from cratering during long transfers, which matters more than peak numbers for real work. The weak spot is console use, where it lands near the bottom of our rankings at 24.1 out of 100.

Against the Crucial T500, Western Digital BLACK SN850X, and Lexar Professional NM1090 PRO, the T9 is a different animal. Those are internal drives, and they'll outrun the T9 on raw speed when installed in a desktop. But the T9 is external, bus-powered, and drop-resistant, which none of those internal drives can claim. The MSI SPATIUM M480 PRO and XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade are also internal and faster on paper. If you need a portable drive that survives a fall and works across Windows, Mac, Android, and cameras, the T9 wins by default. If you want maximum throughput inside a PC, look at the internal options instead.

Pricing is all over the place. In the US, listings range from USD 145 to USD 260, and in Canada you'll see CAD 343 to CAD 390. That USD 115 spread means you should shop around before clicking buy. The best US deal we found is at the low end of that range, which makes the T9 a much easier sell. At the high end, you're paying a premium for the Samsung name and the rugged build. For the money, the 5-year warranty and encryption help justify the cost, but only if you actually need those things.

The Samsung T9 is a pocket-sized 1TB NVMe drive that hits 2,000 MB/s over USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. It's built for people who move big files around and don't want to babysit a drive while it works. The rubberized finish and 122 gram weight make it feel like a serious tool, not a toy.

Samsung pairs that speed with a 5-year warranty, AES 256-bit encryption, and drop protection up to 3 meters. It's not the cheapest drive in our database, and the console score is rough, but for laptops and desktops with the right USB port, this thing flies.

Skip this if you're buying storage for a game console. The 24.1 console score is one of the worst in our database, and you'll get far better results from an internal NVMe drive designed for that purpose. Also skip it if your computer only has USB 3.0 or USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, since you'll never see the 2,000 MB/s speeds you're paying for.

Buy the Samsung T9 if you need a fast, durable external drive for a laptop or desktop with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. It's a great fit for video editors, photographers, and anyone who moves large files between machines. The encryption and drop protection make it a solid choice for sensitive data on the go. Just make sure your hardware supports the full speed, or you'll be leaving performance on the table.