As technology advances, we use up more and more data than ever before; taking photos and videos, and downloading 30GB+ updates on our gaming consoles for titles we don’t even play regularly anymore. Or is that just me? I’ve experienced the anguish of losing data (I’ll never be left without a cloud-saving feature, that’s for sure), and I’d like to save you some of that agony by advising that you back up your data. Like right now.
The Best Storage Deals for September 2022
“But how?” you ask? The answer is: extra storage space. There is no shortage of digital storage solutions available today, from plug-and-play external flash drives to massive multi-terabyte internal drives for your tower CPU. But what’s the best fit for your needs? And how can you spend the least while getting the most?
Here are the best deals we’ve found for storage that can save you not just hundreds of dollars, but the agony of losing all your data.
HDD Deals
If you’re looking for a quick and simple storage solution, an external drive is your best choice to quickly back up your data. External drives simply plug into your machine via a USB or Thunderbolt connection and don’t require any technical know-how for installation. The main questions you have to answer are how much storage you need, how quick you need it to transfer, how durable you need your drive to be, and how much you want to spend.
When looking at an external HDD (hard disk drive), you’ll find that these are generally cheaper than SSD (solid-state drives), but this comes at a trade-off of speed and durability. Thanks to the moving parts and spinning discs of an HDD, these are more likely to fail over time, and also due to the moving parts, it’s going to be slower in terms of data transfer as well. That said, the amount of storage available is roughly the same as an SSD, so if you need a lower-priced, short-term option that is good for transferring data between two devices, an HDD is a good fit.
If you’re comfortable opening up your desktop computer tower and making a few connections, an internal HDD is going to be the best, most cost-effective way to add extra storage and backup space. Yes, it’s a bit more intensive than plugging in a box to your USB port, but for a long-term solution that doesn’t add clutter to your desk, an internal HDD is the way to go.
Our HDD Picks
WD Elements 5TB USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive
The WD Elements external HDD is an affordable storage solution that comes in a variety of sizes, from 1TB to 5TB. It is compatible with PC, Mac, PS4, and Xbox and has both USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports. It measures a diminutive 4.35 inches long and 3.23 inches wide and won’t take up much room on your desk, TV stand, or travel bag. With 5TB, you can store a ton of photos, videos, and files.
Seagate BarraCuda 2TB 3.5″ Internal Hard Drive
Seagate is a name that’s been in the HDD world for decades and it’s known to be both reliable and affordable. The BarraCuda series comes in sizes of 1TB to 8TB, so whether you’re looking for a small bump in capacity or looking to produce your own content, they’ve got you covered.
SSD Deals
Like the external HDD drives, an external SSD is easy to use: Plug it into your device with a USB or Thunderbolt connection and you can instantly have terabytes upon terabytes of data storage and backup available to you. The simplicity and speed of these drives, however, will cost you. SSDs differentiate themselves largely based on their speed: These devices make almost everything quicker, from starting apps to copying files to pulling up those files in a flash. Another benefit: Thanks to a lack of moving internal parts, these drives are less prone to failure. The downside? Because SSD technology is much newer and chip prices are ever-increasing, you might be paying up to 10x more per TB for the speed and reliability.
The benefits of an internal SSD drive are the same as the external: They’re ridiculously fast, they use less power, they have no moving parts and they’re whisper-quiet. The downsides are the same: For those benefits, you’ll be paying a lot more per TB of storage. That said, prices on internal SSDs seem to be more accessible than the external devices, so adding a terabyte or two is more achievable for a little extra effort.
Recommended by Our Editors
Internal SSDs come in two types: the M.2 style that looks like microchips soldered to a stick of gum, which primarily are added to laptops, or the 2.5-inch drives that slot into your desktop. As long as you’re going to be opening up your device to install these, you should get the most storage you can at once, so spend a few extra bucks to add at least one terabyte. Most users will find that to be plenty of space for photos, videos, and music; If you’re a power content creator or a gamer, you’re probably looking in the 2TB-8TB area for your usage.
Our SSD Picks
Crucial X6 2TB USB 3.2 Portable External SSD
The Crucial X6 external SSD is tiny but mighty. With 2TB of storage space and USB 3.2 connectivity, it has a read speed of 800MB/s, making it faster than most HDDs. It can be used with PC, Mac, Android, iPad Pro—and, yes, even your next-gen consoles. It can also be used with USB-A-compatible devices via an adapter that is sold separately.
WD Black SN850 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 Internal SSD with Heatsink
The WD Black SN850 has lightning-fast read speeds of up to 7000MB/s for its 1TB and larger storage sizes. You’ll pay marginally less if you don’t get it with a heatsink built in, but considering the separate cost of heatsinks, you might as well get them together. Perhaps most importantly, this SSD is PCle Gen 4, meaning it’s compatible with the PS5. Just slide off the top cover and snap this bad boy in place, and you’ll be shocked by how quickly it blazes through load screens.
If the 1TB isn’t within your budget, there’s also the 500GB size, which will work just fine for anyone who doesn’t hoard games like some sort of digital dragon. It reads slower at 5300MBs/s, but that’s still pretty quick.
