Has there been a moment when your computer was nearly maxed out on storage? Or did you ever have to move large files across different devices? It can be quite challenging if you’re not ready for it.
For numerous people, the easiest approach is to obtain additional storage, which could be a USB flash drive or perhaps an external hard drive for tasks requiring substantial amounts of data handling. In fact, portable solid-state drives (SSDs) have become quite trendy recently due to their ample capacity and rapid transfer rates packed into a compact design. Should you decide to purchase one, go ahead and acquire one of these. our favorite choices for external drives .
However, numerous portable solid-state drives (SSDs) turn out to be quite a bad bargain upon closer inspection. These devices not only restrict your usage due to their compact design but also tend to offer inferior storage quality at inflated prices.
You're better off assembling your own external SSD. Don't fret; it's quite simple. Here’s why you might want to try it and how to go about building one yourself.
The advantages of building your own external SSD
The market offers numerous ready-made external SSDs, yet opting for a DIY approach provides much greater diversity. You can select your preferred storage capacity, dimensions, connectivity standard, and design (owing to the extensive range of SSD casings available).
Mark Knapp / Foundry
When opting for a DIY external SSD, you also gain the liberty of repurpose one of your current SSDs or disassemble the drive once you're finished using it so you can integrate the SSD back into, for example, your PC or gaming console.
Additionally, you might significantly reduce costs by building your own external SSD. High-capacity PCIe drives can be found at unexpectedly affordable prices. Consider this. 2TB Silicon Power US75 For $103, this isn’t even a sluggish model. It boasts read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s and write speeds of up to 6,500 MB/s! On the other hand, the 2TB SK Hynix Beetle X31 It costs $170 and boasts a claimed transfer speed of 1,050 MB/s.
Silicon Power
Fairly speaking, none of the present drive enclosures can fully utilize the Silicon Power US75’s speed capabilities. (Both USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 have a maximum transfer rate of 40Gbps, equivalent to 5,000MB/s). However, unlike the SK Hynix Beetle X31, which has a consistent top limit of 1,050MB/s, you could construct an external SSD using the Silicon Power US75 within a USB4 enclosure currently; should better technology like a USB5 enclosure become available down the line, this setup would allow for higher data throughput.
How to create your own external SSD
Making your own external SSD turns out to be far simpler than you may assume. No significant expertise or specialized equipment is required.
Start with getting an SSD. Stay away from 2.5-inch SATA drives as they are cost-effective yet outdated, bigger, and less speedy options. that significantly more budget-friendly compared to NVMe drives. (If you’re unsure about what to purchase, consider checking this out.) our best SSD recommendations .)
You don't have to stress over obtaining the quickest drive. Anyway, the speed might probably be limited by the enclosure. However, if you're aiming for a forward-compatible drive, our top pick would be the PCIe 4.0 SSD we recommend. 2TB Solidigm P44 Pro . There’s also the 2TB WD Blue SN5000 For a more cost-effective option. And if you require compatibility with older machinery, the 2TB Crucial P3 it stands as a good option for a PCIe 3.0 SSD.
Solidigm P44 Pro
Price at Time of Review: 512GB: $79.99 I 1TB: $129.99 I 2TB: $219.99 Lowest Prices Now Available: $129.85 at Amazon | $266.99 at Walmart | Not Available at Adorama
WD Blue SN500 NVMe SSD
Price at Review Time: 500GB: $80 I 1TB: $90 I 2TB: $150 I 4TB: $290 Lowest Prices Now Available: $44.99 at Amazon | $44.99 at WD | $229.99 at Walmart
Crucial P3
Price at Review Time: 500GB: $50 I 1TB: $90 I 2TB: $200 I 4TB: $250 Current Lowest Prices: $37.50 at Amazon | $44.95 at Walmart | $44.99 at Adorama
After selecting your SSD, begin searching for an appropriate enclosure. This housing choice significantly affects the SSD’s performance; thus, ensure compatibility between them.
We recently tested the Ugreen CM642 enclosure, which is on the pricier side but offers fast USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. (I’ve actually gone hands-on with the Ugreen CM642 plus my own Silicon Power US70 and Corsair MP400 drives, which you can read about below.) Alternatives with USB4/Thunderbolt 4 support include this Cable Matters 40Gbps enclosure and this Orico 40Gbps enclosure .
Cable Matters
Although these USB4/Thunderbolt 4 enclosures occupy the upper-end segment of the market, there are also many more affordable alternatives available. Personally, I own one of these. Orico TCM2 , which offers a more gradual 10Gbps enclosure but is presently available for $25. A slightly less expensive alternative is this Ugreen 10Gbps enclosure .
Ugreen
After obtaining an SSD and an enclosure, all you need to do is put them together — the enclosure typically includes instructions for this process.
The assembly process will probably involve opening the casing, potentially unscrewing a bolt along the way, before proceeding with the usual steps. SSD installation process Once the drive is installed, simply reverse the disassembly steps to seal it back up and you're ready to go! (Note that some SSDs might necessitate formatting prior to usage, but that’s an additional step.) simple process .)
The outcomes explain their own merits.
How much money can you actually save when building your own external SSD? Consider using a 2TB SK Hynix Beetle X31. $170 value ) on hand, I compared it with several various DIY external SSD setups. The competitors were:
・ 2TB Silicon Power US70 ($103 value) + Ugreen CM642 case ($110 value) = $213 total value
・ 2TB Silicon Power US70 ($103 value) + Orico TCM2 enclosure ($25 value) = $128 total value
・ 2TB Corsair MP400 ($255 value) + Ugreen CM642 case ($110 value) = $365 total value
・ 2TB Corsair MP400 ($255 value) + Orico TCM2 enclosure ($25 value) = $280 total value
Mark Knapp / Foundry
I evaluated the SK Hynix Beetle X31 by comparing it with various drive-and-enclosure combinations using CrystalDiskMark 8. Below are my findings:
· The SK Hynix Beetle X31 met its performance benchmarks, achieving sequential read speeds of 1,050MB/s and sequential write speeds of 1,042MB/s. However, those were the only positive aspects about it.
・With the Ugreen enclosure, the Silicon Power US70 achieved read speeds of 3,732 MB/s and write speeds of 1,614 MB/s. Similarly, when placed inside the same enclosure, the Corsair MP400 delivered read speeds as high as 3,046 MB/s and write speeds of around 1,000 MB/s.
• The Silicon Power US70 inside the less expensive Orio case achieved read speeds of up to 1,016 MB/s and write speeds reaching 1,045 MB/s. Meanwhile, the Corsair MP400 demonstrated read speeds of 1,048 MB/s and write speeds of 1,007 MB/s. Despite being housed in budget-friendly enclosures, both drives matched the performance levels seen with the SK Hynix Beetle X31.
Note: The hard drives I evaluated are somewhat outdated, hence you ought to have little difficulty finding replacements that are quicker and/or more affordable. For instance, the 2TB WD Blue SN5000 In the same Orico enclosure, you could expect comparable performance at a total cost of $114 plus $25, which comes to $139. If you prefer to spend even less, you might consider opting for 1TB or 512GB drives instead.
Given the wide variety of drive and enclosure choices available, you're sure to discover an option that fits both your needs and budget. Additionally, setting up these drives and enclosures is incredibly straightforward, making it accessible for everyone. To be honest, the most challenging aspect might just be choosing which components to purchase!
Further reading: Portable SSDs are great for more than just backups
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