The 12 Best High Performance External Hard Drives (2022 reviews)
There are plenty of options available while buying high performance external hard drives in the market right now, and if you're confused regarding which one to go for,
This page is just for you.
Also check our buying guide on Best Computer External Hard Drives, which will help you understand market quickly.
Our review process:
Our Top Picks:
Best Overall: Buy: Wdblack High Performance External Hard Drive READ REVIEWBest For Tons Of Space: Buy: Seagate Tb Drive READ REVIEWBest For Video Editing: Buy: Toshiba Internal Drive READ REVIEWBest For Dvr: Buy: Western Digital High Performance External Hard Drive READ REVIEWBest For Home Office: Buy: Lacie High Performance External Hard Drive READ REVIEWBest For Maximum Capacity: Buy: Lacie Spinning Drive READ REVIEWBest For Great Price: Buy: Seagate High Performance External Hard Drive READ REVIEWBest For Xbox One S: Buy: Toshiba High Performance External Hard Drive READ REVIEWBest For Lots Of Storage: Buy: Western Digital New Disk READ REVIEWBest For Usb Cable: Buy: Buffalo High Performance External Hard Drive READ REVIEWBest For Fast Backup: Buy: Sandisk Professional High Performance External Hard Drive READ REVIEWCompatible With Thunderbolt: Buy: Promise Technology High Performance External Hard Drive READ REVIEWBest Overall: Wdblack High Performance External Hard Drive
Buy on Amazon The Wdblack High Performance External Hard Drive's high-end materials makes sure that it ages well with use. The wdblack high performance external hard drive is compatible with xbox series xs (play and store xbox one games, archive xbox series xs games) and Playstation 5 (play and store ps4 games, archive ps5 games) consoles. With the wd_black d10 game drive added storage, there's no need to waste time clearing room on your console or PC for new games—now you can keep your old favorites intact as you grow your library. The wd_black p50 game drive ssd has a portable form factor that can withstand battlefields due to its durable and shock - resistant design. The drive is really light, plenty fast and has a cool design. Also, it looks good, it is aesthetically pleasing and has a metal design. Finally, the wdblack high performance external hard drive is suitable for short cable, It is easy to setup and has a lightweight design.Most customers find that the drive will depend on the size and resolution of the images. And, a few also found that the drive is better to keep it plugged in to your ps5, to unplug it you have to check the safely remove the external hard drive every time. Also, they also found that the drive would be too thick to fit into a laptop bay anyhow. In conclusion, many buyers have used the wdblack high performance external hard drive for more than a few months without any problems, and it shows no sign of giving up.Top Customer Quotes:
- This does not harm it by leaving it plugged in.
- Performance will vary depending on your hardware and software components and configurations.
- This is pretty speedy for a husband.
- This is an issue going into and coming out of rest mode.
Best For Tons Of Space: Seagate Tb Drive
Buy on Amazon The Seagate TB drive's material feels more premium than its price would suggest. The seagate TB drive is affordable, is super slow, it makes for great storage and has a portable design. An external hard drive for windows or Mac computers, simply back up with a quick drag and drop. The perfect laptop hard drive or pc drive, just plugs into to a computer for automatic recognition. no software required. Above all, the seagate TB drive is used for easy setup, It does the job and has a solid design.Most buyers quickly discover that the drive is great with pc, mac and xbox, but may require formatting. Also, a few say that the drive is designed to stand vertically on its second-longest axis. In addition, a few say that the drive offers plenty of space for them. In conclusion, for most buyers, the drive was what they were looking for.Customers say that getting a high performance external hard drive, along with drive is useful.
Top Customer Quotes:
- This comes with a power cord and is required alongside the USB/ESATA connection.
- This is an 18 inch usb 3.0 cable and an 18w power adapter.
- This is great for all operating software and has an amazing ease of use.
- This has to be connected at all times to work.
Best For Video Editing: Toshiba Internal Drive
Buy on Amazon The best part: Toshiba internal drive costs comparatively low and it is available to ship in 24 hours. The Toshiba internal drive is always great, never again, It allows for tons of storage space and has poor design. Product images may not reflect the actual product. The canvio flex portable external hard drive is formatted for windows pc, mac, as well as compatible iPad and android tablet devices with usb - c port(2 ) enabling seamless file access right out of the box. The drive allows high speed data transfer with no external power cord needed. Lastly, the Toshiba Internal Drive works really well, It works fine and has a perfect design.Almost all customers found that the drive does it by itself and manages the process very easily. Furthermore, a few also found that the drive is half full already, and fits well in a briefcase. Moreover, they strongly agree that the old hard drive stopped being able to be used as an external hard drive.Customers discovered that getting a high performance external hard drive, along with drive is useful.
Top Customer Quotes:
- This matches with friends without any issues.
- This drive has moving pieces and therefore is very loud.
- This comes with exfat32 with warranty in pdf.
- This can be used on a ps4. It would be fine.
Best For Dvr: Western Digital High Performance External Hard Drive
Buy on Amazon We would, of course, be remiss if we didn't mention Western Digital High Performance External Hard Drive for regular usage. The western digital high performance external hard drive has connection issues, is weekly, it is good for data storage and has a super design. Make sure this fits by entering your model number. And, the drive allows for good speed, can be bought for good value, It is big enough and has a rugged design. The drive is good for country of origin, is best for smaller size, it works fine and has a smart design. And, it is good for fast data, it is perfect for great storage and has a lightweight design. Finally, the western digital high performance externalhard drive is best for super light, is used for tons of space, It works like a charm and has a good design.Almost all buyers quickly discovered that the drive fits in a shirt pocket. Also, a few say that the drive is perfect with a chromebook to backup photos & videos. And, they strongly agree that the drive comes with a cheap 12 inch cord. Overall, most buyers agree that the drive suits them best, and no one questions it.Top Customer Quotes:
- The second one is used as a backup disk to the same computer.
- It is 16 ft by 8 ft 10 inches.
- This will work, but it may need to be reformatted for mac.
- This fits the bill perfectly, plus it will work with ubc 2.0.
Best For Home Office: Lacie High Performance External Hard Drive
Buy on Amazon Lacie line of drive comes in a pretty wide variety of styles, so you can definitely find one that suits your individual preferences and needs. The Lacie high - performance external hard drive offers on-demand, one-click back-up, scheduled automatic backups, and folder syncing across multiple devices. Make sure this fits by entering your model number. This portable harddrive 's compact yet robust design works overtime to help protect photos and more. The drive makes for a quick install guide, it works really well and has a nice design. Finally, the Lacie high - performanceexternal hard drive comes with capacities of up to 5tb, The Lacie rugged mini is a small but mighty usb 3.0 portable hard drive.Most buyers quickly discovered that the drive is easy to use in a mac/pc environment, durable and fast. And, they strongly agree that the drive can be used interchangeably between both Macs and Windows. Moreover, a few strongly agree that the drive will try to recover what might have been damaged. In short, at the price, they believe that they got a steal of a deal with it.Top Customer Quotes:
- This comes with both lighting and usb cables.
- This is easy to use, and cheaper here than on the apple website.
- This holds plenty of files, works well for PC and has a rugged design.
- This is never that simple in real life.
Best For Maximum Capacity: Lacie Spinning Drive
Buy on Amazon Lacie has been making great drive for years, thanks to a combination of clever design and appropriate materials. The Lacie Spinning Drive is covered by 2 years of data recovery services. Enjoy fast usb-c 130mb/s file transfers, backups, and image browsing. In addition, it provides technical support, can allow for fast transfers, it makes for a great company and has a simple design. The drive is working great, buy again, it is used for data storage and has a high design. In addition, the drive offers on-demand, one-click backup, scheduled automatic backups, and folder syncing across multiple devices. Most importantly, the lacie spinning drive is made worth the money, It allows for great performance and has a functional design.Most buyers find that the drive will work if you "partition" the drive first when you format it. And, a few say that the drive will work then, but slower than it is designed to work. Also, they strongly agree that the inspiron 15 5000 has 2 USB 3.1 gen 1 and 1 USB 2 ports.Customers discovered that getting a high performance external hard drive, with this drive made their life much easier.
Top Customer Quotes:
- This can indeed take a beating.
- This is pretty good, it comes with encryption software and has a rugged design.
- This is best with select macbook models 2015.
- This can only read/write data so fast regardless of cable.
Best For Great Price: Seagate High Performance External Hard Drive
Buy on Amazon The Seagate highperformance external hard drive's material feels more premium than its price would suggest. The Seagate high performance external hard drive is quiet, it has read speed and has a cool design. Brilliant design a bold and refined design, crafted to compliment your xbox. Moreover, it can cook for a nice size, It is best for a small footprint and has a nice design. The drive is stylish, is built for faster speeds, it runs fine and has a solid design. Lastly, the Seagate High Performance External Hard Drive is super small, makes for great storage, It is designed to worth every penny and has a simple design.Most buyers found that the drive is designed for xbox consoles….and it obviously won’t work for playstations. And, a few strongly agree that the drive is easy to port games from an external drive back to the internal drive for game play. Furthermore, a few also found that the drive can be used on a cell phone. Consequently, customers were very happy to recommend it to friends and families.Top Customer Quotes:
- This is easy to plug in, small unit.
- It is normal to stay light on.
- This particular drive is made primarily for games.
- This is designed for the xbox series s/x in the internal drive.
Best For Xbox One S: Toshiba High Performance External Hard Drive
Buy on Amazon The Toshiba high - performance external hard drive is satisfactory and appropriate and fits well with your daily purpose. The Toshiba highperformance externalhard drive is super quick, It bought again and has a nice design. Ready to use with your PC and no software installation required. Moreover, the drive is perfect for an affordable price, is good for game console, it works fine and has a great design. Lastly, the Toshiba high - performance external hard drive is made for quick delivery, It works on windows and has an excellent design.Almost all customers opine that the drive comes with a 20" USB cord. Moreover, they strongly agree that the drive works well with consoles. To sum up, for almost all customers, the drive was most suitable.Few customers bought external hard drives for macbook, along with the drive.
Top Customer Quotes:
- USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 are compatible with no external AC power cord needed.
- This is used for windows and Apple computers and laptops.
- This is the most reliable, it is best with great size and has a lightweight design.
- This is given for the larger sizes.
Best For Lots Of Storage: Western Digital New Disk
Buy on Amazon The best part: western digital disk costs comparatively little and it is available to ship in 24 hours. The Western Digital New Disk allows for external power supply, buy again, it transfers data quickly and has a super design. Make sure this fits by entering your model number. Also, the drive is easy to carry, it works fine and has poor design. The drive is dependable and has an excellent design. In addition, it is made with lots of storage space and has a metal design. Finally, the western digital disk can be used for lots of storage, is ready to use, it is big and has a sleek design.Almost all buyers opine that the drive has software for both PC and mac, You need to read the information on the Amazon webpage. Furthermore, a few also found that the drive had another copy elsewhere. And, a few strongly agree that this same procedure would be used when changing the drive to work with any new computer.Customers found that buying a high performance external hard drive, along with drive is useful.
Top Customer Quotes:
- This drive is pre - formatted and has several applications already loaded.
- This works for Windows 10.
- This works well with the mb pro 2015.
- This includes software which requires an internet connection & account to use properly.
Best For Usb Cable: Buffalo High Performance External Hard Drive
Buy on Amazon Buffalo line of drive comes in a pretty wide variety of styles, so you can definitely find one that suits your individual preferences and needs. The Buffalo High Performance External Hard Drive worked perfectly and has a good design. Disasters and harddrive failures can occur unexpectedly. Further, the drive is a leading provider of easy-to-use technology solutions and reliable pre. The drive features a sleek, attractive chassis that can be positioned vertically or horizontally, adapting to the location it is used in for efficient use of space. Most importantly, the buffalo high performanceexternal hard drive loads up fast, works well for good quality, thus far and has a simple design.Almost all customers found that the drive is a great hdd on a budget. In addition, a few also found that the drive can operate either vertically or horizontally. And, a few say that the drive is sold out in America. It only has an American shaped power plug.Customers say that buying a high power ups for system and apc smart ups with external battery, along with drive is useful.
Top Customer Quotes:
- This works well when stood side by side or stacked.
- This is a fast & impressive drive for the price.
- This reduces battery consumption and it is compatible with macs after formatting.
- Optional 256-bit aes hardware encryption provides an extra level of data protection.
Best For Fast Backup: Sandisk Professional High Performance External Hard Drive
Buy on Amazon The Sandisk Professional High Performance External Hard Drive is the most desirable drive on the market today. The sandisk professional high performance external hard drive is used for power cables and it is used for internal testing. Support for up to 45 watts of usb power delivery through the usb-c port allows you to charge your compatible macbook or macbook pro without having to take a separate charger out of your bag. Further, the drive is always reliable, is built like a tank, It would be perfect with excellent build quality and has a nice style. The drive is made for good value, is great at a reasonable price and it can ask for good quality. Moreover, it is good for fast backup, does the job and it has look up article. Finally, the sandisk professional high - performance external hard drive is rock solid and it is greater.Almost all customers quickly discovered that the drive is a ssd, and even they should be cheaper than they are. Furthermore, a few also found that the drive is great as a time machine. In addition, they also found that the drive is a good hdd and faster than any other hdd. Overall, at the price, they believe that they got a steal of a deal with it.Customers say that getting a high performance external hard drive, along with drive is useful.
Top Customer Quotes:
- The instructions are neither included nor referenced in the drive ’s printed documentation.
- This is pretty fast and it is great for massive storage.
- This can also use the power from a usb-c connection.
- This is a really nice form factor that easily slides into any desktop setup.
Compatible With Thunderbolt: Promise Technology High Performance External Hard Drive
Buy on Amazon Compared with other drives in this category, the Promise Technology High Performance External Hard Drive has a convenient design. Connect to either Thunderbolt 3 enabled host at 40gbps or usb 3 2 gen 2 enabled host at 10gbps. And, the drive is dependable and it works for thunderbolt 3 cable. When it comes to searching for an optimal drive, the promise technology high - performance external hard drive is definitely your first choice."Using a thunderbolt dock and storing the back up off site. " - says, one customer. Overall, the tone of buyers is very positive and we believe that the drive suits the purpose.Customers also discovered that its helpful to get a high performance external hard drive, along with this drive.
Why We Like This:
- Power your hosts up to 85w with thunderbolt 6.
- Supports 8k monitor via the full size 4-lane DP 1 4 port.
- Up to 112tb of raw capacity with pegasus32 r11.