Samsung T9 Portable SSD 2TB, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 External SSD, Up to 2,000 MB/s

Why it's worth it

The T9 is rated at 2,000 MB/s over a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, with a grippy rubberized shell and a thermal design meant to hold speed through long jobs. It's the drive we'd hand to someone who wants one SSD for a laptop, a camera, and a console.

The T9 is the safest pick in a category where the box numbers lie a lot. Samsung rates it at up to 2,000 MB/s read and write over USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, and the listing specifically calls out sustained speed rather than a peak burst. That distinction matters. If you're dumping an afternoon of 4K footage, the number you care about is the one the drive holds in minute four, not minute one.

Heat is what kills speed on small drives, and Samsung built the T9 around that problem. Its Dynamic Thermal Guard is meant to pull heat away and keep the controller from backing off mid-transfer. You'll still feel the drive get warm during a long copy — they all do — but the design goal here is holding a pace rather than hitting a headline.

From our review of 8 portable external ssds, by Ben Carter, Tech Editor

What we like

• +The T9 is the safest pick in a category where the box numbers lie a lot
• +Heat is what kills speed on small drives, and Samsung built the T9 around that problem
• +It plays well with almost everything you'd plug it into
• +The build feels like it expects to be dropped

What to know

• –The 2,000 MB/s rating needs a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, and those are uncommon
• –It's bigger and heavier than the Crucial X10 Pro for the same job, and it costs more