The Best SSD and Hard Drive Prime Day Deals

Storage is key for successful computing—even though we’re big fans of keeping stuff in the cloud, it’s important for security and redundancy to have local backups as well, especially when the Internet goes out. You’ve got lots of options for expanding your desktop or laptop PC, including speedy internal SSDs, rugged external models, and massive HDDs for epic archives. Prices are dropping pretty heavily in advance of this month’s big sales event, and we’ve got discounts of nearly 50% on some major brands. Here are the nine best storage deals we’ve unearthed—and check out our mega-post for more Prime Day Deals.
Samsung 990 EVO 1TB Internal SSD for $79.99 (list price $149.99)
Crucial BX500 2TB Internal SSD for $111.59 (list price $164.99)
WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB Internal SSD for $79.54 (list price $129.99)
Samsung T9 4TB Portable SSD for $299.99 (list price $549.99)
SanDisk Extreme 1TB Portable SSD for $89.99 (list price $129.99)
Samsung T7 Portable 2TB External SSD for $149.99 (list price $269.99)
UnionSine 500GB Ultra Slim Portable External HDD for $28.28 (list price $39.99)
Seagate BarraCuda 5TB Internal HDD for $153.00 (list price $219.99)
WD Black D10 8TB External HDD for $199.99 (list price $269.99)
Keeping your drive inside your computer is the traditional way to go, and internal SSDs are faster and less expensive than external drives. Definitely cross-check to make sure that these storage devices are compatible with your desktop or laptop. With capacities up to 2TB, you won’t need much more than this to keep your data close.
Let’s open this up with a massive 53% discount on an internal SSD that got an Editors’ Choice award from PCMag in its review, saying that the 990 EVO was “an excellent-value mainstream M.2 internal SSD, with whizzy performance and the class-leading warranty, software, and security that you’d expect from Samsung.” This is a tremendous all-around value, featuring read/write speeds up to 5,000/4,200 MB/s, smart thermal control, and exceptional power efficiency. You’re not likely to beat this price anytime soon.
Samsung 990 EVO 1TB Internal SSD for $71.57(list price $149.99)
Here’s a budget SSD that has been dropped down to a seriously appealing price. PCMag reviewed the Crucial BX500 and called it “solid for mainstream service” thanks to its comprehensive software dashboard and reliable performance. Because this is a SATA 3.0 drive, it’s not as speedy as PCiE storage, but what you get in exchange is low cost and reliability. Micron 3D NAND technology brings increased power efficiency with it. This drive comes with a three-year limited warranty from Crucial.
Crucial BX500 2TB Internal SSD for $111.59 (list price $164.99)
Getting a full $100 off the retail price puts this gamer-focused SSD in a very sweet spot. Compatible with most computers, as well as the Sony PlayStation 5, this internal SSD delivers data at a maximum speed of 7,300 MB per second, streaming swiftly and supporting a number of high-end optimization features like predictive loading and overhead balancing. An internal heatsink helps keep things frosty.
WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB Internal SSD for $79.54 (list price $129.99)
If you need a little more portability without sacrificing space, an external SSD is the way to go. These have come a long way since the measly flash memory sticks and can now hold massive amounts of data and transfer it back and forth through USB-C to laptops, desktops, and other devices. They’re also housed in rugged casings to survive frequent transport.
The Samsung T9 is a pricey portable drive, but for the money you get an unbeatable combination of durability and speed, and right now it’s on sale. PCMag gave this unit an Outstanding rating in its review, commenting that it “achieves blazing throughput speeds when connected to a compatible PC, making it a go-to external SSD for content creators.” It also earned PCMag’s coveted Editors’ Choice award. With read/write speeds of 2,000MB/second, it’ll handle huge files with ease. Samsung’s Dynamic Thermal Guard keeps the unit cool and your files safe no matter how hard you push it, and it’s compatible with just about everything.
Samsung T9 4TB Portable SSD for $299.99 (list price $549.99)
This is a tremendous price on a rugged and easy-to-use drive that can withstand some serious situations. USB-C connectivity gives you the best read-write speeds for an external drive, at over 1,000 megabytes per second. The casing is durable and has a handy loop for a lanyard or carabiner. 256-bit AES encryption helps you keep the contents safe if you misplace it. This is one of the nicest prices you’ll see on a portable of this capacity, so take it home while you can.
SanDisk Extreme 1TB Portable External SSD for $89.99 (list price $129.99)
This is one of the smallest portable drives you’re going to find at this capacity, measuring about the size of a credit card and fitting easily into the palm of your hand while still delivering good performance. PCMag reviewed the Samsung T7 and said it was “a crowd-pleasing, compact external drive with strong security and a rough-and-tumble aluminum chassis.” 256-bit AES encryption helps keep your files safe from prying eyes, and when it’s time to download them off the device, you can expect read speeds of up to 1,050Mb/s. It’s also fairly durable, with shock resistance and fall protection up to 6 feet. This 45% discount is one of the deepest we’ve seen.
Samsung T7 Portable 2TB External SSD for $149.99 (list price $269.99)
For the maximum amount of storage, you’ve got to go old-school with a hard disk drive. Although these are more vulnerable to mechanical wear than solid-state drives, hard disks are time-tested technology that is both reliable and affordable. This category covers internal and external drives, some designed for desktops and others for laptops.
Need something slim and portable but still using hard disk technology? This is a super cheap 500GB drive that hits all the marks. USB 3.0 compatibility gives it read/write speeds over 100MB/s, and the JMicron 578 noise-free solution keeps it running silently through the whole process. An insulating diaphragm helps keep the drive clean and free of any interference. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android devices, as well as all of the major game consoles.
UnionSine 500GB Ultra Slim Portable External HDD for $28.28 (list price $39.99)
Here’s a nice price on an internal SATA drive that holds a lot in a compact form factor. Seagate’s BarraCuda line has been a reliable performer for many generations of PC hardware, and this model features a 2.5-inch form factor, allowing it to fit in multiple case configurations. With hot plug support, it’s a breeze to install, and although transfer speeds aren’t the fastest it’s not something you’ll notice. At this price, it’s an unbeatable pick.
Seagate BarraCuda 5TB Internal HDD for $153.00 (list price $219.99)
This is an absolute tank of an external hard drive, and PCMag gave it an “Excellent” rating in its 2020 review. If you set up your gaming battlestation with a small internal SSD for your system files, this will be the companion piece that stores all of your downloads. The Black D10 isn’t the fastest drive on the market, pushing data at 140MBps, but what it lacks in speed it makes up in capacity. The rugged, grip-friendly casing also looks super cool.
WD Black D10 8TB External HDD for $199.99 (list price $269.99)
Looking to upgrade your storage? Here are some things to keep in mind:
Internal SSDs and HDDs come in several form factors, with the most popular now being the M.2 “gumstick” variety, although 2.5-inch drives still have plenty of use cases. Typically, solid-state drives have more variance because they don’t require a mechanical spool. Make sure that the model you’re purchasing will fit in your machine — consult the manual or the manufacturer’s website for specifications.
Storage drives also use a number of different interfaces, and compatibility is important there as well. The two primary options are SATA and PCIe, each with advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the data transfer protocol is also different between units. Make sure they match.
Performance-wise, two factors matter: size and speed. Both increase cost, so balancing your budget with how much space you want is key. Thankfully, drive prices are lower than ever when you consider how capacious they are, so you can get massive multi-terabyte drives for pretty cheap.
The sheer variety of solid-state drives on the market can be overwhelming. Purchasing with purpose is the way to get the best value moving forward. If you’re moving files between locations, you obviously need an external SSD. If you plan to build a desktop that keeps system files on an SSD and program files on an HDD, a smaller solid-state drive will be more cost-effective. If you need to store massive amounts of data on a budget, an HDD will be the best option.
The major difference in solid-state drives is their interface method. Serial ATA technology is older and works like traditional mechanical drives, while Non-Volatile Memory Express was designed to work exclusively with SSDs. NVMe uses the PCIe bus, which is being regularly updated and expanded to exploit additional lanes of data transfer, increasing speed and capacity with each generation. NVMe will generally provide better results, but SATA may be compatible with more systems.
As the great computer scientist Tupac Shakur famously said, “Only God can judge you.” We’re proponents of investing a little extra than you think you need to for a more spacious drive. Given the skyrocketing sizes of file installs, with some AAA games coming in at over 100GB, you’ll find whatever drive you buy filling up fast. It’s smart to future-proof your setup now instead of buying a patchwork of external storage later.
Samsung 990 EVO 1TB Internal SSD for $79.99 (list price $149.99)
Crucial BX500 2TB Internal SSD for $111.59 (list price $164.99)
WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB Internal SSD for $79.54 (list price $129.99)
Samsung T9 4TB Portable SSD for $299.99 (list price $549.99)
SanDisk Extreme 1TB Portable SSD for $89.99 (list price $129.99)
Samsung T7 Portable 2TB External SSD for $149.99 (list price $269.99)
UnionSine 500GB Ultra Slim Portable External HDD for $28.28 (list price $39.99)
Seagate BarraCuda 5TB Internal HDD for $153.00 (list price $219.99)
WD Black D10 8TB External HDD for $199.99 (list price $269.99)
© 2001-2024 Ziff Davis, LLC., a Ziff Davis company. All Rights Reserved.
ExtremeTech is a federally registered trademark of Ziff Davis, LLC and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of ExtremeTech. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant.

source