ON TEST…
> CalDigit Tuff nano Plus
> Crucial X8
> OWC Envoy Pro SX
> Samsung T7 Shield
> SanDisk Extreme
> Seagate One Touch
AN EXTERNAL SSD isn’t just faster than a hard disk, it also works better with the Apple File System (APFS). Storing your Time Machine backups and large Photos or Music libraries on an SSD ensures access stays fast, instead of slowly grinding to a halt as happens on a hard disk. Going solid–state also changes the drive’s life expectancy: few hard disks last five years, and many die earlier. Invest in an SSD and it should last as long as ten years.
Picking the right SSD isn’t a matter of getting the fastest you can afford. There’s a balance to be struck between speed, capacity and cost. SSD performance is primarily limited by the interface: in reality, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) delivers no more than 1GB/s, and Thunderbolt 3 or
