The storage landscape has shifted dramatically in 2026. As the artificial intelligence boom fuels demand for memory-hungry data centers, solid-state drive prices have surged to unprecedented levels. Some drives highlighted in recent testing have tripled in cost over just six months, with 8-terabyte SSDs now fetching more than the price of a new MacBook Air. For consumers seeking reliable external storage, the market still offers compelling options — though the best choice depends heavily on intended use.
Spinning Drives Remain the Smart Choice for Backups
While SSD prices climb, traditional spinning hard disk drives have seen only modest price increases, making them the most practical option for backup purposes. Since incremental backups do not require high transfer speeds, the affordability of HDDs makes them especially attractive.
The Western Digital Elements desktop hard drive stands out as a reliable backup solution. Though bulky and requiring external power, it offers capacities up to 20 terabytes and delivers sequential write speeds of approximately 120 MB/s on Windows. The drive connects via USB-C with USB 3 support and works across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Pricing can sometimes make larger capacities surprisingly cost-effective — 10- or 12-terabyte models occasionally sell for only slightly more than the 8-terabyte version.
Seagate's Expansion 8-TB drive offers an alternative at $280, and using drives from different manufacturers for multiple backups can reduce the risk of simultaneous failures. For travelers, Western Digital's My Passport Ultra provides a more portable option. Less than an inch thick with rounded corners and a standard USB-C cable, it comes in capacities from 1 to 6 terabytes. Testing across Windows, macOS, and Linux yielded average read speeds of 121 MB/s and write speeds of 115 MB/s — adequate for daily hotel-room backups, though not ideal for rapid field transfers.
High-Speed SSDs for Professionals and Creatives
For video editors and photographers who need speed, the LaCie Rugged Pro5 leads the pack with Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. LaCie claims read and write speeds of up to 6,700 MB/s and 5,300 MB/s, and testing confirmed figures of 5,787 MB/s read and 5,188 MB/s write — fast enough for real-time editing of 8K and 6K RAW footage in DaVinci Resolve Studio. However, the price has climbed steeply, reaching $1,600 for the 4-terabyte model, making it a significant investment.
The Corsair EX400U offers a more accessible high-speed option with USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 compatibility, delivering approximately 3,800 MB/s sequential read and 3,550 MB/s write speeds. Notably, it includes a MagSafe connector for backing up ProRes video from iPhones, and its price has remained relatively stable compared to competitors.
Photographers seeking a balance of speed, portability, and cost may find the Crucial X9 Pro ideal. Roughly half the size of a deck of cards and weighing just 1.3 ounces, it connects to Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS without issue. The drive claims symmetrical read and write speeds of 1,050 MB/s, though testing actually exceeded those figures, reaching 1,110 MB/s read and 1,100 MB/s write. The Crucial X10 Pro offers even faster performance — up to 2,050 MB/s in testing — but requires a PC supporting USB 2X2, a standard Apple does not support.