Best External Hard Drive for PC Gaming

When it comes to heavy gaming, one thing is clear that these huge games are going to acquire humongous space in your hard drive. This will ultimately make your PC slower by consuming high memory and CPU resources. To solve this storage issue, external hard drives come into play. Installing games on external disks not only solves the storage issue but also, increases the processing speed of game files. Moreover, external drives are strong, handy while traveling, and easy to manage. Read our list of the best external hard drive for PC gaming, especially for Steam Games.

Best External Hard Drive for PC Gaming

They are two categories of external hard drives:

• Hard Disk Drives (HDD)
• Solid State Drives (SSD)

You can choose between the two on the basis of their performance, storage, speeds, etc. Read our comprehensive article on SSD Vs HDD: Which one is Better and Why? before making a decision.

Solid State Drives (SSD)

A Solid-State Drive is a storage device that utilizes integrated circuit assemblies to store data persistently, even when no power is supplied. It uses flash memory and semiconductor cells to store data.

• These are durable & shock resistant
• Drives run silently
• More importantly, they provide quick response time & low latency.

It will be a great choice for storing large-sized games. Some of the best external SSD for PC gaming are listed below.

1. ADATA SU800 1TB SSD – 512GB & 1TB

ADATA SU 800 ranks in the list of best external SSD for PC gaming because of the following advantages:

Pros:

• IP68 Dust & Water Proof
• Speeds up to 1000MB/s
• USB 3.2
• USB C-type
• Supports PS4
• Durable & tough

Cons:

• Slightly Expensive
• Not made for extreme conditions
• Uses the 10Gbps Generation-2 interface

2. SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable 1TB – 4TB

It is the best rugged & portable high-speed SSD.

Pros:

• IP55 Water & Dust Resistant
• Rugged & Handy Design
• Sequential Read/Write Speeds up to 1050MB/s
• 256-bit AES Encryption
• USB 3.2 & USB C-type
• 5 Years Warranty

Cons:

• Prolonged use may lead to heating issues
• Requires reformatting to use in macOS
• Overpriced

3. Samsung T7 Portable SSD 500GB – 2TB

Pros:

• USB 3.2
• 1GB/s read-write speed
• Dynamic Thermal Guard
• AES 256-bit hardware encryption
• Ideal for Gaming
• Compact & Portable

Cons:

• Runs hot despite Dynamic Thermal Guard
• Average integrated software
• Requires USB 3.2 compatible device to fetch maximum speeds

Click here to purchase it.

4. Samsung T5 Portable SSD – 500GB

It is the best external SSD for PC gaming which is also budget-friendly.

Pros:

• Shock Resistant
• Password Protection
• Compact & Light
• Speeds up to 540MB/s
• USB C-type
• Best for budget gaming

Cons:

• Slower read/write speed
• USB 3.1 is a bit slower
• Performance could be better

Also Read: How to Download Steam Games on External Hard Drive

Hard Disk Drives (HDD)

A hard disk drive is a data storage device mainly used for storing, accessing, and retrieving digital information in the form of data using a rotating disk/platter with magnetic material. It is a non-volatile storage media which means that data will remain intact even when powered off. It is used in computers, laptops, gaming consoles, etc.

As compared to SSDs, they have mechanical parts and spinning disks.

• It creates a little sound when it is running.
• It is less durable, and more prone to heating & damage.

But if used under satisfactory conditions, it can last up to several years. They are more in use beacuse:

• These are cheaper than SSDs.
• They are easily available
• Additionally, they offer a wide range of compatibility for various operating systems.

Here is the list of best external hard drive for PC gaming.

1. Western Digital My Passport, 1TB – 5TB

This ranks in our list of best external SSD for PC gaming since it provides the following:

Pros:

• 256-bit hardware encryption
• Plenty of Space from 1TB to 5TB
• USB 3.0
• Reasonable Price
• 2 Years Warranty
• Compact design

Cons:

• Less durable
• Have to reformat to use in macOS
• Slower read/write speeds

2. Seagate Portable External Hard Drive, 500GB – 2TB

This is one of the best external hard drive for Steam games because of the given features:

Pros:

• Universal compatibility
• Up to 120 MB/s transfer speeds
• Comes under $50
• Supports Windows, macOS, and consoles too
• Compact design with USB 3.0
• Fits in your palm

Cons:

• Only 1-year limited warranty
• Requires registration with Seagate
• Not suitable for high-end gamers

You can buy it from Amazon.

Also Read: Check If Your Drive is SSD or HDD in Windows 10

3. Transcend Rugged External Hard Drive, 500GB – 2TB

You can read more about Transcend products here.

Pros:

• Military-grade shock resistance
• Three-layer damage protection
• High data transfer speeds with USB 3.1
• One-touch auto-backup button
• Quick reconnect button

Cons:

• Not ideal for games that require more than 2TB of storage
• Slightly overpriced
• Minor heating issues

4. LaCie Mini Portable External Hard Drive, 1TB – 8TB

Pros:

• IP54-level dust & water-resistant
• Up to 510 MB/s transfer speeds
• Two-year limited warranty
• Portable, compact & durable
• USB 3.1 with C-type

Cons:

• Only orange color available
• Slightly expensive
• Little bulky

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We hope that this guide will help you make an informed decision and buy the best external hard drive for PC gaming. Once you buy an external HDD or SSD, read our guide on How to Download Steam Games on External Hard Drive to do the same. If you have any queries or suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comments section.