SSD

If you need external storage, you should always try to get a solid state drive -- if you can afford your needed capacity, of course. Not only is an SSD much faster than a mechanical hard disk drive, it can be more reliable too. You see, since an SSD doesn't have moving parts, it is less likely to become damaged from jostling. An HDD, by comparison, can become corrupted by bouncing around in your bag or luggage.

Another benefit of an external solid state drive over a hard disk drive is its physical size -- an SSD can be much smaller, which is superior for traveling. Today, ADATA launches a new USB-C SSD that is tiny and adorable. Called "SC680," it is thin, light, and pretty fast.

How great is USB-C? Long gone are the days of incorrectly plugging in your devices, as the Type-C connector is reversible. Not to mention, it is smaller and more aesthetically pleasing than USB-A. Slowly but surely, the Type-C connection it is showing up on more and more devices, with USB-A being increasingly omitted.

And so, it is essential that device and accessory makers utilize USB-C. For example, ADATA has a new USB-C SSD which uses the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface. Called "SE800," it is essentially an upgrade to the company's excellent SE730H. Not only is this new model insanely fast, but it is quite rugged too. It's also very small, making it easy to toss into a bag or your pocket. And if your computer doesn't have USB-C, don't worry -- a USB-A cable is included in the box.

Despite the surge in cloud storage adoption nowadays, sometimes local storage is still needed -- particularly external drives. After all, fewer consumers are buying desktops these days, instead relying on laptops, tablets, and convertibles. These computer types typically don't allow the addition of a second internal storage drive -- some don't even allow an upgrade of the sole drive. Thankfully, good ol' USB is still here to expand storage.

Today, ADATA unveils two new drives that utilize the tried-and-true USB-A connection. One is a flash drive, while the other is an external solid state drive. Neither product is particularly remarkable, but that is OK -- these are designed for functionality only. In other words, they aren't supposed to revolutionize anything or win a beauty pageant. With that said, they both are rather pretty.

SK hynix is a huge name in the technology market, providing memory to many big companies, such as Apple. With that said, the average home consumer probably won't know the name. That is to be expected, as the company hasn't really tried to advertise its brand to consumers.

Today, this changes, as SK hynix launches a solid state drive for the consumer market in the USA. Called "Gold S31," it is a 2.5-inch SATA variant -- perfect for those wanting to upgrade an older mechanical hard drive. Best of all, it is very affordable. The company plans to release a PCIe model in the future.

Today, Kingston announces a new NVMe solid state drive, called "A2000," and unfortunately, it isn’t too exciting. Don’t get me wrong, it is plenty fast, but hardly the fastest.

Here’s the thing, folks, PCIe 4.0 drives will soon be flooding the market, and this new model from Kingston still uses the older PCIe 3.0. With that said, most computers do not support PCIe 4.0, so consumers largely can’t take full advantage of an SSD using that new standard anyway.

Just when we all get used to blazing fast PCIe 3.0 NVMe solid state drives, PCIe 4.0 comes along to ruin the fun. True, current such SSDs are still more than fast enough for most, but now they are not the fastest. If you are an enthusiast or gamer that demands the very best, your PCIe 3.0 based drive is now old hat.

For instance, today, ADATA unveils an insanely fast new SSD based on PCie 4.0. Called "XPG GAMMIX S50," it is designed for gamers, but really, anybody that wants speed can take advantage. Not only are the specifications incredible, but the drive's heatsink is strikingly beautiful too. If you are someone that takes pride in aesthetics, this drive should make you happy. Keep in mind, however, you will need a new motherboard with PCIe 4.0 to take full advantage of this incredible speed.

It is amazing to see just how inexpensive -- and unremarkable -- SATA solid state drives have become. With NVMe SSDs far exceeding the performance of SATA variants, consumers are no longer excited by SATA drives. And that's a shame. Look, everyone wants the best performance, but most don't need it. In real world usage, most consumers won't see a difference between SATA and NVMe SSDs, so why shouldn't they save some money and go with the former?

Today, Patriot launches the affordable and boring P200 SATA SSD. It isn't the fastest, it isn't the best looking, and it even hilariously says "standard performance" on the body, letting you know not to get excited. But you know what? It is good enough for most folks, and pricing starts at just $31.99. Not everything has to be top of the line and flashy. If you want to upgrade from a mechanical hard drive, why not the 7mm 2.5-inch P200?

RGB lighting makes everything better. Is it tacky? Yeah, I suppose, but more importantly, it is fun. Life is short, y'all -- just sit back and enjoy the light show!

Solid state drives with RGB lighting are hardly new, but they are still fairly rare. ADATA's latest SSD, called "XPG SPECTRIX S40G," is extremely pretty thanks to its RGB heatsink. And no, this drive isn't fashion over function -- it is an NVMe PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 SSD with very impressive read and write speeds.

Just yesterday, CORSAIR shocked the world with the PCIe 4.0 MP600 SSD. This new drive will offer insane read and write speeds. While this new CORSAIR drive is certainly exciting, the reality is, most consumers won’t have a PCIe 4.0 compatible computer anytime soon. I’m sure plenty of early adopters will buy an X570-based motherboard and 3rd generation AMD Ryzen processor, but the majority of machines will not have PCIe 4.0 for many years.

With all of that said, NVMe solid state drives based on PCIe 3.0 will remain an attractive option for a while, and today, Toshiba announces an upgrade to its XG6 model. called "XG6-P," it offers very respectable speeds and should appeal to gamers, enthusiasts, and the enterprise too. It is likely to find itself in several laptops from PC manufacturers.

Storage drive speed has been greatly increasing over the past several years. It is remarkable to think how far we have come from slow mechanical hard drives thanks to the solid state drive revolution. We are at the point where SATA-based SSDs are considered "old hat" -- it is the faster NVMe PCI Express (PCIe) drives that are all the rage these days.

Earlier today, AMD unveiled its new third generation Ryzen 3 processors, and with them, the brand new X570 chipset for socket AM4. The exciting aspect of this new chipset generation is the addition of PCIe 4.0. The fourth generation of PCIe will be markedly faster than the prior gen, allowing even faster solid state drives. And yes, a company (CORSAIR) has already announced one (MP600).

Samsung makes some of the best internal Solid State Drives -- they are fast and reliable. That is why many gamers and enthusiasts choose the company's SSDs for their computers. Samsung makes great portable SSDs too, including the popular T5, which uses USB-C.

Now, the Samsung T5 is getting two new color options -- Rose Gold and Metallic Red. This is in addition to the existing Deep Black and Alluring Blue options. Both new colors can be had in two capacities -- 500GB and 1TB. Unfortunately, the 2TB capacity model remains black only. A 250GB model is available too, but only in blue.

Kingston has long been a popular brand with enthusiasts, as its flash memory products are often high quality and reliable without breaking the bank. This isn't just its USB flash drives and RAM, but its solid state drives too.

Today, it launches its newest such SSD. Called "KC2000," it is an NVMe PCIe variant, meaning it will be blazing fast. Pricing is pretty reasonable too, as it starts at just $62.40.

While many people are turning to the cloud for storage these days, not everyone trusts such a thing. After all, when you upload your files to an online server, you are essentially storing your stuff on someone else's computer. If you prefer complete control over your data, local storage devices are superior.

What if you want to leverage a USB flash drive, but you need better performance? In that case, a product such as the rugged Pocket SSD from VisionTek should meet your needs. These popular devices look like a standard flash drive, but they are much faster. Today, VisionTek launches the next generation -- the XT Pocket SSD. Not only is the top capacity now a massive 1TB, but the drive should last longer too. You see, VisionTek claims special data refresh technology will allow it to last more than 171 years before failing. In other words, it will outlive you!

USB-C friggin' rules, y'all. Everybody loves the new connector type, as unlike the classic USB-A, Type-C is reversible. Quite frankly, the ports and connectors even look better too -- symmetry for the win! Even if your computer doesn't have a USB-C port, you can always interface with a Type-C device using a dongle or USB-C to USB-A cable. In other words, you can buy a USB-C device today and use it without worry as long as your computer has a USB port.

Remember, folks, USB-C does not indicate speed -- it is merely a connector type. With that said, USB-C (and USB-A) devices that use the USB 3.1 gen 2 interface are very fast. Today, Lexar announces a very speedy external solid state drive that the company claims is the world's fastest portable USB SSD with a Type-C port. Obviously, this claim does not include Thunderbolt 3 drives. Called "SL100," it offers up to 950 MB/s read, and 900 MB/s write. Regardless of whether it is or isn't the world's fastest, one thing is for sure -- those speeds are very impressive.

If your computer has an NVMe M.2 slot, you should absolutely be using it. Look, I'm sure that SATA solid state drive you have is great and all, but the difference in performance can be significant. With prices dropping and speeds increasing, you really should upgrade to an NVMe variant if you have the cash -- it is a "no brainer."

There are many solid NVMe SSDs on the market from respectable manufacturers, and today, another one enters the market. Called "VPN100," it is a new drive from Viper Gaming with a pre-installed black heatsink that should help performance through cooling. Not familiar with Viper Gaming? While not widely known, enthusiasts know Viper to be the gaming brand of Patriot Memory -- a high-quality company. This SSD is very speedy, thanks in part to its Phison E12 PCIe Gen 3 x 4 NVMe controller.