Samsung Portable T5 MU-PA500B/WW 500 GB

Tiny, fast, shockproof

The new T5 belongs to the third generation of external SSDs from Samsung. If the first was sealed in a plastic case and was equipped with a micro USB 3.0 connector, then the updated version boasts a metal case, slightly increased speeds and a full-fledged USB-C port. And the dimensions have slightly decreased: it is smaller than a regular credit card and weighs a little more than 50 grams. The workmanship is very high, the device looks monolithic. The metal housing provides protection against accidental bumps and falls from two metres.

5 times faster than conventional hard drive

At the same time, the speed is 5 times faster than a conventional external HDD. When connected via a USB-C port, it delivers read speeds of over 533MB/s and write speeds of 496MB/s, which is broadly in line with the manufacturer's claims. These are pretty good numbers, but in all honesty, almost all external SSDs now work in this range, so it’s rather difficult to praise or scold them for their speed.

Tricks up your sleeve

Among the additional features, we note hardware AES 256-bit encryption to protect data on the disk from prying eyes, a simple utility for setting a password when opening the drive, and the ability to connect to a smartphone via an OTG cable. If the smartphone supports an OTG connection, then the built-in 500 GB can be used to back up photos, save the media library on the road, etc. The built-in volume should be enough for games.