External SSDs & NAS

Two related problems: moving large files fast (a portable SSD) and keeping a safe, always-available copy of everything (a NAS). Creatives and anyone editing video or photos usually need both.

How to choose

Portable SSD

• Interface sets the ceiling. USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) ≈ 1,000MB/s and is fine for most people. USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps) and USB4/Thunderbolt (up to ~3,000MB/s) matter for editing 4K+ footage straight off the drive.
• Match the drive to your ports. A Thunderbolt drive on a USB-only laptop runs at USB speed — you paid for headroom you can't use.
• Durability and heat. IP-rated crush/water resistance for field work; a metal body helps sustained writes not throttle.

NAS

• Bays and drives. Two bays in a mirror (RAID 1) is the sensible home baseline — one drive can die without data loss. RAID is not a backup; you still need an offsite or cloud copy.
• CPU and RAM determine whether it can transcode media, run containers, or just serve files. Be honest about which you need.
• Drives are a separate cost and should be NAS-rated (WD Red, Seagate IronWolf).

What matters less

DRAM-cache marketing on consumer SSDs, and 10GbE on a NAS if your network and clients are all 1GbE. Buy for the workflow you have.

Start here: our best portable SSD guide.