Kingston XS1000 1TB Portable External SSD, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Red

With 1000 GB of capacity, this drive has room for large photo libraries, hours of video footage, project archives and full system backups. Instead of juggling several small USB sticks or deleting files to free up space on your laptop, you can keep everything in one place. The 3D NAND flash memory stacks storage cells vertically, which makes it possible to fit this much capacity into a very small solid-state drive with no moving parts.

The rated speeds of up to 1050 MB/s for reading and 950 MB/s for writing are many times faster than a typical external hard drive. Copying a large video project, a folder of RAW photos or a game library takes far less time, and you can work with files directly from the drive. Because read and write speeds are close to each other, both backing up and restoring data stay quick.

The drive uses the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard, also known as USB 3.1 Gen 2, which supports transfer rates of up to 10 Gbit/s. The specifications list both USB Type-A and USB Type-C connectivity, so it can work with older computers that only have rectangular USB-A ports as well as newer laptops with USB-C. To reach the full rated speeds, connect it to a port that also supports USB 3.2 Gen 2.

At just 13 grams, the XS1000 is light enough to carry on a keyring, in a jacket pocket or in the smallest compartment of a laptop bag. A solid-state design with no spinning platters also means there are no mechanical parts that can be damaged by the bumps and movement of daily commuting. That makes it practical for taking work between the office and home or carrying travel photos on the road.

Unlike a traditional hard drive, this SSD stores data on 3D NAND flash memory chips. This gives you quick access to files, silent operation and resistance to the kind of vibration that can affect mechanical drives. The black and red finish gives the drive a distinctive look, so it is easy to spot on a busy desk or in a bag full of cables and accessories.

This portable SSD suits students and office workers who need fast, compact storage for documents and backups. It also suits photographers and video creators who regularly move large media files, and gamers who want extra space for their game library. If you work across several computers with different USB ports, the support for both USB-A and USB-C makes it easy to share files between them.