Mac External Hard Drives and SSDs

Easily expand your storage capacity with a handy external drive for Mac that allows you to quickly create a file backup solution or offload batches of files for simple transfer to another computer. You’ll find desktop and portable external hard drives. Typically you’ll get more capacity for the price with desktop external hard drives for Mac, which you can store on computer desks. A portable drive draws power from your computer, so you won’t need a power outlet, plus these drives easily fit in laptop backpacks.

One of the most common interfaces is next-generation USB 3.0 technology. When the drive and the Mac support USB 3.0, speeds can be 10 times faster than USB 2.0. Available through a USB Type-C connection, USB 3.1 enables data transfer speeds double USB 3.0. Developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple, Thunderbolt technology transmits data and display signals in both directions at the same time using the same cable. The original Thunderbolt port reaches transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps. Thunderbolt 2 enables transfer rates up to 20 Gbps. Thunderbolt 3, however, plugs into a USB-C connection type and supports transfer speeds 20 Gbps to 40 Gbps depending on the cable used.

To find your best external hard drive for Mac, you’ll want to decide how quickly you want to save and retrieve data. Consider how you’ll be saving and transferring files, such as photos, videos, files from tablets, files from PC laptops, or photos from top-rated cell phones. Drive speed is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm), based on how fast the drive can spin. Most portable hard drives run at 5400 rpm. This reduced power draw helps preserve the battery life of the Mac you plug the drive into. Desktop external hard drives usually run at 7200 rpm to offer all the speed they can.