Shop for storage

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: The QNAP TS-412 makes a very good NAS server for environments where advanced network storage is needed. Read review

Specs: QNAP TS-412 Turbo NAS - NAS server, 0 GB, Mac, PC, Unix, RJ-45, 7 pin external Serial ATA, 4 pin USB Type A, Hot-swap, Gigabit Ethernet

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: With an ultrathin, sturdy design and fast performance, the Seagate GoFlex Slim external hard drive makes a great companion for a laptop that has built-in support for USB 3.0. Read review

Specs: 500 GB, External hard drive, 5400 rpm

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.3 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Fast, flexible, rugged, and affordable, the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt is one of the best high-end portable drives on the market. Read review

Specs: 120 GB, External hard drive

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: WD VelociRaptor WD1000DHTZ makes an excellent storage solution for housing a large amount of data that's frequently accessed and manipulated. Read review

Specs: 1 TB, Internal hard drive, 3.5" x 1/3H, 64 MB, 10000 rpm

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Seagate Backup Plus carries the flexibility of the GoFlex portable drive while adding performance and style to portable storage. The new drive makes an excellent buy. Read review

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.3 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The WD My Passport Portable makes an excellent portable drive for use with both desktop and laptop computers, at home or while on the road. Read review

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.7 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 1.0 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: If you're looking for SSD-like performance at just a fraction of the cost, the Seagate Laptop Thin SSHD offers some gratification. Read review

Specs: 500 GB, Internal hard drive, 2.5", 64 MB, 12 ms, 5400 rpm

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.4 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The OCZ Vector Series SSD would make a great investment for those moving on from using a hard drive as the main drive of their system. Read review

Specs: 128 GB, Internal hard drive, 2.5" Ultra Slim Line

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The ioSafe Solo G3 makes an excellent backup solution for those who need to make sure their important data survives even the worst disasters. Read review

Specs: 3 TB, External hard drive

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.6 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: If you're moving up from a hard drive, the SanDisk Ultra Plus is totally worth its price. Read review

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: Seagate Backup Plus carries the flexibility of the GoFlex portable drive while adding performance and style to portable storage. The new drive makes an excellent buy. Read review

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.4 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The Corsair Neutron GTX is one of the best solid-state drives on the market, especially for those who want top performance from their ultrathin portable computer. Read review

Specs: 240 GB, Internal hard drive, 2.5"

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The Samsung 840 series is an excellent entry-level solid-state drive for budget and general users, but not really a good buy for advanced or professional users. Read review

Specs: 250 GB, Internal hard drive, 2.5" Ultra Slim Line

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Seagate Backup Plus carries the flexibility of the GoFlex portable drive while adding performance and style to portable storage. The new drive makes an excellent buy. Read review

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 5 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Disk Station DS410 is one of the most affordable four-bay full-feature NAS servers on the market. While it's overwhelming for novice home users, advanced users will also find it to be one of the best RAID 5-capable NAS servers for their home or small business environments. Read review

Specs: Synology Disk Station DS410 - NAS server, 0 GB, Mac, PC, 4 pin USB Type A, RJ-45, Standard, Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Fast Ethernet

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Though it lacks RAID 5, the speedy 5big Thunderbolt is still worth the hefty investment, and is a better buy than competing devices. Read review

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Though it lacks RAID 5, the speedy 5big Thunderbolt is still worth the hefty investment, and is a better buy than competing devices. Read review

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.8 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.0 stars out of 24 reviews

The Bottom Line: Though other external hard drives offer a preset menu of ports, the Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex cuts costs by letting you pick from a buffet of "personality cables" so that you buy only the connections that suit your system profile. We applaud Seagate for making data backups easier than ever, and recommend the FreeAgent GoFlex external hard drive for extra data storage now and easy upgrades in the future. Read review

Specs: 500 GB, External hard drive, USB 2.0, 3.5", 7200 rpm

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.3 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: All things considered, the Seagate GoFlex Desk Thunderbolt adapter is currently the best investment for those who want a superfast storage device to use with a Thunderbolt-enabled Mac. Read review

Specs: Storage controller - External

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 7 reviews

The Bottom Line: The LaCie Minimus is a good-looking and compact 3.5-inch external hard drive that would make a good addition to a desktop computer that already supports USB 3.0. Read review

Specs: 2 TB, External hard drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.0

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Fast and affordable, the shockproof Silicon Power Armor A15 is an excellent buy for mobile users, especially those working in rough environments. Read review

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive, 2.5"

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 1.0 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: The Silicon Power Armor A80 makes an excellent portable drive for travelers and home offices alike. Read review

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.0, 2.5"

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.1 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Seagate Backup Plus carries the flexibility of the GoFlex portable drive while adding performance and style to portable storage. The new drive makes an excellent buy. Read review

Specs: 500 GB, External hard drive

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: All things considered, the G-Tech G-RAID with Thunderbolt makes a decent investment for Mac owners who have the funds for a fast storage solution. Read review

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The WD My Book Thunderbolt Duo makes a very good external storage device for Thunderbolt-enabled Macs thanks to its comparative affordability, ease of use, and decent performance. Read review