Shop for external hard drives

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.4 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 1.0 stars out of 19 reviews

The Bottom Line: Western Digital's My Book 3.0 is a great external-storage addition for desktop computer users. However, notebook users have better choices. Read review

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

• 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: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.0 stars out of 10 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk is the largest single-volume external hard drive on the market and has arguably the best combination of design, performance, and storage capacity. Read review

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive, Hi-Speed USB, 3.5"

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.0 stars out of 6 reviews

The Bottom Line: The My Book Studio Edition II makes a decent direct-attached storage solution for those who need to extend a computer's storage space or want a large backup drive. The drive's rather buggy firmware might turn many users away, however. Read review

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 5 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Clickfree C6 would make an excellent portable storage and backup drive for any Windows user. Read review

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive, 2.5"

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 10 reviews

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

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 2 reviews

Specs: 3 TB, External hard drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.0

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.4 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 13 reviews

The Bottom Line: The LaCie 2big Thunderbolt Series strikes a balance between capacity, performance, and price and would be a good choice for owners of Thunderbolt-enabled computers. Read review

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 1.5 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: The Elgato Thunderbolt SSD offers speed and convenience for a very high premium. With limited storage and a very high price tag, the drive is only suitable for Thunderbolt-enabled Mac owners with deep pocket and a dire need for a high-speed storage device. Read review

Specs: 240 GB, External hard drive, Thunderbolt

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 1.5 stars out of 3 reviews

The Bottom Line: LaCie's Rikiki mobile USB hard drive is an elegant storage solution that comes in three sizes up to 640GB. Its simple design exudes timeless style in a very affordable package. As long as you're not a stickler for fast transfer speeds, the LaCie Rikiki will make a worthwhile addition to your mobile arsenal. Read review

Specs: 500 GB, External hard drive, Hi-Speed USB

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.5 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 6 reviews

The Bottom Line: The 1TB Verbatim Acclaim portable hard drive may appear boring compared with flashier drives, but its sleek size, rapid transfer speeds, and generous seven-year warranty more than make up for its lack of fashion sense. The Acclaim's executive look will likely attract corporate professionals, but we highly recommend its versatility to anyone in need of a storage upgrade. Read review

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive, Hi-Speed USB

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 3 reviews

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive, Hi-Speed USB

• 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: 500 GB, External hard drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.0, 2.5"

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: 3 TB, External hard drive, 3.5"

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 3 reviews

• 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: 500 GB, 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: 500 GB, External hard drive, 2.5"

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 3 reviews

The Bottom Line: While other external hard drives offer built-in backup software, automatic data encryption, or rugged casing protection, the Transcend StoreJet 25F only promises, and delivers, the fastest data transfers at the lowest price. The missing FireWire prevents us from giving this Transcend an Editors' Choice award, but we still highly recommend this drive to storage hounds who don't mind USB 2.0. Read review

Specs: 500 GB, External hard drive, Hi-Speed USB, 2.5"

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: 500 GB, External hard drive, Hi-Speed USB, 7200 rpm

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 1.5 stars out of 4 reviews

The Bottom Line: With its embossed cover and rainbow of colorful designs, the Samsung G2 Portable hard drive is a consumer-focused external hard drive that offers the most basic plug-and-play storage functionality. You don't get many extras, but impressive benchmark scores, a competitive cost-per-gigabyte, and a generous three-year warranty demonstrate its core competency and earn this drive our CNET recommendation. Read review

Specs: 500 GB, External hard drive, USB, 2.5 in

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.6 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: Mac users who need a fast portable hard drive will find it in the new My Passport Studio. Windows users should look elsewhere for a better deal. Read review

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive, IEEE 1394b (FireWire 800) / Hi-Speed USB

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: 128 GB, External hard drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.0, 1.8"

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 16 reviews

Specs: 1 TB, External hard drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.0, 5400 rpm

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0.5 stars out of 3 reviews

Specs: 2 TB, External hard drive, Hi-Speed USB, 3.5"

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.4 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: Even with the slightly low USB 3.0 performance, the GoFlex Ultra still makes an excellent portable external hard drive for people who need to expand their computer's storage. Read review

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