Best External Hard Drives Under $300

Life without technology and keeping all your data without a portable hard drive is not easy. When it comes to portability, you don’t have any better option than using an external hard drive.

Best External SSD

Laptops and PCs keep getting lighter and thinner, but storage space has never been so tight. Nowadays, laptops and PCs come packed with some of the best specs offering high-resolution audio and video. These high-resolution audio/video files and other documents can quickly fill your computer’s storage. Nowadays, users often buy laptops with 256GB SSD that is filled within months.

Gamers get it even more complicated, with some games demanding up to 50GB of space rising to over 100GB in a few cases. Most of the users face this problem due to files demanding more space. You simply cannot buy another laptop offering more space because that too is going to fill up within weeks, so what is necessary for this kind of scenario?

External HDDs and SSDs are solutions. They’re cheap and spacious, and all you want to do is plug them in. USB 3 drives are the basic standard speedy enough for regular use, but nowadays, USB-C and USB 3.1 can be paired with laptops with enough speed for editing 4K videos and other stuff.

There are many factors to consider while buying external hard drives; however, the primary ones are storage space, speed, portability, and reliability. With such a lot of elements, it’s difficult to call one external drive “the high-quality definitively,” Still, it’s far possible to find a few drives that, collectively, will suit the desires of every person.

Hard Drive Under $300 List

These har drives under $300 we review are not for everyone. You must find yourself the one which suitable and affordable for you. Some of them are high in price, but they also give you quality.

Here are some of the best external hard drives available in the market right now;

1. Seagate Fast SSD

“Best Seller SSD In 2024

The Seagate 1TB SSD is so precisely crafted that you’ll love it at first glance. The Seagate Fast SSD is sleek, lightweight, and has a shock-resistant layout. It can face up to whatever the go back and forth can throw at you. This powerhouse has the most sequential read/write speeds as much as 540/500MB/s. With speeds up to 50MB/s on the Seagate 1TB SSD, you will be able to start any project at any time without any hassles.

It also has USB-C connectivity so that you can enjoy hassle-free connectivity with your new laptop. You can also utilize the included USB Type-C to Type-A cable for compatibility. It also consists of a formatting tool that lets you optimize your drive for optimum overall performance or go-OS compatibility.

It even includes folder syncing talents to keep documents organized throughout devices. You can also mirror your documents and tasks with the included folder syncing software. You may have a delegated folder monitored so that your Fast SSD will automatically maintain up with the ultra-modern adjustments for your documents.

2. Samsung T5 Portable SSD

Best Portable SSD for Gamers

The size of the Samsung T5 is smaller than the common enterprise card, weighing just 1.80oz, and only 0.41″ thick. The compact, mild, and slender T5 is the perfect transportable storage. The T5 brings greater style to computing with attractive colorations, smooth casing, and skillfully curved facets. The ultra-modern T5 slides into your pocket or handbag, with multiple color options that complement your experience of fashion.

The Samsung T5 provides speeds as much as 540MB/s, which is almost nine times faster than other external HDDs. It features V-NAND flash memory and a USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface, providing large-sized transfers and backups, including 4k videos and high-res photos faster than ever. You can get your leisure or coursework done anywhere on any device.

The T5 has no moving components and a robust steel frame so that it can manage drops of up to two meters. The optional password safety with AES 256-bit hardware encryption keeps your private and personal records extra secure. It also has management software that lets you manage your data efficiently with the new software for PCs and Macs.

3. Seagate Backup Plus Slim

Best External Hard Drive under $300

The Seagate Backup Slim lets you store and access 2TB of photos and files on the move. This particular 2TB external hard drive is compatible with Mac and Windows. This portable external hard drive features a discreet brushed metal enclosure making it an elegant USB drive. Simply plug your external hard drive for Mac and Windows into a laptop through the included USB 3.0 cable to back up documents with a single click or schedule automatic day by day, weekly, or monthly backups.

It features Easy-to-Use Backup Software that permits on-demand backup on a schedule of your choice. It is easy to use on both Mac and Windows; you can use it with each system interchangeably out of the field. Enjoy seamless document transfers due to USB 3.0 compatibility. Its refined Design with a sublime polished aluminum enclosure makes it an eye-popping gadget.

4. Transcend 2TB Gen 1

Rugged External Hard Drive

The StoreJet 25MC the best external hard drive is ready to use with the USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface with the help of UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol), providing lightning-speedy transfer quotes of up to 5Gbps. The StoreJet 25MC also features a 3-stage shock safety device that meets US military drop-test requirements to guard data saved on the drive completely. The three-stage shock safety device features a silicone rubber case, an inner shock-soaking up suspension damper, and a strengthened tough casing.

The StoreJet 25M3 features a one-touch auto-backup button that right away backs up your data with merely one press. The button additionally enables you to reconnect the hard power on your PC without the want to unplug and reinsert it. The drive also features Transcend Elite, which is data management software that keeps critical files structured, safe, and updated. The Transcend StoreJet comes in iron gray and military green colors.

5. WD My Passport

“Best Portable Hard Drive under $300”

The WDTB My Passport is portable storage that assures you to do anything because of its 4TB storage. With a new, elegant design that suits within the palm of your hand, there is a lot of space to save your images, videos, tune, and files. The WD Drive comes in capacities up to 5TB, so that you don’t need to compromise which video games to delete on your console or PC to make room for new ones. Now you can maintain your old favorites intact as you grow your library with massive storage.

 The WD 4TB My Passport drive is suitable for gamers because it delivers top-tier performance for gaming and hardware fans who are trying to construct or upgrade their PC. The WD Drive SSD has a portable form factor that could face up to battlefields due to its durable and shock-resistant layout.

It features an automatic easy to use backup and a password protection + 256 bit AES hardware encryption. The WD portable SSD has a Superspeed USB port, USB 2.0 compatible, and Compatibility with Windows 10 or Windows 8.1 running structures.

6. Toshiba Canvio Advance

Portable High-Speed External SSD

The Canvio Advance portable SSD permits users to do what they do first-rate–imparting high storage capability, quick access to your stored content, and the time-examined reliable performance they need. Plus, its miles subsidized by using 2-12 months restricted warranty, so that you can feel confident when buying it.

Featuring USB 3.0 technology, Canvio Advance portable hard drives are some distance quicker than, but well suited with USB 2.Zero devices, allowing for quick transfer when organizing your files.

The Canvio Advance is available in a variety of colorful shades to suit your fashion. It additionally gives a smooth-to-use software program to keep your documents safe from unauthorized users using the Toshiba Security Software with a unique password.  It also features a Toshiba Storage Backup Software, where you simply set the time and intervals to your backups and let the software cope with the rest.

7. Seagate

“Best External Hard Drives HDD

The Seagate Portable 5TB is the ultimate hard drive that lets you easily store and access 5TB of your data on the go. This portable SSD designed to work with Windows or Mac computers. The Seagate external drive features high-speed USB 3.0 connectivity with an 18-inch cable, which means that the drive seamlessly plugs into PCs with no hassles of adapters.

The drag and drop feature of this drive makes it very easy to save your data, you just need to simply drag and drop photos, songs, videos, docs, and more onto Seagate Portable drive. To get set up, connect your portable SSD to a computer for automatic recognition, which requires software. It comes with a limited warranty of 1 year, so you have no trouble choosing this particular drive.

8. WD Elements

“Best Portable 2TB Hard Drive

The WD 2TB Elements Portable hard drive is a small, lightweight drive offering up to 2TB capacity. This drive also features USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 Compatibility, so you get connected to the latest USB 3.0 devices and also compatible with USB 2.0 devices. The WD Portable hard drive, when connected to a USB 3.0 port, WD Elements portable SSD delivers fast data transfer rates.

The WD Elements Portable can also improve your PC performance, and when your internal hard drive is almost full, your PC slows down. It can free up space on your internal hard drive by transferring files to your WD Elements portable hard drive to weigh off some weight from your laptop compatibility Formatted for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7.

This high capacity drive is so small and lightweight that it makes it an ideal companion for your laptop or PC. It also comes with 2 years of limited warranty from the manufacturers itself.

9. LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt

Fastest SSD for Gamers

The LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt 2TB hard drive is perfect for high-speed data transfers with extreme durability. This durable drive features USB-C, USB 3.0/2/0, and is compatible with both Mac and Windows. It is powered by USB, so no need for an adapter. This drive is durable up to 5ft of drop and 1 ton of pressure; it is also water/dust resistant.

The LaCie Rugged can have speed up to 130 MB/s with the integrated Thunderbolt cable that seamlessly transfers data while not in use. It has a secure backup software, LaCie Toolkit offers on-demand one-click backup, scheduled automatic backups, and folder syncing across multiple devices.

It includes a one-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan for getting entry to tremendous image and video editing apps. You can also enjoy long-time period peace of mind with three-12 months limited warranty protection plan and Rescue Data Recovery offerings.

10. Buffalo MiniStation Thunderbolt

Fastest Thunderbolt SSD

MiniStation Thunderbolt is a high overall performance portable hard drive featuring the revolutionary Thunderbolt generation. Drives with thunderbolt ports offer twice the speed of ordinary USB 3.0 drives. The Buffalo MiniStation provides the quickest connection interface ever that is perfect for professional users.

It also includes a USB 3.0 port for convenience and standard connectivity.  Simply plug your MiniStation into any available Thunderbolt or USB port on your Mac or PC laptop and securely store documents to take on the go. The price of this thunderbolt drive is also low as compared to other Thunderbolt drives because of the use of traditional hard drive in it instead of SSD. The drive is housed in a sleek aluminum frame that makes it a perfect companion for your PC or laptop.

11. SanDisk Extreme

Cheap Portable External SSD

The SanDisk 1TB is a cheap, rugged, and reliable SSD with a read/write speed of up to 550MB/s. The rubber-feel case is IP-55 rated for water and dust-resistance, and it will withstand drops of up to 2m. While the short cable can mean it dangles precariously from the USB port of a tower PC, the low weight – just 41g – means that it isn’t a problem.

The interface is USB-C with a bundled Type-A adapter, and there is a slight difference in performance depending on which you use. High-speed transfers with as much as 550MB/s study speeds let you pass high res Photos and videos in no time. They are built through SanDisk, a technology leader and pioneer of the modern-day SSD, to deliver advanced performance.


External Hard Disk Buying Guide

A hard disk drive is a non-volatile memory hardware device. It permanently stores and retrieves data on a computer. It is of two types i.e. Internal Hard Drive and External Hard Drive.

Internal Hard Drive is fixed on the computer, and it is the main memory of the computer. Whereas External Hard Drive as the name states is attached from some external source, say USB port.

An external hard drive is just an SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive). It is connected to the computer on the outside. The traditional built-in hard drives are however connected on the inside. These drives draw power either over data cable or require an AC wall connection. When they take power over data cable, they are called portable hard drives.

If you are not aware of these drives, then for once you can consider them just like a regular internal hard drive. The difference is that they have been removed and are covered in its protective casing. When using, they just require being connected from outside using a USB cable rather than inside.

When it comes to portability, you don’t have any better option than using the best external hard drives. It provides easy connectivity and disconnection. Its small size lets you carry in your pocket. On the off chance that your PC is deficient with regards to space then video altering will be troublesome. It’s conceivable to have a few distinctive hard drives which you can use for various tasks.

External hard drives are exceptionally adaptable and can be gotten distinctive limits. It’s likewise conceivable to buy a vacant walled in area for your hard drive which can then be fitted with any size of the hard drive. External hard drives make utilizing a PC to store video documents significantly less demanding.

Any individual who utilizes a desktop PC for photograph altering will find that an external hard drive will make their assignment considerably simpler. Although they have certain cons associated with them related to the privacy of durability when working with sizes like tetra bytes, these external hard drives are the must use devices. The size, speed, and portability which this offer is best for professional use.

Wrapping It Up!

Considering how the market of Hard Disk is pretty saturated, finding the perfect Hard Disk is never an easy task. That’s when lists like these come into play. The list was carefully crafted, keeping in mind things like the needs of a customer and how much are they willing to spend on the best external hard drives.

By James Klett

James Klett a senior editor at GeekyMag focused on computer hardware and gadgets, offers a wide range of information in this field. Have a question, need some help, or want to give your opinion? Drop us a comment below!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.