Samsung T5 EVO 4TB Portable USB 3.2 Gen 1

Slow but lovable. The T5 EVO is a rugged 4TB portable SSD that people adore, even if it won't win any speed contests.

The headline numbers are 460 MB/s read and 460 MB/s write, which puts it in the 13th percentile for speed. That's rough. But here's the thing: for a portable drive, that's often enough. Moving large video files or game libraries? It'll do it, just not quickly. The random performance is even worse, 3rd percentile, so don't expect snappy small-file operations. The shock resistance and 6-foot drop protection are nice touches, and the hardware encryption is a real feature. But if you're expecting NVMe-like speeds, you'll be disappointed.

The T5 EVO isn't really competing with the Western Digital Black SN850X or the Kingston FURY Renegade G5. Those are internal NVMe drives that absolutely crush this thing in speed. The SN850X hits speeds that make 460 MB/s look like a dial-up modem. But those drives need a motherboard slot or a separate enclosure. The T5 EVO is ready to go out of the box. If you want raw speed, get the SN850X or the Crucial T500. If you want a portable, durable, plug-and-play drive with 4TB of space, the T5 EVO is a different beast entirely.

At USD 569 in the US, this is not a budget drive. The affordability percentile is 14th, which means you're paying a premium for the Samsung name and the rugged design. In Canada, prices range from CAD 711 to CAD 790 across three listings, so shop around. The best deal we're seeing is CAD 711. For that money, you could get a much faster internal NVMe drive and a cheap enclosure. But you wouldn't get the same drop protection or the same peace of mind.

The Samsung T5 EVO is a weird one. It's a portable SSD that's slower than most internal drives from five years ago, but it's also one of the most loved external drives in our database. The social proof is off the charts, 100th percentile, and the 4TB capacity is a standout. But the speed? 460 MB/s read and write over USB 3.2 Gen 1. That's not going to win any races. This is a drive for people who want a ton of storage in a tiny, durable package, not for people chasing benchmark glory.

If you're looking for blazing fast transfer speeds or a console storage upgrade, this isn't it. Go get a Western Digital Black SN850X or a Crucial T500 instead. The T5 EVO is for people who need a tough, portable drive and don't mind waiting a bit longer for file transfers.

The Samsung T5 EVO is a niche product that nails its niche. It's not fast, it's not cheap, but it's durable, portable, and people love it. If you're a content creator who needs to move large files between locations and doesn't want to worry about dropping your drive, this is a solid choice. If you're a gamer looking to expand your console storage, look elsewhere. The console score of 24/100 tells you everything you need to know.