Question What external SSD, e.g. 1 TB, generally can be recommended?

[Kletoss]

What external SSD, e.g. 1 TB, generally can be recommended?

May be such like:
https://www.amazon.de/Crucial-CT100...76385&s=computers&sr=1-6&ts_id=430133031&th=1
or
https://www.amazon.de/SanDisk-Techn...76385&s=computers&sr=1-3&ts_id=430133031&th=1
or
https://www.amazon.de/Samsung-Shiel...76385&s=computers&sr=1-5&ts_id=430133031&th=1

Does an external run slower than an internal SSD?

 

[Math Geek]

an external drive is limited by the connection used. so it can be much slower than an internal drive, or if using the latest greatest thunderbolt connection, it can be just as fast.

i recently bought the sandisk extreme https://www.newegg.com/sandisk-extreme-v2-1tb/p/N82E16820173503

it is plenty fast with the usb c connection. it's not like it is running an OS or something. i copy to it and from it every now and then. otherwise it is static storage.

you need to ask yourself what the use for it is. that helps narrow down what features it needs.

 

[USAFRet]

For what use?

What are the rest of the drives in the system?

 

[Kletoss]

i recently bought the sandisk extreme https://www.newegg.com/sandisk-extreme-v2-1tb/p/N82E16820173503

Look like a very good price. Is it the same as this one: https://www.amazon.de/SanDisk-Techn...&sprefix=sandisk+sdssde30,aps,533&sr=8-2&th=1

it is plenty fast with the usb c connection.

So I should get the next Notebook with such a USB C connection, I assume. Or better two or more of them?

I want to run all of my portable programs on it.

What are the rest of the drives in the system?

At the moment an internal trahsy 256 GB SSD - KINGSTON RBU-SC150S37256GD. But on Black Friday I will try to get a new Notebook, also with an internal SSD.

 

[Math Geek]

if you don't have the connection now, there is no reason to spend extra for speeds you won't ever see.

get what your system can handle now and worry about the next system when that comes.

don't know what portable apps you want to use but i ran a number of them off a simple thumb drive. browser, gimp, office and a few others had no problems with a usb 3 thumb drive. i understand the desire to have the best you can, but sometimes overkill is just a waste of money.

portable apps run from ram mostly, so only the time to load it to ram depends on disk speed. after that, it's up to the ram speed. unless it is a large app of a Gb or more, it will load plenty fast with usb 3 speeds. so what portable apps do you plan to run?

 

[Kletoss]

portable apps run from ram mostly,

Why are they often so slow then? Because there is not enough RAM, I assume. And the storage also is used them to run the programs. So if they would run from RAM only they should be very fast I would think. But they never aren't, even when there seems to be enough available.

so only the time to load it to ram depends on disk speed.

And to save the data, I assume. It sometimes takes an extremely long time for programs to start and to save / export.

I would say the usual standard programs: Thunderbird, Firefox (obviously needs upt to extremely much RAM), word processors, file managers, image editing software like e.g. Gimp.

 

[Math Geek]

are you using true portable apps? or did you try to install them to your external?

i've been using portable versions of many apps for years and not experienced what you are describing. i've even used the creator to make my own and had good results with using them.

i'm talking about true portable apps here

PortableApps.com - Portable software for USB, portable, and cloud drives

portableapps.com

don't know what to tell you since i have not seen what you are describing and i've shown many people how to use these over the years. they work great on work, school or other public pc's to use what you need and not what they offer.

 

[Kletoss]

are you using true portable apps? or did you try to install them to your external?

Sorry, I am not quite sure what that means, but I would say these are true portable programs. So just portable programs, no installer programs. No, did not try to install them at all just copy the program folder to a place one wants. They are on a partition on the internal SSD.

and not experienced what you are describing.

Sorry, what description do you mean?

i've even used the creator to make my own and had good results with using them.

What creator? A program to make protable programs from installer programms?

i'm talking about true portable apps here

Thank you for the link. Yes, I use them also, they are good.

 

[Math Geek]

i don't see any speed issues at all with the portable apps from that site. they run like they are installed to the pc. i even have all my add-ons on firefox portable and see no speed problems. can't even tell it's running off my thumb drive.

i highly recommend these if you want portable apps.

the main page is actually advertising their portable app creator. it watches an install, makes note of what is done and then packages it for you in a portable format so you can use it anywhere. i've used it for MS office, some games and a ton of other programs i wanted portable.

if you are seeing speed issues and not using these portable apps, i'd switch asap

there are a ton of common open source programs already done for you including all you listed above.

edit: i guess my next question should be why portable apps on your own pc? not really worth it and defeats the purpose of a nice fast ssd.

 

[Kletoss]

i don't see any speed issues at all with the portable apps from that site. they run like they are installed to the pc. i even have all my add-ons on firefox portable and see no speed problems. can't even tell it's running off my thumb drive.

i highly recommend these if you want portable apps.

Yes, thank you, I use them since decades or so.

the main page is actually advertising their portable app creator. it watches an install, makes note of what is done and then packages it for you in a portable format so you can use it anywhere. i've used it for MS office, some games and a ton of other programs i wanted portable.

Sounds very good, didn't even know a program could do that, even for programs like Office. I cannot find that app creator on the main page or else.

edit: i guess my next question should be why portable apps on your own pc?

Well, why installed programs on my Notebook? If there are the same versions portable. So why to have to reinstall all of one's programs on a new computer?

not really worth it and defeats the purpose of a nice fast ssd.

Pardon? Why? Why not use the portable programs on the SSD?

 

[USAFRet]

Well, why installed programs on my Notebook? If there are the same versions portable. So why to have to reinstall all of one's programs on a new computer?

It takes at most an hour or two to install your applications.
How often do you crank up a new PC/laptop?

And you don't have to worry about a USB dongle. Or the speed limits of the USB bus.

 

[Kletoss]

It takes at most an hour or two to install your applications.

Well, and if one uses the portable versions it does not take any time, I would think. So why take the time reinstalling the programs? And even if it were one, two hours, why take the ones to install?

How often do you crank up a new PC/laptop?

The last time in 2015, I guess. But I had to reinstall Win a few times, respectively I did it may be 10 times or 20 duringe that time or so.

And you don't have to worry about a USB dongle. Or the speed limits of the USB bus.

Sorry, what dongle? The portable programs are on an internal SSD at the moment. Those speed limits make portable programs slower?

 

[USAFRet]

Sorry, what dongle? The portable programs are on an internal SSD. Those speed limits make portable programs slower?

OK....this I REALLY don't get.

The whole point of "portableapps" is...portable. Like on a flash drive or similar. Movable to different systems and OS's.

If you're going to have them installed on an internal drive, why the portable app?

 

[USAFRet]

The portable programs are on an internal SSD.

Making your initial question of: "What external SSD, e.g. 1 TB, generally can be recommended?" essentially meaningless.

Internal or external?

 

[Kletoss]

OK....this I REALLY don't get.

What exactly?

The whole point of "portableapps" is...portable. Like on a flash drive or similar. Movable to different systems and OS's.

Yes, respectively to new (re)installations.

If you're going to have them installed on an internal drive, why the portable app?

But why not? And because (did you miss that?):

Well, and if one uses the portable versions it does not take any time, I would think. So why take the time reinstalling the programs? And even if it were one, two hours, why take the ones to install?

and

But I had to reinstall Win a few times, respectively I did it may be 10 times or 20 duringe that time or so

Making your initial question of: "What external SSD, e.g. 1 TB, generally can be recommended?" essentially meaningless.

Oops, why?

Internal or external?

Sorry, what?

 

[USAFRet]

Sorry, what?

Your question asked about "What external..."

But later, you state that the portable apps will be installed on an internal drive.

Hence, confusion.

 

[Kletoss]

Ah, very sorry for that. The portable programs are now on an internal SSD. I consider to put them on an external SSD with my next Notebook (if there are less or even no speed losses, because I then just could change the computer and use the same data (without synchronizing, copying, etc.). So that is why I ask the initial question.

 

[USAFRet]

Ah, very sorry for that. The portable programs are now on an internal SSD. I consider to put them on an external SSD with my next Notebook (if there are less or even no speed losses, because I then just could change the computer and use the same data (without synchronizing, copying, etc.). So that is why I ask the initial question.

Any of the good top tier SATA III drives, zero performance difference.
Any of the good top tier NVMe drives, zero performance difference.

Samsung, Crucial, WD, Intel....

For me, I find the ONLY benefit with the PortableApps thing is for moving between different systems, on a regular basis.
The ONLY benefit is not having to install them internally/natively.

Overall though...most applications will run slower if going through the USB/Thunderbolt interface.


For a really easy way to install a bunch of applications upon a new OS install, ninite.com.
Installs internally and trivially.

 

[Kletoss]

Any of the good top tier SATA III drives, zero performance difference.
Any of the good top tier NVMe drives, zero performance difference.

Samsung, Crucial, WD, Intel....

So I simply could buy any of these.

For me, I find the ONLY benefit with the PortableApps thing is for moving between different systems, on a regular basis.
The ONLY benefit is not having to install them internally/natively.

But this sounds like TWO benefits.

Overall though...most applications will run slower if going through the USB/Thunderbolt interface.

Doesn't it somehow sound contradictory to this(?):

Any of the good top tier SATA III drives, zero performance difference.
Any of the good top tier NVMe drives, zero performance difference.

For a really easy way to install a bunch of applications upon a new OS install, ninite.com.

Many thanks for the website. Actually it is not the installation itself that causes that much effort but to get one's own (old) settings to the new installation from the old one.

 

[USAFRet]

Contradictory, no.

Going through the same interface, similar drives behave similarly.
The same drive, through different interfaces, will behave differently.

ex:
A Samsung 860 EVO installed internally will be 'faster' than the same 860 EVO installed in some external adapter.

 

[Kletoss]

Sorry, I do not understand, this sounds like a contradiction:

Going through the same interface, similar drives behave similarly.
The same drive, through different interfaces, will behave differently.

and

Any of the good top tier SATA III drives, zero performance difference.
Any of the good top tier NVMe drives, zero performance difference.

I would think when there is zero performance difference between an in- and external one how then can the external SSD / programs be slower?

A Samsung 860 EVO installed internally will be 'faster' than the same 860 EVO installed in some external adapter.

Does that mean an external SSD always is slower than the same internal SSD?

 

[USAFRet]

No contradiction.

The same drive make/model installed internally is almost always "faster" than the same drive make/model in an external adapter.
There, the interface and adapter is the controlling factor.

It can never be "faster".

Performance is dictated by the slowest device in the chain.
Drive, enclosure, interface, whatever.

The fastest drive on the planet, if going through a slow interface or enclosure....will be slow.
Period.

 

[Kletoss]

OK, thank you very much!

 

[USAFRet]

OK, thank you very much!

So what is your next move?

 

[Kletoss]

On that Black Friday, respectively if available earlier, seems to be like that, there already are offers tagged as Black Friday on Amazong, very strange, didn't know such offers were available a week earlier before the Black Friday) I will try to buy that new Notebook. May be today I will try to buy two or three external WD Elements hard disks, either 18 TB (cheapest price per TB, I believe) or 20 TB (a bit more expensive per TB) to replace my 10 TB WD Elements running always when the Notebooks runs. And I will try to buy that external SSD.

As I will have an SSD in the new Notebook anyway I can then use the portable programs on both of them (mirrored, the entire partition) try to find out how big the speed differences really are, respectively if they are noticeable for me at all.