Speed Meets Durability: Our Samsung T9 Portable SSD Review

When you're working with large project files, video footage, or need reliable backups that travel with you, storage speed and durability matter. We've been using the Samsung T9 Portable SSD as our go-to external drive, and it's become essential to our workflow.

What We Tested

The Samsung T9 Portable SSD 4TB model - a rugged external solid state drive with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 connectivity, delivering speeds up to 2,000MB/s and built to survive drops up to 3 metres.

Key Features

• 4TB Capacity - Massive storage for projects, backups, and media libraries
• 2,000MB/s Transfer Speeds - USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 for blazing fast file transfers
• 3m Drop Resistance - Rugged design survives accidental drops
• Shock & Vibration Resistant - Built tough for portable use
• Hardware Encryption - AES 256-bit encryption for data security
• Mac & PC Compatible - Works across platforms out of the box

Our Experience

The Good

Transfer speeds are genuinely impressive: Moving large video files, project folders, and repository backups happens remarkably fast. What used to take minutes now takes seconds. The 2,000MB/s isn't just marketing - we consistently see speeds close to that with compatible ports.

The durability is reassuring: Working from coffee shops, client sites, and co-working spaces means our gear gets knocked around. The T9's rubber-armoured exterior and drop resistance means we don't panic when it slides off a desk.

4TB is genuinely useful: We keep full project archives, video raw footage, and complete system backups without worrying about space. It's replaced multiple smaller drives in our kit.

Works everywhere: Mac, Windows, Linux - it just works. No reformatting headaches when switching between team members' machines.

Compact despite the capacity: For 4TB, it's surprisingly pocketable. Fits easily in a laptop bag without adding bulk.

Considerations

You need the right port: To get maximum speeds, you need USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. Many laptops only have standard USB-C, which limits you to around 1,000MB/s - still fast, but not the full potential.

It's an investment: High-capacity, high-speed SSDs aren't cheap. The 4TB model is a significant purchase, though the per-gigabyte cost is reasonable for the performance.

Gets warm under heavy use: Extended large transfers warm up the drive noticeably. It's within safe operating temps, but worth knowing.

How We Use It

• Daily backups of active project repositories
• Video editing scratch disk and footage storage
• Portable development environment transfers
• Client deliverables and large file handoffs
• Time Machine backups for MacBooks
• Archive storage for completed projects

Who Should Consider This?

• Developers working with large codebases or monorepos
• Content creators handling video or large media files
• Anyone needing fast, reliable portable backups
• Professionals who travel with important data
• Teams sharing large files between machines

The Verdict

The Samsung T9 is the portable SSD for people who actually need the speed and capacity. The 2,000MB/s transfers genuinely change how you work with large files - waiting for copies becomes a non-issue.

The rugged build means it survives life in a laptop bag, and 4TB is enough to stop juggling multiple drives. It's not the cheapest option, but for professionals whose time is worth money, the speed pays for itself quickly.

For our team, it's become the default answer to "how do we move this massive folder?" Fast, tough, and reliable - exactly what portable storage should be.