You might pay £340 for a 1TB portable SSD, whereas a 1TB external hard drive costs around £50. That's 34p per gigabyte in SSD land, or 5p with a hard drive. This is because hard drives use. You might pay £340 for a 1TB portable SSD, whereas a 1TB external hard drive costs around £50. That's 34p per gigabyte in SSD land, or 5p with a hard drive. This is because hard drives use.
Cover image via
Running out of space on your hard drive? Here are some of the best-in-class options that keep up with an editor's workflow requirements.
No matter how many terabytes your brand new computer sports, as a video editor, you are bound to run out of space pretty quickly. Video files add up — fast — and before you know it, you've got a full hard drive that's slowing you down.
So we've compiled a list of the best hard drives in five different classes to help you pin down the right one for the job: Best Overall, Best SSD, Best Secured Hard Drive, Best Portable Drive, and Fastest Hard Drive.
Fastest Hard Drive: G-Drive Mobile Pro
If you've got the need for speed, then there's nothing quite like the G-Drive. With an absolutely mind-blowing 2800 MB/s transfer rate, you can edit 8K footage directly off the drive — or even transfer a terabyte of footage in just seven minutes. The only downside of this drive is the $699 price tag, which is a bit steeper than the rest of the drives on this list. So if you edit high bit rate video, or if you've got some money to burn, the G-Drive Mobile Pro is a worthy choice.
Quick Specs:
- 1 Thunderbolt 3 port
- Mac OS/Windows compatibility
- 2800 MB/s transfer rate
- Protective aluminum internal casing
- 3-meter drop protection
- 1000-lb crush-proof
- 500 GB — 1 TB options
- Price: $699
(If you want a more in-depth look at the G-Drive, check out our review.)
Best Secured Drive: Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC
Image via Buffalo.
Some videographers and editors work with sensitive files that require protection. You can password-protect most drives in some way, but the MiniStation Extreme makes security a whole lot easier. It comes equipped with a NFC reader and a unique NFC card that unlocks the drive when it's near, much like a key fob for a locked gate.
Quick Specs:
- Sizes available: 1TB, 2TB
- 480MB/s transfer rate, up to 5GB/s with USB 3.0
- Wraparound USB 3.0 Cable
- Weight: 0.66lbs
- Price: $106.35 for 1TB
Best Portable Drive: ADATA SD700
Are you a videographer on the go who needs a drive as portable and rugged as a GoPro? Then the ADATA SD700 is the option for you. This is one of the smallest external hard drives on the market, and it's incredibly rated at IP68 dust/water proof — which means it can survive in up to 1.5m of water for up to 60 minutes. I know you aren't planning on going swimming with your hard drive anytime soon, but it's a super handy feature if you're working in less-than-favorable conditions.
Quick Specs:
- Read/write speed up to 440MB/s
- IP68 dust/water proof
- Military-grade shockproof
- Weight: 2.6oz
- Capacity: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Price: $97.98 for 512GB
Best Solid State Drive: Samsung Portable Solid State Drive
Image via Samsung.
If you haven't really looked into the difference between solid state drives and HDDs, here's the quick run-down: HDDs rely on a disk to read and write, which is easily breakable and runs at moderately slow speeds. SSDs, on the other hand, have no moving parts, much like a flash drive. SSDs access information instantaneously, since the drive doesn't have to find the information on the disk. Samsung has been at the forefront of SSD technology, and the computer community has trusted their solid state drives for quite some time. This external drive is no exception — it's incredibly portable, and its sleek metal frame looks pretty damn good sitting next to your laptop.
Quick Specs:
Best Hdd For Video Editing
- Read/Write up to 540MB/s
- USB-C connections
- Capacity: 250GB, 500GB (Alluring Blue) 1TB, 2TB (Deep Black)
- Price: $219.99 for 1TB
Best Overall Drive: LaCie Rugged RAID Pro
You've seen it before — the tell-tale orange-bordered drive sitting on most filmmakers' desks at this very moment. It's been the choice of editors and videographers alike for years, and for good reason — it's reasonably priced, it's fast, and it's rugged. It's my go-to drive when ingesting footage from my cameras. It also comes with an SD card reader that you can use to purge footage on set.
Yes, it's still a HDD, so the speed can't measure up to a SSD, but it's good enough for editing 4K footage directly. I'd say the reason it's been a choice of filmmakers everywhere is the capacity of the Rugged RAID pro. Up to 4TB of storage will hold over a year's worth of footage for a normal DSLR shooter. If you want to go with a tried-and-true hard drive, the new RAID pro is another excellent choice.
Quick Specs:
- USB 3.0 Type-C Interface
- Integrated SD Card Reader
- Data Transfer Rates of up to 240 MB/s
- Capacity: 4TB
- Price: $299.99
How to download illustrator for free on mac. Looking for more articles on filmmaking gear? Check these out.
2. Top Portable HDD for MacBook Air/Pro/iMac
LaCie Rugged Mini ($99.99/1TB) - Review: 4.5
Since many users recommend LaCie as the best external DVD drive for Mac, we put the 1TB version on the top of the best external hard drive for Mac list. Claimed as being even rain-resistant, and pressure-resistant, it can be easily carried wherever you go. 700MB video file can be transferred with USB 3.0, which is quite satisfying in speed. With secure password protection software built-in, it's also the best portable hard drive for MacBook Air/Pro/iMac to backup Mac, restore Mac data in terms of security.
LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt ($169.90/1TB) - Review: 4.5
Best Mac For Video Editing
It says the best external drive for Mac with Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 connector can transfer data in a speed of up to 240 MB/s. LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt is a good choice for users requiring more data security and mobility thanks to its hardware RAID 0/1 flexibility and two-meter drop resistance. However, some users complain that the best Mac external hard drive is not as fast as they believer. Know More Top Fast File Transfer for Mac.
Western Digital ($59/1TB) - Review: 4.5
It's the best external hard drive to backup Mac compared with other items from WD. Speed is improved a lot in this model. Optional AES hardware encryption is offered by the best hard disk drive for Mac, you are free to block and unblock the drive and restore data for Mac. Four colors are available, black, blue, white and berry. The best Mac portable hard drive for is suitable for both Mac and PC. Also see iPhone flash drive app.
Seagate Backup Plus Slim ($59.99/1TB)- Review: 4.4
The extra 200GB of free OneDrive cloud storage make the best HDD for Mac more appealing, which requires a register of your drive on its official site though. With Lyve App, data backup on the best portable hard drive for MacBook is being reached within the app anywhere and anytime. It has up to 4TB version priced at $119.99, 4TB fast $199.99, with data transfer speed up to 220MB/S.
Transcend 1 TB StoreJet ( $56.99/1TB) - Review: 4.4
This Transcend 1 TB StoreJet can transfer large file with speed of up to 100MB/s according to users report. the 256-bit AES file and folder encryption sounds good. 2TB version only costs $ 102.99, which is really cheap on the list of best external hard drive for Mac. The so claimed military-grade shock resistance, however, is not expected as it ought to be. It's durability needs to be improved.
Toshiba Canvio Connect II ( $54.99/1TB) - Review: 4.5
Best Ssd External Hard Drive For Mac Video Editing
Data encryption, auto backup and Cloud-enabled backup are all allowed by the top HDD for MacBook. It is available in various capability, 1TB, 2TB, 3TB and 500MB. Stable and fast data transfer speed of the updated Toshiba Canvio Connect version is highly praised by users. It's a great choice for best portable hard drive for Mac hunters.
Experience Middle-earth like never before in The Lord of the Rings™ The Battle for Middle-earth™, the first The Lord of the Rings game that puts you in command of a real-time, open world. Control the legendary heroes, massive armies, and epic campaigns of Middle-earth based upon all three films of The Lord of the Rings™ trilogy. Serial number Lord of the rings The Battle for Middle earth 1 My sons compute crashed we can't look in to or transfer our details have lost the book as he takes it every where he goes but losted it. So now we have a new Computer would like to install it again on our new computer. Lotr battle for middle earth 1 serial numberinstmanksl harlesakyj.
Best Mac Compatible External Hard Drive
G-Technology G-DRIVE ($ 84.95/500GB) - Review: 4.8
If you are looking for the best portable firewire external hard drive for Mac, this one is probably what you want. The G-Technology G-DRIVE 500GB top portable firewire hard drive for Mac is good for Mac data backup/recovery and video editing. Time Machine-ready, bus-powered operation and Firewire port are appreciated features. Note that this best-rated hard disk drive requires computer with OS X 10.5 or later and USB 3.0 or FireWire 800 port.
Image via Buffalo.
Some videographers and editors work with sensitive files that require protection. You can password-protect most drives in some way, but the MiniStation Extreme makes security a whole lot easier. It comes equipped with a NFC reader and a unique NFC card that unlocks the drive when it's near, much like a key fob for a locked gate.
Quick Specs:
- Sizes available: 1TB, 2TB
- 480MB/s transfer rate, up to 5GB/s with USB 3.0
- Wraparound USB 3.0 Cable
- Weight: 0.66lbs
- Price: $106.35 for 1TB
Best Portable Drive: ADATA SD700
Are you a videographer on the go who needs a drive as portable and rugged as a GoPro? Then the ADATA SD700 is the option for you. This is one of the smallest external hard drives on the market, and it's incredibly rated at IP68 dust/water proof — which means it can survive in up to 1.5m of water for up to 60 minutes. I know you aren't planning on going swimming with your hard drive anytime soon, but it's a super handy feature if you're working in less-than-favorable conditions.
Quick Specs:
- Read/write speed up to 440MB/s
- IP68 dust/water proof
- Military-grade shockproof
- Weight: 2.6oz
- Capacity: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
- Price: $97.98 for 512GB
Best Solid State Drive: Samsung Portable Solid State Drive
Image via Samsung.
If you haven't really looked into the difference between solid state drives and HDDs, here's the quick run-down: HDDs rely on a disk to read and write, which is easily breakable and runs at moderately slow speeds. SSDs, on the other hand, have no moving parts, much like a flash drive. SSDs access information instantaneously, since the drive doesn't have to find the information on the disk. Samsung has been at the forefront of SSD technology, and the computer community has trusted their solid state drives for quite some time. This external drive is no exception — it's incredibly portable, and its sleek metal frame looks pretty damn good sitting next to your laptop.
Quick Specs:
Best Hdd For Video Editing
- Read/Write up to 540MB/s
- USB-C connections
- Capacity: 250GB, 500GB (Alluring Blue) 1TB, 2TB (Deep Black)
- Price: $219.99 for 1TB
Best Overall Drive: LaCie Rugged RAID Pro
You've seen it before — the tell-tale orange-bordered drive sitting on most filmmakers' desks at this very moment. It's been the choice of editors and videographers alike for years, and for good reason — it's reasonably priced, it's fast, and it's rugged. It's my go-to drive when ingesting footage from my cameras. It also comes with an SD card reader that you can use to purge footage on set.
Yes, it's still a HDD, so the speed can't measure up to a SSD, but it's good enough for editing 4K footage directly. I'd say the reason it's been a choice of filmmakers everywhere is the capacity of the Rugged RAID pro. Up to 4TB of storage will hold over a year's worth of footage for a normal DSLR shooter. If you want to go with a tried-and-true hard drive, the new RAID pro is another excellent choice.
Quick Specs:
- USB 3.0 Type-C Interface
- Integrated SD Card Reader
- Data Transfer Rates of up to 240 MB/s
- Capacity: 4TB
- Price: $299.99
How to download illustrator for free on mac. Looking for more articles on filmmaking gear? Check these out.
2. Top Portable HDD for MacBook Air/Pro/iMac
LaCie Rugged Mini ($99.99/1TB) - Review: 4.5
Since many users recommend LaCie as the best external DVD drive for Mac, we put the 1TB version on the top of the best external hard drive for Mac list. Claimed as being even rain-resistant, and pressure-resistant, it can be easily carried wherever you go. 700MB video file can be transferred with USB 3.0, which is quite satisfying in speed. With secure password protection software built-in, it's also the best portable hard drive for MacBook Air/Pro/iMac to backup Mac, restore Mac data in terms of security.
LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt ($169.90/1TB) - Review: 4.5
Best Mac For Video Editing
It says the best external drive for Mac with Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 connector can transfer data in a speed of up to 240 MB/s. LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt is a good choice for users requiring more data security and mobility thanks to its hardware RAID 0/1 flexibility and two-meter drop resistance. However, some users complain that the best Mac external hard drive is not as fast as they believer. Know More Top Fast File Transfer for Mac.
Western Digital ($59/1TB) - Review: 4.5
It's the best external hard drive to backup Mac compared with other items from WD. Speed is improved a lot in this model. Optional AES hardware encryption is offered by the best hard disk drive for Mac, you are free to block and unblock the drive and restore data for Mac. Four colors are available, black, blue, white and berry. The best Mac portable hard drive for is suitable for both Mac and PC. Also see iPhone flash drive app.
Seagate Backup Plus Slim ($59.99/1TB)- Review: 4.4
The extra 200GB of free OneDrive cloud storage make the best HDD for Mac more appealing, which requires a register of your drive on its official site though. With Lyve App, data backup on the best portable hard drive for MacBook is being reached within the app anywhere and anytime. It has up to 4TB version priced at $119.99, 4TB fast $199.99, with data transfer speed up to 220MB/S.
Transcend 1 TB StoreJet ( $56.99/1TB) - Review: 4.4
This Transcend 1 TB StoreJet can transfer large file with speed of up to 100MB/s according to users report. the 256-bit AES file and folder encryption sounds good. 2TB version only costs $ 102.99, which is really cheap on the list of best external hard drive for Mac. The so claimed military-grade shock resistance, however, is not expected as it ought to be. It's durability needs to be improved.
Toshiba Canvio Connect II ( $54.99/1TB) - Review: 4.5
Best Ssd External Hard Drive For Mac Video Editing
Data encryption, auto backup and Cloud-enabled backup are all allowed by the top HDD for MacBook. It is available in various capability, 1TB, 2TB, 3TB and 500MB. Stable and fast data transfer speed of the updated Toshiba Canvio Connect version is highly praised by users. It's a great choice for best portable hard drive for Mac hunters.
Experience Middle-earth like never before in The Lord of the Rings™ The Battle for Middle-earth™, the first The Lord of the Rings game that puts you in command of a real-time, open world. Control the legendary heroes, massive armies, and epic campaigns of Middle-earth based upon all three films of The Lord of the Rings™ trilogy. Serial number Lord of the rings The Battle for Middle earth 1 My sons compute crashed we can't look in to or transfer our details have lost the book as he takes it every where he goes but losted it. So now we have a new Computer would like to install it again on our new computer. Lotr battle for middle earth 1 serial numberinstmanksl harlesakyj.
Best Mac Compatible External Hard Drive
G-Technology G-DRIVE ($ 84.95/500GB) - Review: 4.8
If you are looking for the best portable firewire external hard drive for Mac, this one is probably what you want. The G-Technology G-DRIVE 500GB top portable firewire hard drive for Mac is good for Mac data backup/recovery and video editing. Time Machine-ready, bus-powered operation and Firewire port are appreciated features. Note that this best-rated hard disk drive requires computer with OS X 10.5 or later and USB 3.0 or FireWire 800 port.
Best Portable Hard Drive For Mac Video Editing Free
Author: Abby Poole | Updated on Dec 26, 2019
