Are External Hard Drives Significantly Slower for Gaming?
Asked by
CuriousCat42
I recently got a prebuilt PC after my first build failed, and now I'm looking to expand my storage since many of the games I want are over 100GB, but my PC only has 1TB. I'm feeling a bit anxious about installing a second internal M.2 SSD, so I'm thinking about going with an external hard drive instead because it seems simpler – just plug it in via USB. I've heard that loading times with external hard drives can be a lot slower for games. I'm curious to know how much slower they really are and what specific issues I might face by using an external hard drive.
Answers
I bought a 1TB Kingston external drive for about $65 on Amazon. The 2TB models are in the range of $125 to $165. Don't forget you'll need an enclosure to house the SSD, usually around $20.
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I use a USB-C adapter with an M.2 SSD, and even though I don't play games, I edit videos without speed issues. It works great!
CuriousCat42: Thanks for the tip! I forgot external SSDs were a thing.
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My external SSD runs cool and hardly warms up. You don’t have to worry about it needing airflow like other components – it’s pretty solid!
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If you're worried about speed, consider getting an external SSD. If it supports USB 3.2, it should perform almost as well as an internal SSD. Trust me, it's way faster than a traditional hard drive and quieter too!
CuriousCat42: I hadn’t thought about an external SSD! How can I check if my USB is 3.2?
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The enclosure is just a small case for your SSD. If you have a desktop, you could just set it on top or tape it to the case. It won't require much airflow, so it's pretty low-key!
CuriousCat42: Good to know! I might place it on something elevated, though, just in case.
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CuriousCat42: What exactly is an enclosure? Is it just a case for the SSD, or can I leave it out?