I'm planning to experiment with Linux before deciding whether to switch from Windows. I'd like an external SSD that can boot Linux and also store backups, photos, and other personal files. I'm studying computer science, so I'd use it for coding, gaming, Discord, digital drawing, Unity, and Blender. I'm considering jumping straight into Arch, but I'm also open to suggestions about suitable SSDs and the best way to test Linux first.
3 Answers
Before buying an SSD, try a live Linux environment from a flash drive. Download the ISO for the distribution you want, write it to the flash drive with a tool such as Rufus or Balena Etcher, and boot from it without installing anything. That lets you test Wi-Fi, graphics, audio, drawing tablets, games, and other hardware. If everything works, you can install Linux to the external SSD later. Arch is a great learning project, but a beginner-friendly distribution may be easier for your first hardware and application tests.
For Linux, almost any reasonably modern SSD will work. A SATA SSD in a USB enclosure is already plenty fast, while an NVMe drive with a USB 3.x enclosure will be faster but usually costs more. Around 512 GB or 1 TB would give you room for the operating system, applications, games, and backups. Brands such as Samsung, Western Digital, Kingston, and SanDisk are common choices, but check reviews for the specific model rather than relying only on the brand.
You don’t need a special Linux-only SSD. If you find one with a DRAM cache, that can be a nice option for frequent file transfers, but Linux will run perfectly well from many budget SATA SSDs too. The USB connection and enclosure matter as much as the drive, so make sure the enclosure supports a fast USB standard and that your computer has a matching port.
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