Samsung T5 Portable SSD 500GB
Score: 36/100Samsung X5 1TB
Score: 71/100Rankings
The Samsung X5 1TB Portable SSD offers Thunderbolt 3-level performance in a rugged, magnesium-alloy case, targeting professionals who need fast ingest and export of large media files.
The Samsung T5 500 GB Portable SSD offers near-internal SSD speeds, a premium aluminum build, and built-in hardware encryption, making it a solid choice for fast, secure portable storage.
| Attribute | | Samsung X5 1TB |
|---|---|---|
500 GB | 1,024 GBbest | |
540 MB/s | 2,800 MB/sbest | |
520 MB/s | 2,300 MB/sbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 45 gbest | 150 g |
36 monthsbest | 36 monthsbest | |
| ↓ lower better | — | 45 °Cbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | Samsung X5 1TB |
|---|---|---|
Capacity(1) | ||
Storage Capacity (GB) | 500 GB | 1024 GB |
Performance(3) | ||
Interface | USB 3.1 Gen 2 | Thunderbolt 3 |
Sequential Read Speed (MB/s) | 540 MB/s | 2800 MB/s |
Sequential Write Speed (MB/s) | 520 MB/s | 2300 MB/s |
Build & Design(2) | ||
Weight (g) | 45 g | 150 g |
Form Factor | portable | Portable |
Power & Connectivity(1) | ||
Included Cable Type | USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to USB-A | Thunderbolt 3 |
Compatibility(1) | ||
Operating System Compatibility | Windows, macOS, Android | Windows 10, macOS |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers praise the T5 for its near-internal speeds, solid build, and encryption, while noting the 3-year warranty and lack of endurance specs as minor drawbacks.
Users love the lightning-quick transfers and rugged feel, but some are frustrated by the short warranty and inability to recover a lost password.
Professional reviewers praise the X5 as the fastest bus-powered external drive on the market, highlighting its Thunderbolt 3 + NVMe architecture and effective thermal management, but criticize its reliance on Thunderbolt 3 and occasional thermal throttling.
Everyday users love the blazing speed for 4K video and RAW batches and appreciate the rugged design, while noting the need for a Thunderbolt 3 port and occasional slowdowns due to heat.
“Transfers my 80 GB video project in under 5 minutes-way faster than my old HDD.”
“Lost my password and can't reset the drive-no recovery option.”
“Fast enough to transfer a 20 GB 4K video in ~12 seconds - a game-changer for my workflow”
