What decides whether the Samsung T9 is the right portable drive: the USB port it needs, the speed you will actually get, how well it survives knocks and weather, and how it compares with the obvious alternatives. Facts come from the reviews listed at the bottom; capacities come from our comparison.
Who it’s for: Photographers and video editors with a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port who want sustained 2 GB/s transfers in a rugged, compact case, backed by a five-year warranty. Skip it for: Computers without a 20 Gbps port — most Macs and many laptops top out at 10 Gbps, where it runs no faster than a T7.
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps), USB-C |
| Rated speed | Up to 2,000 MB/s read and write on a Gen 2x2 port |
| Protection | Rubber-clad, drop-resistant shell; no IP water/dust rating |
| Security | AES 256-bit hardware encryption with optional password |
| Size | 88 × 60 × 14 mm, 122 g (2TB) |
| Capacity | Seq. read | Seq. write | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 TB | 2,000 MB/s | 2,000 MB/s | 5 yr |
| 4 TB | 2,000 MB/s | 2,000 MB/s | 5 yr |
Every Samsung T9 capacity in our comparison, smallest first.
| $/TB | $/GB | Price | Capacity | Interface | Gen | Read | Write | NAND | Warranty | Cond. | Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $212.50BEST | $0.212 | $424.99 | 2 TB | External | USB | 2,000 MB/s | 2,000 MB/s | — | 5 yr | New | Samsung T9 2TB Portable· 3rd-partyAmazon ↗ |
| $233.61 | $0.234 | $934.43 | 4 TB | External | USB | 2,000 MB/s | 2,000 MB/s | — | 5 yr | New |
It needs a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) port to reach its rated speed. On a 10 Gbps USB-C or USB-A port it runs at about 1,000 MB/s, and on an older 5 Gbps port at about 450 MB/s. Macs and most Thunderbolt ports do not support Gen 2x2 and run it at 10 Gbps.
More on USB speed labels: portable SSDs compared.
Crucial X10 Pro: the other 20 Gbps drive, with an IP55 rating.
| Samsung T9 | Crucial X10 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) |
| Seq. read | 2,000 MB/s | 2,100 MB/s |
| Seq. write | 2,000 MB/s | 2,000 MB/s |
| Protection | Rubber-clad, drop-resistant shell | IP55 water and dust resistance |
| Warranty | 5 yr | 5 yr |
We show retail prices only while we can refresh them at least every 24 hours. Portable SSDs follow the same NAND market as internal drives: contract prices are forecast +15 to +20% for 4Q26 — see the SSD price chart.
Facts on this page come from:
Where reviews disagreed we state the majority figure and note the other.