LaCie claims read/write speeds of up to 6,700 MB/s and 5,300 MB/s, which it says are adequate for real-time editing of 8K and 6K RAW footage. When testing the highest speeds, file transfers were 5,787 MB/s read and 5,188 MB/s write, which, while not entirely in line with the claims, makes it by far the fastest drive in this guide. But raw speeds are just numbers for spreadsheets; I was more interested in real world performance. Since I was also testing the Nikon Z6III (8/10, WIRED recommended), which can shoot 6K ProRes RAW, I loaded a good amount of footage onto the Pro5 and was actually able to edit with DaVinci Resolve Studio.

The downside here is the price. This started at $600 for the 4TB version (which is the minimum you’d want to work with ProRes RAW video files). That was already expensive, but these days it’s risen to incredible heights ($1,600 as of this update), making it a less attractive value. Still, if you need speed, this is the boost to get.

Best USB4 drive

Photography: Scott Gilbertson

If you don’t have any Thunderbolt 5 compatible devices yet, this Thunderbolt 4 drive would be my recommendation for anyone obsessed with speed. Corsair’s EX400U is an impressive little drive that consistently delivers speeds of around 3,800 MB/s for sequential reading and 3,550 MB/s writing. Again, this will only be possible if you have a USB4/Thunderbolt 4 compatible device (including recent MacBooks, Dell XPS and others – see our guide to the best laptops for more information). Technically, just as I was finishing this update, LaCie’s new rugged SSD came out, which outperformed this drive in my tests by about 10MB/s, but this drive is smaller, lighter, and cheaper.

I also like that Corsair has included a MagSafe connector on the back of the case, making it a great option for backing up ProRes video footage from your iPhone. Furthermore, the price of this little record has, so far, not skyrocketed into the stratosphere.

Best for photographers

Photography: Scott Gilbertson

Crucial’s X9 Pro hits the sweet spot of speed, portability, and price to become one of the best units out there for photographers looking to backup in the field. These units are small, about half the size of a deck of cards and weighing just 1.3 ounces. They will connect to almost anything. I tested the X9 Pro on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS and never had any problems with any of them. When it comes to speed, the X9 Pro claims symmetrical read and write speeds of 1,050 MB/s. In fact, I consistently got higher speeds, up to 1110 MB/s for reading and 1100 MB/s for writing. That puts the X9 Pro at the top of the pack in terms of portable drive speed.