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Tech head-to-head

LaCie Rugged SSDvsSamsung T9

4 years apart and the average barely moved: 7.7 for the 2023 Samsung T9, 7.7 for the 2019 LaCie Rugged SSD. Durability is the axis that did move, 9.4 to 8.2.

LaCie Rugged SSD

LaCie

7.7

Rated for dust, water and a three-meter drop, with a recovery plan behind it. You pay for both.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Samsung T9

Samsung

7.7

Twice the interface bandwidth of the T7, which only pays off if your machine can take it.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Durability, LaCie Rugged SSD ahead 9.4 to 8.2. They come closest on Value, 6.0 to 5.4. Left of center is LaCie Rugged SSD, right is Samsung T9.

LaCie Rugged SSD versus Samsung T9 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for LaCie Rugged SSD run left from the axis labels, bars for Samsung T9 run right. LaCie Rugged SSD: Performance 8.0, Value 5.4, Durability 9.4, Ease of use 7.2, Design 8.4. Samsung T9: Performance 9.0, Value 6.0, Durability 8.2, Ease of use 7.8, Design 7.6.LaCie Rugged SSD (left)Samsung T9 (right)PerformanceLaCie Rugged SSD — Performance 8.0 out of 108.0Samsung T9 — Performance 9.0 out of 109.0ValueLaCie Rugged SSD — Value 5.4 out of 105.4Samsung T9 — Value 6.0 out of 106.0DurabilityLaCie Rugged SSD — Durability 9.4 out of 109.4Samsung T9 — Durability 8.2 out of 108.2Ease of useLaCie Rugged SSD — Ease of use 7.2 out of 107.2Samsung T9 — Ease of use 7.8 out of 107.8DesignLaCie Rugged SSD — Design 8.4 out of 108.4Samsung T9 — Design 7.6 out of 107.6Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the LaCie Rugged SSD

Leads on Durability and Design.

  • The drive works on location rather than on a desk
  • A recovery service included with the warranty is worth money to you
  • You want the strongest ingress and drop rating in the category

Take the Samsung T9

Leads on Performance, Value and Ease of use.

  • Editing video directly off the drive
  • A machine with a 20 Gbps port to actually feed it
  • Large transfers where sustained write speed decides your day

What each one gets wrong

LaCie Rugged SSD

  • You are buying on capacity per dollar
  • The orange bumper has to go in a slim sleeve pocket
  • You expected the Thunderbolt speeds of the Pro model

Samsung T9

  • Your ports are USB 3.2 Gen 2, which halves the point of buying it
  • You mostly move documents and photos

Specs, side by side

SpecLaCie Rugged SSDSamsung T9
InterfaceUSB 3.2 Gen 2USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
ShellRubber bumper, IP67 ratedRubberized grip
Capacities500 GB to 4 TB1 TB to 4 TB
Warranty5 years with Rescue Data Recovery—

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Is the 2023 Samsung T9 the safer pick over the 2019 LaCie Rugged SSD?
Samsung T9 leads on Performance, Value and Ease of use. If Durability and Design matter more to you, take the LaCie Rugged SSD instead. The 4-year gap shows in the totals as 7.7 against 7.7.
What does the 2019 model still win?
On Durability and Design, yes. Those axes still go to the 2019 model. The 2023 one answers with Performance, Value and Ease of use.
Which one ranks higher in "An IP rating does not predict which drive comes home"?
LaCie Rugged SSD sits at #1 in "An IP rating does not predict which drive comes home", Samsung T9 at #3.