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Tech head-to-head

Samsung T9vsSanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

3 years apart, and the averages land 7.7 and 7.8. Only Value moved much, 8.0 to 6.0.

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.

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

SanDisk

7.8

Rugged and pocketable, with a 2023 data-loss history on this line worth reading before ordering.

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 Value, SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD ahead 8.0 to 6.0. They come closest on Ease of use, 8.0 to 7.8. Left of center is Samsung T9, right is SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD.

Samsung T9 versus SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Samsung T9 run left from the axis labels, bars for SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD run right. Samsung T9: Performance 9.0, Value 6.0, Durability 8.2, Ease of use 7.8, Design 7.6. SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD: Performance 8.4, Value 8.0, Durability 6.4, Ease of use 8.0, Design 8.0.Samsung T9 (left)SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (right)PerformanceSamsung T9 — Performance 9.0 out of 109.0SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD — Performance 8.4 out of 108.4ValueSamsung T9 — Value 6.0 out of 106.0SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD — Value 8.0 out of 108.0DurabilitySamsung T9 — Durability 8.2 out of 108.2SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD — Durability 6.4 out of 106.4Ease of useSamsung T9 — Ease of use 7.8 out of 107.8SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD — Ease of use 8.0 out of 108.0DesignSamsung T9 — Design 7.6 out of 107.6SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD — Design 8.0 out of 108.0Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Samsung T9

Leads on Performance and Durability.

  • 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

Take the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

Leads on Value, Ease of use and Design.

  • Clipping a drive to a bag strap is genuinely useful to you
  • You want ruggedisation in the smallest possible package
  • Field work where the drive gets dropped

What each one gets wrong

Samsung T9

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

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

  • This is the only copy of anything you cannot lose
  • You would rather not track firmware advisories for a storage device

Specs, side by side

SpecSamsung T9SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
InterfaceUSB 3.2 Gen 2x2USB 3.2 Gen 2
ShellRubberized gripSilicone, IP55 rated
Capacities1 TB to 4 TB—
Extra—Carabiner loop

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Is the 2023 Samsung T9 the safer pick over the 2020 SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD?
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD leads on Value, Ease of use and Design. If Performance and Durability matter more to you, take the Samsung T9 instead. The 3-year gap shows in the totals as 7.7 against 7.8.
What does the 2020 model still win?
On Value, Ease of use and Design, yes. Those axes still go to the 2020 model. The 2023 one answers with Performance and Durability.
Which one ranks higher in "Small and fast for an hour is what you cannot buy"?
Samsung T9 sits at #1 in "Small and fast for an hour is what you cannot buy", SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD at #4.