The cheapest 2TB external SSD costs barely more than its internal equivalent

(Image credit: Fantom Drives)

Solid state drives are often preferable to hard disk drives for a number of reasons - they’re faster, more resilient and smaller too. The only real problem is how expensive they can be, especially when it comes to large capacity models.

Enter the 2TB Fantom Drives GFORCE 3.1 external SSD, which can be purchased from Newegg for as little as $218.20 (or roughly £170). 

The CSD2000B-W, as it is also known, reminds us of the Samsung T5. Like the T5, the GFORCE 3.1 has a metal enclosure and diminutive dimensions. 

Fantom Drives GFORCE 3.1- $218.20 at Newegg
$218.20 at Newegg

Fantom Drives GFORCE 3.1- $218.20 at Newegg
This is the cheapest 2TB external solid state drive around today. Anything else will probably cost you at least 10 percent more. This model is portable, relatively fast, sturdy and comes from a recognised US-based online vendor.

More 2TB external SSD deals from
Newegg | Amazon | Aliexpress 

It's also extremely light, which makes it easy to transport, and the brushed metal finish is certainly pleasing to the eye.

The chassis doubles as a heatsink and there’s a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port. Fantom Drives claims the drive can reach speeds of 560MBps and 500MBps in sequential read/write respectively.

It's worth noting the drive comes with a two year warranty, and also ships to territories outside the US.

Desire Athow
Managing Editor, TechRadar Pro

Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled in website builders and web hosting when DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.