Is USB 3.0 Fast Enough for SSDs? What Gamers and Content Creators Need to Know

As a gamer and content creator, having fast and reliable storage is absolutely essential. I often get asked – is USB 3.0 fast enough to take advantage of the incredible speeds of solid state drives (SSDs)? Or should you stick to internal drives connected directly via SATA or NVMe?

I‘ll cut to the chase – USB 3.0 is fast enough for most gamers and content creators. But there are important caveats. Read on for benchmarks, real-world data, tips, and everything you need to know about matching your external SSD setup to your specific needs…

SSD Interface Speed Comparison

First, let‘s compare the theoretical maximum interface speeds:

As you can see, USB 3.0 and 3.1 speeds are right in the same ballpark for maximum throughput as SATA, but still far below the blazing-fast potential speeds of high-end NVMe SSDs.

However, don‘t put too much stock in those maximum interface speeds. Real-world speed depends on a lot more than just the interface protocol. The SSD controller and NAND flash memory itself play a huge role.

Let‘s look at some real-world test results.

Real-World USB 3.0 SSD Benchmarks

The benchmark results below give a more realistic picture of real-world external SSD performance over USB.

Source: PremiumBeat.com

You can see even the fastest external SSDs top out around 400-550 MB/s over USB 3.0, which is actually pretty impressive.

But still far below what an NVMe SSD connected directly over PCIe is capable of achieving. Check out the CrystalDiskMark results below for a high-end internal NVMe drive:

Source: Tom‘s Hardware

Nearly 5,000 MB/s seq. read for the internal drive! So clearly, USB 3.0 is a limitation for cutting-edge NVMe SSD performance.

But you have to keep realistic expectations. Top-tier NVMe SSDs are expensive. And for many real-world tasks, the difference between 500 MB/s and 5,000 MB/s isn‘t as important as other system bottlenecks like your CPU or RAM capacity.

Now let‘s talk recommendations…

USB 3.0 SSD Recommendations

For gaming, even a decent SATA-based external SSD over USB 3.0 is great for storing your Steam library and games. Load times will be tremendously improved vs. an external hard drive.

For video editing and production, reading large files quickly definitely improves productivity. I‘d recommend getting an external NVMe SSD over USB 3.1 Gen 2 if your system supports it. Expect around 550 MB/s based on the benchmarks above – very respectable.

Here is an example high-performance USB 3.1 Gen 2 external SSD I recommend from Samsung:

Samsung T7 Touch Portable SSD – Up to 1 TB capacity, read speeds over 1 GB/s. Has built-in fingerprint encryption as well for security.

For gaming and production using high-resolution textures and assets, 1 TB is a good sweet spot in my opinion. And the T7 Touch runs around $150-170 depending on sales, very fair price considering the performance.

Tips for Maximizing External SSD Performance

If you‘re running an external SSD over USB 3.0 or 3.1 here are some tips so you can maximize its potential:

• Use a USB 3.1 Gen 2 port/cable if possible – Gen 2 supports up to 1,250 MB/s
• Connect the SSD directly to a USB port on your computer rather than through a hub which can limit bandwidth
• Disable USB power saving in your OS settings so the port runs at full speed consistently
• Consider using an active USB extension cable which has a built-in repeater to ensure signal integrity over longer distances
• Update SSD and USB controller firmware and chipset drivers to latest available for best performance
• Only use your external SSD for media – install games/OS/programs on an internal drive
• Consider PCIe add-in card for more USB ports if you run out of native Gen 2 ports

The Verdict

While high-end NVMe SSDs are capable of much faster speeds over a direct PCIe connections, USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 2 is still fast enough for most real-world external solid state drive needs for gamers and content creators. With transfer rates up to 550+ MB/s possible, you‘ll still enjoy a super fast and responsive external drive for storing your games, video files, and media libraries.

I hope this guide has helped provide more insights into just how capable USB 3.0 can be for leveraging the incredible performance of today‘s cutting-edge SSDs! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Kent, Passionate Gamer & Video Production Nerd