SSD deals have pretty much evaporated over the last several months thanks to the ongoing memory and storage shortage. That’s why this deal on the 2TB Lexar SL500 portable SSD is a standout right now. Normally $400, you can score it for $210 at B&H if you clip the on-page coupon. That 48% discount is crazy in the current PC market.
And this isn’t some run-of-the-mill portable SSD that’s going to underperform and die in a year. We reviewed the Lexar SL500 and gave it a near-perfect rating of 4.5 stars, mainly for its excellent 20Gbps performance and super-slim profile. With its USB-C 3.2 interface, speed is no problem—you can move large files around in a blink, and you can even record 4K video directly to it from your phone or camera.
Other notable benefits include an aluminum case that’s sleek and feels premium, Lexar DataShield 256-Bit AES Encryption to keep your data protected against prying eyes (in case it’s ever misplaced or stolen), and IP54 resistance for everyday protection against dust and water (just don’t submerge it or blast it with jets).
If you need extreme ruggedness (say for camping, hiking, or other outdoor uses that would benefit from rubberized armor), this one may not stand up to abuse. And if you primarily use a Mac, you may not be able to get full performance out of this drive because Macs don’t yet support USB 3.2 Gen 2×2—instead of the full 20Gbps, you’ll be capped at 10Gbps. But at this price, it might still be worth it.
The 2TB Lexar SL500 is the first portable SSD deal we’ve seen in a long time, and it’s actually a good one. Nearly half off on one of our favorite models? That’s basically the same price as the 1TB model. If you miss this deal, you may still have options—see PCWorld’s roundup of the best external drives and best external SSDs for gaming.