USB 3.0 Storage Drives Compared

We’ve picked four of the fastest, sleekest portable hard drives of 2012 from some of the industry’s leading manufacturers and evaluated them based on price, design, selection of utilities and most importantly, speed. Though each drive supports USB 3.0 and features at least 750GB of storage space, not each device is created equal. Which of these drives offers the perfect combination of speed, design and price? Read on to find out.

Buffalo MiniStation Extreme ($169)

Buffalo MiniStation Extreme ($169)

Last January, Buffalo released the MiniStation Stealth, an unassuming portable hard drive that featured the fastest file transfer speeds we'd yet seen. Now, having released the MiniStation Extreme, Buffalo hopes to create a drive that is not only faster than the Stealth but features shock-resistance as well. Read on to find out if Buffalo succeeded.

Read Our Review of Buffalo MiniStation Extreme

Iomega eGo ($199)

Iomega eGo ($199)

With its latest iteration of its eGo USB 3.0 portable hard drive, Iomega seeks to create the perfect drive - stylish, rugged, and fast. But, facing a slew of USB 3.0 drives from its competitors, does the expensive $199 eGo have what it takes to stand apart from the competition?

Read Our Review of Iomega eGo

LaCie Rugged Mini ($189)

LaCie Rugged Mini ($189)

With the Rugged Mini, LaCie makes its Rugged line of portable hard drives even smaller. Built to withstand a ton (literally), the shockingly bright orange Rugged Mini combines speedy USB 3.0 read/write capabilities with damage-resistant technology. Read on to find out how this $189 1 TB drive stacks up against the competition.

Read Our Review of LaCie Rugged Mini

Seagate GoFlex Turbo ($179)

Seagate GoFlex Turbo ($179)

Small, sleek and preloaded with a number of helpful utilities, the Seagate GoFlex Turbo ($179) makes a good first impression. But when it comes to speed and storage, the most important qualities of any portable hard drive, does the Turbo have it where it really counts?

Read Our Review of Seagate GoFlex Turbo