Finding quality laptop accessories that are worth your time and money isn't always easy, especially when there are so many options on the market. That applies to removable storage, where there are flash drives, external SSDs, SD cards, and more from which you can choose.
If you are indeed in the market for some reliable and fast removable storage for your PC, laptop, or Xbox Series X/S, the SK hynix Tube T31 is an easy recommendation even at full price. It looks like a flash drive — with all the portability perks — but inside is actually a real solid-state drive (SSD) capable of speeds up to 1,000MB/s over USB 3.2 (Gen 2).
It's highly rated and understandably doesn't come cheap, but Newegg is currently offering the 1TB model for 20% off the regular price. That brings the total down to $80, which is even cheaper than the Samsung T7, our favorite external SSD.
Why the SK hynix Tube T31 deal is so good
In our SK hynix Tube T31 review, the USB drive received five stars and was given a Windows Central Best Award by Editor Harish Jonnalagadda. He focused on the convenience of having an SSD in the flash drive form factor (albeit slightly larger than your average thumb stick), noting:
"SK Hynix nailed the basics with the Tube T31. The drive has a diminutive design that's easily pocketable, and the chassis is built to last. As it has a USB-A port, you'll need to use a dock or hub if your notebook doesn't have the requisite ports, but that's not a huge drawback."
As mentioned, the USB-A port might stand in the way of working with some modern laptops, but you can always pick up a tiny adapter. And if you're using the drive with a desktop PC or Xbox Series X/S, you shouldn't have any problems with native connectivity.
In our testing of the 1TB model, the custom M.2 2242 SSD inside the thumb stick reached 932.8MB/s read and 827MB/s write. That's slightly lower than the quoted speed, but still much faster than other standard flash drives on the market.
As mentioned, the Tube T31 is slightly larger than a standard flash drive, but it still weighs in at 35 grams and is smaller than a lot of external SSDs. It's easy to slip into a pants or laptop sleeve pocket when you're on the move; it's one of our favorite laptop accessories for frequent travelers who often need extra storage space.
Looking at our favorite external SSDs on the market today, the Tube T31 is priced competitively even without a discount. The Samsung T7, for example, costs about $110 for a 1TB model. The Crucial X6 Portable, which tops out at 800MB/s read speeds, costs $75 for 1TB.
This deal at Newegg has the 1TB SK hynix Tube T31 down to the lowest price we've ever seen at $80, and it should be an excellent pickup for any PC or console user who wants some plug-and-play storage that's easy to carry around.
