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Corsair
Model: CSSD-EX100U-2000
| Capacity | 2TB |
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 |
| Form Factor | External |
| Read Speed | 1,600 MB/s |
| Write Speed | 1,500 MB/s |
| Endurance (TBW) | 900 TB |
| Warranty | 3 Years |
High-performance external SSD with USB-C connectivity, ideal for gaming and content creation.
See how it stacks up against competitors in our Gaming External SSDs SSD comparison, or browse related SSD buying guides.
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Expand your game library with the Corsair EX100U — 2.0TB of 1.6 GB/s NVMe storage purpose-built for consoles and gaming PCs.
With 1.6 GB/s reads and 1.5 GB/s writes, the Corsair EX100U delivers load times that rival internal SSDs. Open-world asset streaming, fast travel, and level transitions all benefit from the jump over traditional HDD external storage.
Roughly 25-51 AAA games fit on 2.0TB — enough to keep your current rotation installed without juggling uninstalls every time a new title drops.
This drive's throughput surpasses the USB bandwidth threshold most consoles can leverage. In practice, load times will be faster than any HDD but capped by the console's USB controller.
External USB drives work for playing Xbox and PlayStation games, but native internal NVMe storage is still required for Velocity Architecture and DirectStorage optimizations on some titles.
The Corsair EX100U targets users who need maximum throughput from an external drive. If you edit 4K or 6K video, move large project files between workstations, or work directly from external storage, the 1,600 MB/s read speed puts this drive in elite territory for a 2.0TB portable SSD.
At 2.0TB, this drive hits the sweet spot for users with substantial storage needs. Photo and video libraries, game collections, and professional project files all benefit from the headroom — you will not be juggling free space or swapping files between drives.
One important note: reaching the full 1,600 MB/s requires a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) host port. On a standard USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, the drive still works perfectly but negotiates down to 10 Gbps. Most laptops from 2022 onward include a compatible port on premium models, but verify your hardware before expecting peak performance.
On paper, the Corsair EX100U delivers 1,600 MB/s reads and 1,500 MB/s writes. In practice, a 50GB file — a typical 4K video project, a large game install, or a full photo shoot — transfers in ~33 seconds. A 100GB batch of raw files moves in ~1 minutes. For users who regularly shuttle large files, these transfer times are a meaningful productivity improvement over slower SATA-based externals that take 3-5x longer for the same tasks. Note: those numbers describe large sequential transfers — everyday tasks (opening documents, app launches, game loads) feel equally fast across all NVMe portables because random 4K performance is similar drive-to-drive.
The 1,600 MB/s peak is achievable for burst transfers, but sustained writes of 100GB or more will see speeds settle to approximately 1,275-1,350 MB/s as the controller manages thermals. This is normal for compact NVMe enclosures and does not affect everyday use — only continuous large-file writes are impacted.
The Corsair EX100U is rated for 900 TBW (terabytes written) endurance. To put that in perspective: if you write 50GB per day — an aggressive daily workload for most users — the drive would take approximately 49 years to reach its endurance limit. For typical use patterns involving backups, file transfers, and game storage, the 900 TBW rating provides comfortable headroom well beyond the 3-year warranty period.
| Spec | Corsair EX100U | Seagate FireCuda External USB-C |
|---|---|---|
| Read Speed | 1,600 MB/s | 1,030 MB/s |
| Write Speed | 1,500 MB/s | 1,030 MB/s |
| Capacity | 2.0TB | 2TB |
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 | USB 3.2 Gen 2 |
| Endurance | 900 TBW | 700 TBW |
| Score | 8.2/10 | 8.8/10 |
The Seagate FireCuda External USB-C scores higher in our evaluation (8.8 vs 8.2/10). While the Corsair EX100U has lower scoring, it may offer advantages in other areas like endurance. Review the full specifications above before deciding.
For a detailed head-to-head comparison, see our full Corsair EX100U vs Seagate FireCuda External USB-C comparison.
| Model | Capacity | Interface | Read | Write | TBW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corsair EX100U | 2TB | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 | 1,600 | 1,500 | 900 |
| Seagate FireCuda External USB-C | 2TB | USB 3.2 Gen 2 | 1,030 | 1,030 | 700 |
| WD Black P50 Game Drive SSD 4TB | 4TB | USB 3.2 Gen 2 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,400 |
| WD Black P50 Game Drive SSD 2TB | 2TB | USB 3.2 Gen 2 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 1,200 |
Specs shown for the closest Gaming External SSDs alternatives. Full comparison table available on the compare page.
The Corsair EX100U comes in multiple capacities. Smaller sizes save money if you do not need the headroom; larger sizes drop the cost-per-TB for media libraries and Time Machine backups.
Corsair
Price as of Jul 3, 2026, 4:46 AM. Prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Corsair
Price as of Aug 3, 2026, 6:33 PM. Prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Corsair
Price as of Aug 3, 2026, 6:33 PM. Prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.