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Transcend

Transcend ESD310C 2TB 2TB External SSD

Model: TS2TESD310C

7.7/10
Capacity 2TB
Interface USB 3.2 Gen 2
Form Factor External
Read Speed 1,050 MB/s
Write Speed 950 MB/s
Endurance (TBW) 1,200 TB
Warranty 3 Years

Overview

The 2TB ESD310C keeps the same tiny plastic credit-card footprint of the 1TB — Transcend fits an unusually large stack in an unusually small case. The 2TB cache budget also holds the 950 MB/s write past 200GB on long transfers.

See how it stacks up against competitors in our USB-C External SSDs SSD comparison, or browse related SSD buying guides.

Where to Buy

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Pros

  • 1050/950 MB/s
  • Tiny footprint
  • 2400 TBW endurance
  • Rotating cap protects USB-C port

Cons

  • Plastic body
  • No IP rating
  • 3-year warranty
  • Premium vs ADATA SE800 2TB

Everyday Storage Analysis

Reliable 2TB storage with 1.1 GB/s reads — the Transcend ESD310C 2TB is a practical, affordable choice for daily backups and file transport.

All the Speed You Need

1.1 GB/s reads and 950 MB/s writes cover everything a typical user needs: Time Machine backups, document archives, photo libraries, and game installs. The Transcend ESD310C 2TB is the drive you plug in and forget about — it just works.

Simple, Affordable, Dependable

2TB of storage provides generous headroom for everyday files. The compact, lightweight design slips into any bag pocket. With 1,200 TBW, this is pro-grade endurance designed for sustained professional workloads. Backed by a 3-year warranty, this drive offers typical protection for its class.

Capacity Economics

2TB provides generous headroom for creative workflows — a working photo library, active video projects, and a game library all on one portable drive.

Great for

  • Storing and organizing photo and music libraries
  • Media server staging — downloading and organizing files before archiving
  • Users who want AES 256-bit hardware encryption without paying pro-tier prices
  • Bootable recovery or OS installation media

SATA-based externals like the Transcend ESD310C 2TB are the sensible choice when NVMe speed is overkill — the 550 MB/s ceiling is plenty for system backups, media playback, and document storage, and the savings are significant.

Who Should Buy the Transcend ESD310C 2TB

The Transcend ESD310C 2TB 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 1,050 MB/s read speed puts this drive in elite territory for a 2TB portable SSD.

At 2TB, 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.

The USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface means the Transcend ESD310C 2TB hits full speed on virtually any modern USB-C or USB-A port — no special hardware required. Plug it into a laptop, desktop, game console, or tablet and you get the same 1,050 MB/s performance without compatibility concerns.

Real-World Performance

File Transfer Speeds

On paper, the Transcend ESD310C 2TB delivers 1,050 MB/s reads and 950 MB/s writes. In practice, a 50GB file — a typical 4K video project, a large game install, or a full photo shoot — transfers in ~53 seconds. A 100GB batch of raw files moves in ~2 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.

Sustained Write Performance

At 1,050 MB/s, thermal throttling is minimal during typical use. Only sustained sequential writes exceeding 100GB — such as backing up an entire media library in one pass — may cause the controller to reduce speeds temporarily. For everyday transfers and backups, you will consistently see performance near the rated specifications.

Endurance and Longevity

The Transcend ESD310C 2TB is rated for 1,200 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 66 years to reach its endurance limit. For typical use patterns involving backups, file transfers, and game storage, the 1,200 TBW rating provides comfortable headroom well beyond the 3-year warranty period.

Transcend ESD310C 2TB vs Samsung T9 2TB

Spec Transcend ESD310C 2TB Samsung T9 2TB
Read Speed 1,050 MB/s 2,000 MB/s
Write Speed 950 MB/s 2,000 MB/s
Capacity 2TB 2TB
Interface USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
Endurance 1,200 TBW 1,200 TBW
Score 7.7/10 9.6/10

The Samsung T9 2TB scores higher in our evaluation (9.6 vs 7.7/10). It also delivers faster reads (2,000 vs 1,050 MB/s).

For a detailed head-to-head comparison, see our full Transcend ESD310C 2TB vs Samsung T9 2TB comparison.

How Transcend ESD310C 2TB 2TB Compares

Model Capacity Interface Read Write TBW
Transcend ESD310C 2TB 2TB USB 3.2 Gen 2 1,050 950 1,200
Samsung T9 2TB 2TB USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 2,000 2,000 1,200
Samsung T9 Portable SSD 1TB USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 2,000 1,950 600
Crucial X10 Pro 2TB 2TB USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 2,000 2,000 1,200

Specs shown for the closest USB-C External SSDs alternatives. Full comparison table available on the compare page.

Also available in Transcend ESD310C

The Transcend ESD310C 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.

More Transcend SSDs

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Transcend

Transcend ESD310C 1TB

7.6/10
Capacity 1TB
Interface USB 3.2 Gen 2
Read Speed 1050 MB/s
See Price on Amazon →

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.

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Quick Specs

Read Speed 1050 MB/s
Write Speed 950 MB/s

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