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Transcend
Model: TS1TESD310C
| Capacity | 1TB |
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2 |
| Form Factor | External |
| Read Speed | 1,050 MB/s |
| Write Speed | 950 MB/s |
| Endurance (TBW) | 600 TB |
| Warranty | 3 Years |
A tiny 1050-class Gen 2 portable from a long-established memory brand. ESD310C is one of the smallest 1TB Gen 2 SSDs at retail — small enough to be lost in a bag. Buy it for the form factor over sustained performance.
See how it stacks up against competitors in our USB-C External SSDs SSD comparison, or browse related SSD buying guides.
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The Transcend ESD310C 1TB: 1TB, 1.1 GB/s reads, 950 MB/s writes, and a price that makes it an easy choice for daily backups and file transport.
With 1.1 GB/s reads and 950 MB/s writes over a USB-C connection, the Transcend ESD310C 1TB delivers reliable performance for daily computing needs. Backing up documents, transferring photos from a laptop to a desktop, or storing a media library — it handles routine tasks with consistent speed.
1TB of storage provides generous headroom for everyday files. The compact, lightweight design slips into any bag pocket. Rated at 600 TBW, this drive handles a solid mix of daily reads and writes. The 3-year warranty provides standard coverage for the expected lifespan of the drive.
In the speed hierarchy, the Transcend ESD310C 1TB sits above HDDs and below NVMe. Think of it as a SATA SSD in your pocket — fast enough for 95% of daily tasks at a fraction of the cost of the fastest USB drives.
The Transcend ESD310C 1TB is a solid all-around 1TB portable SSD for everyday use. If you need fast backups, reliable file transport between devices, or external storage for documents, photos, and media, the 1,050 MB/s reads deliver performance that makes daily tasks feel instant compared to an external hard drive.
The 1TB capacity covers most daily workflows comfortably: system backups, a working photo library, a dozen game installs, or a collection of documents and media. If you need more space, higher-capacity variants of the same product line are worth considering.
The USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface means the Transcend ESD310C 1TB 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.
On paper, the Transcend ESD310C 1TB 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.
Sequential read and write speeds — the numbers manufacturers advertise — matter most when transferring single large files. For everyday tasks like opening documents, browsing photos, running applications from the drive, or loading games, random 4K performance is more relevant. All NVMe-based external SSDs deliver random IOPS in the same general range, so the $Transcend ESD310C 1TB feels similarly responsive to other fast portables for daily use. The real differentiator shows up during large file transfers, where the $1,050 MB/s read speed pulls noticeably ahead of slower SATA-based externals.
The $Transcend ESD310C 1TB is rated for $600 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 $33 years to reach its endurance limit. For typical use patterns involving backups, file transfers, and game storage, the $600 TBW rating provides comfortable headroom well beyond the $3-year warranty period.
| Spec | Transcend ESD310C 1TB | Samsung T9 2TB |
|---|---|---|
| Read Speed | 1,050 MB/s | 2,000 MB/s |
| Write Speed | 950 MB/s | 2,000 MB/s |
| Capacity | 1TB | 2TB |
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2 | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 |
| Endurance | 600 TBW | 1,200 TBW |
| Score | 7.6/10 | 9.6/10 |
The Samsung T9 2TB scores higher in our evaluation (9.6 vs 7.6/10). It also delivers faster reads (2,000 vs 1,050 MB/s).
For a detailed head-to-head comparison, see our full Transcend ESD310C 1TB vs Samsung T9 2TB comparison.
| Model | Capacity | Interface | Read | Write | TBW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transcend ESD310C 1TB | 1TB | USB 3.2 Gen 2 | 1,050 | 950 | 600 |
| 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.
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.
Transcend
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.