Components

Seagate's new Backup Plus line of portable hard drives makes it easy to back up your local and social-media data.

The OCZ Vertex 4 is an excellent replacement drive for a standard-size laptop or desktop.

The Elgato Thunderbolt SSD offers speed and convenience for a very high premium. With limited storage and a very high price tag, the drive is only suitable for Thunderbolt-enabled Mac owners with deep pocket and a dire need for a high-speed storage device.

While the RunCore Pro V Max SSD will greatly improve a computer's overall performance, its for now unreasonably high price tag will steer you to the alternatives.

Similar to the original, the Momentus XT (second generation) makes an excellent host drive for any computer, both laptops and desktops. It offers great value in terms of performance and cost, especially when compared to SDDs.

Mac users who need a fast portable hard drive will find it in the new My Passport Studio. Windows users should look elsewhere for a better deal.