HyperX Savage Exo 960GB Compact External SSD

The HyperX SAVAGE EXO SSD utilizes 3D NAND technology to deliver SSD speeds more reliably and efficiently than 2D NAND so you can get your games patched, installed, and booted faster. Slash load times with a drive that’s up to 20% faster than today’s game systems1. The SAVAGE EXO is easy to connect, works with both Mac® and PC, and can be used on your PlayStation® 4 or Xbox One™ via the USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection2. Weighing in at a trivial 56g, the super-compact SAVAGE EXO is the perfect solution for lightning-quick storage and transfer on the go.

Today, we take a look at Kingston’s latest USB 3.1 Gen 2 external SSD. The HyperX Savage EXO delivers up to 500/480 MB/s of sequential read/write throughput to help expedite your file transfers and game load times, and the edgy design looks good while it’s doing it. Perhaps most importantly, it’s compatible with game consoles like the Xbox One and PS4. But the specifications only paint part of the performance picture. Poor real-world write performance taints our outlook on this new external, although competitive pricing helps offset some of the drive’s shortcomings.

High-speed Thunderbolt 3 NVMe external SSDs are coming to market, like the Samsung X5 and Patriot Evlvr we just reviewed. That makes it easy to overlook the other mainstream drives, but new external SSDs with the latest USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface are making their way to market with exceptional performance for the size and price.
The HyperX team has expanded its product lines greatly since their launch all the way back in 2002. Today, HyperX delivers gamer-focused products, like gaming headsets, keyboards, mouse pads, mice, and obviously RAM and storage products, that the company says offer the best quality and reliability available.

We just had to take a look for ourselves when we got wind of a new high-performance external SSD using the latest USB interface at CES 2018. Nearly ten months later, we finally have the chance. Unlike the new Thunderbolt 3 devices, the Savage EXO isn’t designed only for traditional PC gamers that want fast flash storage – console gamers can take advantage of its flash goodness, too.

HyperX designed the Savage EXO for a range of applications, including expanding the storage of a game console and speeding gaming installs. The company also claims the drive will help “deliver 20% faster load times” than an HDD for a more fluid gaming experience, but that speed does come with a significant price premium over much cheaper and more capacious HDDs.