Prime Day: Samsung's 4 TB external SSD is less than $0.06 per gigabyte.

$499.99 Save $262.50 at Amazon Samsung's T7 Shield is one of our favorites. It is stylish, rugged and consistent in speed when compared to other 3.2 Gen 2 drives. It's a durable and consistent drive, but it costs a lot. But not now. This 4 TB external HDD is a bargain at just under $240.

Price check: Newegg $249.99 | B&H Photo $249.99

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USB 3.2 Gen2x2 external SSDs are pretty cheap, but they can't compete with a Gen2x1 drive like the T7 Shield that costs $237.49. This attractive little drive costs just under $0.06 per GB.

As a point of reference, this is proportionally cheaper than any other portable SSD I have tested recently - and I've tried a lot. On a good day, USB 3.2 Gen2x2 drives (the latest ones) can be purchased for around $0.08 per GB. It's worth noting that lower capacity versions (Gen 2x1) of this T7 Shield are often sold for around $0.11 per GB. The current price for the 4TB version is not a joke.

• Here's a list of all the October Prime Day PC Gaming deals!

Why is the T7 Shield so expensive? It's durable, in part. I recently reviewed the Samsung T9 and while it is incredibly high quality and consistent, it does not offer the same level of protection from dust and moisture as its ostensible precursor, the T7 Shield.

The Shield has an official IP65 rating. This means it's "dusttight" and protected against water jets (thanks, IEC). It has the same 3-meters drop resistance as the T9. This is due to its lovely ridged casing. You can see it in the picture below. It feels just as durable as the rating suggests.

If you have USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports, you may prefer a drive such as the T9 or Adata SD810. If you don't have a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, or you want a drive with a spectacular value, the T7 Shield will be able to meet your needs. The T7 Shield is rated at 1,050 MB/s, which is not a joke, even though there are next-gen drives that can reach 2,000 MB/s.

You should be able transfer games of moderate size in less than one minute. In Jorge's T7 Shield review, he noted the transfer of 8 GB took around 6 seconds. This is a pretty fast transfer rate for most uses, don't think so?

You'll find cheaper drives if you choose a 1 or 2 TB option. This drive is ideal for anyone who hoards or wants to make full system backups.

Durability is important, because if you are storing this much data, it is important that you ensure its safety. It's a great deal for the price.

View the Samsung T7 Shield - 4 TB for $237.49 on Amazon (save $252.50)