Sony's SV-GS48 is not just any old SSD for any old type of customer. With a retail cost nearly five times as high as other competitors in the SATA SSD space ($315.47 for our 480GB test sample), the SV-GS48 commands a high price for one reason and one reason alone: durability, inside and out. With this family of 2.5-inch SATA SSDs, the increased toughness is meant to offset the considerable upfront investment, but this is still a very specialized drive for a very specific type of user. The vast majority of standard SSD buyers out there can give it a pass, but for those who need a SATA drive that they can insert and reinsert constantly, and write and erase on a massive scale, it's just what the cinematographer ordered.

Not long ago, big-capacity SSDs were reserved for well-heeled, hardcore PC enthusiasts. But these days, internal SSD prices are getting low enough to be competitive, for many users, with traditional hard drives. The Crucial BX500 ($64.99 for the 480GB version we tested) is designed for budget-minded buyers, with a lightweight feature set and a low price to match. Its predecessor, the MX500, looms large, however, as an Editors' Choice winner among budget SSDs. Given how aggressive SATA SSD pricing has become, the BX500 doesn't nail its target as cleanly as the MX500 does, due to a lesser feature set and a lower durability rating for close to the same price. The BX500 is certainly solid for mainstream service, but for many buyers, the MX500$64.99 at Amazon will be a better buy at our tested capacity unless the BX500 goes on sale.

Whether you're logging shots on a film set, bringing blueprints to a construction site, or just seeking a storage solution that can stand up to the bumps of everyday (or extraordinary) travel, the need for a rugged, durable external hard drive will always vary from person to person. With this in mind, you'd be pressed to find a mainstream model that can withstand more punishment for the money than the HD830 External Hard Drive from ADATA ($109.99 for the 2TB model we tested). Being able to withstand bumps is only part of the equation; this model is as aggressively priced as it is designed. It holds up well versus much of its crack-proof competition on the key twin factors of toughness and value.

In the world of rugged external storage, you'll see a lot of potential reasons why someone might need a drive that can survive extreme exposure. Construction sites, film sets, wildlife photography, or, in the case of ADATA's HD710M Pro External Hard Drive, military environs—or at least, situations encountered by hunters and weekend warriors. Though it's never explicitly stated that this hard drive was made for battlefield applications, its camouflage exterior and rough-and-ready design point to a drive made for the soldier, or at least the soldier at heart. And it's not just window dressing. The HD710M Pro ($119.99 for the 2TB version tested here) offers up a solid set of ruggedization features that will cater to any customer, whether they truly need the stealth look, or are simply sticking it in a bag for the next wargaming session or paintball match.