In today's digital age, the need for ample computer storage has never been more critical. With the increasing reliance on digital files, from high-resolution photos and videos to extensive libraries of music and software applications, many individuals and businesses find themselves running out of space on their devices. Cloud storage solutions offer some relief, but that often come with ongoing subscription fees and limited access without an internet connection. This is why I believe that investing in physical storage options, such as external hard drivesor SSDs, has become essential for managing and safeguarding valuable data.Also: The best Black Friday deals live nowHowever, the high cost of computer storage can be a significant barrier for many consumers. External drives, especially those with larger capacities and faster speeds, can be quite pricey. This is where Black Friday-- now only two weeks away! -- and the following Cyber Monday come into play. Retailers typically offer deep discounts on electronics, including storage solutions, making it an ideal time to purchase. By taking advantage of Black Friday deals, shoppers can secure the additional storage they need at a fraction of the regular price, ensuring they have enough space for their digital lives without breaking the bank.Below, I've rounded up some of the best storage and SSD deals you can find ahead of Black Friday sales.Shop deals at AmazonOur favorite early storage and SSD deals for Black Friday 2024Samsung 990 EVO Plus SSD 2TB: $135 (save $45 at Amazon): The 990 EVO Plus is built using the latest NAND memory, boosting sequential read/write speeds up to 7,250/6,300MB/s.SamData 16GB USB flash drives 5-pack: $13 (save $4 at Amazon): Cheap and cheerful yet reliable flash drives for convenient data storage.Crucial T705 1TB PCIe SSD: $119 (save $127 at Amazon): The T705 installs easily in your M.2 slot, and its copper-clad label is designed to effectively transfer heat from the drive, allowing it to hit sequential reads/writes of up to 13,600/10,200MB/s.Ugreen NASync DXP4800 Plus 4-Bay Desktop NAS: $630 (save $70 at Amazon): The perfect storage box for heavy home users of small offices. Samsung Current price: $169Original price: $285Here you get a super-fast external SSD that's almost twice as fast as the T5 thanks to it's embedded with PCIe NVME technology, and it has been built to resist water, dust, and drops. The drive is compatible with PC, Mac, Android devices, gaming consoles and more View now at Amazon Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET Current price: $212Original price: $250The USB-C interface supportsApple iPhone 15 and later, allowing ProRes 4K 60fps video to be recorded direct to the external drive, making it more portable and freeing up mobile phone memory space. View now at Amazon Transcend Current price: $177Original price: $209This is a 2TB external SSD that makes use of 3D NAND flash memory to offer transfer speeds up to 2,000MB/s. And the whole thing in encased in a tough silicone case to protect it from bumps and drops. View now at Amazon Crucial Current price: $128Original price: $178Take a high performance external SSD capable of read and write speeds up to 1,050MB/s and high sustained performance writes up to 975MB/s, and encase that in a shell capable that is IP55 rated for water and dust resistance and offers drop-proof durability up to 7.5 feet/2 meters, and you have a go-anywhere data storage platform. It is also iPhone 15/16 Pro ready, capable of having ProRes video directly recorded to the drive. View now at Amazon Ugreen Current price: $360Original price: $400The two SATA bays support up to 24TB each, and you can also install two additional compact M.2 NVMe SSD drives up to 4TB each (for SSD caching additional fast storage). With all slots used, the maximum capacity is a vast 56TB. View now at Amazon FAQsWhen is Black Friday?Black Friday takes place on Nov. 29, 2024 this year. This day of big sales follows Thanksgiving and kicks off the holiday shopping season with a bang, offering big deals and discounts across a wide array of products.When is Cyber Monday?Cyber Monday is the first Monday following Thanksgiving, and this year, it falls on Dec. 2, 2024. This shopping event follows Black Friday and is known for offering great online deals, making it one of the busiest days for e-commerce.Are storage and SSD deals really better on Black Friday?In a word, yes. But as always, vigilance is needed to keep retailers and manufacturers honest. Taking ten bucks off the price of something costing several hundred dollars is not the sort of deal that would make the cut here, so you can always be guaranteed to find the best deals here. What's the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday?Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the biggest shopping events of the year, but they cater to different shopping preferences and experiences. Black Friday, which occurs the day after Thanksgiving, is traditionally known for its in-store sales and literal doorbuster deals. Cyber Monday takes place the following Monday and is all about online shopping.Dating back to 2005, it was historically a day when retailers took advantage of people being back at work and having access to the internet, allowing them to do some sneaky shopping while they were supposed to be working.How did we choose these Black Friday deals?Over the past year, I've handled and reviewed lots of different storage devices, from tiny SSDs you can slip into a pocket to massive NAS units with terabytes of storage. I have a solid understanding of what's available, what's worth it, and what constitutes a fair price.I've also examined customer reviews to understand what matters to real users of the storage devices I'm recommending. My personal experiences-whether positive or negative-may not reflect the broader consensus, so it's important to consider the opinions of others.Where can you shop the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals?Historically, I've found the best deals to be on Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy.What are the best Black Friday deals?ZDNET's experts have been searching through Black Friday sales live now to find the best discounts by category. These are the best Black Friday deals so far, by category:You can also find the best Black Friday deals by price:And the best Black Friday deals by retailer:Top holiday deals