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Are there 3.5 HDD enclosures with SMART working on Mac?
- Thread starter Astrohunter
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This was commonplace in the era of Thunderbolt 1/2.
Connect a Thunderbolt 2 dock to the Mac, and connect the HDD to the dock using SATA/eSATA.
Then use DriveDx to read the SMART data.
All this is still available, but using 'used' kit. Add the Apple TB2<>TB3 adapter, and a TB2 cable.
There are new TB3 3.5" HDD enclosures, but mostly these are more high-end RAID enclosures, which adds complexity...
Connect a Thunderbolt 2 dock to the Mac, and connect the HDD to the dock using SATA/eSATA.
Then use DriveDx to read the SMART data.
All this is still available, but using 'used' kit. Add the Apple TB2<>TB3 adapter, and a TB2 cable.
There are new TB3 3.5" HDD enclosures, but mostly these are more high-end RAID enclosures, which adds complexity...
MacOS doesn't support SMART over USB, so it needs to be a Thunderbolt-connected device.
There is an open source SMART driver for Macs, but it is a kernel extension, which are now deprecated if not actually no longer supported.
There is an open source SMART driver for Macs, but it is a kernel extension, which are now deprecated if not actually no longer supported.
Foremost, they need to support the UAS protocol.
binaryfruit.com
www.owc.com
DriveDx - external USB and FireWire drive diagnostics support
binaryfruit.com
A Note About USB Performance on M1 Macs
OWC testing has found USB performance on base model M1 Macs to lag behind other chips. Here's why.
www.owc.com
I bought this one and will receive it tomorrow:
The seller said it supports SMART.
But reading the posts above I guess it not only won’t support SMART but also uasp. :/
RSHTECH USB Hard Drive Enclosure, USB C to 3.5 Inch SATA HDD Caddy Aluminum External Hard Drive Case with 12V/2A Power Adapter for 3.5" SATA I/II/III HDD SSD, Support Up to 16TB & UASP (RSH-339C)
RSHTECH USB Hard Drive Enclosure, USB C to 3.5 Inch SATA HDD Caddy Aluminum External Hard Drive Case with 12V/2A Power Adapter for 3.5" SATA I/II/III HDD SSD, Support Up to 16TB & UASP (RSH-339C)
amzn.eu
The seller said it supports SMART.
But reading the posts above I guess it not only won’t support SMART but also uasp. :/
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
The controller/chipset, ASM1153E, they’re using does support UASP. So, technically, it should work.
You’ll also need the SAT SMART driver linked (via Binary Fruit) in my earlier post:
And one more thing to be aware of:
How macOS is moving away from kernel extensions
How 3rd party developers used KPIs for drivers and much else in kernel extensions. These are now being replaced progressively by System Extensions. This is the state of play.
eclecticlight.co
Basically, it’s unclear how long the above solution is going to function (i.e., macOS 26 Tahoe and on) or if there’s or will be an updated alternative (i.e., system extension vs. kernel extension version).
Thanks will give it a try.The controller/chipset, ASM1153E, they’re using does support UASP. So, technically, it should work.
You’ll also need the SAT SMART driver linked (via Binary Fruit) in my earlier post:
And one more thing to be aware of:
How macOS is moving away from kernel extensions
How 3rd party developers used KPIs for drivers and much else in kernel extensions. These are now being replaced progressively by System Extensions. This is the state of play.
Basically, it’s unclear how long the above solution is going to function (i.e., macOS 26 Tahoe and on) or if there’s or will be an updated alternative (i.e., system extension vs. kernel extension version).
I only want smart to check if the drive is really new and healthy.
It makes some knocking sound every few seconds but some say it’s by design.
🤔
I’ve handled plenty of failing HDD, but I don’t recognize that sound.
It could be the read+write head assembly. And, yeah, the noise could be a result of the way the drive is intended to function. Admittedly, based solely on the sound, I wouldn’t be confident making a diagnosis/determination. I do understand why you’d want to verify things though.
Curious, does drive access stall or lag?
I only ran Blackmagic disk test and all seemed good.
Some mentioned it might be Pre-emptive Wear Leveling (PWL)
LC-Power - LC-35U3-Becrux-C1 https://www.lc-power.com/en/lc-35u3-becrux-c1/
It appears to be available in UK
https://www.networkdistri.co.uk/product/-lc-35u3-becrux-c1
It appears to be available in UK
https://www.networkdistri.co.uk/product/-lc-35u3-becrux-c1
I’ve had a decent knowledge of how HDDs function for decades, and even disassembled (a damaged) one for education (i.e., curiosity). However, I’ve never heard of PWL. So, I did some research. But before that, the basics:
What Is Inside a Hard Drive? Complete Stripdown
Have you ever wondered what is inside your hard drive? While it is never a good idea to open one up without a
aesonlabs.ca
Admittedly, I was not aware of an actual lubricant (layer) in addition to the generated air cushion.
Like other tech, HDDs have advanced/evolved, for example:
CMR vs. SMR Hard Drives: What's the Difference?
There's a performance penalty with some drives that you need to be aware of.
www.howtogeek.com
Whether or not related to SMR, part of the data density push included decreasing the flying height/clearance between the read/write head(s) and platter(s). There’s an apparent side effect to that, the tinier gap and airflow can create a vacuum, actually moving and (redepositing) some of the lubricant:
US7961433B2 - Air-bearing design for hard disk drive (HDD) applications - Google Patents
A slider is formed with an ABS topography that eliminates the accumulation of lubricant swept from the surface of a rotating disk in an operating HDD. The topography includes air channeling grooves in which are formed backflow blocking elements that prevent the formation airflow patterns that...
patents.google.com
From what I’m understanding, Preventive Wear Leveling (PWL) is intended to help reduce lubricant accumulation or at the least evenly distribute it. One downside, the maintenance routine seems to require frequent head assembly movement.
Referring back to the basics, for drive safety, the heads will move to a parking zone or ramp while no (other) operations are in progress.
Why Hard Drive Head Stiction Is No Longer an Issue - Datarecovery.com
Hard drive head stiction is less common in modern drives. Learn about hard drive failures, recovery methods, and why DIY repairs are risky.
datarecovery.com
The alternating (subtle) tone difference in your audio recording could be evidence of this head travel from one parking area to the next and back. I would say this also accounts for the volume (i.e., loudness). Some commenters point to mounting, enclosure, resting surface, etc for accentuating the noise.
You can find an open-source driver for this. I installed it, used it to read out some data and test a drive. But the driver causes random reboots (crashes) about 1 or 2 per day. I removed it after testing the drive.
It is not so much an "enclosure thing" as that this functionality was removed from macOS some years ago.