External MECHANICAL HDD for MacBook Pro M1?

[TheRealAir]

Are there any out there who use a external HDD for mass storage in todays day and age? I need around 4TB and I want it to use USB-C so it fits the Mac correctly without any dongle. Anyone have any good examples?

 

[leman]

LaCie makes good quality external USB-C drives. We use them for backups.

 

[Mike Boreham]

LaCie makes good quality external USB-C drives. We use them for backups.

Agreed I have two of the 5TB versions of this one, used only for backup.

 

[ader42]

Yeah, I use those Lacie drives too, I find them great. I do have three on top of each other so I put heatsinks between them to ensure they stay a bit cooler. I use SSD drives for more common day to day usage.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Sure do. I currently have an OWC Mercury Elite Pro Mini with a 2TB WD Blue 2.5-inch HDD for Time Machine and about 500GB of movies. OWC does offer a 4TB config.

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Mini 4TB Storage Solution

Made for fast-transfer and secure storage. Ideal for photo and video shoots, editing, motion graphics, audio, backups, and all your other data needs.

eshop.macsales.com

I went with the mini to save on desk space and clutter (i.e., it’s bus-powered).

 

[jz0309]

Are there any out there who use a external HDD for mass storage in todays day and age? I need around 4TB and I want it to use USB-C so it fits the Mac correctly without any dongle. Anyone have any good examples?

For backup, yes. Is that what the purpose is? You say “mass storage” … I think for audio/video playback HDD is still good enough but eg i have my photos on an external SSD…

 

[MacCheetah3]

For backup, yes. Is that what the purpose is? You say “mass storage” … I think for audio/video playback HDD is still good enough but eg i have my photos on an external SSD…

An SSD should outdo an HDD for a photo library due to NAND having a much better random read speed. However, even a SATA SSD is significantly more costly (e.g, I see a 4TB Seagate Barracuda 2.5-inch HDD for $145 and a 4TB WD Blue 2.5-inch SSD for ~$380). To me, the additional expense isn’t valuable enough. Although, I’m basing that conclusion on archival-type usage (i.e., consumption, primarily read access), not actively modifying media.

 

[haralds]

I use a WD 5TB Passport Ultra for Mac with USB-C and USB 3.1. Clearly measured faster than earlier versions and the USB-C connector is much better than the fragile 3.0.