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External SATA SSDs

BrianBaughn

BrianBaughn

macrumors G3
Original poster
Feb 13, 2011
9,822
2,494
Baltimore, Maryland
Looks like my Hackintosh is dead so a Mac Studio is likely in my future.

I've got several SATA SSDs I'll be pulling from the case. What's the best option to get these connected externally to the new Mac? Aesthetics are not that important.
 
C

ColdCase

macrumors 68040
Feb 10, 2008
3,364
276
NH
The best option is a JBod Thunderbolt 3 or 4 enclosure with more slots than you have drives. The OWC flex 8 is a nice option.

If you don't care about speed, put them in a bunch of USBC enclosures, connect then to a USB hub(s) and then the Studio. If you intend to buy a studio display, that may provide extra ports.
 
BrianBaughn

BrianBaughn

macrumors G3
Original poster
Feb 13, 2011
9,822
2,494
Baltimore, Maryland
Thanks for the suggestions!

I'm mapping this out and I think I can get by with a couple of new 3.5" HD enclosures and two USB-C to SATA 2.5" connectors or enclosures.
 
W

whodiini

macrumors regular
Aug 16, 2021
157
63
I have been using this one a very long time.

www.amazon.com

Inateck Aluminum USB-C RAID HDD Enclosure Dual Bay with a Portable Stand for 2x 2.5" SATA SSD/HDD Hard Drive Enclosure, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C Port with 10 Gbps Superspeed,FE2101

Inateck Aluminum USB-C RAID HDD Enclosure Dual Bay with a Portable Stand for 2x 2.5" SATA SSD/HDD Hard Drive Enclosure, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C Port with 10 Gbps Superspeed,FE2101
www.amazon.com

There is a similar one available that is available
www.amazon.com

Cable Matters 10Gbps Aluminum Dual Bay 2.5 Inch External SSD Enclosure (USB C Enclosure) with USB-C and USB-A Cables Supporting RAID 1 and RAID 0 - Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 / Thunderbolt 3 Port Compatible

Cable Matters 10Gbps Aluminum Dual Bay 2.5 Inch External SSD Enclosure (USB C Enclosure) with USB-C and USB-A Cables Supporting RAID 1 and RAID 0 - Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 / Thunderbolt 3 Port Compatible
www.amazon.com

Highly recommended. Been using since 2018, no issues until I tried to firmware flash it and bricked it. If you buy it with the current firmware, it has trim and UASP.
 
sparkie7

sparkie7

macrumors 68020
Oct 17, 2008
2,430
202
Is there an enclosure that holds SSD's as well as HDD's?

Or can I hook up my Mac Pro and use it like a server?
 
C

ColdCase

macrumors 68040
Feb 10, 2008
3,364
276
NH
Most 3.5 drive enclosures include mounting holes for smaller drives, should be in the enclosure specs. Otherwise there are adapters that you mount the small drives in that are compatible with 3.5 inch bays.
 
dimme

dimme

macrumors 68040
Feb 14, 2007
3,251
31,897
SF, CA
I have one of these holding 4 SSD's, very good product.

OWC ThunderBay 4 mini

With four 2.5-inch drive bays, OWC ThunderBay 4 mini transforms your SSDs and HDDs into a pro-grade, Thunderbolt storage solution in a compact design.
eshop.macsales.com eshop.macsales.com
 
handheldgames

handheldgames

macrumors 68000
Apr 4, 2009
1,943
1,170
Pacific NW, USA
dimme said:
I have one of these holding 4 SSD's, very good product.

OWC ThunderBay 4 mini

With four 2.5-inch drive bays, OWC ThunderBay 4 mini transforms your SSDs and HDDs into a pro-grade, Thunderbolt storage solution in a compact design.
eshop.macsales.com eshop.macsales.com
Click to expand...
Yes - the Thunderbay 4 mini is geared towards SATAIII SSD's. Thanks for pointing it out.

As for the OP... You can search on amazon for an 8 bay jobd 2.5. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=8+bay+jb...&sprefix=8+bay+jbod+2.5,aps,96&ref=nb_sb_noss

1665000807843.png
 
dimme

dimme

macrumors 68040
Feb 14, 2007
3,251
31,897
SF, CA
I found the M1 Mac to be very finicky when it comes to multi-bay 3.1 usb cases. For example I have a OWC 2 bay USB3.1 JOBO enclosure that works great on a intel Mac mini. If hooked up to a m1 mini the disk will dismount in a few hours. Search this site and you will see others with similar issues. There are also issues with som multi-bay USB c cases. What ever you try beside to check the return policy.
 
C

ColdCase

macrumors 68040
Feb 10, 2008
3,364
276
NH
handheldgames said:
Thunderbay 4 chipsets are geared towards Hard Disk Drives. While SSD's can work as an option, performance will be much less than desired. FWIW, variants of the JMB585 seem to offer some of the best performance for SATA III SATAs.
Click to expand...
I don't think the OP was concerned about performance.
 
D

DRDR

macrumors regular
Jul 23, 2008
210
195
I am using eSATA enclosures with a Caldigit TB3 docking statiion with two eSATA ports.
 
BrianBaughn

BrianBaughn

macrumors G3
Original poster
Feb 13, 2011
9,822
2,494
Baltimore, Maryland
I ended up with only two external 2.5" SSDs being necessary and I connected them with these for $15 each:

www.amazon.com

Cable Matters USB C to SATA Adapter (USB-C to SATA Gen 2 10Gpbs) Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 / Thunderbolt 3 Port Compatible - 10 Inches

Cable Matters USB C to SATA Adapter (USB-C to SATA Gen 2 10Gpbs) Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 / Thunderbolt 3 Port Compatible - 10 Inches
www.amazon.com

Unfortunately, I have a stack of five 3.5" HDs in USB housings that are also connected…three on all the time. To get all this off my desk and out of sight I got this for $20 and put it where the old hackintosh tower was:

www.amazon.com

HOOBRO End Table, 3-Layer Tall Side Table, Nightstand for Small Space, Beside Table in Bedroom, Sofa Table for Living Room, Industrial Style, Stable Frame, Easy Assembly Rustic Brown BF10BZ01

Are you still have trouble choosing a suitable side table for your small living room ? If so, HOOBRO this side table will be a good choice. With the width of 11 inch , this side table is ideal for a wide variety of spaces, especially for narrow nooks. When you are sitting on the sofa or chair, it...
www.amazon.com
 
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