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Looking for an external SSD drive - is there any benefit to AC powered vs bus powered?
- Thread starter jclin10
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If you plan to use it as an external boot drive or your main backup drive, I recommend AC powered.
Something like the Crucial X9 (which is bus-powered) will do fine.
As either "external data storage", a backup, or even a boot drive.
I've had no problems booting from it (2018 Mac Mini).
But I must say that since I got my first Mini (2012) back in Jan. 2013, I've ALWAYS booted it from a bus-powered SSD, no problems.
The 2018 Mini has fast internal storage right from Apple, I only use to boot my "experimental copy" of Sequoia, but again, boots right up and runs quickly.
Having said that, how many "ready to use" external USB SSDs actually COME WITH the option to run from an external power block? I don't recall seeing ANY that do.
A SUGGESTION:
IF your external SSD is to be used for DATA ONLY***, I recommend keeping it in HFS+ disk format ("Mac OS extended, journaling enabled, GUID partition format").
REASON WHY:
A drive that's in HFS+ is still "accessible" to 3rd-party drive repair and recovery apps.
I don't know of any 3rd-party apps like this that can really access an APFS drive (due to Apple's refusal to release the details).
*** - a drive that IS NOT used as a boot drive, or as a backup drive that REQUIRES APFS, such as time machine or a CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper cloned backup.
As either "external data storage", a backup, or even a boot drive.
I've had no problems booting from it (2018 Mac Mini).
But I must say that since I got my first Mini (2012) back in Jan. 2013, I've ALWAYS booted it from a bus-powered SSD, no problems.
The 2018 Mini has fast internal storage right from Apple, I only use to boot my "experimental copy" of Sequoia, but again, boots right up and runs quickly.
Having said that, how many "ready to use" external USB SSDs actually COME WITH the option to run from an external power block? I don't recall seeing ANY that do.
A SUGGESTION:
IF your external SSD is to be used for DATA ONLY***, I recommend keeping it in HFS+ disk format ("Mac OS extended, journaling enabled, GUID partition format").
REASON WHY:
A drive that's in HFS+ is still "accessible" to 3rd-party drive repair and recovery apps.
I don't know of any 3rd-party apps like this that can really access an APFS drive (due to Apple's refusal to release the details).
*** - a drive that IS NOT used as a boot drive, or as a backup drive that REQUIRES APFS, such as time machine or a CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper cloned backup.
Are there SSD's with external power supplies? Don't think I've seen one, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I started with Samsung T3 external SSD's around 2016 (?) or so. Booted my 2012 quad Mini from one for 3 or 4 years with no problems doing some pretty extensive work with Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. Bought 3 of them and all are still working fine.
In 2020 I switched to Samsung T7 external SSD's and use them very heavily both as primary data storage and backup. I have a total of four 2tb T7's, two 2tb T7 Shields and three 4tb T7 Shields. Also have two 2tb WD Black bus-powered SSD's. No problems with any of these.
In 2020 I switched to Samsung T7 external SSD's and use them very heavily both as primary data storage and backup. I have a total of four 2tb T7's, two 2tb T7 Shields and three 4tb T7 Shields. Also have two 2tb WD Black bus-powered SSD's. No problems with any of these.