Mac Pro Late 2013 and USB-C external drives.

[MaxRool]

Hi all.
I am looking for a solution that does not run into $100’s of dollars to connect an external USB-C or 2 drives via the Thunderbolt 2 port.
I am aware of the CalDigit TS 3 as a solution but I am hoping to find a more economical one.
Any advice will be very much appreciated.
Cheers
Max

 

[Amethyst1]

Are we talking about USB drives, or Thunderbolt 3 drives?

If the former, a simple USB-A to USB-C cable will do the trick.

 

[MaxRool]

Are we talking about USB drives, or Thunderbolt 3 drives?

If the former, a simple USB-A to USB-C cable will do the trick.

Thanks Amethyst, I guess I should have stated I wanted to be able to use thunderbolt 2 speeds and bypass USB 3

 

[Amethyst1]

Thanks Amethyst, I guess I should have stated I wanted to be able to use thunderbolt 2 speeds and bypass USB 3

There is no adapter I'm aware of that allows directly connecting USB-C (non-Thunderbolt) drives to Thunderbolt 1/2. There's this but it's simply a Thunderbolt 1/2 to USB 3.0 adapter so you won't get Thunderbolt 2 speeds.

 

[flygbuss]

Have a look:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/great-way-to-add-usb-c-to-2013-mac-pro.2213162/page-2?post=30842339#post-30842339

 

[MaxRool]

There is no adapter I'm aware of that allows directly connecting USB-C (non-Thunderbolt) drives to Thunderbolt 1/2. There's this but it's simply a Thunderbolt 1/2 to USB 3.0 adapter so you won't get Thunderbolt 2 speeds.

I guess I am expecting/hoping to find a USB-C hub (probably need to be powered) for around the $100 mark that I could use that would be cheaper than the CalDigit one. I have 2 USB-C external drives I want use and can use via the existing USB 3.0 and adapter cables. I have scoured the internet as best I can and the forums here, but can not find the solution I was hoping for. I really appreciate your input though, Thank you.

 

[flygbuss]

The WD Black is around 350,- EUR with 1TB fast internal storage. That would give your 5x USB 3 at 10Gb/s.
So in the end it's cheaper then 100,- for a single USB-C adapter.
Unfortunately I have never found a Thunderbolt 1/2 to USB-C adapter besides the dock / hub solution.
And I've been looking for several years.

 

[Amethyst1]

Unfortunately I have never found a Thunderbolt 1/2 to USB-C adapter besides the dock / hub solution.

Possibly because Thunderbolt only really took off with Thunderbolt 3.

 

[flygbuss]

Possibly because Thunderbolt only really took off with Thunderbolt 3.

And IIRC Thunderbolt 1/2 is PCIe only and doesn't contain a USB stream.
This changed with TB3.
So I guess the adapter would need a dedicated USB controller like the ASM3142.

 

[Amethyst1]

And IIRC Thunderbolt 1/2 is PCIe only and doesn't contain a USB stream.

TB1/2 carries DisplayPort and PCIe.

So I guess the adapter would need a dedicated USB controller like the ASM3142.

Yeah. You could put a PCIe USB-C card in a TB1/2 enclosure I guess.

 

[flygbuss]

Yeah. You could put a PCIe USB-C card in a TB1/2 enclosure I guess.

Yes, thought about it as well but it wouldn't be cheaper than a dock solution.

 

[SpotOnT]

I guess I am expecting/hoping to find a USB-C hub (probably need to be powered) for around the $100 mark that I could use that would be cheaper than the CalDigit one. I have 2 USB-C external drives I want use and can use via the existing USB 3.0 and adapter cables. I have scoured the internet as best I can and the forums here, but can not find the solution I was hoping for. I really appreciate your input though, Thank you.

I really don't think there are any high speed Thunderbolt hubs in that price range. Your best bet might be to look for something used. eBay has some listings for the CalDigitTS3 Plus for under $200. You will need the Apple Thunderbolt 2 to 3 converter to use with that hub. The CalDigitTS2 is even cheaper used, and will have native Thunderbolt 2 support, but it won't have usb-c.

I know you can get non-Thunderbolt hubs in that price range, but in my experience, cheap hubs just aren't worth it. From unreliable connections, drives regularly disconnecting, complete failure after a few months, to power issues leading to a potential fire hazard, spending $100 on a powered hub is like throwing $100 down the drain. I think the best solution is just to live with USB 3.0 speeds until you can afford something from CalDigit/OWC/etc or to consider something on the used market.

 

[MaxRool]

I really don't think there are any high speed Thunderbolt hubs in that price range. Your best bet might be to look for something used. eBay has some listings for the CalDigitTS3 Plus for under $200. You will need the Apple Thunderbolt 2 to 3 converter to use with that hub. The CalDigitTS2 is even cheaper used, and will have native Thunderbolt 2 support, but it won't have usb-c.

I know you can get non-Thunderbolt hubs in that price range, but in my experience, cheap hubs just aren't worth it. From unreliable connections, drives regularly disconnecting, complete failure after a few months, to power issues leading to a potential fire hazard, spending $100 on a powered hub is like throwing $100 down the drain. I think the best solution is just to live with USB 3.0 speeds until you can afford something from CalDigit/OWC/etc or to consider something on the used market.

Thank you SpotOnT, I fear you may be correct about a cheaper solution. I will check out eBay for a 2nd hand something.
Cheers