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Mac Pro Late 2013 and USB-C external drives.

M

MaxRool

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 19, 2001
69
1
Lives in Melbourne, works in Sydney
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
 
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.
 
Last edited:
MaxRool said:
Thanks Amethyst, I guess I should have stated I wanted to be able to use thunderbolt 2 speeds and bypass USB 3
Click to expand...
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.
 
Amethyst1 said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
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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.
 
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MaxRool said:
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.
Click to expand...

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