Need help with external storage for M3 iMac

[Charvel86]

Hey Gang,

looking for advice on accessories for a new iMac rig. finally replacing late 2013, 27” iMac. Opting for 4-port M3 with 16GB/500GB configuration. I am amateur photographer so I need 1-2TB external drive for photo library and another external HD for backup. Also an SD card reader would be nice. Main goal is compact and clean workspace. Performance/Speed is nice but secondary. I’m not a pro.

4 port iMac seems sufficient for my needs. Besides two external HDs, I plan on adding BenQ Screenbar lamp. It’s USB-A powered but I’ll get an adapter. An SD Card reader is a must-have, but I can use Apple portable reader as needed If I didn’t have a permanent solution. All ports would be occupied and I don’t have second monitor requirement.

I found the Satechi Slim iMac Dock which has both internal SSD and card reader. It’s really compact and fits the aesthetic I am going for, but I dont need the other ports in the dock, which are under-powered anyways. $150 isnt expensive but seems a lot for SSD enclosure and UHS-I SD card reader. NVME SSD should be plenty fast for photo library.

I also found a Sabrent dual NVME, TB3 SSD enclosure which would seem to cover Photo Library plus Backup and it’s compact, but not as slick as Satechi hub, NVME for backup is total overkill, and no card reader.

I’m not a total noob, but I haven’t been in market for a while. Are there solutions I should be considering, or is the Satechi sufficient? Only would need a TM backup drive to complete. caldigit seems total overkill. Surprised there aren’t more docks that fit iMac. Dual bay SSD, card reader and a couple of ports would seem to be a nice seller.

thanks.

 

[Bigwaff]

Are there solutions I should be considering, or is the Satechi sufficient?

The iMac has two Thunderbolt 4 ports. Personally I would consider a Thunderbolt dock instead of USB dock.. something like the CalDigit TS4.. expensive, yes.. overkill, maybe not... you are paying for TB on the iMac, take advantage of it. In addition, if you plan to host your Photos library on external storage, I would opt for a Thunderbolt 3/4 enclosure. You'll be glad for the higher bandwidth of TB.

Surprised there aren’t more docks that fit iMac.

By "fit" you mean what exactly?

 

[Fishrrman]

For a "primary" external storage drive, I'd suggest a 2tb SSD. Possibles include the Samsung t7 "shield" or the Crucial X-9. Both of these run at USB3.1 gen2 speeds (1,000MBps, but in real-life you'll see 900-940MBps or so).

For a BACKUP drive for the primary external storage drive, I'd suggest either a second 2tb SSD, OR a 2tb platter-based HDD. If it was me, I'd be looking for an HGST (Hitachi/Seagate) drive. Then I'd put it into a USB3.1 gen2 2.5" drive enclosure.

Card reader?
Loads of them, available at good prices.

Hub?
MAKE SURE you get a powered hub with it's own power supply (not relying on power from the Mac).

DO NOT keep your primary storage and your backup drive in the same enclosure.
The backup should be stored separately.
It might even be worth it to have a SECOND backup, stored "off-site" (not in the same building that your first backup is in).