Support Centralize With an External Hard Drive Thunderbolt 3 Dock. Get windows 10 application. Laptops today are powerful and portable, but their slim build means fewer ports and memory card slots—and therefore more dongles. Support Centralize With an External Hard Drive Thunderbolt 3 Dock. Laptops today are powerful and portable, but their slim build means fewer ports and memory card slots—and therefore more dongles. If you're looking for a fast SSD drive that won't break the bank, this Samsung T5 is a great way to get started. While 500GB is by no means expansive, it's big enough for most short. A new generation of ThunderBolt 3 drives for Mac and DIY enclosures will the the best backup drive choice for truly high-end computing and enterprise environments. Can you use a xbox 1 controller on ps4. For the average Apple consumer with more modest needs, the second generation of full-speed USB 3.1 Type-C. Fortunately, Thunderbolt 3 offers us an escape into the promise land of high-speed data rates and huge storage spaces. Adobe photography program. In this article we'll cover a few types of drives including SSD, HDD, RAID.
Mac Compatible ThunderBolt3 Storage Devices
With the arrival of iMac, Mac mini and MacBook Pro models featuring 2 or 4 ThunderBolt 3 interfaces, a whole new category of Apple compatible Thunderbolt 3 computer backup drive solutions have hit the market in force. For sheer speed, the best Thunderbolt 3 backup drives for Mac embody PCIe SSD modules or a RAID array of high-capacity, high-speed HDD drives.| Samsung TB3 SSD | G-Tech TB3 SSD |
|---|---|
| Thunderbolt 3 SSD Fastest Mac Backups | Thunderbolt 3 SSD Blistering Data Speeds |
| OWC TB3 PCIe SSD | LaCie TB3 HDD RAID |
|---|---|
| Thunderblade SSD Drive Insanely Fast PCIe SSD Module | LaCie D2 Thunderbolt3 RAID USB3 Port + SD/CF Card Slots |
Utilizing the same Type-C connector that USB-C uses, a TBolt 3 port supports BOTH 10Gbps USB 3.1 and 40Gbps ThunderBolt3 protocols in the same USB-C/Type-C interface.
ThunderBolt3 Drive Enclosures
Apple has shipped tens of millions of TBolt3 capable Macs by now. The marketplace now has sufficent demand to warrant jumping in whole-hog with a new generation of Thunderbolt 3 drive cases. Perhaps only a minority of Apple users truly NEED 40Gbps of bandwidth, so the enterprise and professional markets tend to get very high-end ThunderBolt 3 enclosures peripherals first. Budget concious Mac users have had to wait for more affordable solutions that will inevitably follow. ThunderBolt 3 drive cases are now widely available for those who want to choose their own HDD or SSD storage modules and build a custom backup solution.Akitio Thunder 3 RAID Enclosure
Supports 2.5'/3.5' SSD HDD
ThunderBolt3 'Compatible' Backup Drives
Many vendors are touting some Thunderbolt 3 backup drive products as 'ThunderBolt 3 Compatible' which is their way of saying 'It's really just 10Gbps Gen 2 USB 3.1 peripheral' but hey, it's Type-C plug fits - and it works - in a ThunderBolt 3 port.'Ultra-Fast USB-C Flash Drive For Mac
Type A & C Connectors. Thunderbolt 3 Compatible
Indeed they do, and for many Mac users simply plugging USB 3.1 gadgets in a TBolt3 port will be plenty fast enough for their modest needs. In this space, lean towards SSD Mac backup drive options with USB-C ports to take advantage of solid-state memory speeds. Thunderbolt 3 compatible SSD's based on SATA III modules will be reasonably fast, but those based on NVMe PCIe SSD blades will be so fast they'll max-out the USB 3.1 bandwidth.
Thunderbolt3 'Compatible'SSD Drive
10Gbps USB 3.1 Type-C Interface
Which Mac's Support ThunderBolt3 Backup Drives?
Currently Apple's complete MacBook Pro lineup (both with and without OLED TouchBar), the iMac and latest Mac mini all feature ThunderBolt 3 device support. With the new 'Cheese Grater' Mac Pro Thunderbolt 3 is standardized across the board.ThunderBolt 3 Docks And Hubs
Many Apple users will want to preserve their existing investment in legacy Mac backup drives and other devices. A ThunderBolt3 dock will let them connect a variety of audio, video, network and backup drives using older peripheral connection types while allowing for more modern USB-C and ThunderBolt3 passthrough connectivity. The ThunderBolt3 dock scene is well entrenched with CalDigit, Belkin, OWC, Kensington and others shipping thier docking stations.OWC Thunderbolt 3 Docking Station
Ports Galore Plus Dual 4K Monitor Support
Thunderbolt 3 Ssd External Drive
ThunderBolt3 HDD Backup Drive Hardware
ThunderBolt3's 40Gbps bandwith is total overkill for consumer Mac backup drives that house only a single hard disk drive mechanism. For some, a single HDD ThunderBolt3 Apple backup drive will be the most-affordable solution, but the spinning platters will limit it's performance potential severely.ThunderBolt3 SSD Backup Drive Hardware
Solid-State flash memory is a much better match for ThunderBolt3's potential. Single-drive SSD ThunderBolt3 Apple backup drives will feature either conventional 6Gbps SATA 3 2.5' drives - or far better - a PCIe SSD module which offer noticably better performance.ThunderBolt3 HDD Multi-Drive Arrays
Now we're getting somewhere. In striped RAID 0 configurations, hard disk arrays can deliver surprising sustained data transfer speeds - especially if the HDD mechanisms have large onboard cache buffers and high RPM speeds. But it is the combination of very high capacity multi-Terabyte drives at very affordable price points with a dirt cheap cost per Gigabyte that makes them most appealing. For Apple-based Enterprise data storage, Audio Recording Studios and especially Pro HD Video Editing environments, Mac HDD RAID ThunderBolt3 backup drives will appeal most to those with massive multi-Terabyte data files and a need for speed.ThunderBolt3 SSD Multi-Drive Array
Thunderbolt 3 Ssd External Drive
ThunderBolt3 HDD Backup Drive Hardware
ThunderBolt3's 40Gbps bandwith is total overkill for consumer Mac backup drives that house only a single hard disk drive mechanism. For some, a single HDD ThunderBolt3 Apple backup drive will be the most-affordable solution, but the spinning platters will limit it's performance potential severely.ThunderBolt3 SSD Backup Drive Hardware
Solid-State flash memory is a much better match for ThunderBolt3's potential. Single-drive SSD ThunderBolt3 Apple backup drives will feature either conventional 6Gbps SATA 3 2.5' drives - or far better - a PCIe SSD module which offer noticably better performance.ThunderBolt3 HDD Multi-Drive Arrays
Now we're getting somewhere. In striped RAID 0 configurations, hard disk arrays can deliver surprising sustained data transfer speeds - especially if the HDD mechanisms have large onboard cache buffers and high RPM speeds. But it is the combination of very high capacity multi-Terabyte drives at very affordable price points with a dirt cheap cost per Gigabyte that makes them most appealing. For Apple-based Enterprise data storage, Audio Recording Studios and especially Pro HD Video Editing environments, Mac HDD RAID ThunderBolt3 backup drives will appeal most to those with massive multi-Terabyte data files and a need for speed.ThunderBolt3 SSD Multi-Drive Array
When raw speed matters more than affordability or capacity, expect Apple compatible ThunderBolt3 SSD backup drives to be big sellers. As solid-state drive flash memory costs rapidly plummet, SSD storage is closing the gap in cost per Gigabyte with hard disk technology. More importantly the transition from old-school, 6Gbps bottle-necked SATA III Serial ATA interfaces has given way to PCIe SSD modules. Able to interface directly with your Mac's PCI bus, it has the ability to leverage as much of the 40Gbps bandwidth potential is possible. When pairs of PCIe solid-state modules are combined in a striped SSD ThunderBolt3 RAID 0 backup drive array, INSANE levels of performance never before seen are a reality.Tags: thunderbolt 3 backup drive, fastest thunderbolt drive, fast thunderbolt 3 drive, fastest thunderbolt ssd, thunderbolt 3 drive for macbook, mac thunderbolt 3 drive, apple compatible thunderbolt ssd, thunderbolt drive for mac
External SSD Thunderbolt Backup Drives
Shopping for a ultra-fast PC or Mac compatible Thunderbolt SSD storage solution? Never before has a personal computer interface offered the insanely fast data transfer speeds of the original 10Gbps Thunderbolt, 2nd-generation 20Gbps Thunderbolt 2 drives, and 3rd-generation 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 storage.Minimally TWENTY times faster than the popular USB 2.0 spec, and double that of the competing 5Gbps USB 3.0 SuperSpeed standard, Thunderbolt outstrips the bandwidth requirements of nearly any single personal computer peripheral available today. Conventional hard drives can't fill a fraction of Thunderbolt's data pipeline. So, solid-state flash memory disk drives are the most logical pairing of the two technologies. A PC or Mac compatible Thunderbolt SSD external backup drive can really leverage the potential bandwidth available for the fastest data backups and file transfers you'll ever experience.
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| Akitio Thunderbolt Drive | Monster Thunderbolt Drive |
|---|---|
| Akitio SSD Neutrino Drive 120GB Thunderbolt SSD | Monster Digital SSD 256GB-512GB-1TB |
| G-Technology Thunderbolt Drive | Oyen Digital Thunderbolt Drive |
|---|---|
| GTech TBolt SSD 1TB SSD Combo Interface | Oyen SSD Mini Pro 256GB Solid-State Portable |
| Transcend Solid-State Drive | Silicon Solid-State Drive |
|---|---|
| Transcend Combo SSD Thunderbolt + USB 3.0 | Smallest Thunderbolt SSD Ever Silicon Power Mini Drive |
Shopping For TunderBolt External SSD Drives
In the 2020's we now have 3 generations of Thunderbolt: The original 10Gbps TBolt and 2nd generation 20Gbps Thunderbolt 2 using the mini DisplayPort interface. The new 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 spec has adopted the smaller and more widely used Type-C USB 3.1 connector. In fact, Thunderbolt 3 incorporates SuperSpeed+ USB 3.1 10Gbps protocols so that either Thunderbolt or USB-C peripherals can be used on a modern Windows or Mac computer's Thunderbolt 3 port.Who Manufactures Thunderbolt Backup Peripherals?
Major brands include Akitio, G-Technology, SiliconPower, Monster Digital, OWC and LaCie external Thunderbolt SSD backup drive offerings shown above. These laptop-size affordable consumer drives have a single Thunderbolt port for use directly connected to your computer - or at the END of the device chain. To get dual, pass-through ports, you generally have to move up to the multi-drive RAID array type of Thunderbolt data storage products.Best Thunderbolt 3 Hard Drive
One of the notably rising entrants into the external SSD drive market is Akitio who was recently acquired by OWC. They've long been a maker of USB, eSata, and FireWire drive enclosures for assembling DIY backup drives. Introducing a single-port Thunderbolt portable SSD drive like the Neutrino shown here (using an Intel OEM SSD) is the first step in recouping their investment, a 256Gb is available as well (using a SanDisk OEM SSD). Akitio has delivered a nice range of standalone Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 and 3 drive enclosures for homebuilt storage solutions using the SSD or HDD drives of your choice.
DIY Thunderbolt SSD Storage
Alot of folks want to cobble their own Thunderbolt data backup drive together with the HDD or SSD drive of their choosing. Unfortunately, at least for single drives, there aren't many choices of standlalone Thunderbolt drive enclosures available. For multi-drive RAID arrays using 2 or more drives, the selection of Thunderbolt enclosures is better, but costlier.| G-Technology Thunderbolt Enclosure | Seagate Thunderbolt Drive Sled |
|---|---|
| 2.5' Thunderbolt SATA Case Ruggedized Thunderbolt Enclosure | Backup Plus Thunderbolt Drive Adapter For Laptop Size SSD or HDD |
Seagate's Thunderbolt drive sled has sadly been discontinued. It let anyone cobble thier own affordable Thunderbolt SSD solution by simply plugging a bare 2.5' laptop SATA SSD drive directly into the portable adapter's SATA connector. It should be noted the Thunderbolt drive converter only has a SINGLE Thunderbolt port like many of the more affordable Thunderbolt storage products for home consumers. It's not capable of daisy-chained with other Thunderbolt devices.
Best SSD For Thunderbolt?
Several factors determine which SSD is the best match for Thunderbolt drives. A Solid-State drive in general relies on several components that determine a SSD's performance: Whether it's a SATA I/II or III 6G drive interface chipset, and which controller chip: Marvell, Indilinx, SandForce, etc. are the brains of the operation. Other factors in the solid-state drive market involve how fast the onboard NAND Flash Memory is, and the clock speed controlling it. Look to Samsung, WD, Crucial and Sandisk for the fastest off-the shelf SSD's shipping this year.It's important to note that LARGER capacity SSD's 480GB and up offer BETTER performance than the smaller models: More banks of chips inside a higher-capacity SSD drive allow more simultaneous reads and writes across the banks of flash memory. As such you'll often see spec sheets quoting different maximum data transfer rates depending on the size of the drive. With solid-state storage, bigger is better - and faster.
Thunderbolt RAID SSD - Power Pair
Want to fill as much of Thunderbolt's pipeline as possible? Think Striped RAID 0 SSD drive setups for peak performance. By striping Reads and Writes across multiple solid-state drives or modules, the highest level of drive transfer speeds become possible. Some may opt for premium top-performance PCIe NVMe SSD's, others may wish to leverage more economical drives paired to get the Thunderbolt drive capacity they need and still fit their budget.The direct 10Gbps pipeline that Thunderbolt taps into via the PCI-Express system bus offers mind blowing backup and data copy speeds compared to USB 3.0 or FireWire provided it's matched with equally fast solid-state SSD storage technologies. A growing range of enterprise, professional and consumer PC and Mac SSD Thunderbolt backup solutions are now shipping.
A Thunderbolt SSD flash memory drive is the best technological match for the insanely high bandwidth that a Thunderbolt inferface provides. With no moving parts, high reliability, zero latency and near-zero access times, they're a perfect match for this cutting-edge computer peripheral interface from Apple and Intel.
Currently, a few of the best choices in solid-state backup are LaCie 512GB Thunderbolt SSD dual-drive array which also now offers a 1 Terabyte version for demanding, Pro users. These LaCie high-end models combine dual 256GB/512GB SATA III Solid-State drives for mirrored or striped RAID 0 performance that delivers mind-blowing transfer speeds - at a price. Their Little Big Disk SSD drives also have TWO TBolt ports on the back for daisy-chaining with other devices.
For more affordable consumer options, the single-drive LaCie Rugged USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt SSD has high-speed combo interfaces for both USB 3.0/2.0 or Thunderbolt connectivity. The Thunderbolt Rugged series uses a single SSD drive for respectable performance - and the added value of flexibility to use it with older and non-TBolt equipped USB port Macs or PCs. The latest revision of the solid-state Rugged portable drive now includes a short, integrated Thunderbolt cable for quick connectivity, and still allows optional connection to a USB port if needed.
The Elgato Thunderbolt SSD Drive has been shipping for quite some time. ElGato also uses a single SSD drive module for more modest but still very snappy performance in either 120GB or 240GB capacities - but it's pricing hasn't dropped to be truly competitive with LaCie or other new arrivals in the marketplace. A new 512GB and 1TB SSD drive with combo Thunderbolt + USB 3.0 interface recently shipped, but the price is high.
Please visit the other pages of this site to explore the diverse market of PC and Mac compatible external SSD Thunderbolt drive options for budgets large and small.
