Ultimate External SSD Buying Guide for Mac Users

If you are using a mac, you really need to make the right choice when buying an external SSD, mainly because macs do not support USB 3.2x2. In this video we talk about the different specs to look into with SSDS, real world speed tests, and my personal favorite SSDS whether you are a consumer, prosumer, or professional.

Background Lights I like

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This video contains affiliate links. If you click a link on this video and then make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

DO YOU HAVE A PRODUCT YOU'D LIKE ME TO REVIEW?
_________________________________________________________

[aarondejesus]

great video to the point and helped me make a decision fast.

[pizza]

thank you very concise and to the point!

[Snapindrgn]

Extremly helpful video thank you very much, you broke it down very and made it very clear!!!!

[aneelamar]

absolutely to the point >> Cheers

[sherwinkhojane]

thank you bro, I'm a music studio professional, did a deep dive into researching this topic and your video explains it best! thank you!!

[toobvu]

Nice summary Adam. What drive do you suggest for Time Machine backup in an audio studio? I avoid HDD due to noise and am seeking coolest / most reliable SSD over speed. USB 3.2 Gen 2 performance @ 900MB/s is fine. I will not edit on this SSD but may routinely copy larger amounts of data. Thanks for any insights you can offer.

[jroscom]

how much faster or what types of performance will i get switching to a thunderbolt 3 ssd vs usb 3? will I even notice a difference?

[FithoTab-xzpu]

Can you tellme please is samsung t7 last long? Because i worried the manufacture not giving tbw information. And from when you use that samsung t7..

[Capt-Cran]

Would appreciate your feedback ... I bought the Sandisk G40 for my new Mac Studio M2 Max 2TB SSD 98 GB RAM ... and it would not mount consistently ... no matter how many times I tried ... when connected it was great and fast ... but it would not mount often ... even after a restart ... correctly ejecting ... or from clear start up where the unit was connect ... and I did use multiple Thunderbolt 4 cables which do work, because I use them on other externals ... loved the build and speed, just could not get it to work regularly ... thank you for the video!!

[ronbo]

Thank You! You cut the crap and got right to the point! I've been all over the place looking at different videos! Getting the Lacie Pro for day to day. Any suggestions for dumping from my old IMAC 2013 to a storage drive that I can pick and choose what I want to bring on board to my new 2024 IMAC? And any thoughts on "CLEANMYMAC X"? THANK YOU!

[jayzee]

Which drive would you recommend to mount on camera and record external B-raw from the Blackmagic Video Assist?

[stanlevin]

Adam: Nice job. How do I know if my 4 year old iMac is capable of using the USB-4 type of SSD?

[scotthamm]

Hey is there any thunderbolt 40gbps hub or dock that offers more than 4 (four) "Thunderbolt 4" downstream ports along with others i.e. USB-A, USB-C, USB4, etc? Sorry if I sound like a newbie here. :)

[DamonLuther]

Agreed. Fantom Drive Thunderbolt is my choice. Almost as fast as my internal SSD on Thunderbolt 3.

[albymetevier]

That was much more understandable than all of the other presenters put together, thanks 🙏

[grayman]

i have been watching reviews on youtube for the last 3 hours without definitive conclusion, until i ran into your video. wish i found it earlier. thank you. for the next video, i wish you make on "fastest dual thumb drives in the market". by dual i am referring to have regular USB on one side (for backward compatibility) and USB-C (thunderbolt 3/4 if there is such drive) on the other end. i am not sure i explained myself very good but i think you will manage to get the idea.

[webbimato]

I just "built" 4tb tb4 drive with Zike enclosure and Samsung 990 pro ssd. Price is way way cheaper than any of those ready built options out there. Speed is very good around 2800/3100. But man does it get warm. And by warm I mean burning hot after some time in Final Cut Pro. I bet the ssd is just loving being inside that aluminum oven... Maybe the most furious ssd wasn't the best option. That is why you spend money for ready built stuff.

[versevisionsdaily]

Is the SanDisk Professional 4TB PRO-G40 SSD good also for storing games and playing off of it? Say, a game like World of Warcraft which is a very heavy game.

[rocheuro]

nice vid and explanation. I got x9 pro 2tb. can you confirm that 2tb should be enough for easy editing ? up to 10min. ?

[amatomariano]

Hey how are you? Between the lacie pro and the g40 sandisk, which one would you buy for a MacBook Pro m2 max for video editing?
I read sandisk users report many problems on the sandisk portable ssd.
Thank you.