- Solid State Drive For Macbook Air
- Solid State Hard Drive Mac
- Solid State Drive For Mac Pro
- Solid State Drive For Mac Mini 2014
Upgrade your MacBook Pro to an SSD for up to 6x the capacity and 106x the speed of the original drive. Includes DIY install videos to make upgrading easy. SSD upgrade kits include all tools needed to safely upgrade your Mac. OWC Solid State Drives. Experience the true speed of your Mac with an OWC SSD flash storage.
The hard drives in the new 2018 Mac mini are PCIe which means they are very fast, but also expensive. Unlike previous models, you cannot upgrade the internal hard drive. It is soldered in. But thanks to the USB-C interface on the new Mac Mini, an external SSD drive is now a good option. I chose to buy the smaller (and cheaper) 250GB Mac Mini and supplement it with a 500GB external SSD drive.
USB-C Gen 2 can handle the speeds of most (but not all) SSD drives. So unless you want a very high-end solution, you’ll be fine using an external SSD over USB. An external SSD drive plugged in via USB-C will only be 1/5 the speed of the new internal PCIe drives, but it’s still fast. The external SSD drive on my new mac mini is faster than the internal non-PCIe SSD drive on my previous mac mini.
An external hard drive or SSD (Solid State Drive) is a device that can plug into your machine, giving you an instant boost to storage space, without having to go down the road of pricey computer upgrades. Best Rated in External Solid State Drives Previous page G-Technology 2TB G-DRIVE Mobile SSD Durable Portable External Storage - USB-C (USB 3.1), Up to 560 MB/s - 0G06054. Yet there’s something you can do for $200 to $500 that will radically change your iMac’s performance: install a solid state drive (SSD) in addition to or instead of its original hard drive.
1. Buying a drive.
My first purchase was a Samsung S5. It’s fast, it’s USB-C Gen 2, and it’s cheap. But it caused a 30-second delay each time my mac booted up. Apparently, this is a common problem nnd Apple support were unable to help me resolve it.
The drive I ended up using was the Seagate Fast SSD. It’s fast and works well. I purchased the 500GB version. I’ve already filled it up so end hindsight I publish should have gone for the 1 TB version but I was trying to save soem money.
2. What to put on it.
Now that you’ve connected your drive you need to choose which data to store on it. I used to recommend using your new SSD as the boot drive, but given that the internal SSD drive is now faster, you are better off booting off your internal drive and just putting some files on the external drive.
![State State](https://www.sync-store.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/512gb-solid-state-drive-kit-for-mac-pro.jpg)
I kept OSX and my applications on my internal boot drive, as well as my users home folder. So my internal SSD drive looks like this:
- Applications
- Library
- System
- Users
I moved most the large folders from inside my Users folder onto my external SSD. I did not change my home folder to be the external SSD. I copied the files out of my home folder. I did al this when I was migrating the data accrossform my old MAc because it did not all fit in my new Users folder.
Here’s what I moved to my new external SSD Drive:
- Documents (from my user folder – 40GB)
- Downloads (from my user folder – 5GB)
- Mainstage Sounds (from System Folder – 60GB)
- Movies (from my user folder – 10GB)
- Music (from my user folder – 60GB)
- Pictures (from my user folder including my photos library – 140GB)
When you move your Music, Pictures and MainStage files you need to tell iTunes, Apple Photos and Mainstage the new location.
For iTunes, firstly copy all your music files across to the new SSD. (users/yourname/music/iTunes) Then go to Preferences, Advanced, and find ‘iTunes Media folder location’. Click ‘Change’ and select the new folder.
For Photos you need to copy the folder called ‘Photo’s Library’ across, then restart the Photos App while holding the Option key. This gives you the option to select your new Photo library from the external SSD.
Photos should open the newly copied library and you should be able to see your photos. If that is the case then go to preferences and select ‘use as System Photo Library’ to make this change permanent.
There are some applications that will still want to use files from within your home folder on your internal SSD. That’s okay. I allow them to do that.
I find it helpful in my own mind to know which files are where so I have my documents, my music and my photos on my external SSD and I have everything else on my internal one.
But you can arrange them how you like.
Related posts:
How to speed up your mac with a Solid State SSD DriveWhat’s the best SSD drive for a Mac and how do I install it?Does my mac need more memory?How to get the most out of your ipod and laptop batteryAdding Network Storage (NAS) to your MacRoss Smithsays:June 30, 2019 at 7:56 amHello Wayne – This article answered a question I’ve had about buying a Mac mini and its small amount of internal storage. I chatted with Apple support yesterday. They only spoke in generalities, so I said goodbye once that became obvious. Instead of needing to go into an Apple store, I have the answer in your article!
I am not sure I need the speed of an external SSD, however, I will price them now. We use a 2011 iMac for using the internet, viewing photos and also watching TV. Its display is going, its internal HD is failing, and I cannot find a good repair shop. Everything about the mini seems to fit EXCEPT it wasn’t obvious about the external drive.
I found your website through a link to your comment on a monitor for the mini. That was interesting, but this article gave me what I really needed to know. Thank you.
ReplyWaynesays:June 30, 2019 at 11:42 pm Yes it will depend on what you want to store on it. If it’s just pictures or audio files or a time machine backup then a standard HD will be fine, if you are using it to store applications, or application data, or movies, or stuff that you access a lot, an SSD will be much faster.
ReplyGregsays:September 19, 2019 at 11:22 am Thank you for the clear description in this article! I’m in the situation of using a combination Mac Mini and external SSD.
Would you have suggestions for back-up configuration and software? Of course, I’d like to back up both devices, but will I have to do it to two separate back-up drives or can I combine them in one … ?
ReplyWaynesays:September 20, 2019 at 4:13 am Yes grab a 2TB or 4TB drive and you can time-machine both drives to it, or split it in 2 partitions and use CCC to back up each drive to it.
ReplyLeave a Reply
BestSolid State Drive (SSD) for Windows PCsWindows Central2019
SSDs vary greatly when it comes to price and performance, but there are some that prove better than the rest for most users. The Samsung 970 EVO Plus is genuinely pushing the boundaries of performance for your buck right now for consumer SSDs, and it's impossible not to recommend.
Best Overall: Samsung 970 EVO Plus
Samsung did something incredible with the 970 EVO Plus, offering performance that matches (even supersedes) the 970 PRO but without the insane price tag. The 970 EVO Plus is based on Samsung's latest 96-layer V NAND memory, and with the series starting at an affordable price for the 256GB storage capacity, this is an extremely enticing SSD.
Read and write speeds are 3500 MB/s and 3300 MB/s, respectively. It's super fast.
Samsung 970 EVO Plus offers rapid, yet affordable SSD performance.
Numerous 970 EVO Plus features match other Samsung NVMe SSDs, including the 5-year warranty and overall endurance of the drive. Where this little black stick differs is in its performance, if you're chasing the fastest write speeds possible, this is the one for you.
The only downside to the 970 EVO Plus is the requirement of an M.2 slot, which not everyone may have available. Modern motherboards will usually come with one to spare — the same with a notebook — but you'll need to double-check you have a slot ready for this speedy SSD.
Pros:
- Amazing performance
- Good value
- Solid endurance
- 5-year warranty
Best Overall
Samsung 970 EVO Plus
Insane performance at an affordable price
Samsung has long been at the forefront of the SSD market, and its latest is undoubtedly the greatest with incredible performance.
You can do much worse than Samsung memory. The company's storage solutions are viewed as some of the best in the business. It's also why we selected a Samsung SSD as our best overall option here. There's a 5-year warranty on each 860 EVO, and new owners will be able to enjoy up to 550MB/s read, and 520MB/s write speeds.
That's not too bad for a SATA SSD. Capacities include 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB. While Samsung's SSDs may be slightly pricier than competitor's alternatives, you've got to remember the company states you'll be able to use these drives for far beyond five years. And that's backed with the extended warranty from the factory for each drive.
Pros:
- Great performance
- Solid endurance
- Five-year warranty
Runner-up
Samsung 860 EVO
Performance you need at a great price
The 860 EVO series is Samsung's best-selling solid-state drive (SSD) family, and rightfully so with fantastic value.
Moving up from a mechanical HDD to an SSD like this option from SanDisk is a great way to improve the responsiveness and overall performance of your laptop or desktop PC. SanDisk strikes a balance between performance, reliability, and affordability with the SSD Plus series, starting at a budget-friendly price.
You don't lose too much because of this, racking up speeds of 530MB/s and 440MB/s for read and write, respectively. It's not quite as fast as drives from other manufacturers, like the Samsung EVO series, for example. But for the price, you're getting a solid SSD from a reputable brand — SanDisk also makes some great SD cards.
To top all this off, you can enjoy a three-year limited warranty. Just don't expect to be able to buy a model greater than 1TB as this capacity is as high as you can go.
Pros:
- Reliable with a good warranty
- Well priced
- Decent performance
- Shock resistant
Cons:
- Slower than other SSDs
- Tops out at 1TB
- Three-year warranty
Budget SSD
SanDisk SSD Plus
A budget-friendly SSD upgrade
SanDisk SSD Plus is the go-to choice for anyone upgrading from a mechanical drive on a tighter budget. Free virus scan for mac.
Sporting 560 MB/s and 530 MB/s for read and write speeds, the Western Digital Blue SSD series offers excellent value. Not only do you have a choice of capacity for 2.5-inch drives, but there are also M.2 modules to choose from as well, depending on what slots you have available on the motherboard.
Against other SSDs with similar technology, you'll not notice much improvement, if any. Compared to older SSDs, there is a noticeable improvement in loading times for software and games, and against an HDD is a no-brainer result. Should you have an SSD or few already with similar speeds, you'll likely not get much out of picking up the WD Blue.
However, should you currently be using an HDD for games or an older-generation SSD, the WD Blue series is worth considering. Pricing also isn't out of this world, allowing you to pick up a 500GB and 1TB version at better price points than competitor drives. You can even go up to 4TB if you need the extra flash storage capacity.
Pros:
- Great value
- Up to 4TB
- Choice of SATA or M.2
- Software
- Speedy performance
Best Value
Western Digital Blue
Great performance and value
.net for mac os. WD took full advantage of 3D NAND technology and came up with the latest iteration of Blue SSDs.
If you happen to be running a server on your Windows 10 PC or need to use an SSD that's designed for 24/7 operation, the Seagate IronWolf 110 SSD range is just what you need. A NAS is typically made up of NAS-specific mechanical HDDs that are designed for continuous operation, but now vendors are looking at SSDs too.
This range from Seagate will deliver sustained data rates up to 560MB/s (far beyond what NAS HDDs can achieve) and come rocking some of the same technologies like DuraWrite and AgileArray firmware technologies for enhanced reliability and endurance for 24/7 operation and multi-user environments.
There's also a five-year limited warranty and two-year data recovery cover to further sweeten the deal. These are great little storage devices.
Pros:
- Ideal for NAS/server
- Enhanced reliability
- Solid SATA performance
- Designed for 24/7 use
Best NAS SSD
Seagate IronWolf 110
Reliable and fast server storage
Seagate's IronWolf NAS SSD is what you'd expect from flash storage in a server environment.
Thought NVMe storage couldn't get any faster? Think again as PCIe 4.0 is here. Should you have compatible hardware, you'll be able to throw this SSD into a spare M.2 slot on your motherboard and enjoy some crazy transfer speeds. PCIe 4.0 allows this SSD to reach up to 5,000 MB/s and 4,400 MB/s read and write, respectively.
You simply cannot reach those speeds otherwise, making PCIe 4.0 exciting to see just how far we can push flash storage. Sabrent also packed in some neat features into this SSD aside from the data transfer speeds. You get advanced wear-leveling, bad block management, error correction, as well as over-provision protection to enhance reliability and endurance, not to mention upgradeable firmware.
The only drawback to PCIe 4.0 modules like this is the price. It's new tech so be prepared to pay out some serious cash.
Cons:
- Pricey
- Need PCIe 4.0
Next-gen SSD
Sabrent Rocket
Lightspeed
Should current PCIe 3.0 NVMe speeds simply not be fast enough, PCIe 4.0 came along and bumped the speeds up considerably.
Bottom line
Depending on the available budget, we'd recommend the Samsung 970 EVO Plus because it's lightning-fast. You get not only great read and write speeds, but also a 5-year warranty, high endurance and reliability, and a choice of capacities.
Solid State Drive For Macbook Air
If you can't justify paying out the rather hefty price required, our alternative picks are worth considering. When you want to go all out with the latest technologies and enjoy the fastest read and write speeds around, Sabrent has you covered with the blindingly-fast Sabrent Rocket.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Solid State Hard Drive Mac
Rich Edmonds is a staff reviewer at Windows Central, which means he tests out more software and hardware than he cares to remember. Joining Mobile Nations in 2010, you can usually find him inside a PC case tinkering around when not at a screen fighting with Grammarly to use British words. Hit him up on Twitter: @RichEdmonds.
Richard Devine is a Reviews Editor at Windows Central. You'll usually find him deep in hardware, gaming, both or drinking root beer for which he openly has a mild addiction.
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