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Thunderbolt sataIII enclosure

K

killerham

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 12, 2009
23
0
I want to buy a thunderbolt enclosure for an SSD to replace my boot drive for my 2011 27" iMac.

I've been looking at the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt: https://www.lacie.com/se/products/product.htm?id=10629

But it comes with a hard drive. Where can I get just the enclosure?

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Ooops, posted this in the wrong section. But can't find the delete button.
 
Unfortunately I haven't seen a reputable company produce an empty 2.5" Thunderbolt enclosure. However there is also the Elgato Thunderbolt SSD that would be an alternative to the LaCie
 
You can get the Lacie with the cheapest drive you can buy, pretty easy to replace (I did on mine).

To not waste the drive that comes with it, you can buy a USB 3 or even 2 and use that drive for Time Machine backups and keep the drive encrypted and off-site, for example at work.
 
jdphoto said:
Unfortunately I haven't seen a reputable company produce an empty 2.5" Thunderbolt enclosure.
Click to expand...

I have.

I've been using the Delock 42490 for the past 7 months to boot OS X off a Samsung 840 EVO 500GB and it's been flawless. I actually have it split down the middle with BootCamp and it works perfectly for that as well.

It is solidly constructed aluminum, easy installation (even comes with a screwdriver for the case screws) and AC-powered. It is very hard to beat at the price.

TRIM can be enabled with Trim Enabler or Chameleon SSD Optimizer and you can easily update SSD firmware in BootCamp Windows.
 
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SaSaSushi said:
I have.

I've been using the Delock 42490 for the past 7 months to boot OS X off a Samsung 840 EVO 500GB and it's been flawless. I actually have it split down the middle with BootCamp and it works perfectly for that as well.

It is solidly constructed aluminum, easy installation (even comes with a screwdriver for the case screws) and AC-powered. It is very hard to beat at the price.

TRIM can be enabled with Trim Enabler or Chameleon SSD Optimizer and you can easily update SSD firmware in BootCamp Windows.
Click to expand...

That's a good find and a good price. Certainly a cheaper option. I think this would work well for the OP's situation as the iMac is stationary. The fact this requires a separate power adapter (according to Amazon description) is annoying and makes it a no go for any portable/laptop application, and it also doesn't have a USB option. Also wouldn't necessarily call DeLock a "reputable brand".
 
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jdphoto said:
The fact this requires a separate power adapter (according to Amazon description) is annoying and makes it a no go for any portable/laptop application.
Click to expand...

As SSDs become more and more energy-efficient it is less of a concern, but I would still prefer to have AC-power for any larger, high performance drives. As you mentioned, this is a non-issue for those with desktops. It sits behind my iMac and it hasn't moved.

and it also doesn't have a USB option.
Click to expand...

I don't consider this a demerit. It's a Thunderbolt enclosure. One could always get an Inateck FEU3NS1-E UASP USB3 enclosure for $19.

Also wouldn't necessarily call DeLock a "reputable brand".
Click to expand...

They're a Taiwanese company. I've had contact with their customer service department who were prompt and helpful. They may not be well known yet but that doesn't equal disreputable.
 
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