Alternatives for Externals SSD with Mac Mini 2020

[uzapucax1]

Hi people!
Do you know of alternatives of good Externals SSD for the Mac Mini 2020? Mine has an internal of 512 GB but it would be nice to have an external for future working files and music at least 1TB

I read some good things in this forum about the

SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD - Up to 1050MB/s - USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2 - External Solid State Drive - SDSSDE61-1T00-G25

Your life’s an adventure. To capture and keep its best moments, you need fast, high-capacity storage that accelerates every move. 1050MB/s read and 1000MB/s write speeds let you store your content and creations on a fast drive that fits seamlessly into your active lifestyle. Up to two-meter drop ...

www.amazon.com

Good speed and the price is right. The form factor kind of clash with Mac Mini aesthetics but it could be a good choice.


This model was also mention but i find it too expensive and i don't know if it worth it

Seagate Barracuda Fast SSD 500GB External Solid State Drive Portable – USB-C USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, Xbox & PS4-3-Year Rescue Service (STJM500400)

Boot games faster, transfer files seamlessly, and stream stored videos to your computer without lag with BarraCuda Fast SSD, a portable USB-C drive dishing out speeds of up to 540MB/s, space for an ever-growing content library, reversible USB-C connectivity, and special file syncing software to h...

www.amazon.com

Any other alternatives that you might suggest?

 

[usagora]

For fastest speeds, you can buy an NVMe SSD + an enclosure:

Crucial P5 Plus 1TB PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 Gaming SSD, up to 6600MB/s - CT1000P5PSSD8 Solid State Drive

Are you ready for next-gen performance? The Crucial P5 Plus SSD delivers remarkable speed and data protection with sequential reads up to 6600MB/s for transformative computing. Engineered by Micron with the latest Gen4 NVMe technology, the Crucial P5 Plus includes advanced features like full hard...

www.amazon.com

 

[uzapucax1]

For fastest speeds, you can buy an NVMe SSD + an enclosure:

Crucial P5 Plus 1TB PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 Gaming SSD, up to 6600MB/s - CT1000P5PSSD8 Solid State Drive

Are you ready for next-gen performance? The Crucial P5 Plus SSD delivers remarkable speed and data protection with sequential reads up to 6600MB/s for transformative computing. Engineered by Micron with the latest Gen4 NVMe technology, the Crucial P5 Plus includes advanced features like full hard...

www.amazon.com

Anker PowerExpand M.2 NVMe and SATA SSD Enclosure Adapter, USB 3.1 Gen2 10Gbps, USB C and Thunderbolt 3 Compatible, Supports M or B&M Keys, and Size 2230/2242 / 2260/2280 SSDs

Model Number: A8314PowerExpand M.2 SSD EnclosureThe Ultra-Compact SSD EnclosureHigh-Speed File TransferInsert your NVMe or SATA SSD into the enclosure and connect to your laptop’s USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 port to transfer movies, music, and more at speeds of up to 10 Gbps.Wide CompatibilityCompatib...

www.amazon.com

That seems like a good combo and price as well.
Is there any drawback between an NVMe compared to a regular SSD?

Speed is important but since they are working file life span of the drive is also good to consider.

Best

 

[usagora]

That seems like a good combo and price as well.
Is there any drawback between an NVMe compared to a regular SSD?

Speed is important but since they are working file life span of the drive is also good to consider.

Best

Actually, I think that Anker enclosure would not be ideal for the NVMe SSD I linked, as the enclosure maxes out at 10Gbps which is only 1250 MB/s, thus making it barely faster than the Samsung one you listed (which apparently is also an NVMe, but limited by the enclosure they pair it with). Check this video out:

 

[uzapucax1]

Actually, I think that Anker enclosure would not be ideal for the NVMe SSD I linked, as the enclosure maxes out at 10Gbps which is only 1250 MB/s, thus making it barely faster than the Samsung one you listed (which apparently is also an NVMe, but limited by the enclosure they pair it with). Check this video out:

Very good info and video too!
I am checking that Mac Mini M1 has USB 3.1 version so most modern USB versions will not work or be as fast. Is that right?

By the way, what do you think about this housing paired with Samsung EVO NVMe SSD?

Housing

ICY BOX M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure with Gaming and Fan and Innovative Heatsink Design with USB 3.1 Gen 2 Transfer Speed for Connecting to Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 Ports

ICY BOX M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure with Gaming and Fan and Innovative Heatsink Design with USB 3.1 Gen 2 Transfer Speed for Connecting to Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 Ports

www.amazon.com

SSD

SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 1TB NVMe M.2 Internal Solid State Hard Drive, V-NAND Technology, Storage and Memory Expansion for Gaming, Graphics w/ Heat Control, Max Speed, MZ-V7S1T0B/AM

>For intensive workloads on PCs and workstations, the Samsung 970 EVO Plus delivers ultimate performance powered by Samsung's NVMe SSD leadership. It is upgraded to be faster than the 970 EVO. It maximizes the potential of NVMe bandwidth for unbeatable computing that meets the needs of the most d...

www.amazon.com

This housing alternative look interesting too

ORICO M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure to USB-C PCIe Adapter 10 Gbps USB3.2 Gen2 for NVMe M-Key/M+B Key SSD 2230/2242/2260/2280, Upgraded M2 SSD Enclosure Aluminum (Cooling Vest, UASP, Trim, Smart, 4TB)

ORICO M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure to USB-C PCIe Adapter 10 Gbps USB3.2 Gen2 for NVMe M-Key/M+B Key SSD 2230/2242/2260/2280, Upgraded M2 SSD Enclosure Aluminum (Cooling Vest, UASP, Trim, Smart, 4TB)

www.amazon.com

 

[usagora]

Very good info and video too!
I am checking that Mac Mini M1 has USB 3.1 version so most modern USB versions will not work or be as fast. Is that right?

By the way, what do you think about this housing paired with Samsung EVO NVMe SSD?

Housing

ICY BOX M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure with Gaming and Fan and Innovative Heatsink Design with USB 3.1 Gen 2 Transfer Speed for Connecting to Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 Ports

ICY BOX M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure with Gaming and Fan and Innovative Heatsink Design with USB 3.1 Gen 2 Transfer Speed for Connecting to Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 Ports

www.amazon.com

SSD

SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 1TB NVMe M.2 Internal Solid State Hard Drive, V-NAND Technology, Storage and Memory Expansion for Gaming, Graphics w/ Heat Control, Max Speed, MZ-V7S1T0B/AM

>For intensive workloads on PCs and workstations, the Samsung 970 EVO Plus delivers ultimate performance powered by Samsung's NVMe SSD leadership. It is upgraded to be faster than the 970 EVO. It maximizes the potential of NVMe bandwidth for unbeatable computing that meets the needs of the most d...

www.amazon.com

This housing alternative look interesting too

ORICO M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure to USB-C PCIe Adapter 10 Gbps USB3.2 Gen2 for NVMe M-Key/M+B Key SSD 2230/2242/2260/2280, Upgraded M2 SSD Enclosure Aluminum (Cooling Vest, UASP, Trim, Smart, 4TB)

ORICO M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure to USB-C PCIe Adapter 10 Gbps USB3.2 Gen2 for NVMe M-Key/M+B Key SSD 2230/2242/2260/2280, Upgraded M2 SSD Enclosure Aluminum (Cooling Vest, UASP, Trim, Smart, 4TB)

www.amazon.com

According to the tech specs, your 2020 Mac Mini M1 (the same one I have, btw) is Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 compatible, so just be sure the enclosure you get is USB 4 for max performance.

Mac mini - Technical Specifications

See all the technical specifications for Mac mini with the M4 or M4 Pro chip.

www.apple.com

 

[uzapucax1]

Thanks for the update!
I got confussed with the USB A being 3.1 but TB or USB 4 is the same, i did not know that.

I think i have to find a housing tha supports USB 4 now (which is USB C in form, right?). I hope i can get one housing that is not very expensive. The video has very good suggestions but they are a bit pricey right now.

I guess the Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe is good enough.

Best

 

[usagora]

Thanks for the update!
I got confussed with the USB A being 3.1 but TB or USB 4 is the same, i did not know that.

I think i have to find a housing tha supports USB 4 now (which is USB C in form, right?). I hope i can get one housing that is not very expensive. The video has very good suggestions but they are a bit pricey right now.

I guess the Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe is good enough.

Best

It's very confusing. Here is a chart that helps a lot, though. According to the M1 Mini tech specs, the 2 USB-A ports on our Mac Mins are USB 3.2 Gen 1 (max 5 Gbps / 625 MB/s). The Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 ports (max 40 Gbps / 5000 MB/s) are backwards compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 2 (formerly called 3.1 Gen 2 as Apple shows . . . confused yet?).

Can USB-C Be Used for Displays?

As USB-C eventually becomes more popular, we begin to see USB-C ports on some monitors being utilized for video transmission. So, why use USB-C to transfer pictures? Aren't HDMI and DisplayPort good enough? Which USB-C cable should you get to stream on a bigger display?

ivanky.com

 

[uzapucax1]

This is a very good explanation but it will take a while to digest 😅😅

 

[uzapucax1]

It's very confusing. Here is a chart that helps a lot, though. According to the M1 Mini tech specs, the 2 USB-A ports on our Mac Mins are USB 3.2 Gen 1 (max 5 Gbps / 625 MB/s). The Thunderbolt 3 / USB 4 ports (max 40 Gbps / 5000 MB/s) are backwards compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 2 (formerly called 3.1 Gen 2 as Apple shows . . . confused yet?).

Can USB-C Be Used for Displays?

As USB-C eventually becomes more popular, we begin to see USB-C ports on some monitors being utilized for video transmission. So, why use USB-C to transfer pictures? Aren't HDMI and DisplayPort good enough? Which USB-C cable should you get to stream on a bigger display?

ivanky.com

By the way, considering that list and in your expert opinion which do you think is the best match for around $200 for a good housing or enclouse and the Samsung 870 NMVe SSD?

USB 4 should be nice but $170 for just the enclosure is too much for me now and unfortunately the nice and budget ICY BOX are all unavailable in Amazon right now

Thanks again for the help!

 

[usagora]

Well, I'm not an expert! But based on your criteria, you'd actually be paying more for the Samsung 970 ($100) + Icy Box ($45) than just getting the original Samsung Extreme you originally linked ($127) and I don't think the internal Samsung 970 would get you any better performance due to the limitations of the Icy Box 10 Gbps max speed. In either case, though, it's definitely going to be much faster than an HDD.

 

[uzapucax1]

Well, I'm not an expert! But based on your criteria, you'd actually be paying more for the Samsung 970 ($100) + Icy Box ($45) than just getting the original Samsung Extreme you originally linked ($127) and I don't think the internal Samsung 970 would get you any better performance due to the limitations of the Icy Box 10 Gbps max speed. In either case, though, it's definitely going to be much faster than an HDD.

The Sans Extreme SSD sounds a a good option then. Too bad is a bit ugly for a Mac Mini setting but passing that it is very good as a choice.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Clix Pix]

What about the sleek, small and elegant looking Samsung T7? It comes in 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB if I recall correctly. Also comes in one's choice of colors: Royal Blue, Red, and Gray.

SAMSUNG SSD T7 Portable External Solid State Drive 1TB, Up to USB 3.2 Gen 2, Reliable Storage for Gaming, Students, Professionals, MU-PC1T0T/AM, Gray

The Samsung Portable SSD T7 is the next standard in external storage. With transfer rates up to 9.5x faster than traditional external hard drives and read/ write speeds up to 1050 MB/s1, you can move massive files around with unparalleled ease and fluidity. Its sleek, shock-resistant design is un...

www.amazon.com

 

[uzapucax1]

What about the sleek, small and elegant looking Samsung T7? It comes in 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB if I recall correctly. Also comes in one's choice of colors: Royal Blue, Red, and Gray.

SAMSUNG SSD T7 Portable External Solid State Drive 1TB, Up to USB 3.2 Gen 2, Reliable Storage for Gaming, Students, Professionals, MU-PC1T0T/AM, Gray

The Samsung Portable SSD T7 is the next standard in external storage. With transfer rates up to 9.5x faster than traditional external hard drives and read/ write speeds up to 1050 MB/s1, you can move massive files around with unparalleled ease and fluidity. Its sleek, shock-resistant design is un...

www.amazon.com

That Samsung disk is really nice in design. It is even $30 less expensive than the Sans disk and I guess they both have the same features regarding speed which is 10 GB/s, right?

The only point is that Hard Disk Interface for the Sans Disk says USB 3.2 and the Samsung USB 1.1 which is slower.

 

[usagora]

That Samsung disk is really nice in design. It is even $30 less expensive than the Sans disk and I guess they both have the same features regarding speed which is 10 GB/s, right?

The only point is that Hard Disk Interface for the Sans Disk says USB 3.2 and the Samsung USB 1.1 which is slower.

I know all these acronyms are confusing, but it's 10 Gbps (gigabits per second), not 10 GB/s (gigabytes per second). 10 GB/s would be 10,000 MB/s, but 10 Gbps is 1,250 MB/s 😉

Also, that USB 1.1 has to be a misprint in the product details. It says USB 3.2 Gen 2 in the title of the product. And USB 1.1 is not going to have 1050/1000 MB/s read/write speeds like they state.

 

[Clix Pix]

I use both and they've been equally fast in my observation, but even if they aren't, it hasn't been a huge factor in my choice to use them.

 

[EugW]

@uzapucax1, I know you said you said you need the drive for working files and music, but what type of working files and what type of music files?

If you're talking about huge design files and music production, then perhaps you need a super fast drive, but if you're talking about Office files and MP3s for playing in the background, then any drive will do.

What about the sleek, small and elegant looking Samsung T7? It comes in 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB if I recall correctly. Also comes in one's choice of colors: Royal Blue, Red, and Gray.

SAMSUNG SSD T7 Portable External Solid State Drive 1TB, Up to USB 3.2 Gen 2, Reliable Storage for Gaming, Students, Professionals, MU-PC1T0T/AM, Gray

The Samsung Portable SSD T7 is the next standard in external storage. With transfer rates up to 9.5x faster than traditional external hard drives and read/ write speeds up to 1050 MB/s1, you can move massive files around with unparalleled ease and fluidity. Its sleek, shock-resistant design is un...

www.amazon.com

The T7 Shield is faster for sustained transfers than the T7 in reviews. ie. They behave differently. Or at least the models they tested (with the same capacity) behave differently.

 

[TzunamiOSX]

Arcasis Thunderbolt case with Sabrent Rocket is working very well with 2300 MB/s write and 2800 read.
I have this combo as System Disk.

40Gbps NVMe SSD Gehäuse für Thunderbolt 4/3, USB4 M.2 NVMe Gehäuse für PCIe 2280 M-Key (B+M Key), USB C Gehäuse kompatibel für Thunderbolt 3/4, Aluminiumlegierung Gehäuse, bis zu 2700 MB/s

40 Gbit/s NVMe M.2 SSD-Gehäuse ANYOYO

www.amazon.de

 

[uzapucax1]

I know all these acronyms are confusing, but it's 10 Gbps (gigabits per second), not 10 GB/s (gigabytes per second). 10 GB/s would be 10,000 MB/s, but 10 Gbps is 1,250 MB/s 😉

Also, that USB 1.1 has to be a misprint in the product details. It says USB 3.2 Gen 2 in the title of the product. And USB 1.1 is not going to have 1050/1000 MB/s read/write speeds like they state.

Thanks for the good info!
Sometimes it gets confusing.

You are right about the Samsung T7 being USB 3.2 Gen. 🙌

 

[uzapucax1]

@uzapucax1, I know you said you said you need the drive for working files and music, but what type of working files and what type of music files?

If you're talking about huge design files and music production, then perhaps you need a super fast drive, but if you're talking about Office files and MP3s for playing in the background, then any drive will do.


The T7 Shield is faster for sustained transfers than the T7 in reviews. ie. They behave differently. Or at least the models they tested (with the same capacity) behave differently.

I work mostly in graphic design with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator files. Illustrator is a bit of a "heavy" app with files that can have 500 Mb and upwards. I don't how that compares in resources with Music Production. I know is not as demanding as Video Editing.

In my previous Mac Mini 2014 1.4 GHz the beach ball did appear from time to time working with large files. It supposed to be a slow Mac. Nevertheless it does have a OWC SSD Aura Pro X2 de 1.0 TB which i used as the main OS system, Apps and Files disk. It supposed to be noticeable fast but to be honest i could not see that. Maybe i did not configure it the right way. I don't know. Maybe even with the OWC Aura Pro X2 cannot do too much if I have a 1.4 GHZ chip.

The T7 Shield SSD looks like a nice and fast workhorse and worth to be a viable option as well.

By the way, how come this SSD is so affordable? It supposed to be fast because is Games oriented, right?

WD_BLACK 1TB P10 Game Drive for Xbox - 1-Month Xbox Game Pass, Portable External Hard Drive for On-The-Go Access To Your Xbox Game library - WDBA6U0010BBK-WESN

With up to 5TB* of additional storage that can save up to 125 games***, the WD_Black P10 Game Drive for Xbox provides the space you need to grow your game library. Deleting old games to make room for new ones is a thing of the past. Included with your purchase is a 1-month membership of Xbox Game...

www.amazon.com

 

[uzapucax1]

Arcasis Thunderbolt case with Sabrent Rocket is working very well with 2300 MB/s write and 2800 read.
I have this combo as System Disk.

40Gbps NVMe SSD Gehäuse für Thunderbolt 4/3, USB4 M.2 NVMe Gehäuse für PCIe 2280 M-Key (B+M Key), USB C Gehäuse kompatibel für Thunderbolt 3/4, Aluminiumlegierung Gehäuse, bis zu 2700 MB/s

40 Gbit/s NVMe M.2 SSD-Gehäuse ANYOYO

www.amazon.de

Looks like a really solid option too. I does have very good recomendation in the video review posted in this tread.
I thought i was only in Amazon Germany but i was found it in the US.

 

[EugW]

I work mostly in graphic design with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator files. Illustrator is a bit of a "heavy" app with files that can have 500 Mb and upwards. I don't how that compares in resources with Music Production. I know is not as demanding as Video Editing.

In my previous Mac Mini 2014 1.4 GHz the beach ball did appear from time to time working with large files. It supposed to be a slow Mac. Nevertheless it does have a OWC SSD Aura Pro X2 de 1.0 TB which i used as the main OS system, Apps and Files disk. It supposed to be noticeable fast but to be honest i could not see that. Maybe i did not configure it the right way. I don't know. Maybe even with the OWC Aura Pro X2 cannot do too much if I have a 1.4 GHZ chip.

That 1.4 GHz 2014 Mac mini is super slow. In recent times, SSD made it tolerable for office use (if it had 8 GB or more RAM) but not for graphic design. Even a super fast SSD is not going to change that.

I'm running an 8 GB 2014 Mac mini with 2.6 GHz Core i5-4278U and that's pretty slow too. I mean it's fine for my business application usage, but even 4 years ago I wouldn't have recommended it for graphic design, even if it had 16 GB RAM.

By the way, how come this SSD is so affordable? It supposed to be fast because is Games oriented, right?

WD_BLACK 1TB P10 Game Drive for Xbox - 1-Month Xbox Game Pass, Portable External Hard Drive for On-The-Go Access To Your Xbox Game library - WDBA6U0010BBK-WESN

With up to 5TB* of additional storage that can save up to 125 games***, the WD_Black P10 Game Drive for Xbox provides the space you need to grow your game library. Deleting old games to make room for new ones is a thing of the past. Included with your purchase is a 1-month membership of Xbox Game...

www.amazon.com

That's a spinning hard drive, not an SSD.

 

[uzapucax1]

That 1.4 GHz 2014 Mac mini is super slow. In recent times, SSD made it tolerable for office use (if it had 8 GB or more RAM) but not for graphic design. Even a super fast SSD is not going to change that.

I'm running an 8 GB 2014 Mac mini with 2.6 GHz Core i5-4278U and that's pretty slow too. I mean it's fine for my business application usage, but even 4 years ago I wouldn't have recommended it for graphic design, even if it had 16 GB RAM.



That's a spinning hard drive, not an SSD.

You are right the Mac Mini 1.4 GHz 2014 is way too slow.
Upgrading its orginal internal fusion drive to an NMVe OWC SSD Aura Pro X2 de 1.0 TB, was a waste of time and money. 🙁

Well, i learn a new thing with that 😀