Can I substitute another cable to my iMac?

[blackxacto]

17,1 iMac, 10.14.2, 24gb ram, to external 4TB WD Passport drive (cheaper).

Ok, the WD cable connectors are Micro B into the WD HD and USB 3 to my iMac. It works. Not ideally, but it works.

Does anyone know if the iMac (Time Machine) will work using a Thunderbolt cable connected to a Micro B connection 4TB WD drive? I have read sometimes a slower connection needs powering to help it carry the load.

Anyone tried this?

 

[Fishrrman]

If the WD drive is a USB3 drive, then you have to use a USB3 cable.

Thunderbolt WILL NOT WORK.

It's really that simple.

 

[mikehalloran]

If the WD drive is a USB3 drive, then you have to use a USB3 cable.

Thunderbolt WILL NOT WORK.

It's really that simple.

And a USB 2 cable will be a lot slower.

external 4TB WD Passport drive (cheaper).

and slower than an SSD in an external drive—a lot, lot slower. But yes, it certainly is cheaper.

Here's the thing. A single SATA III SSD in a USB 3 dock isn't much slower than in a Thunderbolt dock. USB 3 is slightly slower than SATA III. A TB dock cannot make it any faster than SATA III.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

I use a TB external SSD for backups, and also a USB3 external SSD for backups, like the Irish to be sure to be sure.

Backing up both take approximately the same time, the TB being some fifteen seconds quicker over eight minutes. Booting from the external, the TB is much, much faster than USB3. When up and booted, both externals have similar Black Magic readings, as I use identical Kingston SSDs.