Fast/affordable external SSD (Type-C?)

[canadaeh?]

Am I blind? I see nothing about TRIM support in either link

Edit: only shows up on desktop site.

yeah maybe it looks different in mobile view but the tech specs show that chipset supports UASP and TRIM. Think I paid about $40CDN so I think it qualifies as affordable (and fast)

 

[mathemabeat]

If you guys want to roll your own external SSD, I picked up from Microcenter the Inland 2.5" USB 3.1 Type C enclosure:

http://www.microcenter.com/product/470497/25_Aluminum_Hard_Drive_Enclosure_with_USB_31_Type_C



I have a 500gig Samsung 850 Evo in it. Im getting 460+ megs/sec write speed and 540 megs/sec read speed.

It comes with a pretty flexible 12 inch Type C cable.

 

[Weaselboy]

yeah maybe it looks different in mobile view but the tech specs show that chipset supports UASP and TRIM. Think I paid about $40CDN so I think it qualifies as affordable (and fast)

That article is a bit misleading. TRIM will not work over USB. Here is an older post of mine that explains.

You are correct. USB cannot pass along the SATA TRIM command.

What some people have read and it has caused confusion, is some UASP (USB-attached SCSI protocol) enclosure chipsets can convert the SCSI Unmap command (similar to TRIM) to TRIM commands at the drive. Windows can run this SCSI Unmap command with the Powershell command Optimize-Volume and the -ReTrim option. OS X cannot run the SCSI Unmap command (at least not that I have been able to find). So at this point, no matter what chipset you use, you are not going to get TRIM over USB on a Mac.

There is some discussion at the bottom of this article.

 

[canadaeh?]

That article is a bit misleading. TRIM will not work over USB. Here is an older post of mine that explains.

I've read the opposite, where it will work over USB. This is the article that first made me look into USB-C enclosures:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/10708/satechi-and-startech-usb-31-gen-2-typec-hddssd-enclosures-review

Thoughts?

EDIT: just realized that your link is my link!

 

[Weaselboy]

EDIT: just realized that your link is my link!

LOL yeah....

This is what I am talking about from the article. The problem is macOS does not have that SCSI UNMAP command, so there is no way to get TRIM (or the SCSI UNMAP equivalent) in macOS over the USB bus.

Storage bridges that support UASP fully can translate the SCSI UNMAP command to TRIM commands for SSDs connected to the downstream port.

 

[canadaeh?]

LOL yeah....

This is what I am talking about from the article. The problem is macOS does not have that SCSI UNMAP command, so there is no way to get TRIM (or the SCSI UNMAP equivalent) in macOS over the USB bus.

Ok well this is even more confusing. Debates rage on about whether or not TRIM is even required any more. UASP is all about reducing protocol overhead and I get that. The USB enclosure says TRIM is supported however Apple System Profiler for my Apple internal 1TB SSD also says TRIM Support = Yes

I used to take it that it meant TRIM was enabled. Now I'm starting to doubt whether is just simply means TRIM is supported but not enabled. When I run TRIM Enabler, it says that it isn't enabled on either of the drives (Apple internal and Samsung 480 in the USB enclosure)

 

[casperes1996]

This is what I am talking about from the article. The problem is macOS does not have that SCSI UNMAP command, so there is no way to get TRIM (or the SCSI UNMAP equivalent) in macOS over the USB bus.

Do you know if this is still the case in High Sierra / Do you know of a way I can test (I have the dev beta). – I have no reason to believe it's changed, but maybe.

 

[Weaselboy]

Do you know if this is still the case in High Sierra / Do you know of a way I can test (I have the dev beta). – I have no reason to believe it's changed, but maybe.

I don't have HS, so dunno, but macOS has never had that UNMAP command, so I would be surprised if they have added it.