Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Fastest and Reliable SSD 2.5" thundebolt enclosure
- Thread starter dollystereo
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I've had no problems running a 2.5" SSD from the Seagate Thunderbolt adapter sled (STAE128). I like that option since I can pop in any drive I want (or use the sled to connect 3.5" drives through Thunderbolt, though using some additional cables and power).
With that setup you could snag one of the Crucial 480GB SSDs for $260 and the adapter for $90 and have a pretty awesome setup.
I think the Lacie rugged works well, though I haven't done any tests. (And I do get SATAIII speeds from the Seagate adapter).
With that setup you could snag one of the Crucial 480GB SSDs for $260 and the adapter for $90 and have a pretty awesome setup.
I think the Lacie rugged works well, though I haven't done any tests. (And I do get SATAIII speeds from the Seagate adapter).
Hi. This sounds interesting. When you plug a 2.5" drive/SSD into the sled, does it lie flat on the sled or do you use some sort of spacer to support it? (I guess there must be some sort of space if a 3.5" drive could fit onto it also.)
There is actually maybe a 1/16" gap that I usually will put something in there to be flush, but I also bought some empty Seagate 2.5" cages that fit perfectly with this (or you can use nothing at all, which is fine). On the 3.5" HDD front, I actually use a female to male SATA cable and plug that into the sled (its just a straight SATA connection). Then I power the 3.5" with an external brick and molex/sata power connector. Not super pretty, but it does get the job done.
If you bought the larger Seagate Thunderbolt adapter for 3.5" drives, it wouldn't require any additional power, and gives you two Thunderbolt ports for daisy chaining.
Overall I've been happy enough with this setup (I was doing this before USB 3.0 was added, so things are a bit easier to manage 3.5" drives with that addition to the macs).
Ah, I see. Thanks for that. Seems like a very useful and flexible setup for (careful) stationary use. Basically a thunderbolt drive dock or caddy. I also like the idea of the larger thunderbolt adapter (STAE129) to make the power easier for 3.5" drives. Unfortunately it seems to be 50% more expensive at Amazon. I'll have to consider this. Thanks.
The OP is probably looking for a more enclosed enclosure, though. Sorry to go off on a tangent!
The OP is probably looking for a more enclosed enclosure, though. Sorry to go off on a tangent!
The seagate solution looks good, maybe I will give it a try.
I am tired of my FW800 external drive, is so slow....
I am tired of my FW800 external drive, is so slow....
I started with the Seagate "GoFlex" solution which at the time offered a drive in a case but no actual interface. The interface was seperate an gaave a chice - in my case I have the Thunderbold "sled" and a USB one. This means I can easily move the external drive between my MBA.rMBP and my Windows Desktop and get optimum throughput on either platform. The downside of the drive is that it is only a5400RPM device whicg is somewhat pointless with either interface. Thanks to Google I found a description on how to take the case apart and I now has a 256GN SSD in there. With the Thunderbolt adapter I see no difference between internal & external drives and still have the flexiblilty. While simply attaching the bare SSD to the sled works fine at home on the desk its not so practical while travelling.