Hub for 2020 iMac + Samsung T7 Drives

[jordii]

I have a 2020 Intel iMac with USB 3.0/Thunderbolt 3. And a bunch of tiny adorable Samsung T7 "Shield" drives.

I'm running out of USB-C ports. Need a hub.

What should I buy (preferably unpowered)? Or can/should I daisy-chain those drives?

I was told USB-C 3.2 Gen2 (which my iMac lacks) is required for a fast USB connection to the drives, but that I could connect via Thunderbolt 3 at full speed. Is that correct? Does it require different cables or anything?

 

[gilby101]

And a bunch of tiny adorable Samsung T7 "Shield" drives.

How big a bunch do you need connected at once? We need to know that before making a recommendation.

What should I buy (preferably unpowered)?

Preferably powered for reliable connection of many SSDs. If it must be unpowered get the vendor to guarantee it works with x simultaneous active SSDs. With a desktop Mac I would insist on powered hub.

I was told USB-C 3.2 Gen2 (which my iMac lacks)

Your two USB-C ports support both Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1gen2 (10 Gb/s). The 4 USB-A ports are only USB 3.0 (5 Gb/s).

but that I could connect via Thunderbolt 3 at full speed

Your SSDs are limited to 10 Gb/s. So USB 3.1 gen2 (via a USB-C port) will only be a bottleneck if multiple SSDs are going flat out. So Thunderbolt may be of little benefit.

If you do get a Thunderbolt hub it will require a Thunderbolt cable (most likely supplied with the hub).

 

[Fishrrman]

A 2020 Intel iMac should give you read speeds (on the t7) up around 900MBps.
That's as good as can be expected.

In my own usage, I DO NOT leave drives "connected all the time".
Completely opposite.
When I need something on a drive, I connect it.
When I'm finished with it, I eject and physically disconnect it.
Works for me.

 

[jordii]

Yeah, your replies (thanks!) are giving the strong impression that I just need to unplug the printer to temporarily free up a plug. Seems hacky, but the alternative means paying $$$ for slight convenience.

In scenarios where I need two drives connected at same time, guess I’ll disconnect something else…or even resort to a USB-C to USB-A adapter.

Feels like 1995 again, but there you go…