iPad Air iPad + Display + SSD > useful placement.

[dave_hoppus]

Hi folks!

I’m setting up my workspace for an upcoming move: alongside a work MacBook Pro M1 and a personal iPad 11-inch M1 (5th gen), I’d like to use the iPad more effectively for a private project.
I’m planning to add a Dell S2725QC monitor plus the original Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad so I can also use them as well with my MacBook.
Since the monitor has good hosting and routing capabilities, I have a question: is it better to connect SSDs directly to the iPad and monitor rather than daisy-chaining them through the back of the monitor? I haven’t found much information or speedtests on this, but I’ve read barely about potential data rate reductions and connection issues.

Best,
Dave

 

[chown33]

If you connect the SSD directly to the iPad, then it has to provide power to the SSD. If you connect the SSD through a hub of some kind, which is what I would expect a monitor to provide, then the hub will provide power to the SSD.

The fastest possible data connection would almost certainly be direct to iPad. However, there may not be a substantial difference if going through the hub. Or it might be worth the tradeoff of having the hub power the SSD. If it really matters to you, then you should plan to do your own testing using both configurations. Pick a few large files, such as multi-GB videos, and time how long it takes to write and read using the iPad's Files app. To make sure nothing is being cached, eject the SSD between trial runs. This will invalidate any cached data, and force it to read from disk again.

 

[JPack]

Since the monitor has good hosting and routing capabilities, I have a question: is it better to connect SSDs directly to the iPad and monitor rather than daisy-chaining them through the back of the monitor?

It actually isn't good at all. The monitor is an entry-level USB-C display with a really slow hub (5 Gbps).

You'll want to connect your SSD directly to the MacBook Pro or iPad Pro. Even basic SATA SSDs will exceed the monitor's hub speed.