MP All Models Mac Pro to Mac Studio transition solutions

[JesterJJZ]

So with the recent news, many of us will likely move forward with Mac Studio. Let's talk about our transition plans and issues we might see.

I know I can move my internal 4xSSD array into an external box like one from OWC and it should be fine.
Express 4M2 - https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-express-4m2

My current unsolved issue is I need two 3.5" drives on at all times.. I know I can get a 2 or even 4 bay thunderbolt/USBC enclosures etc, but I can't seem to find one that will sleep and wake with the machine without unmount/mount juggling, powering off/on and fan issues etc.

Basically the way a normal external drive will sleep with a system.

Am I really going to be stuck with needing two separate external usb drives for this?

This seems to be the best I can find, but no mention of sleep compatibility.

OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dual eSATA

Mercury Elite Pro Dual features both high-speed USB 3.1 Gen 1 & eSATA ports to offer the connectivity, versatility, and extreme speeds.

www.owc.com

 

[MacHeritage]

Perfect subject @JesterJJZ ! Can't wait to hear from more Mac Pro users.

Yes, I still love my 5,1 because of that issue, I can control the HDDs better. I've also had reliability issues with every multi-bay external enclosure I've purchased, costing time and money, unlike the built in ones that always keep ticking.

 

[davidec]

I'll await the M5 Mac Studio and in preparation I have purchased the https://www.sonnettech.com/product/echo-express-se1-tb3/overview.html to house my RME HDSPe for MADI (Burl B80) and will also purchase an enclosure to house my 4 x NVMEs that came with https://www.owc.com/solutions/accelsior-8m2
Looks like the OP has a good solution!

OWC Express 4M2: DIY Four-Slot USB4 NVMe M.2 SSD Enclosure

Build a desktop high-performance RAID with your choice of NVMe M.2 SSDs and get up to 3200MB/s performance with USB4, Thunderbolt, and USB-C Macs and PCs.

eshop.macsales.com

 

[JesterJJZ]

I think something like this would work for at least one 3.5" drive.

OWC StudioStack Thunderbolt 5 Stackable Storage Enclosure

Pump up your Mac Studio or Mac mini with the fastest and highest capacity stackable hybrid storage innovation on the planet.

eshop.macsales.com

There's no power button so I would assume it would sleep with the system. It's a little overkill for what I need it to be, and I wish they had one for two 3.5" drives, but it's a start.

 

[SDAVE]

OP a 5-6 Bay RAID 5 NAS via 10GbE is a strong solution.

For anything local get 2-4TB or an external NVME raid.

 

[JesterJJZ]

OP a 5-6 Bay RAID 5 NAS via 10GbE is a strong solution.

For anything local get 2-4TB or an external NVME raid.

I have a 120TB Qnap NAS and 8TB local SSD raid.

I need a solution for always on and sleep-able 3.5" drives. Preferably in a single unit.