I just got a 2018 MacBook Pro, i9, Vega 20, 32GB, 1TB SSD, to do photo and video editing with Lightroom and Premiere. Can anyone recommend a good USB-C hard drive and drive enclosure for a single hard drive? I have a 500GB Samsung T3 SSD which I can use for the Lightroom catalogs and temp files but looking for a 5-10TB for the media files themselves. This drive will be backed up to a 2 bay Qnap NAS. I am also considering either the CalDigit TS3 Plus or the OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock for the MacBook Pro. Not sure which is better. When I have the budget and more files I will go for a faster Thunderbolt 3 RAID but for now one drive may work.
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.
USB-C hard drives for MacBook Pro 2018
- Thread starter Padsterman
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have an 8TB WD drive I use to move large amounts of data around. It is USB 3.0. not C, but its a rotational drives so drive transfer speed is the gating factor, not the USB/TB interface.
I got the drive at bestbuy, https://www.bestbuy.com/site/wd-eas...-3-0-hard-drive-black/5792401.p?skuId=5792401. I believe inside is a WD Red 8 TB drive. People have been buying these and "shucking", (being from Boston you probably understand that term better than most) them open because the price is cheaper than the raw 8 TB drive.
I got the drive at bestbuy, https://www.bestbuy.com/site/wd-eas...-3-0-hard-drive-black/5792401.p?skuId=5792401. I believe inside is a WD Red 8 TB drive. People have been buying these and "shucking", (being from Boston you probably understand that term better than most) them open because the price is cheaper than the raw 8 TB drive.
Last edited:
If you do go USB (rather than TB3) all I can suggest is be sure it's a reputable brand, ideally bought from a store that has a good return policy.
Mostly due to availability, I've been struggling with a series of USB 3.1Gen2 devices from a Chinese brand (Orico) since September. I'm trying to get a refund/credit for the stuff, but ultimately I'll just throw it all in a box if I have to, I'm moving to OWC TB3 stuff (which I will have to have shipped internationally).
Mostly due to availability, I've been struggling with a series of USB 3.1Gen2 devices from a Chinese brand (Orico) since September. I'm trying to get a refund/credit for the stuff, but ultimately I'll just throw it all in a box if I have to, I'm moving to OWC TB3 stuff (which I will have to have shipped internationally).
Now looking at TB3 single drive enclosures or G-tech drives:
https://www.g-technology.com/products/desktop/g-drive-with-tb3#0G05368
More expensive but may be worth it. I will see if I can stretch my budget to an 8TB.
https://www.g-technology.com/products/desktop/g-drive-with-tb3#0G05368
More expensive but may be worth it. I will see if I can stretch my budget to an 8TB.
I probably would not spend the extra money on a Thunderbolt enclosure for a single drive. Any real-world difference in performance between that and USB is going to be minimal.
As for docks, I had an OWC dock for a bit. Initially it worked fine but in a short time the USB connections got unreliable, and when I plugged a Samsung T5 into the USB-C port, coil whine was pronounced. I returned it and got the TS3+, which has been flawless.
I don't see the value in TB3 unless you are RAIDing. A 3.5 rotational hard drive at best will do is a little over 100 MB/sec, well within the 500+ MB/sec of USB 3.