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+--- Thread: Best Bootable Ext SSD for 2018 MacMini?? (/showthread.php?tid=275840)
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Best Bootable Ext SSD for 2018 MacMini?? - prof - 03-27-2023
I'm looking for recommendations for the fastest 2 TB ext SSD to boot my 2018 MacMini running Mojave. I'm assuming booting off one the Thunderbolt 3 ports would be the way to go to achieve maximum thru-put?? Any suggestions appreciated.
TIA,
Prof
Re: Best Bootable Ext SSD for 2018 MacMini?? - Robert M - 03-27-2023
Prof,
A reasonably priced solution would be to use a NVME M.2 SSD like an Inland Performance 2TB and drop it into an OWC Envoy Express Thunderbolt 3 enclosure. Any quality NVME stick will do the job. I can vouch for Inland Premium and Inland Performance NVME stick. I've been using them in various enclosures for a while now and they've been rock solid.
Here's the 2TB Performance model and the OWC box:
I've been using this exact setup with my 2019 iMac for nearly a year. Rock solid. So good, one of my brothers is using the same combo as a boot drive for his Mac Studio and my other brother is using the identical combo for his iMac. May eventually move my office's 2019 iMac to the same configuration except it'd be with the 1TB version of the drive.
Robert
Re: Best Bootable Ext SSD for 2018 MacMini?? - Buzz - 03-27-2023
Here's an already rolled, pretty darn fast option......
I haven't searched for today's best price, but have seen the 2TB rev. for as low as ~$190 in the past months.
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Re: Best Bootable Ext SSD for 2018 MacMini?? - Robert M - 03-27-2023
Buzz,
This review has a very thorough explanation of its speed and whether or not you can take advantage of it with a given machine. Also explains the differences of the various flavors of USB.
Robert
Re: Best Bootable Ext SSD for 2018 MacMini?? - prof - 03-27-2023
The Sandisk 2TB Extreme Pro was the one I was looking at. I'm wondering if using a USB-C cable to the MacMini's TB3 port would take advantage of this drive's speed.
Re: Best Bootable Ext SSD for 2018 MacMini?? - Robert M - 03-27-2023
Prof,
Nope. See the link to the review I just posted. The drive would run at the equivalent of USB 3.2 or USB 3.1 Gen 2 even when connected to a Thunderbolt or USB 4 port. You'd need USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support to take full advantage of the speed. Neither Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4 nor standard USB 4 support USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. Connected to your machine or even a Mac Studio M1 based or Mac Mini M2 based machine can't take advantage of it.
Robert
Re: Best Bootable Ext SSD for 2018 MacMini?? - Fritz - 03-27-2023
on sale at beezees
I can't imagine there is whole lot of difference between various recent SSDs. 1 second? 10 seconds?
Not enough to burn the toast.
I have an 8" floppy boot drive. Kicks rocks.
Re: Best Bootable Ext SSD for 2018 MacMini?? - prof - 03-27-2023
Robert M wrote:
Prof,
Nope. See the link to the review I just posted. The drive would run at the equivalent of USB 3.2 or USB 3.1 Gen 2 even when connected to a Thunderbolt or USB 4 port. You'd need USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support to take full advantage of the speed. Neither Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4 nor standard USB 4 support USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. Connected to your machine or even a Mac Studio M1 based or Mac Mini M2 based machine can't take advantage of it.
Robert
Thank you, that's what I was concerned about
Re: Best Bootable Ext SSD for 2018 MacMini?? - Buzz - 03-27-2023
I slapped the SanDisk on a M1 iMac as a boot drive, where it worked great, until an accidental update from Monterey to Ventura killed the external boot option. I've fooled around w/ a 1TB SanDisk on our M1 Air, but no new data there. Fritz's rec is ample for prof's Mojave Mini, but is not as future proof as the SanDisk, though SanDisk also has their "non-Pro" Extreme model w/ the same price/specs as Fritz's Sammy, but IIRC, the non-Pro SanDisk Extreme doesn't have the spiffy aluminum frame/heat sink the Pro model does. Fritz's Sammy looks like it's got more metal, though I'm not aware of any heat issues w/ any SSD's of that (1050MB/s) genre, plus it's the "rugged" version, for those that like their SSD rough.
Any of the suggestions here are gonna be fine for prof's need w/ the Mojave Mini....
really just boils down to price/ease of use/future proofing/color choice(s). etc.
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Re: Best Bootable Ext SSD for 2018 MacMini?? - RAMd®d - 03-27-2023
I"ve got the 1T Extreme Pro and Plain 'Ol Pro SanDisks, and they will not reach anywhere near their potential on a 2018 mini.
Both max out at ~950Mbps, not particularly notable performance.
They'll actually be faster on on an Intel Mac, than the mini, and the reason is probably addressed in Robert's post(s).
My Envoy Express with either an Adata or one other m.2 SSD (don't remember the brand, off the top) max out at about 1400Mbps, well under their potential, not counting the theoretical maximum.
And any theoretical rating you see will be less when the drive is used with a supporting Mac.
So if one wants an idea of throughput performance, one should look for testing done on a Mac, and be aware if it's Intel or Apple Silicon powered.