Best Portable Hard Drive For Mac Thunderbolt

The Best Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt of 2021 – Reviewed and Top Rated. After hours researching and comparing all models on the market, we find out the Best Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt of. G-Technology has differentiated itself as a leader in RAID storage systems, but they make really good single-drive portable units, too. Their G-Drive Mobile with Thunderbolt is a 1 TB hard drive that runs at 7200 RPM, making it a faster little bugger than some of the competition. The aluminum case is an attractive accompaniment for your Mac. LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C 5TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD – USB 3.0 compatible, Drop Shock Dust Water Resistant, 1 Mo Adobe CC (STFS5000800) 4.7 out of 5 stars 8,188 $254.99 $ 254. 99 $269.99 $269.99.

1. Best Portable Hard Drive For Mac Thunderbolt 3
2. Best Portable Hard Drive For Mac Thunderbolt
3. External Hard Drive For Mac

Summary :

What is a Thunderbolt hard drive? Do you know Thunderbolt interface? Is Thunderbolt the same as USB-Type-C? If you don't understand these questions, you can read this post, in which MiniTool introduces Thunderbolt interface and Thunderbolt hard drive to you.

Best portable Thunderbolt 3 drive. A Thunderbolt 3 portable hard drive would be a complete waste of time and money for most people. Unless you have an older Mac, there's really no need to. Best External Hard Drives for MacBook in 2021. Although choosing an external hard drive is a complicated process but we have made a list of 10 best external hard drives for Mac that you should consider before your final decision. Samsung Portable SSD T5.

Best Portable Hard Drive For Mac Thunderbolt 3

Introduction to Thunderbolt Hard Drive and Thunderbolt Interface

As the name implies, a Thunderbolt hard drive is a hard drive with a Thunderbolt interface, which is a technology developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple.

Thunderbolt is a data transmission protocol combining PCI Express data transmission technology and DisplayPort display technology. Therefore, it can transmit data and video signals at the same time.

So far, the Thunderbolt interface has developed to the third generation: Thunderbolt 3. Thunderbolt 1 and 2 are integrated with Mini DisplayPort (a physical port), while Thunderbolt 3 is integrated with USB Type-C (a physical port). Therefore, Thunderbolt 3 is incompatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2.

In this post, I will mainly focus on Thunderbolt 3, because Thunderbolt 1 and 2 are not popular due to the following reason: their physical ports are Apple Mini DPs, which cannot be used in other electronic devices; therefore, not many manufacturers support them.

Further Reading:

Thunderbolt interface is usually used as an interface for connecting external devices. Therefore, people usually compare it with the USB interface.

Do you really know USB-Type-C and Thunderbolt 3?

Since the USB Type-C specification was released in 2014, many new 3C devices such as Android mobile devices, laptops, desktops, and even game consoles have begun to use this connection port.

USB Type-C port can accommodate multiple protocols. The more protocols it accommodates, the more functions it can implement. The USB Type-C port can accommodate the following protocols:

Data Transmission Protocols: USB 2.0 (480Mbps), USB 3.0 (5Gbps), USB 3.1 (10Gbps), USB 3.2 (20Gbps), and Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps). With these data transmission protocols, the USB Type-C can transfer data. In addition, these protocols also partly determine how fast your external hard drive can be.

USB PD (Power Delivery) Protocol: It is one of the current mainstream fast charging protocols. It can increase power transmission through USB cables and connectors to expand the power supply capability of the USB cable bus. The power delivered can reach up to 100W. With this protocol, you can use the USB-Type-C to charge your phone and computer fast.

Display Port Protocol: It is a digital video transmission protocol that can transmit audio and video simultaneously. With this protocol, you can connect peripheral displays via corresponding adapters to output video and audio, or you can connect external discrete graphics cards to expand graphics performance.

At the same time, you have to face the fact that most of USB interfaces mounted on devices can only transfer data and use USB 3.0 protocol (not to mention USB 3.1 and USB 3.2). Some advanced USB interfaces may integrate USB 3.0 and DP (Display Port) to achieve both data and video transmission.

Only a few full-featured USB interfaces can integrate USB 3.0, DP, and USB PD to realize data transmission, video transmission, and fast charge.

As for Thunderbolt 3 interface, it is the top-level presentation of the USB Type-C interface. It uses Thunderbolt 3 protocol, which must integrate PCI-E data transmission technology and DP technology, but optionally integrate USD PD. In addition, the Thunderbolt 3 protocol is compatible with USB 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1.

Do you know what SSD drive is? This article will explain some SSD Terminologies and help you to fully understand SSD disk.

Best Thunderbolt External Hard Drives

After learning about USB-Type-C and Thunderbolt 3, you may want to know about Thunderbolt 3 hard drives. Thunderbolt 3 is currently the fastest interface in external storage devices. Due to the high transfer rate, the Thunderbolt 3 interface is usually mounted on SSDs to meet the demand for high-speed external disks.

If your computer has a Thunderbolt 3 interface and you need a high-speed external disk to complete some data to HDDs, because SSDs have the risk of data loss when they are not used often.

1. Format to Right File System

If your computer is a Windows PC, you should format it to NTFS, exFAT, etc. If your computer is a Mac PC, you should format it to APFS, HFS+, etc. Whether it is Windows or MAC, they have their own disk management tools to help you format the Thunderbolt external hard drive to a right file system.

Let's take Windows PC as an example. Follow the steps below to format your drive to NTFS file system:

Ccleaner mac os x el capitan. Step 1: Press 'Windows + R' keys simultaneously to call out Run How to see whats taking up space on my mac. box. Then, type 'diskmgmt.msc' into the Run dialogue box and hit Enter key to open Disk Management.

Step 2: Right-click the partition on the Thunderbolt external hard drive and then choose Format.. from the context menu.

Step 3: In the pop-up window, choose NTFS file system and keep other parameters as default. Then, click OK button to start the reformatting process.

As the name implies, a Thunderbolt hard drive is a hard drive with a Thunderbolt interface, which is a technology developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple.

Thunderbolt is a data transmission protocol combining PCI Express data transmission technology and DisplayPort display technology. Therefore, it can transmit data and video signals at the same time.

So far, the Thunderbolt interface has developed to the third generation: Thunderbolt 3. Thunderbolt 1 and 2 are integrated with Mini DisplayPort (a physical port), while Thunderbolt 3 is integrated with USB Type-C (a physical port). Therefore, Thunderbolt 3 is incompatible with Thunderbolt 1 and 2.

In this post, I will mainly focus on Thunderbolt 3, because Thunderbolt 1 and 2 are not popular due to the following reason: their physical ports are Apple Mini DPs, which cannot be used in other electronic devices; therefore, not many manufacturers support them.

Further Reading:

Thunderbolt interface is usually used as an interface for connecting external devices. Therefore, people usually compare it with the USB interface.

Do you really know USB-Type-C and Thunderbolt 3?

Since the USB Type-C specification was released in 2014, many new 3C devices such as Android mobile devices, laptops, desktops, and even game consoles have begun to use this connection port.

USB Type-C port can accommodate multiple protocols. The more protocols it accommodates, the more functions it can implement. The USB Type-C port can accommodate the following protocols:

Data Transmission Protocols: USB 2.0 (480Mbps), USB 3.0 (5Gbps), USB 3.1 (10Gbps), USB 3.2 (20Gbps), and Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps). With these data transmission protocols, the USB Type-C can transfer data. In addition, these protocols also partly determine how fast your external hard drive can be.

USB PD (Power Delivery) Protocol: It is one of the current mainstream fast charging protocols. It can increase power transmission through USB cables and connectors to expand the power supply capability of the USB cable bus. The power delivered can reach up to 100W. With this protocol, you can use the USB-Type-C to charge your phone and computer fast.

Display Port Protocol: It is a digital video transmission protocol that can transmit audio and video simultaneously. With this protocol, you can connect peripheral displays via corresponding adapters to output video and audio, or you can connect external discrete graphics cards to expand graphics performance.

At the same time, you have to face the fact that most of USB interfaces mounted on devices can only transfer data and use USB 3.0 protocol (not to mention USB 3.1 and USB 3.2). Some advanced USB interfaces may integrate USB 3.0 and DP (Display Port) to achieve both data and video transmission.

Only a few full-featured USB interfaces can integrate USB 3.0, DP, and USB PD to realize data transmission, video transmission, and fast charge.

As for Thunderbolt 3 interface, it is the top-level presentation of the USB Type-C interface. It uses Thunderbolt 3 protocol, which must integrate PCI-E data transmission technology and DP technology, but optionally integrate USD PD. In addition, the Thunderbolt 3 protocol is compatible with USB 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1.

Do you know what SSD drive is? This article will explain some SSD Terminologies and help you to fully understand SSD disk.

Best Thunderbolt External Hard Drives

After learning about USB-Type-C and Thunderbolt 3, you may want to know about Thunderbolt 3 hard drives. Thunderbolt 3 is currently the fastest interface in external storage devices. Due to the high transfer rate, the Thunderbolt 3 interface is usually mounted on SSDs to meet the demand for high-speed external disks.

If your computer has a Thunderbolt 3 interface and you need a high-speed external disk to complete some data to HDDs, because SSDs have the risk of data loss when they are not used often.

1. Format to Right File System

If your computer is a Windows PC, you should format it to NTFS, exFAT, etc. If your computer is a Mac PC, you should format it to APFS, HFS+, etc. Whether it is Windows or MAC, they have their own disk management tools to help you format the Thunderbolt external hard drive to a right file system.

Let's take Windows PC as an example. Follow the steps below to format your drive to NTFS file system:

Ccleaner mac os x el capitan. Step 1: Press 'Windows + R' keys simultaneously to call out Run How to see whats taking up space on my mac. box. Then, type 'diskmgmt.msc' into the Run dialogue box and hit Enter key to open Disk Management.

Step 2: Right-click the partition on the Thunderbolt external hard drive and then choose Format.. from the context menu.

Step 3: In the pop-up window, choose NTFS file system and keep other parameters as default. Then, click OK button to start the reformatting process.

2. 4K Alignment

To make the Thunderbolt external hard drive 4K aligned, you need the help of a third-party program like MiniTool Partition Wizard, in which 4k alignment is a free feature. If your computer is a Windows PC, MiniTool Partition Wizard is suitable for you. Refer to the following steps to 4k align the drive:

Step 1: Click the above button to free download MiniTool Partition Wizard. Then, install and launch it on your PC.

Step 2: Go to its main interface and right-click the partition on the Thunderbolt external hard drive. Then, choose Align.

Step 3: Click the Apply button to execute the pending operations.

3. Back up the Thunderbolt SSD

The simplest way is to use Copy/Cut + Paste feature. But if the files are too many or large, you can clone the drive. To clone the drive, you may also need the help of MiniTool Partition Wizard. Please follow the steps below:

Step 1: Download, install, and launch MiniTool Partition Wizard. Then, go to its main interface and right-click the partition on the Thunderbolt hard drive to choose Copy.

Step 2: Choose an Unallocated space as the destination and click Next button. Then, follow the wizard to finish the process.

Step 3: Click the Apply button to execute the pending operations.

Want to get best performance from SSD (solid state drive) in Windows 10/8.1/8/7? You can find step-by-step tutorials from this post. Mac keyboard and trackpad holder.

Thunderbolt External Hard Drive FAQ

Certainly not, the Thunderbolt 1 and 2 use Mini DisaplyPort interface, not USB-Type-C. Thunderbolt 3 uses USB-Type-C port and you can distinguish it from USB-Type-C port by a lightning sign. It is the top-level presentation of the USB Type-C port.

However, the Thunderbolt 3 interface and USB-Type-C port are very different, because the USB-Type-C may lack some features.

To take advantages of Thunderbolt interface, the best Thunderbolt external hard drives are always SSDs. Here are 3 Thunderbolt external hard drive SSDs recommended for you:

1. Samsung X5 Portable SSD
2. OWC Envoy Pro EX (VE) Thunderbolt 3 Portable SSD
3. TEKQ Rapide Thunderbolt 3 Portable SSD

Bottom Line

Have this post answered your doubts about Thunderbolt interface and Thunderbolt hard drive? Do you have any difficulty in picking a suitable Thunderbolt external hard drive? Do you have difficulty in managing your hard drive?

If you have any problem, please leave a comment below or contact us via [email protected]. We will reply to you as soon as possible.

After hours researching and comparing all models on the market, we find out the Best Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt of 2021. Check our ranking below.

2,869 Reviews Scanned

• BUNDLE INCLUDES: LaCie 5TB Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C Portable Hard Drive, SanDisk 32GB Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive, and SanDisk Ultra 32GB SDHC UHS-I Memory Card, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C Cable, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C to Type-A Cable
• SECURE MOBILE STORAGE: This hard drive features an integrated Thunderbolt cable and IP54-rated resistance to the elements. The drive's rugged case protects against drops of up to 1.5 meters (5 feet), dust, and water
• ON-THE-GO CONTENT CREATORS: Universal compatibility, mobility, durability, and lightning-fast transfer speeds let these users move data quickly, wherever they go
• LARGE FILE SHARING: Professionals, consumers, and students benefit from universal connectivity and USB 2.0 compatibility to share large amounts of data with any standard computer
• LACIE AUTHORIZED DEALER: Includes USA Manufacturer Warranty

• Enjoy 5TB of enormous capacity for photos, playlists, docs, and more
• Use seamlessly with Mac, Windows, USB-C, and USB 3. 0
• Back up files with a single click or schedule automatic backups
• Turn footage into flawless productions with one free month of Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan
• Enjoy long-term peace of mind with the included two-year limited .

• Perfect for creative professionals and multimedia enthusiasts
• Thunderbolt 2 interface
• Includes high performance USB 3. 0 port
• Interface speeds up to 10 Gbps
• Thunderbolt 2 cable included

Best Portable Hard Drive For Mac Thunderbolt

• KIT INCLUDES: LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C 5TB External Hard Drive (STFS5000800) | USB-C (USB 3.15 Gb/s) Cable | USB-C to USB-A Cable (USB 3.0 Compatible) | Removable Cover | Slinger Portable Hard Drive Case
• KEY FEATURES: Rugged Design for All-Terrain Reliability | Shock, Rain, Dust and Crush Resistant | Built-in Tethered cable | Transfer Speeds of up to 130MB/s | AES 256-bit Software Encryption | Up to 5TB for Large Project Storage| Bus Powered for Complete Mobility
• Legendary Rugged toughness meets USB-C compatibility, blazing-fast Thunderbolt speeds and HDD performance for up to 130MB/s. Also featuring a tethered cable and IP54-rated resistance to the elements, this rugged drive means you don't have to compromise between durability, mobility and speed.
• WARRANTY: LaCie Authorized Reseller. Includes a LaCie 3 Year Limited USA Warranty

• Blazing fast USB Hard Drive with SSD like transfer speeds
• Megacache Accelerator greatly increases transfer speeds up to 2.3x faster
• Utilizes 1 GB of DRAM cache with speeds up to 408 MB/s
• Includes Buffalo Tools to manage your back ups and more
• Compatible with Mac and PC

• Capture and edit content like a pro with Rugged Thunderbolt USB 3.0, an external hard drive that provides extreme durability and fast performance
• For those who have a need for speed, transfer with speeds of up to 130MB/s using the integrated Thunderbolt cable that seamlessly wraps around the enclosure when not in use
• Trek confidently with a portable external hard drive that's drop, dust, and water resistant
• Includes a one month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan for access to awesome photo and video editing apps
• Enjoy long term peace of mind with the included three year limited warranty.Minimum free disk space: 600 MB recommended

• KIT INCLUDES: LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C 5TB External Hard Drive | USB-C (USB 3.15 Gb/s) Cable | USB-C to USB-A Cable (USB 3.0 Compatible) | Removable Cover | SanDisk 64GB Ultra UHS-1 SDXC Memory Card - Class 10 | Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
• KEY FEATURES: Rugged Design for All-Terrain Reliability | Shock, Rain, Dust and Crush Resistant | Built-in Tethered cable | Transfer Speeds of up to 130MB/s | AES 256-bit Software Encryption | Up to 5TB for Large Project Storage| Bus Powered for Complete Mobility
• Legendary Rugged toughness meets USB-C compatibility, blazing-fast Thunderbolt speeds and HDD performance for up to 130MB/s. Also featuring a tethered cable and IP54-rated resistance to the elements, this rugged drive means you don't have to compromise between durability, mobility and speed.
• WARRANTY: LaCie Authorized Reseller. Includes a LaCie 3 Year Limited USA Warranty, SanDisk 10 Year Warranty

• LaCie 4TB Rugged Thunderbolt / USB-C Mobile External Hard Drive - USB-C (USB 3.1 5 Gb/s) Cable - USB-C to USB-A Cable (USB 3.0 Compatible) - Removable Cover - LaCie 3 Year Limited Warranty
• Storage Capacity: 4TB
• Interface: 1x Thunderbolt (integrated)1x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.0 compatible)
• Interface Transfer Rate: 130MB/s
• System Requirements: Computer with a Thunderbolt, USB-C, USB 3.0, or USB 2.0 portThunderbolt: Latest version of Windows 7, Windows 8 / Mac OS X 10.6.8 or laterLatest version of Windows 7 and later / Mac OS X 10.5 and laterMinimum free disk space: 600MB recommended

• Capacity: 10TB HDD (2 x 5TB Seagate ST5000LM000 installed)
• Interface: USB-C (Compatible with all USB & Thunderbolt 3)
• Bus-powered or external adapter power (included)
• Configurable for JBOD, RAID 0, RAID 1, & big modes. No software required.
• Backed by a 3 year warranty

External Hard Drive For Mac

• Dual Thunderbolt 3 ports and a single USB-C port with support for USB 3.1 Gen 1
• Daisy chaining for up to 5 additional devices
• High-speed data transfers
• Solid, all-aluminum case makes for durability and stylish looks
• 5-year limited manufacturer's warranty

Last update on 2021-01-18 / Affiliate links / Product Titles, Images, Descriptions from Amazon Product Advertising API

How Do You Buy The Best Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt?

Do you get stressed out thinking about shopping for a great Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt? Do doubts keep creeping into your mind? We understand, because we've already gone through the whole process of researching Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt, which is why we have assembled a comprehensive list of the greatest Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt available in the current market. We've also come up with a list of questions that you probably have yourself.

We've done the best we can with our thoughts and recommendations, but it's still crucial that you do thorough research on your own for Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt that you consider buying. Your questions might include the following:

• Is it worth buying an Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt?
• What benefits are there with buying an Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt?
• What factors deserve consideration when shopping for an effective Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt?
• Why is it crucial to invest in any Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt, much less the best one?
• Which Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt are good in the current market?
• Where can you find information like this about Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt?

We're convinced that you likely have far more questions than just these regarding Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt, and the only real way to satisfy your need for knowledge is to get information from as many reputable online sources as you possibly can.

Potential sources can include buying guides for Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt, rating websites, word-of-mouth testimonials, online forums, and product reviews. Thorough and mindful research is crucial to making sure you get your hands on the best-possible Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt. Make sure that you are only using trustworthy and credible websites and sources.

We provide an Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt buying guide, and the information is totally objective and authentic. We employ both AI and big data in proofreading the collected information. How did we create this buying guide? We did it using a custom-created selection of algorithms that lets us manifest a top-10 list of the best available Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt currently available on the market.

This technology we use to assemble our list depends on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the following:

1. Brand Value: Every brand of Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt has a value all its own. Most brands offer some sort of unique selling proposition that's supposed to bring something different to the table than their competitors.
2. Features: What bells and whistles matter for an Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt?
3. Specifications: How powerful they are can be measured.
4. Product Value: This simply is how much bang for the buck you get from your Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt.
5. Customer Ratings: Number ratings grade Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt objectively.
6. Customer Reviews: Closely related to ratings, these paragraphs give you first-hand and detailed information from real-world users about their Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt.
7. Product Quality: You don't always get what you pay for with an Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt, sometimes less, and sometimes more.
8. Product Reliability: How sturdy and durable an Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt is should be an indication of how long it will work out for you.

We always remember that maintaining Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt information to stay current is a top priority, which is why we are constantly updating our websites. Learn more about us using online sources.

If you think that anything we present here regarding Portable Hard Drive Thunderbolt is irrelevant, incorrect, misleading, or erroneous, then please let us know promptly! We're here for you all the time. Contact us here. Or You can read more about us to see our vision.