cyberdaniel82
New member
I just took the plunge and ordered a new Mac Mini to replace my archaic Mac Pro. I've read that it's prudent to use the Mini's included hard drive for the OS and applications, but that sample libraries and project files are best housed on an external SSD hard drive. Suffice it to say, external hard drive technology has come a long way since I last purchased one, and I'm lost.
For starters, there's USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3. I would assume that TB3 is the best option in my case, as it offers the highest theoretical speed. I see that it's possible to purchase every manner of enclosure and adapter combination to hook up external storage now. I've mostly been focusing on Samsung drives, namely the 860, the 970, and the T5. When I start reading about EVO, PRO, NVMe, controllers, and form factor differences my head starts to spin. Some places claim that the 970 is several times faster than the 860/T5. Other places have said that it's pointless to buy a super fast drive like the 970 because something in the connection method bottlenecks the speed anyway, rendering it negligibly faster than much cheaper alternatives. It strikes me as more flexible and cost effective to purchase an internal drive + an appropriate enclosure, in effect creating an external drive. I'm not even positive that good enclosures for adapting an NVMe drive into a TB3 external drive exist. Portability isn't especially important for me; I just need a reliable, fast, preferably quiet drive to sit in one spot and hold data. Is the 970 NVMe with an enclosure, connected via TB3, my best bet?
Secondarily... it's a bit over my head to even broach the topic, but I've wondered about the best manner to regularly and reliably back-up one's system. Do most of you use multiple drives in some sort of array so that if one fails, the others retain your data? Have you moved over to relying on cloud storage?
Obviously, technology isn't my strong suit. I only delve into it because it's a prerequisite for recording music, which is the part I love. Feel free to laugh at my ignorance, but please show a little mercy and point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance for any help you provide! )
For starters, there's USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3. I would assume that TB3 is the best option in my case, as it offers the highest theoretical speed. I see that it's possible to purchase every manner of enclosure and adapter combination to hook up external storage now. I've mostly been focusing on Samsung drives, namely the 860, the 970, and the T5. When I start reading about EVO, PRO, NVMe, controllers, and form factor differences my head starts to spin. Some places claim that the 970 is several times faster than the 860/T5. Other places have said that it's pointless to buy a super fast drive like the 970 because something in the connection method bottlenecks the speed anyway, rendering it negligibly faster than much cheaper alternatives. It strikes me as more flexible and cost effective to purchase an internal drive + an appropriate enclosure, in effect creating an external drive. I'm not even positive that good enclosures for adapting an NVMe drive into a TB3 external drive exist. Portability isn't especially important for me; I just need a reliable, fast, preferably quiet drive to sit in one spot and hold data. Is the 970 NVMe with an enclosure, connected via TB3, my best bet?
Secondarily... it's a bit over my head to even broach the topic, but I've wondered about the best manner to regularly and reliably back-up one's system. Do most of you use multiple drives in some sort of array so that if one fails, the others retain your data? Have you moved over to relying on cloud storage?
Obviously, technology isn't my strong suit. I only delve into it because it's a prerequisite for recording music, which is the part I love. Feel free to laugh at my ignorance, but please show a little mercy and point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance for any help you provide! )