- #MACBOOK AIR EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE HOUSING UPGRADE#
- #MACBOOK AIR EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE HOUSING FULL#
- #MACBOOK AIR EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE HOUSING PORTABLE#
Setting up the enclosure is a straightforward affair in theory fit the drive in the slot then plug the caddy into the Mac using the USB-C cable. I tested the Neutrino with a $120 256 GB drive, effectively doubling the storage capacity of my new base model 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. This will suffice for the time being - even as a 1:1 backup clone of the internal SSD - until I can afford to buy a bigger capacity.
#MACBOOK AIR EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE HOUSING UPGRADE#
Solid state prices are falling all the time, so you can buy a smaller capacity drive today and upgrade the disk in the Neutrino in a couple of years when 2 TB SSDs (currently around $800) are more affordable.
#MACBOOK AIR EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE HOUSING FULL#
On top of the $50 for the enclosure, expect to spend about $200 for a 500 GB SSD that runs at the full SATA III speed. Conveniently, the device takes advantage of USB-C capability to draw both power and data, so you need just one cable to add fast expandable storage to the laptop.Īs its sold as a standalone enclosure, using the product necessitates a purchase of an SSD drive itself (unless you have one spare ready to use). The port backs a USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface which means its 10 Gbps bandwidth saturates the SATA-III bandwidth and allows the fitted drives to read and write at full speed. With the (bundled) USB-C cable, connecting the device to a MacBook Pro is plug-and-play. The Neutrino accepts almost any 2.5 inch SSD, supporting drives up to SATA-III 6Gbps. The unit has an understated design with a large heatsink to provide passive cooling. It ships without an internal disk: this means you can choose how much capacity you want … and upgrade it later.
#MACBOOK AIR EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE HOUSING PORTABLE#
The Neutrino U3.1 is a compact aluminium housing for a 2.5 inch drive bay. It’s very portable and barely noticeable in a laptop bag: small, light, and durable. This is where an SSD enclosure like the Akitio comes into play. This kind of speed is hard to give up connecting a spinning disk HDD drive to the laptop feels frustratingly old-fashioned and slow. As advancements in CPU speed stall, the storage performance is much of the reason why modern MacBooks feel as zippy. The 2016 MacBook Pros set a new benchmark for SSD performance with the internal solid state storage more than twice as fast as the previous generation. Keep reading for my hands-on with the Neutrino U3.1 … is this the best external hard drive for Mac? This means it can add fast external storage to the new MacBook Pro with the convenience of a single cable, all enclosed into a small, light, chassis that can be carried around in a bag. The Neutrino is an inexpensive external SSD enclosure that works with USB-C it draws power and provides data bandwidth up to 10 Gbps. The $49.99 Akitio Neutrino U3.1 is one such product. In this review, it’s time to look at some of the capabilities the port provides. The USB-C ports on the new MacBook Pro has been the subject of much controversy. Buy it now for $49.99, perfect for the new MacBook Pro. Update: The Neutrino U3.1 USB-C SSD enclosure is back in stock.