Deciding which file system to use for hard disks can be difficult. Here are the advantages and disadvantages explained in detail, for HFS+ and APFS.
SSD
How to connect a USB4 SSD to get better performance from an Intel Mac. Should you buy a Thunderbolt 4 hub, or a Thunderbolt 5 dock? Do any of these live ‘up to’ their claimed performance?
Why pay an extra $600 for a 2 TB internal SSD, after all fast external SSDs are cheaper. Maybe you need to check whether disk performance becomes a rate-limiting factor.
What TB5 actually provides in its Symmetric and Asymmetric modes, why those are most important to connect Mac to dock or hub, and how that can go wrong.
Is an M4 next week a better risk than the promise of a better model next year? Understand how to select the M4 chip suited to your needs, and specify your new Mac.
Sparse bundles (UDSB), read-write disk images (UDRW) and sparse images (UDSP) compared on two SSD, with and without container encryption.
How much faster should a Thunderbolt 3 SSD be for making Time Machine backups? How can you speed up backups to your NAS? Here are representative speeds from real testing.
What can cause low copy speeds for very large and possibly sparse files, such as VMs? Causes explained, and tools you can use to discover why.
From late 2012 until 2021, Apple sold many iMacs and Mac minis with Fusion Drives. Did they really offer the best of both worlds, and why have they gone now?
Do external SSDs draw so much power that they’re likely to exceed that available from Thunderbolt or USB4? What would the consequences be in terms of heat?
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