Why an Intel Mac’s up to 40 Gb/s from Thunderbolt 3 is less than an Apple silicon Mac’s up to 40 Gb/s from USB4, and how you can benefit from it.
Thunderbolt
This has become more complex with increasingly popular hybrid drives that support USB4/Thunderbolt and fall back to USB 3.x.
Check its protocol support and expected maximum transfer rate, then whether it supports SMART indicators and Trims with APFS. Finally check its real-world performance.
Given that Thunderbolt SSDs are unusual and expensive, should you buy a USB4 model that claims to be compatible with Thunderbolt? Watch out for the traps.
PC users will get 20 Gbit/s and SMART health indicators from this new external SSD, but Mac users will only see half that speed and no SMART without reducing security.
How well do USB 3.1 Gen 2 SSDs mix with Thunderbolt 3 SSDs when connected to the same Thunderbolt 4 hub?
If you want it to have full TRIM and SMART support, it’ll need to have an NVMe interface and a Thunderbolt connection.
Adds the ability to check some key SMART health indicators for Apple Fabric and PCIe SSDs.
There’s a big difference between the storage that’s available, and what’s advisable. Whether it’s affordable is another question.
Traced from recognition of the cable connection, through establishing PCI streams, to mounting the volume with APFS, and the bonus of a good trim at the end.
The Eclectic Light Company 