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Apple Silicon MacBook Pro Q&A
Update Published November 27, 2023
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What external storage options are available for the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro? Which is the best?
Apple Silicon MacBook Pro models have Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports with a USB-C shaped connector.
To maximize performance, you will want to purchase external storage equipped with Thunderbolt 3 or higher connectivity.
You still can use older Thunderbolt 2 or USB 3.0 (USB-A) drives with a compatible adapter, like the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C to Thunderbolt 2) (MMEL2AM/A) or Apple USB-C to USB (MJ1M2AM/A), respectively. However, these older hard drives will not be as fast as Thunderbolt 3 storage.
Fast Portable Thunderbolt 3 Storage Options
The best external storage for the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has Thunderbolt 3 or higher connectivity.
Photo Credit: OWC Envoy Express (Opened for SSD Installation)
Two good portable options include the high-performance, plug-and-play OWC Envoy Pro FX and the upgradable "add your own drive" OWC Envoy Express, both from site sponsor Other World Computing.
Both external drives are completely SSD-based. The OWC Envoy Pro FX provides transfer speeds up to 2800 MB/s, is available in capacities from 480 GB to 4.0 TB, and is dust proof, drop proof, and even water proof up to 30 meters.
The OWC Envoy Express provides transfer speeds up to 1533 MB/s and is ready for you to install "any NVMe M.2 2280 SSD" of your choice, including OWC's own Aura Ultra III NVMe M.2 SSDs. 8 TB is the maximum capacity available now, but because the SSD can be swapped out, you easily can upgrade it yourself to even larger capacities in the future.
Larger Capacity Desktop Thunderbolt 3 Storage Options
For those interested in higher capacity storage at a lower price point per gigabyte, you might also want to evaluate options that are physically larger and not intended to be carried around.
Photo Credit: OWC Express 4M2 (Left), Thunderbay 4 (Right)
Two ideal choices for use on a desk include the OWC Express 4M2, with transfer speeds up to 2800 MB/s, and the OWC Thunderbay 4, with transfer speeds up to 1527 MB/s.
The OWC Express 4M2 supports as many as four industry-standard M.2 NVMe SSDs, like the aforementioned OWC Aura Ultra III NVMe M.2 SSD, so it is affordable to start with a single SSD and add as many as three more when needed.
The Thunderbay 4 supports four physically larger 2.5" or 3.5" SSDs or hard drives. It is slower than the Express 4M2, but it is relatively inexpensive to add as much as 80 TB of storage.
Installation Videos
You might find these videos that explain how to install storage in the Express 4M2 and Thunderbay 4 helpful, as well:
Site sponsor Other World Computing sells all of these Thunderbolt 3-equipped external storage options in addition to others.
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