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External storage Mac Mini - Enquiries - 11-21-2024
My current setup is a iMac 27" 5k from 2014 (yes). It has 512 Gb internal that i use only for Macos and app's. Data is on a raid 1 (2*3Tb) WD MyBook Duo. I've got about 2.5 Tb in use. Further additional 6Tb drive for Timemachine. I use it for all the normal computer work and photo editing and occasional video editing. The WD raid is slow but workable. It is time to move to a Mac mini M4 with 512 Gb internal storage and just like now I want all the data on an external drive. I'm torn between options: 1) OWC Express 1M2 with 4Tb ssd, 2) LaCie 1big Dock 4Tb, 3) LaCie 2Big Raid 8Tb (for speed?). I can use the current WD raid for Timemachine backups. Slow, but it's only backup. I don't think a NAS is necessary and I have bad experiences in the past with connectivity and slow speeds. I don't want to be too nerdy focussed on speed which is an all to obviously trap. What would you recommend and if so which 4Tb ssd to use in the OWC.
Thank you so much.
Kind regards Peter
RE: External storage Mac Mini - ed - 11-22-2024
For your setup, I’d recommend the LaCie 1Big Dock 4TB if you're looking for a balance of speed, reliability, and ease of use. It offers USB-C connectivity, good performance, and built-in ports for additional device connections, which is great for a clean and efficient workflow. The LaCie 2Big RAID 8TB would be ideal if you want faster read/write speeds for video editing, as it supports RAID configurations, but it might be more than you need if you're not focusing heavily on speed.
If you don’t need the additional speed boost and prefer something simple and reliable, OWC Express 1M2 with a 4TB SSD is a solid option, especially if you want fast performance for your tasks. A good 4TB SSD for the OWC could be the Samsung 870 QVO or Crucial MX500, as they offer good reliability and performance for the price.
As for your current WD RAID, using it for backups (like Time Machine) is fine, but if you're looking to streamline and simplify your setup, you might want to consider just upgrading your main external drive and keeping the WD drive for backups only.
Hope this helps!