Is it possible to connect a USB-C bus-powered hard drive to the Mac mini Thunderbolt 2 port? If it is, where can I get a cable to connect these two devices? Amazon's cable offerings either don't work, or specifically say for mini display only and not for hard drives.
Any assistance with this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much.
Mac mini, macOS 10.14
Thanks very much. That looks promising.
You're welcome!
I'm not clear on the difference between Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C. I'll have to dig around for some more information.
https://satechi.net/blogs/news/thunderbolt-3-vs-usb-c-whats-the-difference-1
https://thunderbolttechnology.net/blog/difference-between-usb-c-and-thunderbolt-3
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/what-thunderbolt-3-usb-c-mean-to-musicians/?
$49 for three inches of cable and two connectors.
That is kind of why I suggested just using the slower connection with the older Mac.
Sorry forgot to mention, that you would also need a TB 2 cable to go between the Apple adapter and TB 2 Mac.
You're welcome? Glad to have been able to help.
Tom Wolsky wrote:
Is it possible to connect a USB-C bus-powered hard drive to the Mac mini Thunderbolt 2 port?
No. The Thunderbolt adapter does not pass power in that direction.
Thank you very much. Wonder what those ports are good for. Can’t just be as mini display; there are two of them, and an HDMI port, which I’m using for the monitor.
Thank you very much. I think I’ll give up on the TB ports and stick to the terminally slow USBs.
What’s the make & model of your drive? Unless SSD, USB 3 is, in all likelihood, more than sufficient.
SSD, but I would disagree with your assessment.
State why giving make and model?
SanDisk SDSSDE60-500G-G25
The Type C connector on the SanDisk is for convenience only, not additional speed. Connect using supplied adapter to USB Type A on the mac, you won’t lose a thing.
For a convenience the connection is very good. It'll boot my MBP within a few seconds of booting off the internal SSD.
Thank you.
Connecting bus-powered hard drive to Thunderbolt 2
