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how to connect USB-C Thunderbolt 3 SSD drive to 2013 Thunderbolt 2 Mac?

I posted this before but can't seem to find my original question, or an answer.


I have a late 2013 trashcan MacPro with Thunderbolt 2 ports


I use with it a series of lacie 2TB daisy-chained external SSD thunderbolt 2 drives (they are brick-like, with power cables)


I am out of space and I need more external solid state storage (the SSD part is important because of noise)


All the new Thunderbolt3 USB-C SSD drives I've seen are tiny and bus-powered...which means they will not work with the Apple Thunderbolt2 adaptor in order to connect them to the Thunderbolt 2 ports on my MacPro. I bought 3 of those adapters on the advice of a so-called Apple Genius and discovered upon getting them home that they would not work.


Some of the bus-powered drives, like the Glyphs, come with a Thunderbolt3/USB-C to USB-2 cable....but then I am regressed to USB-2 transfer speeds and yes, I can see the difference as I'm working. I want to use the Thunderbolt 2 ports on my MacPro.


So my questions:

1) Does a powered (ie with a power cable) SSD thunderbolt3/USB-C drive exist? Then presumably I could use the Apple Thunderbolt 2 adaptor?

2) If not, how can I use a Thunderbolt 3 drive on the Thunderbolt 2 ports of my 2013 MacPro?


Thank you!

Mac Pro

Posted on Dec 2, 2019 9:08 AM

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Posted on Dec 2, 2019 9:59 AM

About the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter - https://support.apple.com/HT207266


Learn more


  • This adapter doesn't receive power over Thunderbolt, so you can't
  • charge your Mac by connecting the adapter to an external Thunderbolt
  • display or other device that delivers power over Thunderbolt.


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how to connect USB-C Thunderbolt 3 SSD drive to 2013 Thunderbolt 2 Mac?

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