Problem with data transfer speed of external ssd drive SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

Hello. I have a SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD SDSSDE60-2T00. Here is the link to the specification https://www.westerndigital.com/en-in/products/internal-drives/sandisk-extreme-usb-3-1-ssd?sku=SDSSDE60-2T00-G25. It is equipped with a USB 3.1 Type-C connector and also includes a USB Type-C to Type-C cable and a Type-C to Type-A adapter. No matter how it is connected to my iMac 2020 27" with the Sonoma, via USB C or via a USB A adapter. The read and write speed is no more than 15 MB/s. If I run Windows 10 via bootcamp on the same iMac, the disk speed will be 350-550 MB/s, including on the apfs partition. From this I conclude that the problem is not in the hardware, but in the software, namely in the new version of MacOS, because When I started using this drive I was running macOS Big Sur and had no such problems. Does anyone have any ideas how to fix this? I've seen a lot of similar threads where people suggested that the drive needs to be formatted or the cable needs to be replaced. But, with the same cable, on the same computer, the disk works at high speed, but not in MacOS. And when connecting to another computer on Windows, the speed is also high: 350-550 MB/s. If I connect the disk to the iMac via the cable that comes with the iPhone (usb-c to usb-c), the disk speed increases to 40 MB/s, but, as I understand it, this is due to the fact that the cable only supports USB 2.0. And even in this case, the speed is higher than through the original usb 3.1 gen 2 high-speed cable. I bought another usb-c to usb-c usb 3.1 gen 2 cable, and the speed is absolutely the same, in Mac OS.

iMac 27″, macOS 13.5

Posted on Feb 11, 2024 10:49 AM

Reply

Similar questions

2 replies

Feb 11, 2024 10:34 PM in response to knuttie

Let's start with the specifications:

  • For this drive, the max. data transfer speed is claimed at: 500 MBps (for reads)
  • Your 2020 iMac has two Thunderbolt 3 ports that support USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 1250 MBps). Note: USB 3.1 Gen 2 is now called: USB 3.2 Gen 2 1x2 or SuperSpeed 10 Gbps. The maximum cable length to still reach those speeds would be approximately 3 m or 9.84 ft.


In theory then, with no other peripherals connected to your Mac (other than a keyboard & mouse), your Mac's Thunderbolt port should be able to accommodate this drive easily.


So, why isn't it? The following could be the reasons:

  • You have additional peripherals connected to your Mac.
  • The USB cable is not rated to handle USB 3.2's 10 Gbps speed.
  • The USB cable is either too long or defective.
  • What you use to measure the data transfer speeds may have inconsistent results.
  • Your Mac's Thunderbolt port or supportive circuitry is defective.


According to Apple, with your Mac's internal drive formatted in APFS, using an external SSD should also be formatted in APFS, for the best performance.


Have you tried running the Apple Diagnostics test to see if there are any underlying hardware issues with your Mac?


... or tried running an EtreCheck report to see if anything else may be amiss?


Ref: Using EtreCheck to Troubleshoot Potential… - Apple Community

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Problem with data transfer speed of external ssd drive SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.