Are you up for Thunderbolt 3 vs USB SSD and know the difference between both of them and which one is better as well? You are on the right spot to know the answer of this question.
External storage is changing the trend, offering high-speed solutions thanks to the use of SSD drives. We will see what differences can exist between an external SSD drive that makes use of the USB port and one that makes use of the Thunderbolt 3 port.
Table of Contents
What is Thunderbolt 3?
It is a type of connector developed by Intel that is currently royalty-free, or what is the same, it can be integrated by any manufacturer without paying for its use.
Thunderbolt 3 is characterized by being based on the USB-C connector and not only serving to transfer data, it also allows video transfer.
Thunderbolt 3 offers us a bandwidth of 40Gbps (up to 5,000MB/s of data transfer). Additionally, it allows the connection of up to two screens with 4K resolution with a refresh rate of 60Hz or one 4K screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz . The connection is made through screens that have support for the DisplayPort 1.4 standard or higher.
This standard is based on the PCIe 3.0 interface, which allows transfer speeds much higher than USB standards. This new version has backwards compatibility with the Thunderbolt port.
Additionally, this port is capable of offering a power of up to 100W, even allowing the power supply of portable equipment through this connector.
What is a USB
It is a connection protocol designed to be able to connect different peripherals to a computer. This standard offers us the possibility of exchanging data between the peripheral and the system and the power supply of the connected device.
The USB port (Universal Serial Bus) has been standardized and greatly extended, becoming the reference peripheral connection port.
Although initially it was intended to connect peripherals, be they mice, keyboards or external storage units. Early versions offered enough power to power low -power mice, keyboards, and similar peripherals.
Currently, the latest versions of the USB port offer enough power to power devices with higher energy demands or the charging of devices with batteries.
Types of USB SSD
We are going to focus on the USB port standards that are most used at the time of writing. These are types of USB:
USB 3.0: It was a big leap from the previous standard, offering better transfer speeds and power. This version offers us a bandwidth of up to 4.8Gbps, which is equivalent to a theoretical maximum of up to 600MB/s of transfer. The USB 3.0 port offers us a maximum power of 4.5W (5V, 900mA)
USB 3.1: It is an update to the USB 3.0 port that mainly adds support for the USB-C connector. Change this connector, which until now had a single connection position, but USB-C eliminates this connection position.
See Also: How to Choose an SD Card
The USB 3.1 port offers us a maximum power of up to 100W (up to 20V, up to 5A). Indicate that this new standard has two different versions:
- USB 3.1 Gen1: Offers up to 5Gbps bandwidth (up to 600MB/s data transfer) and adds support for the USB-C connector
- USB 3.1 Gen2: It is a revision of the previous version that offers a bandwidth of up to 10Gbps (up to 1,250MB/s of data transfer)
USB 3.2: We are talking about an update that stands out above all for the improvements in bandwidth, which varies depending on the version. For this standard we have no less than three common versions on the market. These are:
- USB 3.2 Gen 1×1: It offers us a bandwidth of up to 5Gbps (up to 600MB/s of data transfer) and is compatible with USB-A, USB-B and USB-C connectors.
- USB 3.2 Gen 2×1: It offers us a bandwidth of up to 10Gbps (up to 1,250MB/s of data transfer) and is compatible with USB-A, USB-B and USB-C connectors.
- USB 3.2 Gen 2×2: It offers us a bandwidth of up to 20Gbps (up to 2,500MB/s of data transfer) and is only compatible with the USB-C connector
Features of External SSDs
SSD-based external hard drives offer certain technical and physical advantages over HDD versions. This difference is mainly due to the fact that SSDs have no moving parts and are more flexible in construction.
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Dimensions
One of the most interesting aspects is that SSD-based external hard drives are more compact. This is possible because there are no moving parts and there is no need to maintain a standard.
Since SSDs are based on memory chips, drives with different formats can be developed. Additionally you get the benefit that these units are much lighter and quieter.
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Shock resistance
It is common to see external storage drives based on mechanical hard drives with shock-resistant casings.
The strength of SSDs is that they eliminate mechanical and moving parts, so being based on memory chips, shock resistance is higher.
There are also SSD-based storage units with reinforced resistance, but it is more focused on preventing the case from being damaged and this can cause damage to the storage unit.
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Performance
An external SSD offers the advantage of allowing you to fully exploit the connection interface used. An external HDD is limited in the performance that the moving parts it is based on can deliver.
This change is completely with SSDs, which are no longer limited by this factor. Now the performance will be affected by the memories used, the controller and the cache. As is logical, another limitation will be in the type of connector used for data transfer.
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Connectivity
Something very interesting about SSDs is that they have a really low consumption in operation. This strength is excellent, since through a single cable we can power the unit and carry out data transfer.
External SSDs usually offer consumption of less than 4.5W, which is the maximum power that the USB 3.0 standard can offer, and of course, the Thunderbolt port.
For example, the Kingston A400 SSD consumes a maximum of 0.6W, so with an adapter we could connect it via USB to our computer without problems.
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Temperature
SSDs, especially the M.2 format, have the problem of heat generation that affects performance. External SSDs really are a kind of structural equivalent to SATA SSDs.
Normally external SSDs use an aluminum case, not only to offer a much more elegant finish, but also to help dissipate heat.
Thunderbolt 3 vs USB SSD
Actually the differences are minimal, mainly the difference is in the type of memories used and the interface. Constructively a USB SSD (even the connector) can be exactly the same as a Thunderbolt 3 drive.
We should note that Thunderbolt 3 based external SSDs are much more expensive than USB based ones. For the average user, the USB 3.2 interface is usually more than enough to get a great experience.
Thunderbolt 3 units, due to their price, are currently more suitable for photography and video professionals.
Thunderbolt 3 drives and USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 pen drives are based on the same connector, USB-C, and use the same type of NAND Flash memories, NVMe type, which support higher read and write speeds than NAND memories “normal” Flashes.
Their fundamental difference lies in the controller they integrate and the transfer speeds. More or less, the typical speeds of external SSDs, depending on the type of connection interface, are:
- USB 3.0: about 300-550MB/s
- USB 3.1 Gen2: about 400-900MB/s
- USB 3.2 Gen 1×1: Approximately 400-550MB/s
- USB 3.2 Gen 2×1: Approximately 700-1.00MB/s
- USB 3.2 Gen 2×2: Approximately 1,000-2,00MB/s
- Thunderbolt 3: Approximately 2,000-3,000MB/s
Conclusion
- The difference between a USB SSD and a Thunderbolt 3 is only in the type of interface uses for data transfer in a pretty much fast speed.
- For domestic use, USB drives are more than enough and due to the price difference, depending on the USB version, we can choose any one, since there are few differences.
- Thunderbolt 3 has the strength of being based on the PCIe 3.0 interface, which allows for higher speeds than the USB standard. But the only difference is the transfer speeds.
- The USB 3.1 and USB 3.2 versions, in their different variations, allow the same power supply as Thunderbolt 3, with slight differences in voltage and current.
- Thunderbolt 3 additionally direct power to laptops, something that is quite interesting to reduce the number of cables
Which external SSD drive do you find more interesting, USB-based or Thunderbolt 3-based?
Zahid Khan Jadoon is an Interior Decorator, Designer and a specialized Chef and loves to write about home appliances and food. Right now he is running his interior designing business along with a managing a restaurant. Also in his spare time he loves to write about home and kitchen appliances.