Revive Your Old Solid State Drive with a USB to SATA Converter
Say goodbye to your old SATA solid-state drives as PCIe models take over. But don’t toss away that old internal drive just yet. With the Sabrent EC-SSHD USB to SATA converter, priced at under $12 on Amazon, you can effortlessly transform it into a portable SSD storage (compatible with 2.5-inch SATA drives only).
The Sabrent EC-SSHD appears as a USB cable, about two feet long, featuring a SATA connector on one end and a USB 3.0 connector on the other. An activity light lets you know when the SSD is active.
Why choose Sabrent? Known for its reliability, it comes with a complimentary download of Acronis True Image, facilitating easy disk cloning, particularly boot disks.
This device, compatible with 2.5-inch hard disk drives, offers true plug-and-play functionality. However, it’s important to note that it doesn’t support TRIM (though it’s SMART compatible) and isn’t compatible with Raspberry Pi due to power constraints.
Another version includes an additional Type-C connector. Keep in mind, this USB 3.0 product can handle speeds of up to 540MBps (around 4Gbps), matching the EC-SSHD’s capabilities.
Can you use an internal SSD as a portable drive? Absolutely. An internal SSD consists of internal components encased in protective material. Using an additional external case is unnecessary unless you’re looking for physical concealment or aesthetic enhancement.
Remember, these aren’t as secure or rugged as the top-tier options, lacking protection against third-party access or extreme conditions.
Looking for affordability and price?
Opt for SATA SSDs, which are cost-effective. To create your own budget-friendly external SSD, connect an internal SATA SSD to the EC-SSHD. For instance, a 2TB SSD costs under $60 (like the MiWhole D200 from Aliexpress), whereas an equivalent external SSD carries a 50% premium.
This price difference becomes more pronounced as the drive’s capacity increases. An 8TB SSD is about $445 (Samsung 870 QVO on Amazon), while a comparable portable model costs approximately $200 more.
Remember, this approach won’t work with PCIe NVMe internal SSDs due to their exposed components. You’ll need an external enclosure, which is moderately priced (roughly twice that of the EC-SSHD) and utilizes USB 3.2 Gen 2, offering speeds up to 10Gbps—suitable for PCIe SSDs that are typically faster than SATA SSDs.