Best external SSD for MacBook Neo - which port and what is worth buying

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Best external SSD for MacBook Neo? 10 Gb/s is enough

For the MacBook Neo, buy an external SSD with USB 10 Gb/s, for example the Samsung T7 or SanDisk Extreme. That is exactly what the faster port on this laptop can handle, so a more expensive drive won't speed anything up.

The second rule: plug the drive into the port closer to the hinge. Only that one runs at the full 10 Gb/s speed, while the other is much slower.

Below we explain why that is, how much space you need and how to format the drive.

Two USB-C ports, but not the same

The MacBook Neo has two USB-C ports. One is USB 3 at up to 10 Gb/s, the other is USB 2 at up to 480 Mb/s. There is no Thunderbolt. Both ports charge the laptop, so you can plug the charger into either one.

This leads to a simple split. Apple recommends charging through the slower port, so the faster one stays free for a drive or a monitor. According to Macworld, the faster one is the port by the hinge.

There is a catch here. A monitor works only on the faster port, so the drive and the monitor compete for the same socket. The only way to reconcile them is a hub or a docking station. You will find the details in our guide to docking stations for the MacBook Neo.

Fun fact: both ports look identical, and according to BGR one is about 20 times slower than the other. There is no clear marking on the casing that would show the difference.

Why a more expensive 2000 MB/s drive won't be faster here

USB 3 with a bandwidth of 10 Gb/s delivers about 1000 MB/s in practice. According to estimates from OWC and other sources, no more than that. This is the ceiling of the port, not of the drive.

20 Gb/s, USB4 and Thunderbolt drives will work with the MacBook Neo, but no faster than ordinary 10 Gb/s ones. This also applies to the Samsung T9 and the new SanDisk Extreme with a speed of 2000 MB/s. They gain nothing here, which is why they are not in the roundup.

What does this mean in practice? By paying for a faster model, you buy headroom that the laptop will not use. It is better to choose a larger capacity or a more convenient enclosure.

We selected the products below by one criterion: they should work at the full speed of the faster port, without paying extra for something the Neo won't take advantage of.

Recommended external SSDs for MacBook Neo

256 or 512 GB inside, and what to move to an external drive

You can't upgrade the storage in the MacBook Neo. You can only choose 256 GB or 512 GB, and you have to decide at purchase. If you already have the 256 GB version, an external drive is a natural addition.

The 512 GB version gives you more breathing room, but it won't replace an external drive for someone who keeps a lot of photos and videos. For that person, an external drive will come in handy anyway.

Move to the drive whatever takes up a lot of space and isn't needed every minute:

• photo archives and raw files from your camera,
• videos and finished video projects,
• old backups, installers and packages downloaded from the web,
• music libraries and large document collections.

Keep the system, apps and current projects on the internal storage. An external drive is convenient, but it's the internal storage that decides how smoothly the laptop runs day to day.

APFS or exFAT, and what about Time Machine

If the drive will only be used with a Mac, format it as APFS. It's a format designed for macOS and works best with it.

Choose exFAT only if the drive also needs to work with Windows. Remember that formatting erases everything on the drive, so copy your important files first.

A 10 Gb/s drive is enough for Time Machine backups, and you don't need anything faster. It's worth plugging it into the faster port, because the first backup transfers the most data. Later ones are lighter.

Fun fact: macOS itself warns you when a fast device is connected to a slower port. If you see such a notification, simply move the cable to the port closer to the hinge.

Frequently asked questions about a drive for the MacBook Neo

Can you upgrade the storage in the MacBook Neo?

No. The internal storage is fixed, and at purchase you can only choose 256 GB or 512 GB. The only way to get more space is with an external drive.

Which port should you connect a drive to on the MacBook Neo?

The one closer to the hinge. It's a USB 3 port with speeds up to 10 Gb/s. It's better to plug the charger into the other, slower port, because it charges the laptop just the same.

Will the Samsung T9 be faster than the T7 on the MacBook Neo?

No. The port limits speed to about 1000 MB/s, so the T9 has no way to show its advantage. For the Neo, the T7 or any other 10 Gb/s drive is enough.

Can you connect a drive and a monitor to the MacBook Neo at the same time?

The monitor works only on the faster port, and that's the same port the drive needs. To use both at once, you need a hub or a docking station. We've written a separate guide about them.

How do you format an external drive for the MacBook Neo?

For a Mac only, choose APFS. If the drive also needs to work with Windows, choose exFAT. Copy your important data before formatting, because the process erases it.

Sources

• Apple: MacBook Neo technical specifications - manufacturer page (apple.com)
• Apple Support: USB-C ports on MacBook Neo - manufacturer page (support.apple.com)
• Macworld: MacBook Neo ports explained - industry article (macworld.com)
• BGR: the MacBook Neo's USB-C ports work very differently - industry article (bgr.com)
• OWC: what the MacBook Neo gives up and the gear to fill the gaps - industry article (eshop.macsales.com)
• iGeeksBlog: macOS flags the slower USB-C port on MacBook Neo - industry article (igeeksblog.com)