If you want to connect a hard drive externally to your PC or Apple Mac, then you can either use the hard drive enclosure or SATA to USB adapter. External hard drive enclosures I already introduced you at the beginning of the month. This article is about cables and docks with which you can easily convert the SATA connection of the SSD or HDD to USB-A or USB-C.
Chapter in this post:
- 1 Advantages of SATA to USB adapters
- 2 SATA, USB and 12V power supply - all-in-on package from CSL
- 3 Small and inexpensive - the SATA III to USB 3.0 adapter from Inateck
- 4 SATA to USB-A 3.0 or 3.1 as well as USB-C 3.1 from Sabrent
- 5 Sharkoon hard drive dock for 2,5 and 3,5 inches
- 6 SATA to Thunderbolt 1 adapter from DeLock
- 7 questions and answers about SATA to USB adapters
- 8 How do you do it?
- 9 Similar posts
Advantages of SATA to USB adapters
The adapters are ideal if you do not use the hard drives that often and can safely stow them away even without a housing. In addition, the heat generated during use is better dissipated. This can jam in a simple external hard drive housing. That is why docks for multiple hard drives have like this one from Fantec, also a built-in fan.
SATA, USB and 12V power supply - all-in-on package from CSL
For SSD hard drives with 2,5 inch and SATA I, II or III as well as for SSD and HDD hard drives with 3,5 inch size is the following Adapter from CSL thought. You can order the converter with or without a power supply; depending on whether you only want to connect small SSDs or large disks. The adapter has the SATA III standard and also USB 3.0 - fast data transfer is therefore ensured.
Small and cheap - the SATA III to USB 3.0 adapter from Inateck
Inateck has a very simple adapter for 2,5 inch SSD and HDD hard drives. Here, too, SATA III and USB 3.0 are used as transmission standards. Both this converter and the aforementioned converter are of course compatible with these standards not only with Microsoft Windows, but also with Apple OS X and macOS.
SATA to USB-A 3.0 or 3.1 as well as USB-C 3.1 from Sabrent
For the very fast among you as well as for all users of newer Apple MacBook and Apple MacBook Pro models, there is a SATA to USB adapter; optionally on USB-A or USB-C. The adapter supports 2,5 inch hard drives (no possibility to connect a power supply for 3,5 inch devices) and the communication protocol UASP. On the product page you can choose the right Sabrent adapter for you.
Sharkoon has a dock that can be used multifunctionally as an adapter for SATA hard drives and the USB 3.0 port. With the simple dock variant, you can either bring in a 2,5 or 3,5 inch hard drive and connect it to the computer; the double-shaft variant has a clone function; and the third variant also has a card slot.
SATA to Thunderbolt 1 adapter from DeLock
Instead of USB, you can use the right converter to connect a SATA hard drive to the Apple computer via Thunderbolt. DeLock has a corresponding adapter, which only has Thunderbolt 1 as standard - so it is not a Thunderbolt 3 device for the USB-C connection of the MacBook Pro!
Questions and answers about SATA to USB adapters
When researching the customer questions and answers on the Amazon product pages, the same questions came up over and over again. Therefore I would like to give you a few more interesting details about the SATA to USB adapters:
- Do the adapters also work on Apple Mac, iMac and MacBook: Yes
- Do the adapters also work under Windows XP / Vista / 7/8/10: Yes, sometimes you have to assign a letter to the drive via the computer settings
- Can you use the Sharkoon Dock under macOS, OS X, Windows and Linux: Yes
- Could you create a NAS on the FRITZ! Box with a dock or adapter: theoretically yes, but according to one user, indexing the disk takes a long time (can vary depending on the FRITZ! Box)
- Can II and I hard drives also be used with the SATA III adapters: Yes
- What is the main difference between the adapters: that 2,5 '' plates do not require any additional power supply; a power supply unit is required for converters for 3,5 '' drives
How do you do it?
Do you use a SATA to USB adapter or are you interested in these cables and docks as alternatives to hard drive housings or installation in PC and Mac? Feel free to leave your opinions and experiences as a comment! Maybe you know other recommended hard drive adapters for the USB connection? Please let me know;)
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After graduating from high school, Johannes completed an apprenticeship as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which resulted in his independence. For several years he has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others. His articles include product introductions, news, manuals, video games, consoles, and more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.
The page contains affiliate links / images: Amazon.de
