My USB 3 external drive seems to drop connections every so often. Is Thunderbolt less prone to disconnections since it uses the PCI Express Bus?
142310
I have the same problem. Not very happy about it, but they say it probably my PC. I'm not using a MAC so don't have Thunderbolt. WISH i did. Sorry I can''t help
2134774
I have used this with a 500GB drive originally inside a MBP, and I connect it to the FW port on the same MBP, and so far I have not had any problems. I haven't had any need for additional power.
1829324
I personally bought it specifically for usb 3.0 myself, though I really can't see much of a boost, even on hardcore downloads (GB in size). Then again, at some point it probably comes down to SATA write speed and buffer anyway. I did have some problems with powering it off the usb though, so make sure you have a solid motherboard(ports on back) and case (the ports on the front). If you start seeing it lose connection and have to replug it in, stop using that port immediately, because it ended up causing my device to fail. Which brings me to my next point, the warranty service was EXCELLENT. great customer support with amped. Enjoy your product :) I personally bought it specifically for usb 3.0 myself, though I really can't see much of a boost, even on hardcore downloads (GB in size). Then again, at some point it probably comes down to SATA write speed and buffer anyway. I did have some problems with powering it off the usb though, so make sure you have a solid motherboard(ports on back) and case (the ports on the front). If you start seeing it lose connection and have to replug it in, stop using that port immediately, because it ended up causing my device to fail. Which brings me to my next point, the warranty service was EXCELLENT.... » Read More I personally bought it specifically for usb 3.0 myself, though I really can't see much of a boost, even on hardcore downloads (GB in size). Then again, at some point it probably comes down to SATA write speed and buffer anyway. I did have some problems with powering it off the usb though, so make sure you have a solid motherboard(ports on back) and case (the ports on the front). If you start seeing it lose connection and have to replug it in, stop using that port immediately, because it ended up causing my device to fail. Which brings me to my next point, the warranty service was EXCELLENT. great customer support with amped. Enjoy your product :) « Show Less
251971
If you dont have the correct port of the hard drive then you should return it. I was told that only some of the newer computers will have the thunderbolt port but if yours does not then you should return it and get another 4tb drive. I did talk to WD and they did say they are working on a 4tb pc version
517981
True. But you'll be getting a tremendously noticeable faster speed simply from the thunderbolt interface cable. I was surprised at how well it performs while not in a Raid config.
499710
I have hooked up a 8TB GTech raid and it works every time. Also other accessories like monitors/Ethernet. But remember, it's thunderbolt only.
1034518
I prefer G Drives because the speed of the HD 7200RPM. I know connecting via thunderbolt is not going to make it faster but I am already using my USB ports for Audio Interfaces. It is just convenience and less things to carry and connect by using the thunderbolt.
2146543
I have it installed under Yosemite 10.10.3 on a 2009 Mac Pro. It has been working well so far with no additional drivers (or power). I tested the speeds using Black Magic with the same drive connected to the Mac's built-in USB 2.0 and then on the Inateck USB 3.0. The speed difference was quite dramatic under USB 3.0, although I have been using the external drive only for Time Machine backups, so it is not a big factor in real-world use.
2044807
The only place I have used thunderbolt is the thunderbolt to HDMI adapter. The drive itself does not use thunderbolt, only FireWire 800 or USB. If you are asking if you can go thunderbolt to FireWire, I don not know, I have not tried it.
23970
OS X ejects the external drives when the computer goes to sleep, and pops up a warning when you return. Other than this annoying popup message, nobody has reported any actual problems. It's an OS X issue, not the fault of the card.
1085865
I have had a difficult time finding external hard drives that hold up. Most have moved to this very flimsy connector (other end from USB end). I've had a G-Drive fail, and replaced. More recently have moved to OWC solid state drives, which have the firewire AND usb connectors. Tried Thunderbolt, but unfortunately not enough manufacturers are adopting.. good luck!
780283
The drive comes with a USB3 cable. No thunderbolt connection on the unit-only USB.
312571
Yes. If you're talking about MacOS, that is. The drive has this problem though: the cable easily dislodges and dismounts the drive. Sometimes all you have to do is move your computer, and you get a dismount cuz the cable seems to be that sensitive.
424957
I sent mine back and got the Thunder Bay enclosures from OWC, they are much easier to swap out drives, and they are Thunderbolt 2 speed..i now am running 4 of these enclosures and they are awesome!
199587
Thunderbolt is the newer Apple/Mac standard, and is supposed to be faster. Fewer Thunderbolt-ready devices available though. I have the firewire version of the HD, and it is a huge speed increase over USB.
971162
Right next to the big picture of the drive, in the description, it says:"The Professional Choice for Cross-Platform Applications: The d2 Quadra has got the latest connectivity with USB 3.0 and two FireWire 800 interfaces for daisy chaining, but it is still fully compatible with, eSATA 3Gb/s, USB 2.0 and FireWire 400. It's even USB 3.0-compatible on Mac computers"So, no to Thunderbolt, yes to Mac compatibility. Amazing what you can find out by spending a moment reading the product page before you post a question.
1120401
After installation of new driver and restart, the USB3.0 to gigabit connector works great on Mavericks as of 2014-06-05. Have 1Gb/s connectivity and up to 60MB/s throughput for file transfers on our lan.