External Drive Speed M1 MacBook Air using Apple Photos

[cpaul]

I have a M1 MacBook Air and I am using a seagate external drive 8TB with USB 3.0. The external drive is plugged into my LG Ultrafine monitor USB port. The drive is rated at 120MB per seagate for transfer speeds. The fastest speed I have been able to get is around 30-40mpbs read and write...which is about 1/3 of what the claim. I have read this is a common issue with external drives and the M1. Anyone else noticed this and what have you done?

Its ok for general storage but I have some photos library files on that drive and they are slow when using and get the spinning wheel sometimes. No problem at all when using internal SSD which is going around 2000-2700mps

thanks--
CPaul

 

[Greybeard2017]

I have a M1 MacBook Air and I am using a seagate external drive 8TB with USB 3.0. The external drive is plugged into my LG Ultrafine monitor USB port. The drive is rated at 120MB per seagate for transfer speeds. The fastest speed I have been able to get is around 30-40mpbs read and write...which is about 1/3 of what the claim. I have read this is a common issue with external drives and the M1. Anyone else noticed this and what have you done?

Its ok for general storage but I have some photos library files on that drive and they are slow when using and get the spinning wheel sometimes. No problem at all when using internal SSD which is going around 2000-2700mps

thanks--
CPaul

I have multiple external spinning disks (including a Seagate 5TB) connected to the Mac Mini M1 via a cheap USB adapter and get around 100MB/sec read and write. Specifically for the Seagate I get 133MB/sec read and 112 MB/sec write (using the AJA test software with a 4GB file).

 

[Jeff Wahaus]

I have a M1 MacBook Air and I am using a seagate external drive 8TB with USB 3.0. The external drive is plugged into my LG Ultrafine monitor USB port. The drive is rated at 120MB per seagate for transfer speeds. The fastest speed I have been able to get is around 30-40mpbs read and write...which is about 1/3 of what the claim. I have read this is a common issue with external drives and the M1. Anyone else noticed this and what have you done?

Its ok for general storage but I have some photos library files on that drive and they are slow when using and get the spinning wheel sometimes. No problem at all when using internal SSD which is going around 2000-2700mps

thanks--
CPaul

I have multiple external spinning disks (including a Seagate 5TB) connected to the Mac Mini M1 via a cheap USB adapter and get around 100MB/sec read and write. Specifically for the Seagate I get 133MB/sec read and 112 MB/sec write (using the AJA test software with a 4GB file).

I also get around 110MB/sec when using an 8TB external HD sitting in a USB3 enclosure connected to a M1 Mac Mini using one of its USB TypeA ports.

It sounds like the OP is getting USB2 speeds to the external drive (and not USB3 speeds). I would try plugging the drive directly into the Air's TB4 port and bypass the USB Hub in the monitor.

Even at USB3 speeds the external HD is going to be slow compared to an SSD but it should still run about 3 times faster than the speed reported.

 

[MoreCowbell]

I'm guessing you are using a 5400 rpm disk, and it's not much over half full.

I think I would experiment with using a different USB port and see what happens.

--
https://www.castle-explorers.com

 

[RHWeber]

I have a Portable Sandisk 2T SSD connected to a 14 " M1 Pro via a USBC hub made by EZ Quest. I just checked it using AJA systems test lite. It shows 365 write and 374 read. The specs on the current version of the of the disk are up to 550. I do not notice any delay when working on files with Capture One.

 

[Jacques Cornell]

My LaCie Porsche 4TB and 8TB USB 3.0 drives deliver 120-140 MB/s via a WavLink USB 3.0 hub. That LG display is looking mighty suspicious. If you get the same 40 MB/s plugged directly into the MBA, suspicion then falls on the cable, then the drive itself.

--
"I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it." - George Bernard Shaw
http://jacquescornell.photography
http://happening.photos

 

[cpaul]

I have multiple external spinning disks (including a Seagate 5TB) connected to the Mac Mini M1 via a cheap USB adapter and get around 100MB/sec read and write. Specifically for the Seagate I get 133MB/sec read and 112 MB/sec write (using the AJA test software with a 4GB file).

Thank you for your suggestion. I received from Amazon (love overnight delivery) two USB 3.0 to USB-C adapters. I plugged those into the MBA. I now am getting 170/150...which is even better than the Seagate drives claim of 120mbs. They were $10 for both adapters. I also didn't mention that I had two external Seagate 8TB drives. Unfortunately the adapters won't fit side by side in the MBA....Just too tight.

However, the drives can be piggy backed onto each other. I can plug one drive into the other. My second piggy backed drive is getting a slower rate around 110/110 mbs but still way better than the 40/40mbs originally getting....

thank you for your suggestion.

 

[cpaul]

My LaCie Porsche 4TB and 8TB USB 3.0 drives deliver 120-140 MB/s via a WavLink USB 3.0 hub. That LG display is looking mighty suspicious. If you get the same 40 MB/s plugged directly into the MBA, suspicion then falls on the cable, then the drive itself.

I will check out the wav link hub. I had a small usb hub (cheap one) and its was still only getting the 40mbs approx when plugged directly into the MBA. I agree the lg display usb plugs were very slow.

I responded above that I ordered two USB 3.0 to USB -C adapters for $10....these solved my problem and was getting over 150mbs read and write. I also had two seagate drives that I now piggy back together. The second drive is getting a modestly slower 110/110 approx readings.

Thanks for suggestion.

 

[cpaul]

I'm guessing you are using a 5400 rpm disk, and it's not much over half full.

I think I would experiment with using a different USB port and see what happens.

thanks yes is 5400 rpm external and not half full. See other comments I just posted. Got resolved using adapter usb 3.o to USB-C ...from Amazon $10 for 2.

 

[Jacques Cornell]

I have multiple external spinning disks (including a Seagate 5TB) connected to the Mac Mini M1 via a cheap USB adapter and get around 100MB/sec read and write. Specifically for the Seagate I get 133MB/sec read and 112 MB/sec write (using the AJA test software with a 4GB file).

Thank you for your suggestion. I received from Amazon (love overnight delivery) two USB 3.0 to USB-C adapters. I plugged those into the MBA. I now am getting 170/150...which is even better than the Seagate drives claim of 120mbs. They were $10 for both adapters. I also didn't mention that I had two external Seagate 8TB drives. Unfortunately the adapters won't fit side by side in the MBA....Just too tight.

However, the drives can be piggy backed onto each other. I can plug one drive into the other.

Um, say what? I've never heard of daisy-chaining USB drives. Firewire and Thunderbolt drives, sure, but not USB. How does this work?

My second piggy backed drive is getting a slower rate around 110/110 mbs but still way better than the 40/40mbs originally getting....

thank you for your suggestion.

 

[cpaul]

However, the drives can be piggy backed onto each other. I can plug one drive into the other.

Um, say what? I've never heard of daisy-chaining USB drives. Firewire and Thunderbolt drives, sure, but not USB. How does this work?

I think that's what its called. My first drive I plugged into conversion dongle which converts the usb to usbc and then plug into the MacBook air.

I then have a usb cord which goes from the first drive (there are two USB ports on the front of the drive). From one of the ports to the same port on the second drive. Both drives now show up in my MacBook Air. So the second drive is not plugged directly into the MacBook Air. It is only connected to the first drive...

I am not home now so I am not looking at it. Its possible the second drive from the rear is plugged into the front of the first drive. (a rear USB port to a front USB port). I can confirm this in a few days when I return home.



I have attached a image of the drive and you can see the two USB ports on the front of the drive. I have two of these drives.















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CPaul