2TB SSD Deal- $100

[Randy B. Singer]

The following popular 2TB external SSD is on sale (in the U.S.) currently at an amazing price:

Crucial X6 2TB Portable SSD - Up to 800MB/s - PC and Mac - USB 3.2 USB-C External Solid State Drive - CT2000X6SSD9, Black
$100 with free delivery
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FSNKNSV/?tag=macforums0e4-20

I have no idea how long this sale is going to last. So hurry if you are interested.

 

[RadDave]

Thanks Randy - just a few comments for other contemplating a purchase - I have 4 Crucial 1 TB SSDs backing up my MAir M2 laptop, the X8 & X9 (do duplicate TM & CCC BUs) - read the reviews when purchased on PC Mag - the X6 had a 3/5 average rating HERE, while the two I own had 4 & 4 1/2 ratings (X9 HERE) - read/write speeds from the reviews shown below.

Now, the prices are 'somewhat' more for the faster Crucial SSDs and not sure the speed makes much of a difference for backup purposes, but folks may want to consider the differences vs. price differentials. Dave

P.S. now I'm looking at that newer X10 ($100 on Amazon for 1 TB)?
.

 

[Randy B. Singer]

If I was looking for really good speed, not just an SSD to off-load things to or to backup to, and if I had an Apple Silicon Mac, I think that I'd be better off rolling my own. I'd consider this enclosure:

FIDECO 40Gbps M.2 NVMe Enclosure, USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure with Cooling Fan, Support UASP and Trim, Compatible with USB4/3.2/3.1/3.0, Full Aluminum Alloy Body, Sandwich Style Design (Does TRIM and has a fan!!)
$67
https://www.amazon.com/FIDECO-Enclosure-Compatible-Aluminum-Sandwich/dp/B0DTF6KNRS/ref=sr_1_58

I'd match it with a fast Samsung 990 Evo NVME SSD
$78
https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-Technology-Intelligent-Turbowrite-MZ-V9S2T0B/dp/B0DHLFWBQ1/ref=sr_1_3

The resulting external SSD would be almost as wildly fast as the mini's internal SSD. It would have a fan (necessary to prevent thermal throttling for this sort of performance) and it would support TRIM.

 

[Slydude]

This comes at just the right time. The external SSD I have been booting my M1 Mini from is refusing to mount. Unfortunately for me my backup is way out of date. Party due to some of the Time Machine issues others have reported here.

 

[MacBiter]

The following popular 2TB external SSD is on sale (in the U.S.) currently at an amazing price:

Crucial X6 2TB Portable SSD - Up to 800MB/s - PC and Mac - USB 3.2 USB-C External Solid State Drive - CT2000X6SSD9, Black
$100 with free delivery
Amazon.com

I have no idea how long this sale is going to last. So hurry if you are interested.

Sadly the same item in Amazon UK is £130 ($169).

 

[pm-r]

Sadly the same item in Amazon UK is £130 ($169).

But like Canadian priced items, aren't the sale prices relative to what one would normally pay for regular pricing.

We can't do much about international monetary exchange rates.



- Patrick
=======

 

[MacBiter]

But like Canadian priced items, aren't the sale prices relative to what one would normally pay for regular pricing.

We can't do much about international monetary exchange rates.

I can't see how $169 is relative to $100!.

 

[MacInWin]

I can't see how $169 is relative to $100!.

Right now the exchange rate is US$1.00 = Can$1.44. So the $100 US price is exact at $144 Canadian. The rest may well be tariffs that Canada puts on products from foreign countries.

 

[pm-r]

The rest may well be tariffs that Canada puts on products from foreign countries.

Exactly. I believe there was a notice about an additional $16.xx± Duty/import handling charge if shipped to Canada when I looked the other day.

PS: today when I just checked there is also a notice for a newer model available for only $9 more at the same site:

There is a newer model of this item:
Crucial X9 2TB Portable SSD – Up to 1050MB/s Read, PC and Mac, Lightweight and Small – USB 3.2 External Solid State Drive – CT2000X9SSD902
Crucial X9 2TB Portable SSD – Up to 1050MB/s Read, PC and Mac, Lightweight and Small – USB 3.2 External Solid State Drive – CT2000X9SSD902
$109.99
(19,066)
Only 9 left in stock (more on the way).

Similar Import duties and handling charges would apply as well to that model if and when shipped to Canada from that particular Amazon site.

When checking Amazon's Canadian site, and checking the same models, they very nicely provide a suggestion to other models some of the even better pricing mark and no extra import duties included. They seem to imply quite strongly that the pricing of the crucial solid state drive was not the best for Canadian buyers which was quite true.

The pricing for solid state drives have certainly being showing a decrease in price which is a nice welcome relief as well as an increase in speed for an extra double bonus. Nice.



- Patrick
=======

 

[Slydude]

If I was looking for really good speed, not just an SSD to off-load things to or to backup to, and if I had an Apple Silicon Mac, I think that I'd be better off rolling my own. I'd consider this enclosure:

FIDECO 40Gbps M.2 NVMe Enclosure, USB4 NVMe SSD Enclosure with Cooling Fan, Support UASP and Trim, Compatible with USB4/3.2/3.1/3.0, Full Aluminum Alloy Body, Sandwich Style Design (Does TRIM and has a fan!!)
$67
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTF6KNRS/?tag=macforums0e4-20

I'd match it with a fast Samsung 990 Evo NVME SSD
$78
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DHLFWBQ1/?tag=macforums0e4-20

The resulting external SSD would be almost as wildly fast as the mini's internal SSD. It would have a fan (necessary to prevent thermal throttling for this sort of performance) and it would support TRIM.

The enclosure arrived late yesterday.

You were right. This thing is wicked fast. Boot time is a little faster than the external drive I was using and virtually indistinguishable from my internal drive while booting.

I don't reboot often but I was going to have to get another SSD anyway so this came at the right time.

Now if I could just get the old drive to mount

 

[Randy B. Singer]

Now if I could just get the old drive to mount

If your old drive was an SSD formatted as APFS, unless Disk Utility/First Aid fixes it, you are SOL. There are no third party products for the Mac that will repair an SSD.

 

[Slydude]

If your old drive was an SSD formatted as APFS, unless Disk Utility/First Aid fixes it, you are SOL. There are no third party products for the Mac that will repair an SSD.

It was indeed an SSD formatted as APFS. Disk Utility sees that the drive is there in both the Cli and GUI but does not mount it. I read some suggestions online that DiskDrill might correct the problem. Sadly, that was nothing the case.

It seems to have recovered some things possibly from when the drive was formatted HFS+. I haven't looked at those yet. They may all turn. out to be file fragments.

I was hoping to recover my user account but sadly that seems to be permanently lost.

 

[MacBiter]

Right now the exchange rate is US$1.00 = Can$1.44. So the $100 US price is exact at $144 Canadian. The rest may well be tariffs that Canada puts on products from foreign countries.

No, the $169 was nothing to do with Canada - I converted the Amazon UK price from £ sterling to US $ and that's what it came out as.

 

[MacInWin]

No, the $169 was nothing to do with Canada - I converted the Amazon UK price from £ sterling to US $ and that's what it came out as.

Well, UK has tarrifs (very high) and the shipping costs to the UK are also high, so things on Amazon in UK are significantly higher overall than the same item in the US. It's just how it is.

 

[pm-r]

The op's remark

It's just how it is.

It's easy enough to learn how to shop at the similar online suppliers in one's country as we often have to do in Canada to find a cheaper price than the one advertised but purchased from a different company.




- Patrick
=======

 

[MacInWin]

The op's remark



It's easy enough to learn how to shop at the similar online suppliers in one's country as we often have to do in Canada to find a cheaper price than the one advertised but purchased from a different company.




- Patrick
=======

Yep. UK also has a 20% VAT in addition to import fees and tarrifs, so, by default, a US$100 cost will grow to US$120+ as a minimum. It pays to look around for a local supply.

 

[MacBiter]

Well, UK has tarrifs (very high) and the shipping costs to the UK are also high, so things on Amazon in UK are significantly higher overall than the same item in the US. It's just how it is.

The UK does NOT have very high tariffs!! However you're right about shipping costs.

 

[nickyr]

this drive is available in Amazon in the UK for £94 (including VAT at 20%). a bit of a bargain

 

[MacBiter]

this drive is available in Amazon in the UK for £94 (including VAT at 20%). a bit of a bargain

The offer took a while to reach the UK ! I've now ordered one ("only 2 left in stock") .

 

[MacInWin]

The offer took a while to reach the UK ! I've now ordered one ("only 2 left in stock") .

So, at today's exchange rate of US$1 = £0.78, the $100 drive should be £78.00. The remaining £16 is VAT and other taxes, maybe shipping, too. Still a pretty good deal!