USB is completely backwards compatible. For the best performance / in order to meet advertised specifications, the X9 Pro needs to be connected to a USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps port, while the X10 Pro needs to be connected to a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20 Gbps Type-C port. Otherwise, they will perform at the maximum spec speeds of the host port.
As for TB3, both drives will operate at 10 Gbps speeds in most cases. However, it must be noted that the newer Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports with a Hayden Bridge retimer inside the host also supports 20 Gbps (Gen 2x2) speeds. When connected to those, the X10 Pro can operate at up to 2100 MBps reads. But, to my knowledge, no TB3 host supports this Gen 2x2 20 Gbps speeds.
Thanks for the TB information. I was curious as the fastest USB peripherial I have is USB3.2 gen2x1 and it runs at 10Gb/s on a TB3 port in my laptop. I now know that I'll never see faster speed on that port unless I explicitly get a TB3/4 peripherial.
Probably when 8TB internal NVMe SSDs come down in price.
The cheapest option to get 8TB SSD storage right now is to buy a 2.5" SATA SSD and enclosure. All 8TB NVMe SSDs are about 4~5x the cost of the X9 4TB model.
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Threska - Tuesday, July 25, 2023 - link
Eh, pricey, but I could see one of these hanging off a router's USB port.dwillmore - Tuesday, July 25, 2023 - link
Do these require a USB3.2 gen 2x2 port? (at least the X10 would seem to). How would they perform in a TB3 port?ganeshts - Tuesday, July 25, 2023 - link
USB is completely backwards compatible. For the best performance / in order to meet advertised specifications, the X9 Pro needs to be connected to a USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps port, while the X10 Pro needs to be connected to a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 20 Gbps Type-C port. Otherwise, they will perform at the maximum spec speeds of the host port.As for TB3, both drives will operate at 10 Gbps speeds in most cases. However, it must be noted that the newer Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 ports with a Hayden Bridge retimer inside the host also supports 20 Gbps (Gen 2x2) speeds. When connected to those, the X10 Pro can operate at up to 2100 MBps reads. But, to my knowledge, no TB3 host supports this Gen 2x2 20 Gbps speeds.
Skeptical123 - Tuesday, July 25, 2023 - link
I believe you're correct.If I recall correctly this all started at least in part from the fact that TB3 (2016) predates USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (2017) by at least a year.
dwillmore - Wednesday, July 26, 2023 - link
Thanks for the TB information. I was curious as the fastest USB peripherial I have is USB3.2 gen2x1 and it runs at 10Gb/s on a TB3 port in my laptop. I now know that I'll never see faster speed on that port unless I explicitly get a TB3/4 peripherial.egan_varley - Wednesday, July 26, 2023 - link
When will we see 8TB disks with this form factor?I have a huge video collection and 4TB is not enough.
meacupla - Wednesday, July 26, 2023 - link
Probably when 8TB internal NVMe SSDs come down in price.The cheapest option to get 8TB SSD storage right now is to buy a 2.5" SATA SSD and enclosure. All 8TB NVMe SSDs are about 4~5x the cost of the X9 4TB model.
albertcostello39 - Friday, July 28, 2023 - link
Great post