Best External Hard Drive for Mac Video Editing

With all the hype of the M processors from Apple I treated myself an M1 Macbook Pro, and was super impressed with it performance for video editing. But as many Mac users know unless you can afford a top spec models with ample storage, you end up with 256GB Model. When it comes to video editing that's not going to get you far! So is there a cost effective external hard drive that will do the job?

External hard drive for video editing under £20?

Ok I did happen to have a spare 256GB NVME drive and I wondered if I could put it to good use, So I headed over to Amazon to see if I could find a suitable enclosure, and found the LEMORELE M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure delivered for under £20
 
Here are the UK & US links to the product....

There are lots of similar devices available, so why choose this one? I particularly liked the look of it. With its aluminium outer shell I thought it wouldn't look out of place next to my MacBook. It also had the connectivity I needed. With the MacBook pro having 2 thunderbolt connectors and the external enclosure claiming 10Gbps Ultra fast transmission, It seemed to fit what I was looking for. I also like its compact size..



Fitting the NVMe drive is easy. Just flick the switch and the end and the internal tray slides out. Install your NVMe drive with the supplied rubber fixing pin. Stick on the thermal pad and slide back into the enclosure. 

Is the external hard drive as fast as it claims?

When it comes to video editing it's all about speed. The internal MacBook storage is superfast at 3500Gbps. So with a claimed 10 Gbps how does it stack up for video editing? As with many marketing claims its bet to check the facts. We ran it though crystaldisk mark to see how close to 10Gbps we would get. The NVMe drive inside the enclosure is capable of 2500Gbps so that shouldn't be a limiting factor. CrystalDiskMark was used to get the results...

An impressive 918.31 MB/s Read and 945.10 MB/s Write so its not far off.


Is it fast enough for 4k video editing?

So in our test we achieved over 900mbps read/write speed so what are the bandwidth reequipments for some of the Professional Video Formats RAW?

With a little research we came up with the following list.
  • ProRes 4K (422 HQ): 750-900 Mbps
  • ProRes 4K (422): 500-600 Mbps
  • ProRes 4K (422 LT): 350-400 Mbps
  • DNxHR HQX (4K): 600-750 Mbps
  • DNxHR HQ (4K): 400-500 Mbps

A read/write speed of 900mbps generally fast enough for video editing with DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro on a MacBook because it exceeds the bandwidth requirements for most common video formats and editing tasks. This speed allows for smooth playback and editing of 4K footage, including ProRes 422 and even some 8K formats

It can handle multiple streams of 4K video for multicam editing and provides ample headroom for real-time effects and color grading. While extremely high-resolution or uncompressed formats might require faster speeds, 10 Gbps is sufficient for the vast majority of professional video editing workflows, ensuring smooth performance without dropped frames or stuttering during playback and export.

  1. Lightning-Fast Speeds: With USB 3.1 Gen2 technology, this enclosure supports data transfer rates up to 10Gbps. That means you could transfer a 10GB video file in just 10 seconds - perfect for handling large 4K or even 8K video files on your Mac.
  2. Mac Compatibility: This enclosure is fully compatible with macOS, making it an ideal external hard drive solution for Mac video editors. It's plug-and-play, so you can start using it with your Mac immediately without any complicated setup.
  3. Thunderbolt 3 Support: For Mac users with Thunderbolt 3 ports, this enclosure is compatible, ensuring you get the fastest possible speeds from your Mac.
  4. Optimized for Video Editing on Mac: Here's why this drive enclosure excels for Mac video editing:
    • Quick file access: Fast read/write speeds allow for smooth scrubbing and playback in Mac video editing software like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere Pro.
    • Faster renders: High-speed data transfer can significantly reduce render times when exporting your Mac video projects.
    • Portable power: Its compact aluminium design complements your Mac setup and is perfect for on-the-go Mac video editing.
  5. Versatility: This enclosure supports a wide range of M.2 NVME SSDs, including popular models often used by Mac video editors from brands like Samsung and Kingston.

Setting Up Your Best External Hard Drive for Mac Video Editing

  1. Choose a high-performance M.2 NVME SSD to pair with this enclosure.
  2. Install the SSD into the enclosure - it's a tool-free process!
  3. Connect it to your Mac using the provided USB-C cable.
  4. Format the drive for optimal performance with your Mac (HFS+ or APFS recommended for video editing).
  5. Set up your Mac video editing software to use this drive for scratch disks or media cache for best performance.

The Bottom Line for Mac Video Editors

If you're a Mac user searching for the best external hard drive for video editing, this LEMORELE enclosure paired with a fast M.2 NVME SSD is a top contender. Its combination of Mac compatibility, blazing speeds, and portability makes it an excellent choice for Mac video editors who demand the best from their equipment.

Remember, in Mac video editing, having the right tools can significantly boost your productivity. This external hard drive solution could be the upgrade your Mac video editing setup needs.

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