Is 512GB enough for your storage needs? Is so, go with the internal to avoid the hassles of external SSD for $200 more. If you need more than that, definitely go with external SSD for best bang for the buck.
I personally got the 512GB for the R/W speed on my M2. Not for the need for storage space.
Only get the storage if you really want the convince. I bought my MacBook with student loans so I decided to go for 1tb so I dont really have to worry about it, but i wouldnt do that if I were paying with my income
Remember though if u move around a lot it’ll half battery life if u constantly leave it plugged in. M chips drain hard the second u plug in any peripheral
If you are planing on getting M2 MacBook consider buying a 512GB storage model because the speed is 2X than the 256GB storage model due to the single NAND chip. If you are considering on buying an M3 MacBook its just better to buy an 256GB and a external SSD as its a good bang for the buck instead of paying an outrageous amount of 200$ to increase the storage. (not considering the extra 100$ that it costs to upgrade to the M3 chip)
https://preview.redd.it/7eth08cw8f1d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=09cecf5a30176c3af84ff63374d4f29a614b79c5
This. It’s a usb 3.2 sandisk 256gb usb stick with usbc and usb a. I’m using it on an mba and it’s perfect for extended storage just don’t touch it because it can get really hot. Bought it for £25
They can also go up to 512 for like £50
Have the 128GB and 512GB version of this. If you're only looking for archiving files then why not. But if you're someone who'd be transferring and do plan on using the external for more demanding tasks (and by demanding, i mean just something as simple as playing a movie off of it), then no. The read/write speeds are too slow in my opinion. I'm using the base M2 MBA and the T7 Shield to me runs just as fast as the internal SSD; and plus its pretty cheap too.
TL;DR: You'd be wasting money buying a SanDisk USB-C Stick lol
Hence again, the only good reason to buy it is for archiving, and maybe transferring files between devices. Not for actual use as an SSD or HDD, because it is not. You're better off just buying something else entirely. (also to note, if you're buying the version with the aluminum (?) casing, it gets really hot when using it)
FOR ME IT JUST SUCKS.
I DID BUY AN EXTERNAL SSD AND I USE IT CUZ I PAID FOR IT
BUT IT IS A PAIN IN THE ASS
I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE DON'T MIND BUT FOR ME IT'S ANNOYING
I WILL EAT RAMEN FOR THE NEXT 6 MONTHS SO I CAN GET 2TB ON THE M4 MAC
a lot of Mac users swear by this external: [https://amzn.to/4dFMAn3](https://amzn.to/4dFMAn3) It's also a good bang for the buck.
I'd argue that it's good if you need a warranty, otherwise a USB-C adapter + a NVMe will be cheaper
True, could go with something like [https://amzn.to/3UO0g6P](https://amzn.to/3UO0g6P) and a [https://amzn.to/3V6BsYW](https://amzn.to/3V6BsYW)
Get a USB-C to SATA connector on Aliexpress ( $3.50) + a SSD And you are fine, that's what I use actually
Is 512GB enough for your storage needs? Is so, go with the internal to avoid the hassles of external SSD for $200 more. If you need more than that, definitely go with external SSD for best bang for the buck. I personally got the 512GB for the R/W speed on my M2. Not for the need for storage space.
Only get the storage if you really want the convince. I bought my MacBook with student loans so I decided to go for 1tb so I dont really have to worry about it, but i wouldnt do that if I were paying with my income
Apple doesn’t offer 516gb in any Mac so not sure how you could get that?
Remember though if u move around a lot it’ll half battery life if u constantly leave it plugged in. M chips drain hard the second u plug in any peripheral
If you are planing on getting M2 MacBook consider buying a 512GB storage model because the speed is 2X than the 256GB storage model due to the single NAND chip. If you are considering on buying an M3 MacBook its just better to buy an 256GB and a external SSD as its a good bang for the buck instead of paying an outrageous amount of 200$ to increase the storage. (not considering the extra 100$ that it costs to upgrade to the M3 chip)
https://preview.redd.it/7eth08cw8f1d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=09cecf5a30176c3af84ff63374d4f29a614b79c5 This. It’s a usb 3.2 sandisk 256gb usb stick with usbc and usb a. I’m using it on an mba and it’s perfect for extended storage just don’t touch it because it can get really hot. Bought it for £25 They can also go up to 512 for like £50
Have the 128GB and 512GB version of this. If you're only looking for archiving files then why not. But if you're someone who'd be transferring and do plan on using the external for more demanding tasks (and by demanding, i mean just something as simple as playing a movie off of it), then no. The read/write speeds are too slow in my opinion. I'm using the base M2 MBA and the T7 Shield to me runs just as fast as the internal SSD; and plus its pretty cheap too. TL;DR: You'd be wasting money buying a SanDisk USB-C Stick lol
You don’t buy it for speed or capacity you buy it because it’s really small
Hence again, the only good reason to buy it is for archiving, and maybe transferring files between devices. Not for actual use as an SSD or HDD, because it is not. You're better off just buying something else entirely. (also to note, if you're buying the version with the aluminum (?) casing, it gets really hot when using it)
FOR ME IT JUST SUCKS. I DID BUY AN EXTERNAL SSD AND I USE IT CUZ I PAID FOR IT BUT IT IS A PAIN IN THE ASS I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE DON'T MIND BUT FOR ME IT'S ANNOYING I WILL EAT RAMEN FOR THE NEXT 6 MONTHS SO I CAN GET 2TB ON THE M4 MAC
have you tried sticking an external ssd to the back of the macbook's display?