As PCIe solid state drives continue to dominate the market, SATA models are becoming less popular. However, if you have an old internal SATA SSD lying around, you can easily convert it into a portable SSD storage device with the help of a USB to SATA converter like the Sabrent EC-SSHD. Available on Amazon for just under $12, this device is compatible with 2.5-inch SATA drives.
The Sabrent EC-SSHD looks like a USB cable with a SATA connector on one end and a USB 3.0 connector on the other. It also features an activity indicator that shows when the SSD is being used. Although there are other similar products on the market, we recommend the Sabrent EC-SSHD as it is a well-known brand and comes with a free download of Acronis True Image software that allows users to clone hard drives easily. However, it should be noted that this software is not the best disk cloning software available.
The Sabrent EC-SSHD is also compatible with 2.5″ hard drives, but not with Raspberry Pi as the latter is not powered. Additionally, it doesn’t support TRIM but is SMART compatible and truly plug and play. There is also a version of the device with an additional Type-C connector.
It is possible to use an internal SSD as a portable SSD drive. An internal SSD is essentially a series of components in an enclosure that protects the electronics inside. Therefore, protecting it with an outer case is unnecessary unless you want to physically hide the drive or make it look more aesthetic. However, it should be noted that internal SSDs lack additional protections that would prevent third parties from accessing the actual NAND chips or improve their immunity to harsh environments.
SATA SSD drives are the cheapest solid state drives available. So if you want the cheapest external SSD, you can just take an internal SATA SSD and connect it to the EC-SSHD. A 2TB SSD can cost less than $60, while the equivalent external SSD carries a 50% premium. The price difference widens significantly as the size of the drive increases. An 8TB SSD costs about $445, while a comparable portable model costs about $200 extra.
It is important to note that you cannot convert an internal PCIe NVMe SSD into a portable SSD drive without first plugging the module into an external enclosure. These enclosures are not as expensive (roughly double the price of the EC-SSHD) and have the advantage of using USB 3.2 Gen 2, which delivers speeds of up to 10Gbps, enough for the PCIe SSDs, which are typically faster than SATA SSDs are.
