I Built My Own External SSD Drive
It’s easy to spend money and buy something ready-made. No effort, no tools — just a purchase. But when you build something with your own hands, two things usually happen:
- You save some money.
- You enjoy it more in the end.
Recently, I needed an external SSD drive. I checked the usual options: plenty of models, all good enough for my needs - but also overpriced, and, to my taste, kind of ugly.
So, I went for another route: buying an SSD separately and pairing it with an enclosure of my choice.
After watching a bunch of YouTube videos, I learned that this approach has its trade-offs. One compromise is that it might use a bit more power from my MacBook Pro or my new MacBook Air. But the benefits? Complete freedom to choose the SSD I want and the box I like.
I ended up with a Crucial P310 1TB SSD and a beautiful SABRENT square metal enclosure with a good cooling system. The total price was less than a pre-built external SSD - and I got the satisfaction of putting the pieces together myself.
Another advantage: future upgrades are simple. I can swap the enclosure, replace the SSD, or even get one that holds two drives. I started with 1TB, but expanding will be easy.
Sure, it’s not waterproof or dustproof like a prebuilt option. But it’s a solution I like, and something I "assembled" with my own hands.
This is just one (not so amazing) example, but it reminded me of an important lesson: building something yourself can be just as rewarding as using it.
