Looking at the numbers it looks like Thunderbolt is faster than SATA. Is that right? So an external RAID 0 config of drives like the LaCie Little Big Disk could be faster than my internal HD on my 2011 PMB. Or am I missing something?

Thunderbolt is basically PCI. So you have to view the speeds like that. Some RAIDs can hit 600 Meg/sec. Thunderbolt should be able to carry that without needing a card.

The internal HD on a MBP is not particularly fast as hard drives go and doesn't come near to saturating the internal SATA bus.

Any speedy full-sized drive that's connected to a bus that's capable of transmitting data to and from the drive at the drive's maximum speed would be faster than the internal on your MBP, whether the bus is SATA or Thunderbolt.

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It typically takes 3 3.5-inch hard drives in a striped RAID to saturate a last-generation SATA 2.0 (3Mbps) SATA bus, so I wouldn't worry too much about the difference between SATA and Thunderbolt speed until the subject comes 'round to super-fast SSD devices or RAIDs with a whole lot of drives.

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There was a "Little Big Disk" announced with SSDs and a Thunderbolt port. It's not shipping yet, but its speed would probably make working with your internal hard drive feel like trudging neck-deep through sludge by comparison.

Keep in mind that when it ships, that particular product might cost as much as a new MBP.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/2011 11:52AM by Chakravartin.

Yes, a SSD in a 2.5" USB 3 case, hooked to a USB 3 to Thunderbolt adapter, should hit speeds of about 250 MB/s. That is much faster than the traditional hard drives in laptops.

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Of course, if Apple had included USB 3 in their recent hardware update, you would be able to use that SSD in a USB 3 case today. Now you have to wait 9 to 12 months to pay an estimated $100 for the Thunderbolt to USB 3 adapter (assuming it actually gets made).
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In tha 360. MRF User Map

Your 2011 MBP has a SATA III internal connection, up to 600 Mbps.

[barefeats.com]

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Filliam H. Muffman

Nice!

I'm waiting for Thunderbolt 2 and USB 4.

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wickedsteve
Looking at the numbers it looks like Thunderbolt is faster than SATA. Is that right?

Essentially, Thunderbolt externalizes the computer's PCIe system bus. In other words, it's not possible to have a faster interface than Thunderbolt.