I run a MacBook Pro with everything updated (macOS 10.14.6) and my Drobo 5D is getting a little long in the tooth so I am considering getting a new one.
The 8D seems to only support macOS but the 5D3 also supports Thunderbolt 3. What difference is there and/or how do I decide between them?
-cjh
I purchased the 5D3 for better speed (Thunderbolt 3 is 40Gbps) and the smaller foot print on my desk, less vibration and more energy efficient. My primary use is Lightroom and it does not work well on a NAS, So, the decision was pretty simple for me. How much storage do you need? Does it need to be networked?
It doesn’t need to be networked, but I think I’ve decided on the 5D3 based on price. The 8D seems to offer greater capacity (8 bays) and a higher price which doesn’t help me out.
Thanks for replying.
If there are spinning harddrives in whatever storage you choose, as there are in my 5D, you should read this article: https://www.macworld.com/article/2039427/how-fast-is-usb-3-0-really.html
Basically, with spinning drives the drives dictate the throughput not the connection to the computer whether using USB 3 or Thunderbolt.