Written by
Vain Rowe
Backup is a big topic that is only less important than the priority of safeguarding your Mac from viruses and malware, which should be taken into priority consideration. Apple designed the Mac with a utility called Time Machine to carry out the backup mission, while it's a question to users on how to choose the drive best suitable for Time Machine backup.
Relax, this post from iBoysoft guides you to choose the premium drive for Time Machine backup and how to back up the backup source against data loss.
Measure these factors before selecting a TM backup drive
There are some tips you should take into consideration which help a lot when you select the drives most suitable for Time Machine backup.
The drive's format and scheme. Apple has released several formats including APFS, HFS+, and HFS along with the iterations of macOS. Moreover, Mac is also compatible with exFAT and FAT32 designed for Windows operating systems.
For the format for the Time Machine backup drive, it's always good to keep it in line with Mac for seamless co-work unless you use this drive on Windows also.
The drive's storage size. It's better to choose a drive with a bigger storage size than the Mac internal hard drive, therefore, you can "fully" back up the files and folders accumulated on the machine. Or, Time Machine will delete the oldest backups to release available space if the TM backup drive is full.
The drive's reading and writing speed. It's needless to consider the reading and writing speed if you use this drive for backup only. Once you connect the drive to your Mac and enable Time Machine to back up, it begins working based on a certain frequency, where the reading and writing speed influences less the backup mission.
The drive's manufacture. It's recommended to purchase a drive shipped by big vendors or manufacturers, therefore, you can ask for after-sales services more easily when you run into any drive issues.
The drive's type. SSD drives are far faster, lighter, more durable, and use less energy than HDDs, while HDDs are less expensive and provide greater store space. For the Time Machine backup, HDDs are recommended for less price with bigger storage size.
If you find this article informative, why not share it with more people so they can select a premium drive for Time Machine backup?
The drive most suitable for Time Machine backup
Now that we have concluded the factors needing to be considered when selecting the drive for TM backup, it's time to select a premium hard drive here. This post lists some of the most recommended drives for backup for your reference:
SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE
SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE with 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, and 18TB storage sizes for you to choose from. With a sleek, high-end design, the G-DRIVE enterprise-class hard drive offers huge memory and outstanding durability. With its metal chassis and flexible USB-C interface (5 Gbit/s), the integrated Ultrastar hard drive is ideal for quick backups and access to your HD images, videos, and audio data.
Additionally, when it is attached to your device, the G-DRIVE effortlessly charges it thanks to the USB power supply. Fast data transfers and high capacity are possible with a USB-C connection. It can be charged without a separate power supply because of the 45-watt power supply that can be accessed through the USB-C interface. Integrated Ultrastar enterprise-class hard drive. You can rely on the enterprise class's performance and dependability for demanding workloads and important information.
WD 6TB My Passport Portable Hard Drive
WD My Passport USB-C 6TB Gray external hard drive backs up all of your critical files, movies, and pictures on your Mac computer. Up to 600,000 images or 198 hours of 4K video content can be stored on the 6TB of storage space that you are given. You may carry this external drive with you everywhere you go because of its compact size.
The WD My Passport has a Windows format but it allows you to format to any Mac format. This implies that you can begin using it immediately. The hard drive can be password-protected so that only you can access it. There is also an automatic backup feature on this hard disk. You can use USB-C to connect the drive to your laptop or camera. You can then move your files with ease.
Toshiba Canvio Partner 2TB Portable 2.5" External HDD
With 2TB space of Toshiba Canvio Partner's External Hard drive, you can back up a lot of stuff including documents, numbers, images, videos, audio, etc. on your Mac.
Configured with a USB 3.0 interface, the Toshiba drive allows you to back up the Mac computer with a fast data transfer rate of up to 5Gbps.
The Toshiba Canvio Partner is small, lightweight, and compact, making it easy to carry with you on the go. It's perfect for people who need to work or travel with their backup data.
This external hard drive is built with Toshiba's quality and reliability standards, ensuring that your data is safe and secure. It also features shock sensors to protect your data against accidental drops or bumps.
Back up the Time Machine backup firmly
It's crucial to back up the backup you made on your Mac machine or it's still in vain if you lose it unexpectedly. The 3-2-1 backup strategy is worth mentioning that you should have 3 copies of your data (your production data and 2 backup copies) on two different media (disk and tape) with one copy off-site for disaster recovery.
To back up the backup you made, you can launch iBoysoft DiskGeeker to clone the whole backup drive as another backup. iBoysoft DiskGeeker's Disk Clone greatly shortens the backup time and saves effort, which deserves your try!
Final words
This post answers the question "What drive should I use for a Time Machine" by exploring the factors you should consider when selecting the best drive for Time Machine backup.
Also, it lists some of the most suitable hard drives for TM backup. You can choose the premium drive by yourself based on the tips mentioned in the post or you can purchase the recommended one directly!
