Editor's Notes
Best Buy customers often prefer the following products when searching for Thunderbolt 3 External Hard Drive. Browse the top-ranked list of Thunderbolt 3 External Hard Drive below along with associated reviews and opinions. Buffalo - LinkStation™ 210 2TB External Hard Drive (NAS). Say you have a couple of picks from our best NAS for home collection as well as an extra Thunderbolt 3 display, you can theoretically run these from the same port. It will depend on the hardware.
November 20, 2020:
First of all, none of these will work if your motherboard doesn't have the proper connectors to enable Thunderbolt 3. Second, these may take at least a little BIOS tweaking to get working, or a lot if you're using them with a Mac, Hackintosh, or Linux setup. Third, these aren't just some of the best PCIe TB3 expansion cards out there right now, they're just about the only.
With that in mind, the Gigabyte Titan Ridge 2.0 is the best performing for its manufacturer's boards, and it even officially supports some high-end AMD mainboards. If you have an older chipset, the Gigabyte Alpine Ridge might be what you need. Luckily, it's significantly cheaper, although it does lack some key features such as 100-watt Power Delivery.
Similarly for Asus systems, the Asus ThunderboltEX 3-TR is the premium, no-holds-barred version that can drive multiple monitors at once. It doesn't have quite the same manufacturer approval for Ryzen chipsets, but there are some Ryzen boards that it works with - you'll just have to do a little more work to get it up and running. The Asus ThunderboltEX 3 Expansion is the less costly option here as well. The AsRock AIC R2.0, meanwhile, is the only one that's currently available for AsRock boards, although keep an eye on them, because they may release one in the coming months.
February 11, 2019:
Thunderbolt 3 is one of the most interesting up-and-coming connectivity protocols; its blistering top speed enables all kinds of fancy advancements, not least of which the plug-and-play use of high-powered, external GPUs. The current king of add-in cards is without a doubt the Titan Ridge; the nerdiest among us have even confirmed that it will work with some AMD chipsets, given enough tweaking. The Alpine ridge, its older model, is a reasonable choice if your motherboard has the right headers, and all you want it for is quick data transfer. It's also available at less than half the price of the leader. Sonnet's add-in board is designed to turn a TB2 system into a TB3 powerhouse, so keep in mind its somewhat limited compatibility. The Asus is a good mid-range choice, and provides decent charging abilities, while the AsRock may be the easiest to install, but it's been reported to not be quite as fast as the top choice.
We've spent hundreds of hours researching and comparing Thunderbolt Nas of all specifications to find the best one for any need (or budget). Here are the results.
Contents
- 3 Thunderbolt Nas Reviews on Twitter
The Best Thunderbolt Nas of 2020 – Top Rated & Reviewed
2,718 Reviews Scanned
Rank No. #1 QNAP TS-453BT3-8G-US 4-Bay Thunderbolt 3 NAS. Intel Celeron Apollo Lake J3455 Quad-core CPU, 8GB RAM, SATA 6Gb/s- Intel Celeron J3455 quad-core 1.5GHz (up to 2.3GHz)
- 8GB DDR3L RAM (2x4GB, max 8GB), 4K hardware transcoding, dual 4K HDMI v1.4b
- max 1 UX-800P/UX-500P expansion unit, 1x pre-installed QM2-2S10G1T expansion adapter
- Supported Client Operating Systems- Apple Mac OS 10.7 or later,Linux and UNIX, Microsoft Windows 7, 8, and 10, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2 and 2016
- NOTE: Please refer to the user manual before use
- Intel Core i5-7500 3. 4 GHz, 16GB RAM, 4-LAN, 2x 10Gbase-T, 4x Thunderbolt 3 port iSCSI, RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 5+spare, 6+spare, 10+spare, global hot spare, Max 64 GB RAM
- Pcie expansion slot x3, 250W single power supply; built-in M. 2 SATA 6GB/s slots & 2. 5' SSD slots; Qtier technology and SSD cache enable 24/7 optimized storage efficiency
- The Network & Virtual Switch app assists network traffic distribution, and re-routes dedicated bandwidth for diverse applications
- Four Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gaps) ports and dual 10GbE network for on-the-fly video editing and rapid file sharing
- Supports QRM+ unified remote server management, center for centrally managing multiple QNAP NAS, virtual machine and container applications, and storage for virtualization
- Intel Core i3-8100t 4-Core 3 1 GHz Processor architecture 64-bit Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 630
- 8 GB SODIMM DDR4 (Max 32GB)
- 2 x Thunderbolt 3 ports
- 1 x 10GBase-T RJ45 supporting 10G/5G/2 5G/1G/100M
- 2 PCIe Gen3 slots (one is pre-installed with the Thunderbolt 3 adapter)
- Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2. 6 GHz (Max. 3. 5 GHz), 16GB DDR4 RAM(max. 32GB total, 2 SODIMM slots)
- 8x 2. 5' Sata HDD/SSD, 2x GbE LAN, 2x 10GBase-T, 2x Thunderbolt 3, RAID 0/1/5/6/10/+Spare; Requires MacOS Sierra 10.12.3 (or later) for using Thunderbolt connection on Mac.
- Eight 2. 5' Sata 6GB/s SSD/HDD slots; high-speed Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) and 10GbE network for on-the-fly video editing and rapid file sharing
- High flexibility With USB 3. 1 Gen2 10Gbps Type-A and Type-C ports; The network & Virtual Switch app assists network traffic distribution, and re-routes dedicated bandwidth for diverse applications
- Four available combinations with Mac/PC and JBOD for flexible attaching, sharing and expansion; HDMI with up to 4K @30Hz output for an excellent audiovisual experience
- 4-Bay Storage Enclosure with Dual Thunderbolt 3 Ports, enclosure only (no drives)
- The new ThunderBay 4 Thunderbolt 3 is now FASTER: Up to 1527MB/s sustained performance and NATIVELY COMPATIBLE with both 2.5' and 3.5' drives
- Plug and play RAID Ready. Utilize each of the four internal drives independently, or use the software RAID of your choice to setup a multi-drive array for high performance or data redundancy.
- Ultra quiet, heat dissipating aluminum chassis; Rigorously pre-tested with multi-hour burn-in
- Two Thunderbolt 3 ports; Dedicated DisplayPort 1.2 port; 1 Year OWC Limited Warranty
- Portable design for professionals especially those with strict speed and safety requirements, including 4K video editing.
- Two 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interfaces, reading speeds up to 760MB/s (with SSHD in RAID 0). Compatible with 3.5' and 2.5' SATA HDD, 2.5' SATA SSD. For better and stable peroformance, the WD Reds or Seagate IronWolfs are recommended.
- Hardware RAID: RAID0, RAID1, JBOD, SINGLE; Support up to 32TB storage capacity (16TB x 2, in RAID 0); Daisy-chain up to 6 devices;
- Capitalising on the Thunderbolt 3 and DP interfaces, the TD2 Thunderbolt 3 supports multi-screen display with up to 3 screens.
- Power delivery provides up to 15W of power to recharge compatible laptops (Mac only, Windows not supported). Aluminum-alloy shell, 80mm fan ensures great heat dispersion.
- Pre-tested NAS-grade hard drives included – with RAID pre-configured, saving you time and money
- Value-focused, Business-ready NAS without breaking the bank
- Integrated Hybrid Cloud Backup / Private Cloud / iSCSI Support
- 3-year wty with 24/7 North American-based support
- Compatible with Amazon S3, Dropbox, Dropbox Business, Microsoft Azure and OneDrive
- Fast data transfers
- High Capacity add on storage
- Plug and Play Ready for Windows PCs
- WD quality inside and out
- 2 year manufacturer's limited warranty
- 24/7 file server for your household to store share and backup personal data
- Award-winning DiskStation Manager (DSM) brings intuitive operation flow and reduces learning curve
- Access and share data with any Windows macOS and Linux computers or mobile devices
- Integrated media server to support multimedia content streaming
- Freely access private cloud files on-the-go and back up mobile photos with iOS and Android apps
- Connect all of your favorite accessories; Dual Thunderbolt 3 ports allow you to daisy-chin additional devices; Connect to virtually any display, TV, or projector with DisplayPort1.2 built in
- 7 ports of connectivity; Flexible storage options with 2 bays for 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives; Hardware RAID options for RAID 0 or 1, span, and JBOD (Independent)
- 2 x Thunderbolt 3 ports (USB-C), 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, 1 Gb Ethernet port, and DisplayPort 1.2, SD 4.0 (UHS-II) card reader
- Frontside SD 4.0 Card Reader for easy camera uploads; 1Gb Ethernet for file transfer speeds that leave WiFi in the dust; (2) USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports for your essential peripherals; Dedicated DisplayPort 1.2 for adding up to 4K display
- Includes: (1) Mercury Elite Pro Dock, (1) Thunderbolt 3 cable, (1) External Power Supply and power cable, (1) Quick Start Guide, (1) OWC Dock Ejector download, 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty
Top Rated Thunderbolt Nas to Buy Now
Thunderbolt Nas Reviews on Twitter
[custom-twitter-feeds search='Thunderbolt Nas']
Why You Should Buy Best Thunderbolt Nas from Amazon
Amazon is not the only store that sell Thunderbolt Nas. However, there are several compelling reasons why you should buy Thunderbolt Nas from them, with the suitable Price and Reviews. Here are five:
(1) Amazon Makes Shopping Thunderbolt Nas Personal
Amazon is very good at making recommendations of Thunderbolt Nas based on your search history. From time to time, they will even show you discounted prices on Thunderbolt Nas that you previously expressed an interest in. They also make your shopping experience a little easier by showing you items that you recently viewed.
(2) Amazon Checkout is Easy
Thunderbolt 3 Nas Drive
Amazon checkout is easy, especially if you already have an account. You can add Thunderbolt Nas to your cart and go through a multi-step checkout process, or you can buy Thunderbolt Nas with only one click by using your stored credit card information.
First of all, none of these will work if your motherboard doesn't have the proper connectors to enable Thunderbolt 3. Second, these may take at least a little BIOS tweaking to get working, or a lot if you're using them with a Mac, Hackintosh, or Linux setup. Third, these aren't just some of the best PCIe TB3 expansion cards out there right now, they're just about the only.
With that in mind, the Gigabyte Titan Ridge 2.0 is the best performing for its manufacturer's boards, and it even officially supports some high-end AMD mainboards. If you have an older chipset, the Gigabyte Alpine Ridge might be what you need. Luckily, it's significantly cheaper, although it does lack some key features such as 100-watt Power Delivery.
Similarly for Asus systems, the Asus ThunderboltEX 3-TR is the premium, no-holds-barred version that can drive multiple monitors at once. It doesn't have quite the same manufacturer approval for Ryzen chipsets, but there are some Ryzen boards that it works with - you'll just have to do a little more work to get it up and running. The Asus ThunderboltEX 3 Expansion is the less costly option here as well. The AsRock AIC R2.0, meanwhile, is the only one that's currently available for AsRock boards, although keep an eye on them, because they may release one in the coming months.
February 11, 2019:
Thunderbolt 3 is one of the most interesting up-and-coming connectivity protocols; its blistering top speed enables all kinds of fancy advancements, not least of which the plug-and-play use of high-powered, external GPUs. The current king of add-in cards is without a doubt the Titan Ridge; the nerdiest among us have even confirmed that it will work with some AMD chipsets, given enough tweaking. The Alpine ridge, its older model, is a reasonable choice if your motherboard has the right headers, and all you want it for is quick data transfer. It's also available at less than half the price of the leader. Sonnet's add-in board is designed to turn a TB2 system into a TB3 powerhouse, so keep in mind its somewhat limited compatibility. The Asus is a good mid-range choice, and provides decent charging abilities, while the AsRock may be the easiest to install, but it's been reported to not be quite as fast as the top choice.
We've spent hundreds of hours researching and comparing Thunderbolt Nas of all specifications to find the best one for any need (or budget). Here are the results.
Contents
- 3 Thunderbolt Nas Reviews on Twitter
The Best Thunderbolt Nas of 2020 – Top Rated & Reviewed
2,718 Reviews Scanned
Rank No. #1 QNAP TS-453BT3-8G-US 4-Bay Thunderbolt 3 NAS. Intel Celeron Apollo Lake J3455 Quad-core CPU, 8GB RAM, SATA 6Gb/s- Intel Celeron J3455 quad-core 1.5GHz (up to 2.3GHz)
- 8GB DDR3L RAM (2x4GB, max 8GB), 4K hardware transcoding, dual 4K HDMI v1.4b
- max 1 UX-800P/UX-500P expansion unit, 1x pre-installed QM2-2S10G1T expansion adapter
- Supported Client Operating Systems- Apple Mac OS 10.7 or later,Linux and UNIX, Microsoft Windows 7, 8, and 10, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2 and 2016
- NOTE: Please refer to the user manual before use
- Intel Core i5-7500 3. 4 GHz, 16GB RAM, 4-LAN, 2x 10Gbase-T, 4x Thunderbolt 3 port iSCSI, RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 5+spare, 6+spare, 10+spare, global hot spare, Max 64 GB RAM
- Pcie expansion slot x3, 250W single power supply; built-in M. 2 SATA 6GB/s slots & 2. 5' SSD slots; Qtier technology and SSD cache enable 24/7 optimized storage efficiency
- The Network & Virtual Switch app assists network traffic distribution, and re-routes dedicated bandwidth for diverse applications
- Four Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gaps) ports and dual 10GbE network for on-the-fly video editing and rapid file sharing
- Supports QRM+ unified remote server management, center for centrally managing multiple QNAP NAS, virtual machine and container applications, and storage for virtualization
- Intel Core i3-8100t 4-Core 3 1 GHz Processor architecture 64-bit Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 630
- 8 GB SODIMM DDR4 (Max 32GB)
- 2 x Thunderbolt 3 ports
- 1 x 10GBase-T RJ45 supporting 10G/5G/2 5G/1G/100M
- 2 PCIe Gen3 slots (one is pre-installed with the Thunderbolt 3 adapter)
- Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2. 6 GHz (Max. 3. 5 GHz), 16GB DDR4 RAM(max. 32GB total, 2 SODIMM slots)
- 8x 2. 5' Sata HDD/SSD, 2x GbE LAN, 2x 10GBase-T, 2x Thunderbolt 3, RAID 0/1/5/6/10/+Spare; Requires MacOS Sierra 10.12.3 (or later) for using Thunderbolt connection on Mac.
- Eight 2. 5' Sata 6GB/s SSD/HDD slots; high-speed Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) and 10GbE network for on-the-fly video editing and rapid file sharing
- High flexibility With USB 3. 1 Gen2 10Gbps Type-A and Type-C ports; The network & Virtual Switch app assists network traffic distribution, and re-routes dedicated bandwidth for diverse applications
- Four available combinations with Mac/PC and JBOD for flexible attaching, sharing and expansion; HDMI with up to 4K @30Hz output for an excellent audiovisual experience
- 4-Bay Storage Enclosure with Dual Thunderbolt 3 Ports, enclosure only (no drives)
- The new ThunderBay 4 Thunderbolt 3 is now FASTER: Up to 1527MB/s sustained performance and NATIVELY COMPATIBLE with both 2.5' and 3.5' drives
- Plug and play RAID Ready. Utilize each of the four internal drives independently, or use the software RAID of your choice to setup a multi-drive array for high performance or data redundancy.
- Ultra quiet, heat dissipating aluminum chassis; Rigorously pre-tested with multi-hour burn-in
- Two Thunderbolt 3 ports; Dedicated DisplayPort 1.2 port; 1 Year OWC Limited Warranty
- Portable design for professionals especially those with strict speed and safety requirements, including 4K video editing.
- Two 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interfaces, reading speeds up to 760MB/s (with SSHD in RAID 0). Compatible with 3.5' and 2.5' SATA HDD, 2.5' SATA SSD. For better and stable peroformance, the WD Reds or Seagate IronWolfs are recommended.
- Hardware RAID: RAID0, RAID1, JBOD, SINGLE; Support up to 32TB storage capacity (16TB x 2, in RAID 0); Daisy-chain up to 6 devices;
- Capitalising on the Thunderbolt 3 and DP interfaces, the TD2 Thunderbolt 3 supports multi-screen display with up to 3 screens.
- Power delivery provides up to 15W of power to recharge compatible laptops (Mac only, Windows not supported). Aluminum-alloy shell, 80mm fan ensures great heat dispersion.
- Pre-tested NAS-grade hard drives included – with RAID pre-configured, saving you time and money
- Value-focused, Business-ready NAS without breaking the bank
- Integrated Hybrid Cloud Backup / Private Cloud / iSCSI Support
- 3-year wty with 24/7 North American-based support
- Compatible with Amazon S3, Dropbox, Dropbox Business, Microsoft Azure and OneDrive
- Fast data transfers
- High Capacity add on storage
- Plug and Play Ready for Windows PCs
- WD quality inside and out
- 2 year manufacturer's limited warranty
- 24/7 file server for your household to store share and backup personal data
- Award-winning DiskStation Manager (DSM) brings intuitive operation flow and reduces learning curve
- Access and share data with any Windows macOS and Linux computers or mobile devices
- Integrated media server to support multimedia content streaming
- Freely access private cloud files on-the-go and back up mobile photos with iOS and Android apps
- Connect all of your favorite accessories; Dual Thunderbolt 3 ports allow you to daisy-chin additional devices; Connect to virtually any display, TV, or projector with DisplayPort1.2 built in
- 7 ports of connectivity; Flexible storage options with 2 bays for 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives; Hardware RAID options for RAID 0 or 1, span, and JBOD (Independent)
- 2 x Thunderbolt 3 ports (USB-C), 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, 1 Gb Ethernet port, and DisplayPort 1.2, SD 4.0 (UHS-II) card reader
- Frontside SD 4.0 Card Reader for easy camera uploads; 1Gb Ethernet for file transfer speeds that leave WiFi in the dust; (2) USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports for your essential peripherals; Dedicated DisplayPort 1.2 for adding up to 4K display
- Includes: (1) Mercury Elite Pro Dock, (1) Thunderbolt 3 cable, (1) External Power Supply and power cable, (1) Quick Start Guide, (1) OWC Dock Ejector download, 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty
Top Rated Thunderbolt Nas to Buy Now
Thunderbolt Nas Reviews on Twitter
[custom-twitter-feeds search='Thunderbolt Nas']
Why You Should Buy Best Thunderbolt Nas from Amazon
Amazon is not the only store that sell Thunderbolt Nas. However, there are several compelling reasons why you should buy Thunderbolt Nas from them, with the suitable Price and Reviews. Here are five:
(1) Amazon Makes Shopping Thunderbolt Nas Personal
Amazon is very good at making recommendations of Thunderbolt Nas based on your search history. From time to time, they will even show you discounted prices on Thunderbolt Nas that you previously expressed an interest in. They also make your shopping experience a little easier by showing you items that you recently viewed.
(2) Amazon Checkout is Easy
Thunderbolt 3 Nas Drive
Amazon checkout is easy, especially if you already have an account. You can add Thunderbolt Nas to your cart and go through a multi-step checkout process, or you can buy Thunderbolt Nas with only one click by using your stored credit card information.
(3) Amazon Has Lots of Social Proof
Before you make a purchase for Thunderbolt Nas, you want to know that the company you are dealing with is legitimate and that others trust the company enough to make a purchase. You may also like to read what others are saying about the product in the review section. Amazon does all of this quite well.
(4) Amazon Has Great Thunderbolt Nas Images and Descriptions
In addition to still images, many of Amazon's Thunderbolt Nas have videos. This makes it easier for you to see exactly what you are purchasing. Best auto clicker. Amazon's Thunderbolt Nas descriptions are also quite good. In many cases, Amazon repeats the descriptions furnished by the manufacturer. In other cases, they write their own.
(5) The Amazon Site is Easy to Navigate
Navigating the Amazon site is easy. Even though the site is huge, you will not feel overwhelmed when searching for Thunderbolt Nas. This is partly due to Amazon's filtering process. You can search for items by brand, price or user rating. You can also search for specific features.
How to Choose the Best Thunderbolt Nas (with Price and Reviews)
Although most Thunderbolt Nas are similar, there are several differences worth noting. Here are nine criteria to consider when choosing an Thunderbolt Nas:
(1) Thunderbolt Nas Price and Reviews
Although price is not the only factor to consider, it is nevertheless extremely important. The price of an Thunderbolt Nas should be in line with its value. You can compare Thunderbolt Nas reviews to make sure you are getting a fair price. This is easy to do on Amazon.
(2) Demand
The demand for a particular Thunderbolt Nas is a good indication of its ability to perform the functions for which it was designed. If a product has been around for a while and still has a high demand, it is likely a good product.
(3) Material
Thunderbolt Nas materials differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. Consider where and how you will be using your Thunderbolt Nas to determine if one material would be better than another.
(4) Size
Like most products, Thunderbolt Nass come in various sizes. Do you need a large Thunderbolt Nasor a small one? Think about where you will use your Thunderbolt Nas in order to determine the best size. You can also read the customer reviews on Amazon to see what others are saying about the size of the unit they purchased.
(5) Color
Thunderbolt Nass also come in a variety of colors. Do you need a particular color? You should also consider whether the color of your Thunderbolt Nas would have any effect on the efficiency of its operation.
(6) Durability
The durability of an Thunderbolt Nas will be contingent on the materials used as well as the quality of the manufacturing process. Additionally, the type of Thunderbolt Nas you purchase may affect its durability.
(7) Storage
Will you need to store your Thunderbolt Nas? If so, you should consider the size and weight of the Thunderbolt Nasto make sure that it can be stored properly. Also, give some consideration to the type of climate in which your Thunderbolt Nas will be stored.
(8) Customer Ratings
Customer rating is one of the best criteria for choosing an Thunderbolt Nas. It is hard to know exactly how an Thunderbolt Nas will perform until you get it home and try it out.
Synology Thunderbolt 3 Nas
(9) Warranty
Best Thunderbolt 3 Nas Synology
Make sure the Thunderbolt Nas you are considering is backed by a good manufacturer's warranty. If it isn't, you might be better off with another ones.
