Can You Use an Internal SSD As an External SSD?

If you are a PC enthusiast, then you know that SSD is the next level of storage. It is faster and more reliable than traditional hard drives. But what if your motherboard does not support an extra SSD? Or what if you have an extra SSD that you don’t need anymore? Can you use it as an external SSD? In this article, we will answer that question and show you how to do it!

Yes. You can use an internal SSD as an external SSD by using either an enclosure or a SATA to USB converter. The type of converter you need depends on the read and write speeds of your old SSD. If you need a more affordable solution, then a SATA-to-USB adapter is your best bet.

What Are The Benefits of an External Hard Drive?

The benefits of an external hard drive are

• To increase the storage capacity: No matter whether you are using a laptop or a desktop, you always have a limited amount of internal storage. There is a good chance that you bought an SSD storage device just to increase your operating system’s loading time, thus the capacity may be 120GB or 250GB. If this is the case, you may require additional storage for your games, mp3s, and other files. External storage can be helpful in this situation.

• As Backup storage: The number one rule in the computer industry. Always keep a backup. Hard drives fail, it’s a fact of life. When your internal hard drive fails, you lose all of your data. If you have an external hard drive, however, you can simply copy all of your data over to the external drive and continue using your computer as normal. This is a great way to ensure that you never lose any important data.

• Portability: External hard drives are not just for desktops! Laptops can also take advantage of them. If you need to transport a lot of data from one place to another, an external hard drive is perfect for the job.

How Do I Convert An Internal SSD To an External SSD?

You can always go for readymade external SSDs available on the market such as the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD. In fact, I covered a lot regarding external hard drives in Does It Makes Sense To Buy an External SSD?

However, if you want to convert already purchased internal SSD to external you can follow these methods.

1) Using an SSD enclosure

2) Using a SATA to USB 3.0 converter

Using an SSD Enclosure

If you have an extra solid-state drive (SSD) lying around and want to repurpose it as an external drive, you can do so by using a suitable enclosure. For quick catchup, an SSD enclosure is a type of housing that you put your SSD in, to make it external. This is really handy if you want to use the speed of your old SSD with a new computer or laptop without having to remove the casing or open the laptop.

There are several SSD enclosures available in the market, and most of them are very affordable. You can find some good options on Amazon or eBay. But keep in mind that even your SSD has a higher read/write speed when you put this into the enclosure speed will be limited to the speed of your enclosure.

To know more about SSD enclosures refer to the article How to use NVME SSD without m.2 slot

SABRENT 2.5-Inch SATA to USB 3.0

Check SABRENT 2.5-Inch on Amazon

Introducing the Sabrent 2.5-Inch SATA to USB 3.0 tool-free design hard drive enclosure! This enclosure allows you to easily install and transfer data between your PC and 2.5-inch SATA/SSD hard drives. The Sabrent enclosure supports standard notebook 2.5″ SATA and SATA II hard drives, as well as SSDs, with optimized performance for SSDs.

With data transfer rates of up to 480 Mbps when connected to a USB 2.0 port or 5 Gbps when connected to a USB 3.0 port, this Sabrent enclosure is perfect for quickly transferring large files between devices. The hot-swappable, plug and play design makes installation a breeze – no drivers needed!

Sabrent USB 3.2 Type-C (M.2 PCIe NVMe)

Check Sabrent USB 3.2 on Amazon

Looking for a way to easily install and remove SSDs without any tools? Look no further than Sabrent’s USB 3.2 Type-C Enclosure for M.2 PCIe NVMe. This enclosure is designed with a slim aluminium case and ABS frame, which makes it portable and durable while still looking sleek.

It’s also compatible with both SATA and NVME SSDs in sizes 2242/2260/2280, making it easy to find the perfect fit for your needs. And best of all, you don’t need any additional drivers – this enclosure is plug-and-play ready.

SATA to USB 3.0 Converter

A SATA to USB 3.0 converter is a device that allows you to connect a SATA drive to a USB port. This can be useful if you need to access data on a SATA drive but don’t have a SATA port available.

StarTech SATA to USB Cable

Check StarTech SATA to USB Cable on Amazon

If you’re looking for an easy way to add storage or backup capabilities to your laptop, then look no further than our SATA to USB cable. This simple adapter lets you connect a 2.5″ SATA SSD or HDD to your computer via USB, achieving transfer speeds up to 5Gbps – 70% faster than traditional USB 3.0.

Plus, with UASP support, you can enjoy even faster speeds when connected to a compatible computer. The hard drive USB adapter is a portable and convenient solution that’s perfect for taking your data on the go.

Neeyer SATA III Adapter

Check Neeyer SATA III Adapter on Amazon

The Neeyer SATA III Adapter is the perfect way to add storage space to your laptop. This adapter supports USB 3.0 data transfer speeds of 5Gbps, making it a fast and efficient way to get more space for your files. With UASP support, you can experience transfer speeds up to 70% faster than conventional USB 3.0, making it the perfect solution for quickly transferring data between devices.

Final Thought

An internal SSD that you want to use as external may require some sort of enclosure or converter. If you need an affordable solution, then a SSD enclosure or a SATA-to-USB 3.0 converter is your best option for getting the data on your old drive out and onto another device.

Reference

• Disk enclosures: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_enclosure