Upgrading your G-RAID 12TB Thunderbolt 3 drive is a great way to extend its usefulness—especially if you need more storage for large files like video, RAW photos, or backups. However, before you dive into the upgrade, it’s important to understand the size limitations and compatibility issues that might come into play. Here’s breakdown of what you need to know.
Can You Upgrade the Drives in a G-RAID Thunderbolt 3 Enclosure?
Yes—most G-RAID Thunderbolt 3 enclosures are user-upgradable, particularly those sold as "modular" or "removable drive" systems. If your 12TB model contains two 6TB drives, you can often replace them with higher-capacity drives, such as 10TB, 12TB, or even 22TB each (for a total of 20TB–44TB, depending on RAID mode).
But there are a few critical limitations and compatibility issues to consider before upgrading.
1. Maximum Supported Drive Size
There isn’t always a clearly published “max drive size” for G-RAID enclosures, but practical limits are usually based on:
Drive height: The physical space inside the enclosure must accommodate larger capacity drives, which can be thicker (though most 3.5" HDDs remain within the standard 26.1mm height).
Power and cooling: High-capacity drives (like 18TB–22TB) draw more power and generate more heat. Ensure your G-RAID’s power supply and cooling fans can handle it.
Firmware and chipset support: Older G-RAID models may have internal controllers that don't recognize newer, high-capacity drives. However, Thunderbolt 3 models are relatively modern and generally compatible with drives up to at least 20TB each, depending on manufacturer.
A good rule of thumb: Drives up to 18TB are almost universally supported in Thunderbolt 3 enclosures. Higher capacities (20TB–24TB) may work but could require firmware updates or testing.
2. RAID Controller Compatibility
Your G-RAID system most likely uses hardware RAID 0 (striped for performance) or RAID 1 (mirrored for redundancy), selectable via software or a physical switch.
The RAID controller may need to rebuild or reinitialize the array.
If using software RAID (e.g., via Disk Utility on macOS), you may need to reconfigure or reformat the array after installing new drives.
RAID controllers in some G-RAID enclosures are size-sensitive, meaning they expect identical drives. Mixing capacities can lead to wasted space or RAID failure.
If you're upgrading both drives, do it at the same time with identical models for best results.
3. Drive Selection Tips
When upgrading, choose drives that are:
Enterprise-grade or NAS-rated, like WD Red Pro, Seagate IronWolf Pro, or Ultrastar.
Helium-filled drives, which run cooler and quieter at higher capacities (typically 12TB+).
5400–7200 RPM, depending on your noise and performance preferences.
Avoid SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) drives, which can perform poorly in RAID or high-write environments.
4. macOS and File System Considerations
macOS handles large volumes well, especially with APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled). You shouldn’t run into OS-level limitations unless you're using very old versions of macOS (pre-10.13).
Conclusion
Your G-RAID 12TB Thunderbolt 3 enclosure can likely be upgraded well beyond its current capacity—as long as you choose compatible drives and understand the enclosure’s physical and firmware limits. Most users can upgrade to 18TB–20TB per drive without issues, giving you up to 36TB–40TB total, depending on RAID configuration.