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I read the power supply should have 0.7A and that RPi by itself requires around 0.4A-0.5A. So, what if I want to connect an external USB SSD/HDD?

External SSD can require 0.5A (and maybe more), so should I use a power supply with more than 0.7A? Will higher current create any problem?

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You can't power a USB hard drive on the RPi, as the outputs are restricted to 140mA. Consider an externally powered hard drive.

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Some USB hard drive enclosures are powered by two USB cables. The RPi alone cannot power one of these, but there are powered USB hubs that can. I have seen a RPi with an external HDD powered by this hub. I do not remember the brand/model of the HDD enclosure.

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  • youdon't need an enclosure, just an adaptor. There are SATA to USB adapters. I've seen a laptop one that adapts it to two USB cables. He could then use a powered USB hub preferably with lots of ports, like 8-10 ports, like one made by pluggable or xenon.
    – barlop
    Oct 22, 2013 at 9:04
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I managed to run an SATA SSD directly from the RPi-2! With a dual USB to single SATA cable I occupy 2 USB ports. The SSD is a Sandisk SDSSDP-64G-G25, 64 GB SSD which seems a good choice as it comes to power usage. It works without an external power source, directly powered from the USB ports! I use a 5v 3A USB adapter for the RPi though, it hardly warms up and is rock stable. Since I run this 24x7, this SSD is a good choice.

Greetings, Mike

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