External SSDs, including the Crucial X8 and X6, offer a way to increase speed and capacity without replacing internal parts. Older iMacs or Mac Mini systems likely came with a hard disk drive - which are much slower than SSDs - or a low-capacity SSD. Yes, you can boot from an external SSD on a PC or Mac computer.ĭepending on the model, Macs in particular can be difficult to upgrade. If you’re considering upgrading to a Crucial X8 or Crucial X6 portable SSD, you may wonder, “Can I use an external SSD as a boot drive?” We have good news.