I have one of these that I'm pretty sure I've plugged into a USB2 port to access an 2.5" format SSD. No external power necessary. Dunno if it could be made to work for your situation. Any SSD would be much faster than running off a USB stick. https://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-SATA-USB-Cable-USB3S2SAT3CB/dp/B00HJZJI84 --[Lance]