Fastest NVME external enclosure with M1?

[adonis3k]

Hi guys,

I have 2 NVME I want to use as backup drives/extra storage, what is the fastest enclosure which work with an NVME?

I currently have the below but it only connects are 5gbps (in the USB socket, connecting in TB wont recognise), are there any which do the supposedly 10gig?

FIDECO M.2 NVME SATA SSD Enclosure, PCIe USB 3.2, Gen 2, 10Gbps, SSD Enclosure Adapter for 2230 2242 2260 2280 M.2 NVME/SATA SSD of M-Key or M+B Key, Support UASP

FIDECO M.2 NVME External SSD Enclosure - Turn your SSD into an ultra-portable hard drive! Slim and exquisite size for on-the-go!

www.amazon.co.uk

Cheers

 

[QuietGamer]

https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/envoy-express/thunderbolt-3 Click at the top for the UK site if not displayed by default.

 

[Pressure]

Orico Thunderbolt 3 NVMe enclosure is currently €75 on Amazon. It’s faster than the OWC Envoy Express.

 

[adonis3k]

Orico Thunderbolt 3 NVMe enclosure is currently €75 on Amazon. It’s faster than the OWC Envoy Express.

link?

 

[joevt]

I have 2 NVME I want to use as backup drives/extra storage, what is the fastest enclosure which work with an NVME?

I currently have the below but it only connects are 5gbps (in the USB socket, connecting in TB wont recognise), are there any which do the supposedly 10gig?

FIDECO M.2 NVME SATA SSD Enclosure, PCIe USB 3.2, Gen 2, 10Gbps, SSD Enclosure Adapter for 2230 2242 2260 2280 M.2 NVME/SATA SSD of M-Key or M+B Key, Support UASP

FIDECO M.2 NVME External SSD Enclosure - Turn your SSD into an ultra-portable hard drive! Slim and exquisite size for on-the-go!

www.amazon.co.uk

You are talking about a M1 Mac mini? The other M1 Macs don't have USB type A ports.

There may be problems with M1 Macs and USB 3.1 gen 2 devices. You need to actually test the device for greater than 500 MB/s performance to be sure it works properly.

USB on M1 Macs isn't actually 10Gb/s? (Also definitely not USB4)

After quite a bit of testing, I have concluded that the USB bus on at least my Mac mini M1 does not actually support "USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)" as listed on the Tech Specs page. I have a Samsung T5 USB-C SSD. It supports "USB 3.1 Gen 2 10Gb/s" (Gawd, I hate USB 3.1+ naming conventions...†)...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Pressure]

link?

ORICO Thunderbolt 3 SSD.

 

[adonis3k]

You are talking about a M1 Mac mini? The other M1 Macs don't have USB type A ports.

There may be problems with M1 Macs and USB 3.1 gen 2 devices. You need to actually test the device for greater than 500 MB/s performance to be sure it works properly.

USB on M1 Macs isn't actually 10Gb/s? (Also definitely not USB4)

After quite a bit of testing, I have concluded that the USB bus on at least my Mac mini M1 does not actually support "USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)" as listed on the Tech Specs page. I have a Samsung T5 USB-C SSD. It supports "USB 3.1 Gen 2 10Gb/s" (Gawd, I hate USB 3.1+ naming conventions...†)...

forums.macrumors.com

Yes M1 Mini, connecting that enclosure I linked only gives my 10Gbps.

That Orico may give upto 40Gbps but £99!!

 

[Pressure]

Yes M1 Mini, connecting that enclosure I linked only gives my 10Gbps.

That Orico may give upto 40Gbps but £99!!

Still much cheaper than upgrading the internal storage to 2TB.

 

[adonis3k]

Still much cheaper than upgrading the internal storage to 2TB.

😂 Yep

 

[joevt]

Yes M1 Mini, connecting that enclosure I linked only gives my 10Gbps.

You mean 5 Gbps?

 

[adonis3k]

You mean 5 Gbps?

Doh yeah 5Gbps!

 

[deksawyer]

A couple of these 10G enclosures would be ideal for backup purposes (but only using the TB/USB3 ports):

35.37US $ |Orico M.2 Nvme Ssd Enclosure Type C Usb 3.1 Support 10gbps Uasp M.2 Usb Nvme Ssd Case Aluminum Hard Drive Disk Box - Hdd & Ssd Enclosure - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

I bought my Orico SCM2T3-G40 from Aliexpress and it's great. More products here: https://www.orico.cc/us

 

[Heatboy]

Bought the Orico Thunderbolt G40 TB3 enclosure (the old model with the fins), as I need higher speeds than my OWC Envoy Express TB3 enclosures. Stuck an Adata XPG SX8200 in it, and...pretty inconsistent on my M1 Air, around 700 Write and 1400 Read, But it went up and down, where as on my 20218 MBP I got higer numbers, but it gets super hot.

It might be that to conserve power, the ports on the M1's are indeed underpowered, dunno. Also, I cannot plug 2 TB3 drives in my M1 Air at tha same time. doesn't mount whatever I do.

It could be the SX8200 that's the issue, as it doesn't work with the Envoy Express. I just want a consistent TB3 drive, that's faster than the Envoy TB3 Express with the Intel P660, which is super stable (had it for 6 months with no issues). The Envoy Express might actually be the best bet, as it only uses 2 lanes, and doesn't get as hot as the Orico (and many other 40 Gb/s TB3 drives).

Next thing is to buy a SN550 WD Blue 2TB and try that out with the Orico. If that does not work, I'll buy the new OWC Envoy Pro FX TB3 drive, I'll go pre-built, but not before I see a great review using it on M1 Macs. I'd rather have a TB3 drive that has around 1800/1800 and doesn't get über-hot, rather that a drive that has 2500/2500 and is hot as hell. Need reliability more than RAW speed, but at the same time, need something that gets close to the internal ssd.

 

[Peter118]

@Heatboy

I own a Mac Mini M1 16GB/512GB. I use a Jeyi Thunderbolt 3 M.2 NVME enclosure with a 1TB Samsung EVO m.2 SSD. Speeds are constant and are Read:3100MB/s - Write: 2100MB/s. Temps around 50 degrees celcius.

I also considered the WD SN550 but my computer supplier told me that they are not compatible with the M1.

 

[Heatboy]

@Heatboy

I own a Mac Mini M1 16GB/512GB. I use a Jeyi Thunderbolt 3 M.2 NVME enclosure with a 1TB Samsung EVO m.2 SSD. Speeds are constant and are Read:3100MB/s - Write: 2100MB/s. Temps around 50 degrees celcius.

I also considered the WD SN550 but my computer supplier told me that they are not compatible with the M1.

How can the SN550 not be compatible, did he tell you?

 

[Peter118]

How can the SN550 not be compatible, did he tell you?

Because of the used chipset on the SN550. That can be true, because I tried a SK Hynix PC601 1TB SSD and that crashed my Mac Mini M1 instantly. The Samsung EVO works perfect.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Hi guys,

I currently have the below but it only connects are 5gbps (in the USB socket, connecting in TB wont recognise), are there any which do the supposedly 10gig?

FIDECO M.2 NVME SATA SSD Enclosure, PCIe USB 3.2, Gen 2, 10Gbps, SSD Enclosure Adapter for 2230 2242 2260 2280 M.2 NVME/SATA SSD of M-Key or M+B Key, Support UASP

FIDECO M.2 NVME External SSD Enclosure - Turn your SSD into an ultra-portable hard drive! Slim and exquisite size for on-the-go!

www.amazon.co.uk

Cheers

That enclosure should be okay for backup and general storage.

The USB-C ports (two in the middle) support...

• Thunderbolt 3 (up to 40Gb/s)
• USB 4 (up to 40Gb/s)
• USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gb/s)

However, the ones to the edge, above the headphone port, are indeed only 5Gbps.

• Two USB-A ports (up to 5Gb/s)

So, figuring out why your current enclosure "connecting in TB wont recognise)" should be beneficial enough.

Have you tried a different USB-C cable? I've read in several product reviews for various cheaper enclosures and drives are often enough not very good.

Additionally, do you have another computer to test the drive and current USB-C cable?

 

[joevt]

Thunderbolt 3 data bandwidth is usually limited to 22~24 Gbps. Add DisplayPort traffic to reach 40 Gbps. DisplayPort traffic takes precedence, so it's best to connect data devices to a different Thunderbolt port especially if the DisplayPort traffic exceeds 16 Gbps.

M1 Macs have problems with some USB devices where they connect at 5 Gbps instead of 10 Gbps. A solution is to connect the USB device to a hub or dock that connects correctly at 10 Gbps.

M1 Macs have slower USB ports at gen 1 (5 Gbps) and gen 2 speeds (10 Gbps). A solution is to connect the USB device to a Thunderbolt Hub or Thunderbolt Dock because they have their own Thunderbolt controller.

 

[Heatboy]

Anyone got a Samsung X5, that can test the speed on an M1? Freshly formatted in AFPS, that is. I can get my hands on a used 2TB version, for the price of a SN550 2TB stick. I am getting tired of trying out various TB3 cabinets that doesn't deliver.

 

[adonis3k]

That enclosure should be okay for backup and general storage.

The USB-C ports (two in the middle) support...

However, the ones to the edge, above the headphone port, are indeed only 5Gbps.

So, figuring out why your current enclosure "connecting in TB wont recognise)" should be beneficial enough.

Have you tried a different USB-C cable? I've read in several product reviews for various cheaper enclosures and drives are often enough not very good.

Additionally, do you have another computer to test the drive and current USB-C cable?

I bought the Orico TB3 40 Gbit/s which is giving me max speed I tested so happy with that...and at half price.

I did a rough test with a bunch of enclosures...

USB on M1 Macs isn't actually 10Gb/s? (Also definitely not USB4)

Finally at 10Gbps! They were all tested with the same Sabrent 1TB SB-ROCKET-1TB NVME M.2 Drive (Non-Q) Started off by testing from the USB port first and the the Thunderbolt.. ORICO Thunderbolt 3 TCM2T3-G40-BK-BP 40Gbps, only tried with TB and it connected at 40 giving the best results...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[Heatboy]

I bought the Orico TB3 40 Gbit/s which is giving me max speed I tested so happy with that...and at half price.

I did a rough test with a bunch of enclosures...

USB on M1 Macs isn't actually 10Gb/s? (Also definitely not USB4)

Finally at 10Gbps! They were all tested with the same Sabrent 1TB SB-ROCKET-1TB NVME M.2 Drive (Non-Q) Started off by testing from the USB port first and the the Thunderbolt.. ORICO Thunderbolt 3 TCM2T3-G40-BK-BP 40Gbps, only tried with TB and it connected at 40 giving the best results...

forums.macrumors.com

I also bought this enclosure and are using it with an A-data XPG 8200 Pro. Have tested on both 2018 MBP and new M1 MBA. There's def. something going on on the M1's. Tested with AJA /BM:

2018 MBP:
Write: 1500 / Read: 1900

2020 MBA M1:
Write: 700 / Read: 1400

It getting tiresome. I am not sure if the M1's TB3 controller barks against some of the controllers in the enclosure or what's going on. I think I am done trying out enclosures, and getting either the Sabrent XTRM TLC (tested 2000/2000 sustained on the M1) or the new OWC Envoy Pro FX one.

 

[Zhaoman]

Because of the used chipset on the SN550. That can be true, because I tried a SK Hynix PC601 1TB SSD and that crashed my Mac Mini M1 instantly. The Samsung EVO works perfect.

I also tried using an SK Hynix Gold P31 1TB NVME SSD with Acasis USB4/TB3 enclosure, directly connected to M1 Mac Mini via USB4/TB3 port, and it crashed the Mac instantly. Using the SK Hynix with a JEYI USB3.1 v2 (10Gb/sec) enclosure, directly connected via USB4/TB3/USB C port, worked perfectly fine. Also tried 1TB Samsung EVO Plus SSD with Acasis USB4/TB3 enclosure, and that worked as well (though write speed was only around 1,400, while read speed was around 2,400). I also tried a 1TB PNY CS3030 SSD with the Acasis, and it too worked without crashing the M1 Mac Mini (although the read speed was only 770 and the write speed only 1200). So, it seems as though there is an issue with SK Hynix NVME SSD conflicting with Acasis USB4/TB3 enclosures. This is upsetting since the SK Hynix Gold P31 is a very highly rated and great value PCIe 3x4 SSD. I did contact Apple Support and they have escalated the issue to their engineering department. The SK Hynix/Acasis enclosure crash was a kernel panic. Apple also has a copy of my system logs so they can research. I let Apple Support know that the SK Hynix Gold P31 uses their own Cepheus controller chip, while the Acasis USB4/TB3 enclosure uses the Intel 7440 chip for the USB4/TB3 connection, and a J Micron JMS 583 chip for the USB 3.1 connection. Hope that Apple can address this conflict through a software update (I am currently running MacOS 11.3 beta 1, so still waiting for a fix).

 

[Heatboy]

BTW, a review just came out of the OWC Envoy Pro FX, looks sweet:

OWC Envoy Pro FX SSD review: Speedy cross-platform T3/USB external storage

OWC's Envoy Pro FX reads and writes at 2GBps via Thunderbolt 3 and 1GBps via Gen 2 (10Gbps) USB for speedy transfers and backups with both Macs and Windows PCs.

www.macworld.com

quote:
"On a side note, I tested the Envoy Pro FX on both an M1 Mac mini (results shown), and a slightly older Intel iMac. If there are still any issues with USB drives being slower on the M1 or Big Sur, they didn’t show up. In fact, the M1 transfers were anywhere from 10 to 20 percent faster."

 

[decipherkl]

I am also disappointed with thunderbolt port of the M1 Mac Mini.

My setup is as follows:

1) ASUS ROG Strix Arion enclosure (USB3.2 Gen 2 capable of 10Gbps) and a 2TB PNY XLR8 CS3030 formatted to AFP
2) The latest OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock (11 ports)
3) Mac Mini M1 with 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM
4) 2019 16" MBP

In all instances the enclosure runs quite cool, slightly warm in the hand. The only thing annoying is the enclosure RGB lighting which stays on all the time. In all instances the enclosure is attached to the thunderbolt port of all devices.

Results:

1) Directly connecting the external SSD to MBP: Read: a bit over 1k+MB/s, Write: >900MB/s
2) Connecting to the OWC TB Dock connected to the MBP yields the same result as 1
3) Directly connect the external SSD to the MM M1: Read: 875MB/s Write: just over 800MB/s
4) Connecting to the OWC TB Dock connected to the MM M1: Read:just over 600MB/s Write: just over 640MB/s

I find this disparity strange. Wonder if someone can enlighten me what's causing the disparity.

Thanks

 

[megastuff999]

I have a 2TB Silicon Power SSD (PCIe M.2 NVMe) in a SSK SHE-C325 enclosure and I can't even access it on my M1 mac (fine on Intel iMac)!

Seems plausible that there is an issue with either the enclosure or the SSD, compatibility wise that could be causing it?

Anyone have either that enclosure or Silicon Power SSD and confirm if either works with their M1?