Newbie advice for SSD for dock for M1 mini please.

[Walkingdead]

I'm getting a M1 any day now and was going to buy an external SSD but I thought a dock like this could kill two birds with one stone (extra ports, SD card reader in front). I have no idea what kind of SSD to get for this. I would be using the SSD for old video tape, mini DV, transfers and editing. Would love some advice on what to get and if this is a good dock for me, TYIA

Satechi Mac Mini Hub & Stand with SSD Enclosure for NVME/SATA M.2, Mac Mini Dock with USB C 10Gbps, 3 USB A 5/10Gbps, 2.0 Audio Jack, for Mac Mini M2/M1, Mac Studio - Silver

Enhance your Mac Mini experience with the Mac Mini Hub & Stand with SSD Enclosure for NVME/SATA M.2. This all-in-one Mac Mini dock features a sleek, silver design and offers unparalleled connectivity with a USB C 10Gbps port, three USB A ports (5Gbps and 10Gbps), and a 2.0 audio jack, ensuring al...

www.amazon.com

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I'd avoid USB docks like that for NVMe usage. You're not going to get NEAR the performance you could from the NVMe; you're better off with a dedicated Thunderbolt NVMe enclosure.

There might be a Thunderbolt dock out there with built in NVMe, but if so I'm not aware of it.

 

[PaulD-UK]

“There might be a Thunderbolt dock out there with built in NVMe…”

Has to be TB3, as TB4 docks only support USB 3.2 speeds internally.
There are a few and they are very reliable with Macs.

They have been on sale for a few years now, so you may find a bargain.

A factor with M1 Macs is that there have been incompatibilities and slow performance with USB 3/3.1 SSDs.
Is you plug a slow-performing USB SSD into a TB3 dock the speed and reliability will be better.