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Got tb4 enclosure on the way for 43 euro's. Hope it can handle pci 4 nvme.

Does RTL9210B chip has SMART functions? Or any usb enclosures? Maybe usb 3.2?

Thanks!
 
I use two TB4 Acasis enclosures (TBU405) with 2TB 990 Pro's for DAS cloning backups of the internal SSD. In my case it's a fairly quick process but they do heat up quite quickly and would not want to have attached for longer periods.

I also have a 4TB 990 Pro in an OWC 1m2 enclosure for TM backups and given the large heatsinks + TM speed, stays relatively cool.
 
Got tb4 enclosure on the way for 43 euro's. Hope it can handle pci 4 nvme.

Does RTL9210B chip has SMART functions? Or any usb enclosures? Maybe usb 3.2?

Which TB4 enclosure? Note that the Acasis TB501/Pro/etc (as in the original title of this thread) is a TB5 enclosure. Acasis also sells some Thunderbolt enclosures that are more TB3+ than TB4 as TB40x models. Both the TB501 Pro and the TB401 Pro and TB405 Pro include the RTL9210x chip but haven't seen any of these selling for close to 43 EUR. Their models in that price range generally don't include the RTL9210x. It's only needed for backwards compatibility to USB3.

Most true USB4/TB4 enclosures use the ASM2464PD chip, which doesn't normally need the RTL9210B chip. USB3 compatibility is already builtin to the ASM2464PD chip.

In any case if you are connecting a Thunderbolt/USB4 enclosure to a Mac with a Thunderbolt/USB4 port, any included RTL9210x chip won't be used (or at least ideally won't be used as otherwise you're losing 75% of performance). If connected via Thunderbolt/USB4, the SSD should appear to the Mac as if it is on the PCI bus as an NVMe device. In which case you will get SMART, TRIM, etc.

If your enclosure connects to the Mac via USB3 (because that is the port you used or because it unfortunately negotiates that connection), you most likely won't get SMART functions. I recall there is some aspect of this that Apple doesn't support but don't remember the exact limitation. The net result is that devices with an RTL9210x chip connected to a Mac via USB3 don't get SMART and unlikely ever will (smartmontools best hope here -- they did enable SMART to my old HDD connected via another chipset).

Note USB versioning terminology is confusing. The short of it is that USB 3.2 isn't necessarily faster than USB 3.0. It's mostly an updated spec with higher potential (optional) speeds. A device could be USB 3.2 but still only run at 5Gbps. Either way, Apple doesn't support USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps) -- just up to USB 3.2 Gen 2 / 2x1 (10Gbps).

See: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/usb-3-2-explained
 
Hello everybody!
One question about boxes TBU405 or TBU405 Air
Are these both enclosures support trim in mac os when they connected to Thunderbolt port? Maybe anybody have this boxes in use, so can you check System Information wether trim enabled for this external disk or not? Like on the screenshot for internal disk of macbook.
Thanks.
 

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Has the ASM2464PD chip and serious heatsink compared to others. Also in description says pci 4 so i hope it is and that my kingston nv3 works.

I have a theory: it's not only the controller that makes it work on m4 but the combo of which nvme and the controller together.

And yes is 3.2 2*2 to get 20 Gb/s but i was wondering if USB does smart at all? I thought my ssd sata to usb enclosures did but maybe drive dx can add a driver on it.
 
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