Why I stopped buying pre-built SSDs (and what I recommend instead)

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Ugreen’s M.2 NVMe Enclosure is on sale on Amazon for $75.
• It is a simple to make use of enclosure that does not depend on minute fasteners, and options USB4 speeds of as much as 40Gbps.
• If you happen to want a tool that helps as much as 80Gbps, you will wish to improve.

Exterior storage drives have develop into part of my life these days, a lot in order that I at all times have just a few in my laptop computer bag. However currently I’ve moved away from pre-built exterior SSDs and as a substitute purchase enclosures and M.2 drives individually. This lets me have the mix of efficiency, capability, and price that fits my wants.

Additionally: One of the best M.2 SSDs you should buy

As such, I have been testing lots of enclosures with completely different strengths. Some put portability on the prime of the listing, whereas others, such because the Ugreen 40Gbps USB4 M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure makes efficiency a precedence. 

There are three issues that stand out about this Ugreen enclosure which have made it a agency favourite for me — in reality, I now have about 5 of them!

First, it is easy to suit M.2 drives. There’s one sensibly-sized screw holding the enclosure collectively, and one other fastener holding the drive in place that is equally wise. There is not any having to mess about with tiny fasteners, and my getting old fingers and eyes admire that.

Subsequent up, it is quick, permitting for as much as 40Gbps/3,700 MB/s knowledge switch charges. These clearly rely on the M.2 drive you are utilizing, however if you need velocity, get a quick drive and also you’re good to go. It helps drives as much as 4TB in a spread of kind elements: 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280.

Additionally: I attempted utilizing the world’s thinnest SSD enclosure – it made a huge impact on my workflow

The enclosure is well-made, as nicely. It is strong, and machined from aluminum to dissipate waste warmth. Serving to the enclosure hold issues cool is a built-in fan that kicks in when the interior temperatures hit 40°C. The equipment additionally comes with a silicone shelve of the enclosure to guard it from bumps and scratches.

The enclosure is powered by the wonderful ASMedia ASM2426PD chip, which helps USB4/Thunderbolt Gen3 x2, and PCI Specific Gen4, and has S.M.A.R.T drive monitoring assist. 

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

All in all, the Ugreen 40Gbps USB4 M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure is an unimaginable enclosure, and it is on sale for $75.99. Measuring solely 4.72 x 1.89 x 0.75 inches and weighing solely seven ounces, it is a very moveable package deal.

If 40Gbps velocity and 4TB of capability is not sufficient for you, seize the Ugreen 80Gbps M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure. Externally, this enclosure seems to be the identical, nevertheless it helps a theoretical 7,000MB/s and M.2 2280 drives as much as 8TB. The draw back is that this enclosure is much more costly (usually priced at $299, however Amazon Prime members can get it for less than $209).