Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

M.2 enclosure recommendations for Mac Studio

Technostica said:
If it was fully backwards compatible, then USB4 would support USB 3.x 20Gbs, which seemingly isn't the case with the Studio.
There are so many optional aspects to later versions of USB that makes it a pain.
With Thunderbolt you know where you are; deeper in debt. :)
Click to expand...
And then you get to the USB-C connector confusion.

It's obvious why European regulators are making Apple switch to it from Lightning, but from my perspective it's just going to add to the chaos.
 
Nick Batzdorf said:
And then you get to the USB-C connector confusion.

It's obvious why European regulators are making Apple switch to it from Lightning, but from my perspective it's just going to add to the chaos.
Click to expand...
Type-C does confuse some but is fairly straightforward to understand, whereas the naming conventions and alternative modes are not.

Apparently, to get the full speed with USB with iPhones, you will need an Apple certified cable, otherwise it will default to USB 2 speeds.
I don’t know if this is a fact but it makes me laugh if it is.
 
Technostica said:
Type-C does confuse some but is fairly straightforward to understand, whereas the naming conventions and alternative modes are not.
Click to expand...
It's straightforward to understand, but even on this forum people confuse it with USB 3 - the protocol rather than the connector. You know, C is the third letter...

And what is the protocol it's carrying? Thunderbolt, which USB? Charging?

Technostica said:
Apparently, to get the full speed with USB with iPhones, you will need an Apple certified cable, otherwise it will default to USB 2 speeds.
I don’t know if this is a fact but it makes me laugh if it is.
Click to expand...
I read that too. It won't affect me, because I only use the port for charging and audio, but it does sound silly at best (and greedy at worst).
 
Is it possible to use the OWC Envoy Express TB3 with a Crucial P3 4TB SSD?
Often only 2TB is mentioned, but I need 4TB.

The P3 is not top notch, especially when writing large amounts of data, but that doesn't happen that often.
It has only 2 lanes and therefore half speed, but that would be enough for me and would be faster than USB 3.2.

This is currently the cheapest solution I could determine.

What SSD brands are compatible in the enclosures is the next point that makes this complicated to determine.
 
AndyP said:
Is it possible to use the OWC Envoy Express TB3 with a Crucial P3 4TB SSD?
Often only 2TB is mentioned, but I need 4TB.

The P3 is not top notch, especially when writing large amounts of data, but that doesn't happen that often.
It has only 2 lanes and therefore half speed, but that would be enough for me and would be faster than USB 3.2.

This is currently the cheapest solution I could determine.

What SSD brands are compatible in the enclosures is the next point that makes this complicated to determine.
Click to expand...
I have the same question but for 8tb.

A Lot of enclosures I see for more than 2 mnve have a fan. I don’t know how much heat is generated from these drives.
 
Last edited:
Nick Batzdorf said:
It's straightforward to understand, but even on this forum people confuse it with USB 3 - the protocol rather than the connector. You know, C is the third letter...

And what is the protocol it's carrying? Thunderbolt, which USB? Charging?
Click to expand...
Once people are educated that type C is a connector type, then they can start looking at the system specs for supported protocols.
Type A connectors can support only USB 2, as well as five or even ten Gbs USB 3.x in some cases.
So historically, there has been variable support by a USB connector.
So you have needed to look at the spec sheet when buying PC hardware that supports USB for years.

I would like to blame the USB consortium due to their stupid naming conventions, but this is down to false user assumptions.
TB3 using the same USB C connector was a great move and helped to spread its popularity.
With the increased convergence between TB and USB, it has played out well over time.
 
When I read about people asking if they can link 2 USB devices (2 USB type B sockets). I get to idea that a typical cable (type A-type B) which makes clear what could work or not was a good design. (unfortunaly, ask Amazon USB type A to type A and you find many answers you shouldn't have !)

With USB type C to type C cable, the properties of both ends which makes thing works or not are now hidden. In a way, this will make it harder to understand. Just add USB vs TB vs PCIe to the equation...
 
Maybe the best thing we can do is to tell people that this sh*t is surprisingly complicated.
So assume that what you know is less than half the story and possibly mainly wrong.
That's a good place to start from. :)
 
Hey there, is there any results from the thread about the recommended enclosure for M1 machines with TB4 ports? I noticed that Acasis was mentioned, does anybody use it with M1 Mac Studio or M1 MacBook Pro? Thank you
 
Nick Batzdorf said:
I'm not anybody else, but I'm using it on a Mac Studio with TB4 ports.
Click to expand...
Thank you for reply :)

Do you use this enclosure (I am not sure if there si any other type or version of it)

www.acasis.com

Acasis 40Gbps M.2 Nvme SSD Enclosure Compatible with Thunderbolt 3/4,

Lightning-Speed Data Transfer ACASIS 40Gbps Nvme Enclosure, with blazing speed up to 40Gbps has you covered, offering the ultimate combination of speed, performance, and versatility. Transfer speed up to 40Gbps (varies by host device and SSD), transferring 2.5G large file in 1 second, even...
www.acasis.com www.acasis.com
 
gsilbers said:
I have the same question but for 8tb.

A Lot of enclosures I see for more than 2 mnve have a fan. I don’t know how much heat is generated from these drives.
Click to expand...
Funny, i think we are the only crowd with the type of gear that care about this stuff.

I googled if m2 get hot and out of all possible tech forums and random pages... this one was first :)

Why do External Nvme M.2 drives run hot >70c

Hi I just wondered why do External SSD's run so hot when idling? The enclosure is too hot to pick up. Doesn't matter if it's a single enclosure or a Dual one. I have both. The Nvme in the Laptop is a cool temp. Do i need to place the enclosure near a fan? or is it not a problem? Never asked...
vi-control.net vi-control.net
 
My Acasis ejects random almost every day and finally died after two weeks. Bought OWC envoy express. I have two OWC, no problems with them.
 
I have completed my first upgrade from sata to nvme.

It replaced two 2TB Sata SSDs with an nvme 4TB in an OWC Envoy Express Thunderbolt enclosure.
I installed a 4TB Crucial P3 in the enclosure. I was aware that the copying (it was about 3TB) would take a little longer, but it ended up being a little faster than I thought. The P3 goes down in the write speed after about 1TB and even more after 2TB. But that's ok because you only copy that much data once.

Write and read speed via Thunderbolt ports of the Mac Studio and MBPro: 1500/1500, and that constantly. It is only half the speed because only 2 lanes are used, but is perfectly sufficient for me.
The temperature of the nvme never exceeded 40 degrees under full load. The case sits on top of the Mac Studio, which also dissipates the heat perfectly.

Tested with Opus and VSL, and tadaaa ... my Synchron I strings load super fast, OPUS flies ... exactly what I hoped for. The Synchron player also runs super smooth now. This was an excellent decision.

I will probably buy an Acasis case and another 4TB nvme later for the rest of the libraries, though the OWC gives me perfectly adequate speed. It only costs 85€, the Crucial P3 4TB 260€.

Thanks for your helpful tips and advice. This has given me so much pleasure today. :2thumbs:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom