Samsung 990Pro 4TB (PCIe4.0x4)(NVM Express 2.0) in ACASIS 80Gbps M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure for Mac Mini M4 Pro?

[Dutch60]

That's a long title, I know.
First of all, I do not know anything about how to build an external SSD myself. I don't even know anything about SSD's in general (never owned or used one). Luckily there' s a lot of information on the internet.

My situation (also in a few other of my posts on forums MacRumors):
Since 2 months I own the Mac mini M4 Pro (2TB). Also bought a Mac Studio Display. I always work with 2 monitors (the other one is an 27" Eizo CG for Photography only).
Still have a LaCie d2 10TB external hard disk (so far for almost "everything"; both Time Machine and separate files). 7TB is used already and this drive is 4 years old). I do have another LaCie 6TB for occasional usage (backup). This 6TB disk is full now and with possible new externals (SSD and HD), I plan to use the 3 free TB's on the 10TB LaCie, as I did my 6TB HD before (using it every now and then for backup).

With my new Mac, I want to separate Time Machine backups from files...especially photo files/images that I can work on (daily).
Good experiences with LaCie, so thinking about a new 4TB LaCie d2 external hard drive (spinner). ONLY for Time Machine.
Then I read a lot about SSD's in general and about SSD's that would work best for me.
My image files can get pretty big (pressure one possible external and need some speed), and I ofcourse have Thunderbolt 5 ports on my M4 Mini.

I know both OWC and LaCie have Thunderbolt 5 SSD's already, but they are still very expensive.
Especially when comparing 4TB SSD's. I think I could manage with 2TB, but 4TB is ofcourse much more comfortable (at the moment I have almost 2TB of images (partly on current external HD and partly on internal),and with a 2TB external SSD I would have to move a few to my second external hard drive ...not able to immediately work on them then, if I feel like).
Then I read about building your own external SSD (from what I read, this doesn't seem overly complicated to do).

Acasis has a new enclosure (ACASIS 80Gbps M.2 NVMe), suitable for Thunderbolt 5 speeds.
Many seem to like the Samsung SSD 990 Pro for speed/quality (?)

As I know nothing about SSD's in general / building your own /combination with a Mac (Mini M4 or any other Mac)/ quality of ACASIS / quality of Samsung 990 Pro, etc. Maybe you have other ideas? Is Trebleet any better? etc.

All advice is welcome! Treat me as a complete novice to all this.

Thank you very much!

 

[Alameda]

Putting an NVMe stick inside an enclosure isn’t “building.” You slide the stick in the slot, insert a screw to hold it in place, put a sticker on it, and put the lid on the case. Ten minutes at most.

Thunderbolt 4 is very fast, stable and affordable. Thunderbolt 5 is brand new and still pretty pricey. An SSD at 40 gb/s is pretty fast already. I think the first benefits of Thunderbolt 5 will be very high res video displays, and for hubs which support several Thunderbolt 4 SSD’s at once.

In about a year or so, 80 gb/s Thunderbolt 5 SSD’s will probably replace today’s TB 4 SSD’s in price and availability. You can buy one now but it’s probably going to be overpriced.

The other thing is, if you look at those speed tests, the very best one is about 6,000 MB/s, which is about 50 gb/s. TB 4 is already 40 gb/s, so is it worth the added expense today to get a 20% (max) speed boost? For me, it’s not.

 

[Dutch60]

Putting an NVMe stick inside an enclosure isn’t “building.” You slide the stick in the slot, insert a screw to hold it in place, put a sticker on it, and put the lid on the case. Ten minutes at most.

Thank you for correcting me. English is not my native language. How would yoh call it? “Assemble” your own external SSD?

Thunderbolt 4 is very fast, stable and affordable. Thunderbolt 5 is brand new and still pretty pricey. An SSD at 40 gb/s is pretty fast already. I think the first benefits of Thunderbolt 5 will be very high res video displays, and for hubs which support several Thunderbolt 4 SSD’s at once.

In about a year or so, 80 gb/s Thunderbolt 5 SSD’s will probably replace today’s TB 4 SSD’s in price and availability. You can buy one now but it’s probably going to be overpriced.

I know.

The other thing is, if you look at those speed tests, the very best one is about 6,000 MB/s, which is about 50 gb/s. TB 4 is already 40 gb/s, so is it worth the added expense today to get a 20% (max) speed boost? For me, it’s not.

That’s what I’m asking myself as well. Still in doubt.

 

[Chancha]

He meant that it has become very easy to “build” or “assemble” your DIY SSD enclosure, that it essentially is no longer a disadvantage than buying a pre-built.

I also concur that while TB5 at 80Gbps is tempting, but it is unproven vs what’s already been used and tested with TB3.

 

[Dutch60]

He meant that it has become very easy to “build” or “assemble” your DIY SSD enclosure, that it essentially is no longer a disadvantage than buying a pre-built.

Ok. That’s what I think as well after reading articles on the net (easy to “build “ or “assemble “). What I still wonder though: is there any advantage of buying an external SSD “of the shelf” compared to assemble one yourself?

I also concur that while TB5 at 80Gbps is tempting, but it is unproven vs what’s already been used and tested with TB3.

Correct. But I still have those Thunderbolt 5 ports and large image files to work on, so indeed very tempting. Thunderbolt 4 maybe, but still not the max speed I could get ofcourse. And also not very smart to just try…and discover that it should have been a bit faster.

 

[Ifti]

Echo the above comments - USB4/Thunderbolt4 is already super fast. You won't see a difference in your large image file work in normal day-to-day usage between TB4 and TB5.

Also bear in mind these TB5 drives will generate more heat due to the higher speeds. If you are looking for one it would be wise to purchase one with an active fan (which will also produce some noise while in use of course)......

I always use Samsung 990 Pro drives if I'm purchasing an enclosure (and I have a fair few!).

On a budget this is great:

My favourite is the OWC 1M2:

Used with Final Cut Pro and have never had any issue editing native 4k content

 

[Ifti]

Ok. That’s what I think as well after reading articles on the net (easy to “build “ or “assemble “). What I still wonder though: is there any advantage of buying an external SSD “of the shelf” compared to assemble one yourself?

You know you have a quality SSD inside. Also, should the drive/chipset fail, you know its easy to remove the SSD and put it in another enclosure to access your data and keep working as normal. A lot of the assembled SSDs are harder to open and gain access to the SSD (while some have the SSD soldered onto the mainboard so it can't be removed in the first instance).

 

[Dutch60]

Echo the above comments - USB4/Thunderbolt4 is already super fast. You won't see a difference in your large image file work in normal day-to-day usage between TB4 and TB5.

Also bear in mind these TB5 drives will generate more heat due to the higher speeds. If you are looking for one it would be wise to purchase one with an active fan (which will also produce some noise while in use of course)......

I always use Samsung 990 Pro drives if I'm purchasing an enclosure (and I have a fair few!).

On a budget this is great:

My favourite is the OWC 1M2:

Used with Final Cut Pro and have never had any issue editing native 4k content

Thank you. Good advice.

 

[Dutch60]

Echo the above comments - USB4/Thunderbolt4 is already super fast. You won't see a difference in your large image file work in normal day-to-day usage between TB4 and TB5.

Ok. Good to know. For me it’s all about reading files of an external and specifically editing speed. I’m sure the photo editing software also plays a role here.

Also bear in mind these TB5 drives will generate more heat due to the higher speeds. If you are looking for one it would be wise to purchase one with an active fan (which will also produce some noise while in use of course)......

More heat yes. That’s why I was thinking about that new ACASIS Thunderbolt 5 enclosure.

I always use Samsung 990 Pro drives if I'm purchasing an enclosure (and I have a fair few!).

On a budget this is great:

My favourite is the OWC 1M2:

Used with Final Cut Pro and have never had any issue editing native 4k content

 

[curnalpanic]

should the chipset fail

Which is exactly what happened to my Icy Box enclosure (JMS583 chip).

After a few minutes after boot, files start disappearing in Finder. But if I restart they come back only to disappear again shortly thereafter.

 

[MacCheetah3]

Ok. Good to know. For me it’s all about reading files of an external and specifically editing speed. I’m sure the photo editing software also plays a role here.

If USB4 is good enough for up to 4K60 and 8K video editing, I’m guessing it should be fine with photo editing and transfers.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/owc-express-1m2-owners-what-ssd-did-you-buy.2444541/?post=33617639#post-33617639

More heat yes. That’s why I was thinking about that new ACASIS Thunderbolt 5 enclosure.

They operate very warm just idling. It’s why these enclosures look like just large heatsinks.

My favourite is the OWC 1M2:

Used with Final Cut Pro and have never had any issue editing native 4k content

 

[Dutch60]

If USB4 is good enough for up to 4K60 and 8K video editing, I’m guessing it should be fine with photo editing and transfers.

That could very well be the case.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/owc-express-1m2-owners-what-ssd-did-you-buy.2444541/?post=33617639#post-33617639

They operate very warm just idling. It’s why these enclosures look like just large heatsinks.

That's why I was looking at the new ACASIS TB5 enclosure i.c.w. a Samsung 990 Pro SSD. It has active cooling, although presumably barely audible.
But maybe I do not need to look any further, if the combination of a TB4/USB4 OWC enclosure and a Samsung 990 Pro SSD works fast enough. Probably would then use half the possible speed of a Samsung 990 Pro attached to a Thunderbolt 5 port?

 

[Ifti]

Honestly, TB5 is more for multiple display setups with daisy chaining etc on top. When it comes to data storage for use with applications, USB4/TB4 is more then capable. Yes you go from 3000MB/s (which is faster then some MacBooks internal drives already!) up to 6000MB/s, but you won't notice the difference in day to day usage - unless you are editing 12k multi-cam footage and have a suitably spec'd computer to match.......I feel we're at a point where TB5 enclosures are more for bragging rights at the moment - at least until prices drop in line with USB4......

 

[Dutch60]

Honestly, TB5 is more for multiple display setups with daisy chaining etc on top.

I “only” use 2 displays…one Mac Studio Display and a 27” Eizo CG monitor (for photography).

When it comes to data storage for use with applications, USB4/TB4 is more then capable. Yes you go from 3000MB/s (which is faster then some MacBooks internal drives already!) up to 6000MB/s, but you won't notice the difference in day to day usage - unless you are editing 12k multi-cam footage and have a suitably spec'd computer to match.......I

No 12k footage here. No video at all. Hundreds of 200-300 mb images should not be a problem though.

feel we're at a point where TB5 enclosures are more for bragging rights at the moment - at least until prices drop in line with USB4......

 

[Alameda]

Thank you for correcting me. English is not my native language. How would yoh call it? “Assemble” your own external SSD?

I know.

That’s what I’m asking myself as well. Still in doubt.

Dutch, I didn’t realize that English is a second language to you.
What I mean is only that the procedure of buying the SSD stick and putting into an enclosure is very simple and you should not worry.

One other thing: With any external drive you use with a Mac, it is strongly recommended to format the drive as APFS (using the Apple Disk Utility application), unless you have a clear reason to format differently.

 

[Dutch60]

Dutch, I didn’t realize that English is a second language to you.
What I mean is only that the procedure of buying the SSD stick and putting into an enclosure is very simple and you should not worry.

One other thing: With any external drive you use with a Mac, it is strongly recommended to format the drive as APFS (using the Apple Disk Utility application), unless you have a clear reason to format differently.

Thnxs Alameda. That’s what I plan to do for both a new external HD (spinner), and a new external SSD. My current externals are formatted as Extended (journaled).

 

[akbadwolf]

A consideration. OWC Mini Stack≥ Use a SSD and a NVMe M.2 and three Thunderbolt ports. . The mount allows you to get it off you desk.

OWC miniStack STX: Mac mini Thunderbolt 4 Storage

Max out your Mac mini / Studio with up to 28TB of Thunderbolt 4 storage and three Thunderbolt (USB-C) ports, offering expanded storage and connectivity.

www.owc.com

Shopping Agreement - Apple

The Innovelis TotalMount Pro Mounting System lets you easily mount your Mac mini under a desk, to a wall, or near a TV. Buy online now at apple.com.

www.apple.com

 

[Dutch60]

A consideration. OWC Mini Stack≥ Use a SSD and a NVMe M.2 and three Thunderbolt ports. . The mount allows you to get it off you desk.

OWC miniStack STX: Mac mini Thunderbolt 4 Storage

Max out your Mac mini / Studio with up to 28TB of Thunderbolt 4 storage and three Thunderbolt (USB-C) ports, offering expanded storage and connectivity.

www.owc.com

Shopping Agreement - Apple

The Innovelis TotalMount Pro Mounting System lets you easily mount your Mac mini under a desk, to a wall, or near a TV. Buy online now at apple.com.

www.apple.com

Thank you. The Mac mini M4 has a different size ofcourse. Surely enough storage space. I don't consider storage space a major problem though (for Time Machine a LaCie d2 HD will also do, I guess). I like to split Time Machine backups and files that I can work on directly (mostly images, but maybe also documents). First on LaCie d2 and second on a fast external SSD.
I think I can use the spare 3Tb on my present 10Tb LaCie for extra storage of files, that do not need immediate "attention" (like older images that have been edited and that I do not wish to edit any further).
There's hardly any place to put it beside my desk but that doesn't bother me so much. I also would not be surprised, if OWC would come with a Mini Stack the size of current Mac Mini.

 

[OWC_TAL]

FYI those 0GB enclosures are not Thunderbolt certified. They legally cannot be called TB5 enclosures. Most SSDs currently draw more power than the TB bus can supply- it is likely that you may run into issues with those enclosures that are currently breaking/bending the rules.

 

[Dutch60]

You mean https://www.acasis.com/products/aca...ble-with-thunderbolt-5?variant=46416691462373

They say “compatible” with Thunderbolt 5. You don’t think this is certified for Thunderbolt 5?
Comparable to compatibility of the OWC 1M2 enclosure?
I’d probably use a 4 Tb Samsung 990 Pro in any of those enclosures…and then ofcourse connect to one of my Mac Mini M4 Pro Thunderbolt 5 ports.
What do you suggest?

 

[OWC_TAL]

No, you cannot have a 0GB certified enclosure per the Thunderbolt specification rules. Intel will not certify such a device. They say compatible now and call it a 80Gbps enclosure, but previously they marketed it as a TB5 enclosure, which was not allowed. People are referring to these as TB5 on forums whereas they really should not be. You'll notice no big brands doing this as they are not bending around the rules in place. By nature, these enclosures are also not compatible with all SSD types due to a revision in the chipsets that doesn't come out until later in 2025 (can't comment on this myself, but there are other posts on the internet if you look into a "stepping" of a chipset).

Considering a single SSD does not sustain anything near the speeds of TB5, the express 1m2 is an enclosure that will A) not get as hot or overheat and B) a lower price. In daily use, you will likely not notice any difference in speeds.

 

[Alameda]

You mean https://www.acasis.com/products/aca...ble-with-thunderbolt-5?variant=46416691462373

They say “compatible” with Thunderbolt 5. You don’t think this is certified for Thunderbolt 5?
Comparable to comparability of the OWC 1M2 enclosure?
I’d probably use a 4 Tb Samsung 990 Pro in any of those enclosures…and then ofcourse connect to one of my Mac Mini M4 Pro Thunderbolt 5 ports.
What do you suggest?

You need to use care when a vendor says “Thunderbolt compatible,” because a USB device that can be plugged into a Thunderbolt port is “compatible.” That is — it works. But that doesn’t mean it operates in Thunderbolt mode or at Thunderbolt speeds. It may; you just need to read carefully.

 

[Dutch60]

No, you cannot have a 0GB certified enclosure per the Thunderbolt specification rules. Intel will not certify such a device. They say compatible now and call it a 80Gbps enclosure, but previously they marketed it as a TB5 enclosure, which was not allowed. People are referring to these as TB5 on forums whereas they really should not be. You'll notice no big brands doing this as they are not bending around the rules in place. By nature, these enclosures are also not compatible with all SSD types due to a revision in the chipsets that doesn't come out until later in 2025 (can't comment on this myself, but there are other posts on the internet if you look into a "stepping" of a chipset).

Considering a single SSD does not sustain anything near the speeds of TB5, the express 1m2 is an enclosure that will A) not get as hot or overheat and B) a lower price. In daily use, you will likely not notice any difference in speeds.

Thank you! Useful information. I have good experiences with OWC products. Would you recommend a Samsung 990 Pro in such an Express 1m2? Western digital Black SN850X NVMe
maybe? Other?

Edit: for real Thunderbolt 5 speeds I would have to get the OWC ultra or maybe the upcoming LaCie Rugged Pro 5 I guess?

 

[Alameda]

Thank you! Useful information. I have good experiences with OWC products. Would you recommend a Samsung 990 Pro in such an Express 1m2? Western digital Black SN850X NVMe
maybe? Other?

Those are the two leading choices.

 

[Dutch60]

Those are the two leading choices.

That’s what I thought . What are the considerations to pick one over the other? Advantages/ disadvantages?

Edit: for real Thunderbolt 5 speed I would have to stick to something like the expensive OWC Envoy Ultra or a LaCie Rugged PRO 5, right?