Thunderbolt 3 M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosures

[Fomalhaut]

So....based on the feedback from real users, which TB3 (or TB3 + USB 3.2Gen2) enclosures are:

(a) the safest bet to work reliably
(b) Have the best performance with readily avaialble M2 NVMe SSDs (without paying silling money for PCIe 4.0 versions, preferably)?

Are the combined TB3 + USB enclosures more of a risky proposition, based on @svintuss 's experience faulty Orico enclosure? I like the idea of having the flexibility of connecting to a wider range of computers, but not at the cost of compromised performance or reliability if I will mostly be using this with TB3

Any preferences for Samsung, Western Digitial, Sabrent or Crucial M.2 NVMe SSDs?

It all sounds a little bit hit and miss at the moment...

 

[BeatCrazy]

have you attempted to install Big Sur on your ACASIS drive and boot from it? Before I buy the ACASIS and a WD Black SSD, I was hoping to confirm that it can externally boot when connected to an M1. Also, Do you know if you can enable FileVault on the external ACASIS boot? I know that some drives are finicky.

No I haven't tried to externally boot from it. Interesting concept, but I would need a good reason to go through the aggravation

 

[Screensaver]

No I haven't tried to externally boot from it. Interesting concept, but I would need a good reason to go through the aggravation

Haha that’s very understandable—Apple has already given us so much already.

I need to be able to boot my whole system externally, in case my Mac goes down, so I can just plug my external macOS into a new machine to get back up and running. I love an external boot too for when I have to jump between macOS iterations and will need to for the inevitable Rosetta removal. Thanks for the response!

 

[Dae]

anyone has experience with the Western Digital D50 game dock as an external nvme enclosure ?

I've got this dock (the version with a pre-installed NVMe SSD) and found it to be very unreliable when you reconnect it to a Mac: https://dae.me/blog/2650/think-twice-before-you-buy-wd_black-d50-game-dock-for-your-mac/

 

[mackiemesser2]

have you attempted to install Big Sur on your ACASIS drive and boot from it? Before I buy the ACASIS and a WD Black SSD, I was hoping to confirm that it can externally boot when connected to an M1. Also, Do you know if you can enable FileVault on the external ACASIS boot? I know that some drives are finicky.

Here's the chart

Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

I was able to boot Win10 from this enclosure. TB3 ist just another PCI lane with an attached SSD. Could boot VHD(X) with no problem after using BootICE. ThinkPad X1Y3.

 

[mackiemesser2]

So....based on the feedback from real users, which TB3 (or TB3 + USB 3.2Gen2) enclosures are:

(a) the safest bet to work reliably
(b) Have the best performance with readily avaialble M2 NVMe SSDs (without paying silling money for PCIe 4.0 versions, preferably)?

Are the combined TB3 + USB enclosures more of a risky proposition, based on @svintuss 's experience faulty Orico enclosure? I like the idea of having the flexibility of connecting to a wider range of computers, but not at the cost of compromised performance or reliability if I will mostly be using this with TB3

Any preferences for Samsung, Western Digitial, Sabrent or Crucial M.2 NVMe SSDs?

It all sounds a little bit hit and miss at the moment...

I would suggest this.

Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

You can read my conclusions in this thread. Save some nerves...

 

[Fomalhaut]

I would suggest this.

Page Not Found - Aliexpress.com

You can read my conclusions in this thread. Save some nerves...

Thanks! I see the ad for the Acasis enclosure recommends the WD SN750 when using with the M1 Macs. This would be my choice in any case, given there have been some poor results with some Samsung SSDs.

 

[mackiemesser2]

Only witn o

Thanks! I see the ad for the Acasis enclosure recommends the WD SN750 when using with the M1 Macs. This would be my choice in any case, given there have been some poor results with some Samsung SSDs.

Only with non (real) PRO (EVO/EVOPro) Samsung SSDs. 970Pro is fine and MLC.

 

[svintuss]

Hello again.

After my previous post I've done some fiddling with Orico enclosure and can confirm that I fixed it and made it reliable.

The main issue was that it constantly disconnected from my Mac. It occurred mainly when I wiggled the cable in the socket. When the cable or the connector itself touched the aluminum case the disk disconnected.



So what basically happened is that static charge was accumulating on the aluminum enclosure and it discharged to the negative lead of the cable itself and in turn to the mass of the SSD. The fact that this problem was intermittent was due to the anodised aluminum surface being non-conductive and the cable needed to touch some scratch or other imperfection while the case being electrostatically charged.
To solve this I needed to even the charge between enclosure and circuit board's mass.

I've applied a patch of copper foil between SSD mount screw and one of the case mounting screws effectively making a stable connection between the enclosure and circuit's ground. The discharge problem has gone and SSD is performing stable. I may come with a more elegant and permanent solution, but for now foil does the trick.



So whichever enclosure you use (Orico, Acasis, etc.) I recommend checking whether the circuit is grounded to the case itself.

 

[Fishrrman]

svintuss, that's an outstanding example of problem detection and solving.

I wonder if there's any way to pass your findings along to Orico ...?

I'm also thinking the same principles you have outlined may be the cause of other drives exhibiting the same flaky behavior...

 

[svintuss]

svintuss, that's an outstanding example of problem detection and solving.

I wonder if there's any way to pass your findings along to Orico ...?

I'm also thinking the same principles you have outlined may be the cause of other drives exhibiting the same flaky behavior...

Thank you for your appreciation.

I've constantly dealt with static charge-induced disconnections with OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock: my disks and even external monitor disconnected sporadically. After I grounded its aluminum frame to a water pipe (I know, that's not a good solution, but I needed proof of concept) it started performing reliably.

So basically what I see now is that one have to be very careful with aluminum enclosures and docks.

I hope Orico and other manufacturers will read this thread but I very much doubt it.

 

[mackiemesser2]

Nice job!

 

[deksawyer]

I'd just like to chime in and say the Sabrent Rocket 1TB in the Orico TB3 enclosure is still working faultlessly after 7 months or so - no random disconnects or any other problems, and it runs 24/7 as does my Mac Mini. Site around 33 degrees C.

 

[svintuss]

I'd just like to chime in and say the Sabrent Rocket 1TB in the Orico TB3 enclosure is still working faultlessly after 7 months or so - no random disconnects or any other problems, and it runs 24/7 as does my Mac Mini. Site around 33 degrees C.

I'm glad to hear that. But based on the board's schematics and its enclosure I think it's mostly environment-related.

Mine worked properly at home but started behaving erratically when I brought it in my office which has a much less air humidity and a synthetic carpet on the floor.

 

[ubercool]

Found this thread, which is as old as my search for an external TB3 enclosure. 😁 In the process, I have collected a large amount of data on enclosures. I searched through this thread and found several mentions of the ACASIS “USB4.0” enclosure but no mention of the Avolusion SSDTB900-PRO, which has no disconnection issues according to its 36 Amazon reviews (vs. 4 for ACASIS) and appears to run warm but not hot:

Avolusion SSDTB900-PRO Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) Portable SSD External Enclosure Case (for M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD, Turn Internal PCIe SSD to External SSD, SSD Not Included.) Compatible with Mac Pro & MBP

Avolusion SSDTB900-PRO Thunderbolt 3 External Portable SSD Enclosure is an external hard drive storage solution featuring in Thunderbolt 3 interface with transfer rate up to 40Gbps. This is the value SSD upgrade kit provides the best and easy solution to expand your Mac device's storage capacity ...

www.amazon.com

I want to pair it with a 4TB WD_Black SSD. One Avolusion reviewer installed an 8TB Mushkin Alpha SSD without any issues.

Anyone know if the Avolusion also uses a Titan Ridge chip (Intel JHL7440) like the ACASIS? 🤔

 

[radicalpoet]

I've been using a Samsung Pro Evo 970 in a Fledging Shell Thunder Enclosure. It's an all Thunderbolt 3 setup between my iMac and the Enclosure.

Gets a modest but plentiful 1,600MB/s write speed on my config which is working great with 4k raw video footage. There is some disparity with read speeds which are a lot higher at 2,300Mb/s.

I went for this combo as here was no benefit from getting a faster NVMe drive using PCIe 4 as I don't have Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.

I specifically chose the Fledging Shell Thunder Enclosure as I liked the company and the fact that they released a second version of this with small internal fan. It seemed like a real white elephant that external SSD's suffer thermal throttling which more or less defeats the purpose of paying for thunderbolt over USB 3.2 and an issue which isn't often discussed when marvelling over peak speeds of the latest drives. I couldn't be sure any external NVMe setup wouldn't dip well below spec when doing heavy lifting once the drive soon got hot. Certainly closed units like the heralded Samsung X5 do dramatically. I wanted dot be sure of a stable speed even if fairly medicore on the PCI 3 gen 4 level, especially if it was still ample for UHD video editing.

 

[ubercool]

I've been using a Samsung Pro Evo 970 in a Fledging Shell Thunder Enclosure. It's an all Thunderbolt 3 setup between my iMac and the Enclosure.

Gets a modest but plentiful 1,600MB/s write speed on my config which is working great with 4k raw video footage. There is some disparity with read speeds which are a lot higher at 2,300Mb/s.

I went for this combo as here was no benefit from getting a faster NVMe drive using PCIe 4 as I don't have Thunderbolt 4 connectivity.

I specifically chose the Fledging Shell Thunder Enclosure as I liked the company and the fact that they released a second version of this with small internal fan. It seemed like a real white elephant that external SSD's suffer thermal throttling which more or less defeats the purpose of paying for thunderbolt over USB 3.2 and an issue which isn't often discussed when marvelling over peak speeds of the latest drives. I couldn't be sure any external NVMe setup wouldn't dip well below spec when doing heavy lifting once the drive soon got hot. Certainly closed units like the heralded Samsung X5 do dramatically. I wanted dot be sure of a stable speed even if fairly medicore on the PCI 3 gen 4 level, especially if it was still ample for UHD video editing.

I have contacted the company twice via their online form with no response, leading me to conclude that they’re out of business. Some users also complain about fan noise, what’s your experience?

 

[radicalpoet]

I have contacted the company twice via their online form with no response, leading me to conclude that they’re out of business. Some users also complain about fan noise, what’s your experience?

Hmmm, could be, although I had email contact as recent as 10th March.

The fan is not an issue at all to me. Although I don't do audio work, my ears are not directed to it. There's an occasional surge that lasts a second, which is audible sort of like a high pitch dentists drill but not especially cutting or as loud. I imagine this is when it comes to life after periods of being dormant.

I actually thought the fan wasn't working because I couldn't hear anything at all at first. I had the top off to monitor it and I guess with it not being closed it was less likely to switch on into the bargain. That's why I contacted them, they arranged to hold a call with me and seemed quick to reply and accommodating to resolve. I didn't hold the call in the end as I witnessed the fan spinning with the top off eventually. It's really small and as it's quiet when it's going full throttle it's hard to even see the blades doing their revolutions. I had expected much worse when reading the odd negative comment about the fan. For me it seems like a good assurance for maintaining the drives capable speed compared to other similar products where you don't have the benefit of internal cooling inside a tower or expansion chassis

 

[ubercool]

Yes, overheating is also a problem with the Avolusion I'm interested in, at least when writing a lot of data (300GB -1TB). It will actually shut down when it gets past 44 C (111 F).

 

[mackiemesser2]

Hava a look at the Acasis TB3 enclosure. No fan, no overheating (Samsung 970Pro 1TB), nicely looking cooling fins . No disconnects. Review in this thread.

 

[ubercool]

Hava a look at the Acasis TB3 enclosure. No fan, no overheating (Samsung 970Pro 1TB), nicely looking cooling fins . No disconnects. Review in this thread.

Thanks for the suggestion. 🙂 Unfortunately, I want to use a 4TB WD_Black SSD but one user here reported that the ACASIS with this SSD “tops out at about 1250 MB/s, if I’m lucky.”

I’m hoping that Big Sur 11.3, which should be released next week, will address this problem but I’m not holding my breath. 😏

 

[ubercool]

I don't believe this has been posted in this thread or the other two related threads (incl. “USB on M1 Macs isn't actually 10Gb/s?”) but here’s what ACASIS’ listing on AliExpress says:

Not recommend SSD: Samsung 970 EVO Plus / Samsung PM981 / WD SN850 / ADATA / CRUCIAL

Recommended SSD: Samsung 970 EVO / WD SN750 / Samsung 980 Pro /SEAGATE 510 series (if your CPU is Apple M1, use WD SN750 for better speed)

183.08US $ |Acasis Thunderbolt 3 M.2 Enclosure Mobile Box Case Nvme To Type-c Aluminium Type C3.1 Usb 4.0/3.0/2.0 - Hdd & Ssd Enclosure - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

 

[ubercool]

I thought I would begin to post some benchmarks using Big Sur 11.3. Here are three AmorphousDiskMark tests:

1. Native MBP M1 (11.3) 2TB drive test:

2. MBP M1 (11.3) and Samsung T5 2TB drive test:

3. MBP 2017 (10.15.7) and Samsung T5 2TB drive test:

Based on these tests, it’s clear that 11.3 still doesn’t fix the disparity between Intel-based Macs and M1 Macs when it comes to the speed of direct-attached drives: the T5 is 27% slower on the M1 compared to my MBP17 running a previous version of the OS.

Looking forward to 11.3 Thunderbolt 3 tests from followers of this thread. 🙂

 

[mackiemesser2]

del

 

[mackiemesser2]

Thanks for the suggestion. 🙂 Unfortunately, I want to use a 4TB WD_Black SSD but one user here reported that the ACASIS with this SSD “tops out at about 1250 MB/s, if I’m lucky.”

I’m hoping that Big Sur 11.3, which should be released next week, will address this problem but I’m not holding my breath. 😏

Are we talking of this?

100.1€ 27% OFF|Acasis Thunderbolt 3 NVME M.2 SSD Fall Externe Festplatte Aluminium Hdd Docking Station NVNE Gehäuse Für Laptop Desktop|HDD Enclosure| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

de.aliexpress.com

I recommend the TB3 only version. Works on TB4 ports too.