Thunderbolt 3 M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosures

[Mac-ra]

Looks promising if you own a Yoga Pro 14s or other Intel PC's w/ TB4 ports...it looks like TB4 ports on Intel PC's really can achieve those speeds as mostly confirmed by Tom's Hardware tests (i.e., they reported that "Write speeds are a bit more of a mixed bag"? But TB3/4 on Mac's have a theoretical max of ~2.8GB/s so PCIe Gen. 4 shouldn't help much or at all vs. Gen. 3, and it clearly shows a write throttling for the M2 MBA Air (though, if true, that's probably the fault of the MBA not the enclosure). Other than that it looks like a really nice enclosure and @ $99 (when I originally posted this & $109 last I checked on 2/1) it might be worth it to see if it boosts the speeds on a Mac vs. an Acasis, Orico... 40Gbps PCIe Gen. 3 enclosure.

 

[joevt]

Looks promising especially if you own a Yoga Pro 14s (can TB4 ports on Intel PC's really achieve those speeds?). But TB3/4 on Mac's have a theoretical max of ~2.8GB/s so PCIe Gen. 4 shouldn't help much or at all vs. Gen. 3, and it clearly shows a write throttling for the M2 MBA Air (though, if true, that's probably the fault of the MBA not the enclosure). Other than that it looks like a really nice enclosure and $99 might be worth it to see if boosts the speed on a Mac vs. an Acasis, Orico... 40Gbps PCIe Gen. 3 enclosure (and if the 1TB SSD provided with it is the SN850x then that's an even better deal).

Mac benchmarks sometimes achieve over 3100 MB/s. I don't think I've ever seen over 3200 MB/s.
I think increasing bandwidth means increasing latency so maybe it's not always a good idea to go that high.

 

[steve123]

This looks promising:

ZikeDrive World's First and Fastest USB4 SSD Drive

USB4 40Gbps Enclosure • Max 3.8GB/s Read and 3.1GB/s Write Speed • NVMe PCIe Gen 4X4 SSD | Check out 'ZikeDrive World's First and Fastest USB4 SSD Drive' on Indiegogo.

www.indiegogo.com

From thr web page:

Yes, we use ZikeDrive with SAMSUNG 980 PRO_PCIe4.0 500GB to test on Mac Air, it can reach 2894MB/s read speed , and reach 1723MB/s write speed.

 

[ekwipt]

Same speeds on a MacBook pro as Thunderbolt 3

 

[Mac-ra]

Same speeds on a MacBook pro as Thunderbolt 3

This vid appears to be proving my point that "TB3/4 on Mac's have a theoretical max of ~2.8GB/s so a PCIe Gen. 4 enclosure shouldn't help much or at all vs. Gen. 3". And that "help much or not at all" looks like maybe a 100-200MBps gain in R/W speeds. If this enclosure proves to be reliable & durable then there's nothing wrong with that if the price stays competitive with the Gen. 3 enclosures. For now I'd be interested in seeing more Mac speed tests (esp. for the M1 MBP) and hearing about the "reliable & durable" part from some purchasers/users of this enclosure.

 

[ohaya]

Hi,

I am new here. I've been trying to get a working NVME SSD and Thunderbolt (3+) enclosure working. I know that this is Mac site, but FYI, I am using a Dell Vostro laptop that has a Thunderbolt 4 port on it.

Anyway, I originally had bunch of different M.W NVME SSDs of different sizes and brands that were working in older non-Thunderbolt enclosures, but then I decided to see if I could actually utilize the Thunderbolt 4 port on the Vostro ... And that was just the beginning of my "journey" .

The fast SSD I had at that time was an XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade 2TB which I actually bought awhile ago, and it was the main one I wanted to get working in a Thunderbolt enclosure.

So, I started researching and I ended up buying 2 different enclosures:

ACASIS: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBZT42HC

and:

ORICO: https://www.newegg.com/orico-2579s3-bk/p/0VN-0003-000U0?Item=9SIA1DS2PZ6052&Tpk=9SIA1DS2PZ6052

When I received those enclosures with the XPG SSD, but both FAILED to work. In Windows, I could see the drive, but if I did anything to it like format or try to copy a file to it, the Windows Explorer would hang. I also tried Blackmagic Disk Test and that also hung.

So I searched for awhile and I found some Youtube videos where they had been using those 2 enclosures successfully with Samsung 980 Pro SSDs, so I bought one of the Samsung 980 Pro (a 1TB) and that just arrived yesterday and I tested the Samsung SSD with both enclosures and it worked!!!

Ok, so now I at least didn't have useless enclosures and am ordering a 2TB version of the 980 Pro to fill the 2nd enclosure.

Meanwhile I still have the XPG SSD... and I am not sure WHY IT IS FAILING. I actually found a Youtube video where the person had tested a different Orico enclosure with the same XPG SSD:

and I posted but haven't heard back yet (and might not since the video looks like it was about a year old).

So now, I am still trying to figure out "Why?" the enclosures failed with the XPG SSD, but also specifically looking for an enclosure that will work with the XPG SSD.

As to the "Why?", I've been googling, and I think I found some snippets of conversations that it might either because of the XPG not having a cache(?), and also some comments that it might be because the SSD is PCIe 4 (vs. 3). I checked the Adata/XPG (and also emailed them) website and it explicitly says that the SSD is backwards compatible with PCIe 3, but all I know is the SSD didn't work with the 2 enclosures I have.

So I guess what I would like to ask here is: Does anyone have an enclosure that works with this SSD? And if so, which one is that?

Thanks,
Jim

P.S. The speeds I get with the Samsung Pro SSD with these 2 enclosures is about 2100 MB/s WRITE and about 2700 MB/s READ.

To get those speeds I had to do a couple tweaks:

- In Samsung Magician, I changed the SSD to "Performance" setting, where it takes about 100GB away from the capacity (for overprovisioning, I think).

- In Windows Device Manager, I had to set the "Policies" in the Disk device to "Perform Better".

 

[Chancha]

Hi,

I am new here. I've been trying to get a working NVME SSD and Thunderbolt (3+) enclosure working. I know that this is Mac site, but FYI, I am using a Dell Vostro laptop that has a Thunderbolt 4 port on it.

Anyway, I originally had bunch of different M.W NVME SSDs of different sizes and brands that were working in older non-Thunderbolt enclosures, but then I decided to see if I could actually utilize the Thunderbolt 4 port on the Vostro ... And that was just the beginning of my "journey" .

The fast SSD I had at that time was an XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade 2TB which I actually bought awhile ago, and it was the main one I wanted to get working in a Thunderbolt enclosure.

So, I started researching and I ended up buying 2 different enclosures:

ACASIS: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBZT42HC

and:

ORICO: https://www.newegg.com/orico-2579s3-bk/p/0VN-0003-000U0?Item=9SIA1DS2PZ6052&Tpk=9SIA1DS2PZ6052

When I received those enclosures with the XPG SSD, but both FAILED to work. In Windows, I could see the drive, but if I did anything to it like format or try to copy a file to it, the Windows Explorer would hang. I also tried Blackmagic Disk Test and that also hung.

So I searched for awhile and I found some Youtube videos where they had been using those 2 enclosures successfully with Samsung 980 Pro SSDs, so I bought one of the Samsung 980 Pro (a 1TB) and that just arrived yesterday and I tested the Samsung SSD with both enclosures and it worked!!!

Ok, so now I at least didn't have useless enclosures and am ordering a 2TB version of the 980 Pro to fill the 2nd enclosure.

Meanwhile I still have the XPG SSD... and I am not sure WHY IT IS FAILING. I actually found a Youtube video where the person had tested a different Orico enclosure with the same XPG SSD:

and I posted but haven't heard back yet (and might not since the video looks like it was about a year old).

So now, I am still trying to figure out "Why?" the enclosures failed with the XPG SSD, but also specifically looking for an enclosure that will work with the XPG SSD.

As to the "Why?", I've been googling, and I think I found some snippets of conversations that it might either because of the XPG not having a cache(?), and also some comments that it might be because the SSD is PCIe 4 (vs. 3). I checked the Adata/XPG (and also emailed them) website and it explicitly says that the SSD is backwards compatible with PCIe 3, but all I know is the SSD didn't work with the 2 enclosures I have.

So I guess what I would like to ask here is: Does anyone have an enclosure that works with this SSD? And if so, which one is that?

Thanks,
Jim

P.S. The speeds I get with the Samsung Pro SSD with these 2 enclosures is about 2100 MB/s WRITE and about 2700 MB/s READ.

To get those speeds I had to do a couple tweaks:

- In Samsung Magician, I changed the SSD to "Performance" setting, where it takes about 100GB away from the capacity (for overprovisioning, I think).

- In Windows Device Manager, I had to set the "Policies" in the Disk device to "Perform Better".

I don't have the specific XPG stick, but had experience with ADATA's last gen SX8200 2TB. It was a double sided stick so I wasted a long time finding an enclosure that raises the M.2 connector enough to accommodate that, and then ended up with a JEYI LEIDIAN-X4. Speed wasn't that great. Even then the enclosure had power issues with a few Macs where the mount will just drop, and macOS will report an unsafe unmount warning and also a not enough power warning or worst kernel panics, namely MBA either Intel or M1. It seems ADATA's SSD has a tendency to draw more power than the others, at least that's what I get from mine.

But after the 14" 16" dropped, I mainly used this enclosure between these and also the Mac Studio, the warnings disappeared since then. Not sure if these machines deliver more stable power or if it was just macOS maturing in dealing with TB NVMe's.

 

[ohaya]

I don't have the specific XPG stick, but had experience with ADATA's last gen SX8200 2TB. It was a double sided stick so I wasted a long time finding an enclosure that raises the M.2 connector enough to accommodate that, and then ended up with a JEYI LEIDIAN-X4. Speed wasn't that great. Even then the enclosure had power issues with a few Macs where the mount will just drop, and macOS will report an unsafe unmount warning and also a not enough power warning or worst kernel panics, namely MBA either Intel or M1. It seems ADATA's SSD has a tendency to draw more power than the others, at least that's what I get from mine.

But after the 14" 16" dropped, I mainly used this enclosure between these and also the Mac Studio, the warnings disappeared since then. Not sure if these machines deliver more stable power or if it was just macOS maturing in dealing with TB NVMe's.

Hi Chancha,

Thanks for the info. So how is the speed now with the newer Macs and that same enclosure?

BTW, the XPG SSD *DOES* work with all my other non-Thunderbolt M.2 enclosures... but obviously it is just slower in those other enclosures....

 

[Chancha]

Hi Chancha,

Thanks for the info. So how is the speed now with the newer Macs and that same enclosure?

BTW, the XPG SSD *DOES* work with all my other non-Thunderbolt M.2 enclosures... but obviously it is just slower in those other enclosures....

It was always less than 1400MB/s write, with reads slightly better at 1700MB/s or so. I don't have it with me at the moment, passed to a colleague and he uses a 16" M1 Pro, not hearing any complaints from him about dropping; but he does not use it for speed-critical task so not saying much.

At this point in time all I can say with pursuing top performance with Macs, is to get a TB4 enclosure either from Acasis or Orico, then use SN850X, choose nothing else. With every other brand even including Samsung, it is a case of throwing things at the wall hoping if it sticks.

 

[steve123]

So now, I am still trying to figure out "Why?" the enclosures failed with the XPG SSD, but also specifically looking for an enclosure that will work with the XPG SSD.

Likely the blade's controller is not compatible with the enclosure. There are various instances of controller issues with TB3 and TB4 enclosures. Sometimes the enclosure vendor updates their firmware and that fixes the problem. Other times it is the firmware of the controller on the blade. In your situation, you are at the mercy of ACASIS or ORICO to update their firmware for that controller/blade. These enclosures use the Intel Titan Ridge controller. So these vendors likely rely on Intel to supply the firmware for their controller. So, you probably have to wait until Intel supports the controller/blade. Or, XPG may have to update their firmware to work with TB3 and TB4 controllers. Or both.

 

[steve123]

At this point in time all I can say with pursuing top performance with Macs, is to get a TB4 enclosure either from Acasis or Orico, then use SN850X, choose nothing else. With every other brand even including Samsung, it is a case of throwing things at the wall hoping if it sticks.

I have read on these forums that the KC3000, Kingston Fury and Seagate Firecuda 530 work well. The Firecuda has the best endurance and lowest power consumption as I recall.

 

[ohaya]

Hi

Likely the blade's controller is not compatible with the enclosure. There are various instances of controller issues with TB3 and TB4 enclosures. Sometimes the enclosure vendor updates their firmware and that fixes the problem. Other times it is the firmware of the controller on the blade. In your situation, you are at the mercy of ACASIS or ORICO to update their firmware for that controller/blade. These enclosures use the Intel Titan Ridge controller. So these vendors likely rely on Intel to supply the firmware for their controller. So, you probably have to wait until Intel supports the controller/blade. Or, XPG may have to update their firmware to work with TB3 and TB4 controllers. Or both.

Hi,

I know what the answer to this question probably is, but in that Youtube video I included in my post, that person was using the same XPG SSD (but he used 1TB vs. the 2TB I have) but with a different Orico enclosure (I think it is this enclosure: https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Enclosure-Aluminum-Compatible-Thunderbolt/dp/B09FJPRRWQ).

I guess the question I have is "Is it possible/likely that if I get one of those other enclosures, that the XPG SSD would work with it"?

I think the answere to my question is that unless I can actually find someone who has an XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade SSD and that same Orico enclosure, I won't know for sure, so I may have to just give it a try.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[steve123]

I know what the answer to this question probably is, but in that Youtube video I included in my post, that person was using the same XPG SSD (but he used 1TB vs. the 2TB I have) but with a different Orico enclosure (I think it is this enclosure: https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Enclosure-Aluminum-Compatible-Thunderbolt/dp/B09FJPRRWQ).

The link to this enclosure describes a USB4 enclosure. A USB4 enclosure does not mean it is compatible with TB4. The link to the enclosure from Newegg you provided earlier is a TB4 enclosure.

So, you maybe able to use your XPG blade in the USB4 enclosure from Amazon as described in the video. Then you can attach it to your TB4 port. Your computer will recognize the device as a USB4 device, not a TB4 device. Consequently, you will not achieve TB4 speeds rather you will get USB4 speeds.

Here is a graphic that describes the relationship:

https://www.thunderbolttechnology.net/sites/default/files/Thunderbolt_4_One-pager_v2_0.pdf

 

[Mac-ra]

...I know what the answer to this question probably is, but in that Youtube video I included in my post, that person was using the same XPG SSD (but he used 1TB vs. the 2TB I have) but with a different Orico enclosure (I think it is this enclosure: https://www.amazon.com/ORICO-Enclosure-Aluminum-Compatible-Thunderbolt/dp/B09FJPRRWQ).

I guess the question I have is "Is it possible/likely that if I get one of those other enclosures, that the XPG SSD would work with it"?...

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the problem is a combination of the XPG SSD and your PC and not the enclosure. That XPG SSD is nearly 2yrs. old and there's evidence of spotty results with older SSD's. Try a newer PCIe Gen. 4 one like the SN850x, or Rocket 4 Plus, or the slightly older & less-efficient KC3000 or Firecuda 530, or even the value-priced SN770. The 990 Pro is overkill (as in overpriced) given that it won't perform (any?) better in a TB3 enclosure than the other lower-priced SSD's I just listed (though the SN770 gets much slower than the others on long sustained writes if that's an issue for you). OTOH the even older 980 Pro has the best compatibility & speed track record of any SSD in these enclosures even though it's more expensive than most of these other newer ones. And there seems to be issues using the Crucial P3/5 Plus's or SK Hynix's with these enclosures so I'd steer clear of those.

Also gonna go on a limb and say that there's not much difference in the key component of these controllers; i.e., AFAIK the latest versions all use Intel's Titan Ridge JHL7440 TB3 controller (most are mum about this though at least one states it like that in the Amazon listing for the Siliking SK405 40Gbps NVME SSD enclosure). So go with whichever enclosure has the form factor you prefer (i.e., size/shape, external heat sink design, and tool-less vs. 1-screw closure vs. 4-screw closure) since the more-recent results in this thread indicate there's not much difference in performance...though sticking with Acasis or Orico seems to be the safer bet.

Lastly don't get hung up on the USB4 vs. TB4 question since these are all TB3 40Gbps enclosures which will give you up to ~3GB/s speeds on your PC's TB4 port (though perhaps closer to 2GB/s for the write speed). If you are curious about this question you can read more about this at https://www.tomsguide.com/features/thunderbolt-4-vs-usb4-whats-the-difference.

 

[ohaya]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that the problem is a combination of the XPG SSD and your PC and not the enclosure. That XPG SSD is nearly 2yrs. old and there's evidence of spotty results with older SSD's. Try a newer PCIe Gen. 4 one like the SN850x, or Rocket 4 Plus, or the slightly older & less-efficient KC3000 or Firecuda 530, or even the value-priced SN770. The 990 Pro is overkill (as in overpriced) given that it won't perform (any?) better in a TB3 enclosure than the other lower-priced SSD's I just listed (though the SN770 gets much slower than the others on long sustained writes if that's an issue for you). OTOH the even older 980 Pro has the best compatibility & speed track record of any SSD in these enclosures even though it's more expensive than most of these other newer ones. And there seems to be issues using the Crucial P3/5 Plus's or SK Hynix's with these enclosures so I'd steer clear of those.

Also gonna go on a limb and say that there's not much difference in the key component of these controllers; i.e., AFAIK the latest versions all use Intel's Titan Ridge JHL7440 TB3 controller (though most are mum about this) like that noted in the Amazon listing for the Siliking SK405 40Gbps NVME SSD enclosure. So go with whichever enclosure has the form factor you prefer (i.e., size/shape, external heat sink design, and tool-less vs. 1-screw closure vs. 4-screw closure) since the more-recent results in this thread indicate there's not much difference in performance...though sticking with Acasis or Orico seems to be the safer bet.

Lastly don't get hung up on the USB4 vs. TB4 question since these are all TB3 40Gbps enclosures which will give you up to ~3GB/s speeds on your PC's TB4 port (though perhaps closer to 2GB/s for the write speed). If you are curious about this question you can read more about this at https://www.tomsguide.com/features/thunderbolt-4-vs-usb4-whats-the-difference.

Mac-ra,

Really, at this point, I know I can get combos of enclosures and SSDs that will give me better performance, but what started this was, at the beginning, I originally bought the XPG SSD to use it in an external enclosure. Then, when I realized I had a laptop that had a TB4 port, I *assumed* that it wouldn't be a problem finding an enclosure for the XPG SSD that would give me better performance (TB3), so then I ended buying 2 new enclosures (the Orico and then the ACASIS), and I was surprised (and disappointed) that neither of them worked with the XPG SSD, so now the only use I have for the XPG is to continue to use it in a USB enclosure, getting ~100MB/s transfer speeds.

Jim

 

[Mac-ra]

Mac-ra,

Really, at this point, I know I can get combos of enclosures and SSDs that will give me better performance, but what started this was, at the beginning, I originally bought the XPG SSD to use it in an external enclosure. Then, when I realized I had a laptop that had a TB4 port, I *assumed* that it wouldn't be a problem finding an enclosure for the XPG SSD that would give me better performance (TB3), so then I ended buying 2 new enclosures (the Orico and then the ACASIS), and I was surprised (and disappointed) that neither of them worked with the XPG SSD, so now the only use I have for the XPG is to continue to use it in a USB enclosure, getting ~100MB/s transfer speeds.

Jim

Yeah, especially given the video you noted. However, my experience shows that each Mac/PC & SSD combination yields unique results and that the enclosure brand is not the issue.

 

[hyh]

Does this seem like a good plan? I'm considering getting Acasis Thunderbolt 3 USB 4.0 Mobile M.2 Nvme Enclosure ...
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003020717936.html

to be used with Samsung 980 (1 TB) -- not 980 PRO. I am not completely sure that this will work well with M1 Macbook. I note that the adverts mention compatibility with 980 PRO rather than plain 980.

​

Answering my own question from about a year ago...

Acasis TBU405 works fine with Samsung 980 1 TB. Speed is not as good as compared to reported numbers with Samsung 980 PRO (2600-2700 MB/s write, 2200-2800 MB/s), but it's better than with Samsung 970 EVO Plus, Corsair MP400, Sabrent Rocket Q4, etc.

https://www.acasis.com/products/aca...nderbolt-3-4-usb3-2-3-1-3-0-2-0-type-c-tbu405

SAMSUNG 980 SSD 1TB PCle 3.0x4, NVMe M.2 2280, Internal Solid State Drive, Storage for PC, Laptops, Gaming and More, HMB Technology, Intelligent Turbowrite, Speeds of up-to 3,500MB/s, MZ-V8V1T0B/AM

Harness your PC's potential with the 980 SSD. Whether you need a boost for gaming or a seamless workflow for heavy graphics, the 980 is a smart choice for outstanding SSD performance — and it's all backed by an NVMe interface and PCIe 3.0 technology. Satisfy your need for speed with PCIe 3.0, usi...

www.amazon.com

MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021) 16 GB

 

[Mac-ra]

Answering my own question from about a year ago...

Acasis TBU405 works fine with Samsung 980 1 TB. Speed is not as good as compared to reported numbers with Samsung 980 PRO (2600-2700 MB/s write, 2200-2800 MB/s), but it's better than with Samsung 970 EVO Plus, Corsair MP400, Sabrent Rocket Q4, etc.
View attachment 2159824

https://www.acasis.com/products/aca...nderbolt-3-4-usb3-2-3-1-3-0-2-0-type-c-tbu405

SAMSUNG 980 SSD 1TB PCle 3.0x4, NVMe M.2 2280, Internal Solid State Drive, Storage for PC, Laptops, Gaming and More, HMB Technology, Intelligent Turbowrite, Speeds of up-to 3,500MB/s, MZ-V8V1T0B/AM

Harness your PC's potential with the 980 SSD. Whether you need a boost for gaming or a seamless workflow for heavy graphics, the 980 is a smart choice for outstanding SSD performance — and it's all backed by an NVMe interface and PCIe 3.0 technology. Satisfy your need for speed with PCIe 3.0, usi...

www.amazon.com

MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021) 16 GB

Yeah, the 980 (not Pro) is a PCIe Gen. 3 SSD so those slower numbers seem consistent with everything I've seen for Gen. 3's or SSD's w/ QLC flash (the MP400 & Rocket Q4 use QLC). Though doesn't the chart in the Acasis link in your post show faster read speeds for the MP400 & Rocket Q4 than what you're getting from the 980...not to pick a bone or anything with ya?

 

[hyh]

Yeah, the 980 (not Pro) is a PCIe Gen. 3 SSD so those slower numbers seem consistent with everything I've seen for Gen. 3's or SSD's w/ QLC flash (the MP400 & Rocket Q4 use QLC). Though doesn't the chart in the Acasis link in your post show faster read speeds for the MP400 & Rocket Q4 than what you're getting from the 980...not to pick a bone or anything with ya?

No worries. You're right about faster read speed with MP400 and Rocket Q4 - I missed that. I was paying more attention to 980 (not Pro) having faster write speed - the difference is pretty small. No idea if there is a difference in performance between 1 TB vs 4 TB or 8 TB.

 

[Earl Urley]

Same speeds on a MacBook pro as Thunderbolt 3

Yeesh, I wouldn't trust an IndieGogo project for an SSD drive/enclosure.. like the GigaDrive guys..

I paid good money for two 2 TB GigaDrives, "The fastest SSDs ever made" and they've disappeared off the face of the effing earth.

TechRadar confirms that they have skipped town / ghosted the community they created and IndieGogo appears to be unwilling to do anything about it. I demanded a refund and got nothing in response.

When crowdfunding campaigns go bad

Is that mouth-watering new crowdfunding campaign a scam?

www.techradar.com

 

[steve123]

I wouldn't trust an IndieGogo project for an SSD drive/enclosure

ASMedia has not received USB-IF certification for the ASM2464PD controller used in that enclosure. So the lack of certification should probably be regarded as a red flag. Moreover, if ASMedia has not received USB-IF certification yet, certainly the ZikeDrive has not either. And, I would expect that before ZikeDrive can get their certification, ASMedia must first obtain theirs. So, there is a stacking effect which will draw out the delivery date. According to the Indiegogo web page, delivery is scheduled for May. That seems unlikely.

 

[handheldgames]

ASMedia has not received USB-IF certification for the ASM2464PD controller used in that enclosure. So the lack of certification should probably be regarded as a red flag. Moreover, if ASMedia has not received USB-IF certification yet, certainly the ZikeDrive has not either. And, I would expect that before ZikeDrive can get their certification, ASMedia must first obtain theirs. So, there is a stacking effect which will draw out the delivery date. According to the Indiegogo web page, delivery is scheduled for May. That seems unlikely.

Really? Meanwhile 2 DAYS AGO....

 

[steve123]

The ASM4242 is only USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps). That is not the same controller as the ASM2464PD used in the ZikeDrive. The ASM2464PD is not listed on the USB-IF site https://www.usb.org/products

 

[gregre]

Hi
- WD SN850X 4TB drive in Acasis TBU401E enclosure and MBP M1Max

On the left - the result when connected directly to the MBP
Right - result when connected via OWC Thunderbolt Hub

Write speed dropped by almost 1/3 - is this normal?

 

[Brian33]

Write speed dropped by almost 1/3 - is this normal?

Apparently, it can happen with some SSDs and some hubs:

https://eclecticlight.co/2023/02/21/thunderbolt-4-hubs-can-slow-down-fast-ssds/

Conclusions​

• High-performance Thunderbolt 3 SSDs, with read speeds over 1.5 GB/s, connected through Thunderbolt 4 hubs, retain read speeds close to those when connected direct.
• Some high-performance TB3 SSDs show throttled write speeds when connected through TB4 hubs, resulting in write speeds of no more than 1.5 GB/s, equivalent to only two lanes of PCIe 3.0.