Thunderbolt 3 M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosures

[mogens]

I think the hacktintosh folks have used the P41 for their on-board NVMe boot drive without needing to fix firmware or anything, so it is "compatible".

That said it is a rather uncommon choice for Mac use, since it is not sold everywhere in the US and not often having discounts, unlike Samsung and WD.

The Thunderbolt (3 or 4 is the same) specs limits the potential bandwidth for external enclosures with PCIe gen3 at x4 lanes, and further more with limited data lanes so in practice, you are only ever going to get ~22-28Gbps which is approx. 3000MB/s sequential read and write. So yes it is a limiting factor on the Mac itself, nothing is going to break through that, essentially you are only going to get pretty much less than half the potential performance out of a gen4 NVMe SSD.

That said, many including myself still would prefer to get a top tier gen 4 stick for this purpose because:
1) the gen3 sticks, even by notable brands like Samsung, have all been undergoing shady component changes which downgrades its performance, to the point the Thunderbolt is no longer the bottleneck;
2) the gen4 sticks have gotten incredibly affordable already
3) larger capacity are only available on gen4 choices

You may notice WD SN850X being mentioned more times than others in threads like this one, because it ticks all the boxes mentioned above. Currently this model has almost no manufacturing issues (unlike Samsung), no known component downgrade (Samsung and WD do this, but not on this model), no known firmware upgrade need (970 EVO plus namely), and runs at a so-so decent temp. Most importantly Amazon et al have been discounting the 1/2/4TB heavily in the last weeks. The SK Hynix P41 may be up there as well but there is not enough Mac user data confirming this.

Enclosure wise, you can see the Acasis TB4/USB4 combo series is quite popular here, I got both the TBU-405 and the TBU-405 Pro M1, both run reliably so far. But really anything TB3 enclosure can give you similar performance and temps, as long as they use JHL7440 Intel controller.

Thanks. I have looked on the German amazon page for Acasis, but it is not mentioned whether it is a TBU-405 or TBU-401, but I think this one is OK?
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/product/B0BL6F56DP/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3L2VJQ69XS53Q&psc=1

 

[Erpler]

Thanks. I have looked on the German amazon page for Acasis, but it is not mentioned whether it is a TBU-405 or TBU-401, but I think this one is OK?
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/product/B0BL6F56DP/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3L2VJQ69XS53Q&psc=1

Bought mine for $100 from the manufacturer's website directly. They had a little discount (BTS10 code currently), and it allowed me to pick the silver version. Delivery was quick to western europe.

 

[mogens]

thank you, but we have to pay both duty and tax here. it quickly becomes an expensive trade.
I ask again, is the model I link to the same one that is mentioned in the thread?

 

[Chancha]

thank you, but we have to pay both duty and tax here. it quickly becomes an expensive trade.
I ask again, is the model I link to the same one that is mentioned in the thread?

I think so, it looks identical with my TBU-405, and its specs mention JHL7440 and being USB4 compatible.

And holy **** that price… I bought mine with half that but I am in Hong Kong.

 

[Erpler]

thank you, but we have to pay both duty and tax here. it quickly becomes an expensive trade.
I ask again, is the model I link to the same one that is mentioned in the thread?

I've only paid exactly the listed price and it was sent to western Europe. It might come from a European warehouse.

 

[mogens]

interesting. How and where do you shop? as long as the goods are sent from an EU country, we do not have to pay customs duties and taxes (Denmark)

 

[Erpler]

interesting. How and where do you shop? as long as the goods are sent from an EU country, we do not have to pay customs duties and taxes (Denmark)

Acasis 40Gbps Tool-free M.2 NVMe Thunderbolt 3/4 USB 4 SSD Enclosure

TBU405 VS TBU405ProM1TBU405 is base version (Tool-free Installation), while TBU405ProM1 (Tool-free Installation + Built-in Silent Fan) is an upgraded version of TBU405. The main difference is that TBU405ProM1 is additionally equipped with a built-in silent cooling fan. According to tests...

www.acasis.com

 

[solaris8x86]

I got my TBU-405 directly from acasis web store with putting a Samsung 970 Pro (MLC) 1TB inside. I selected the fan-less version after consideration. It seems a logical choice to me when running it with battery-power only (I always need to be working outdoor). No fan drains less power. The Pro version which comes with a build-in fan is nice. But I doubt the fan like that small could be malfunction easily. May be could just last for a year or two based on my own experience. Then the fan dies. So I picked the fan-less version and it should live longer than the fan version.

The temperature of the enclosure is quite warm when it is running. Around 60'c when without any external air flow blowing to it. The spec said it could last for 80'c. Still has some room to go.

It is so far the best made TB3 40Gbps enclosure right now (for chip JHL7440).

 

[loby]

Just received my Acasis TBU-401 today....

It is faster than my two OWC powered enclosure(s). I am getting speeds: write: 2632 and Read: 2581 with 16" MacBook Pro 2021.

I have a Silicon Power 4TB SSD in the enclosure.

It is warm to the touch, but not as bad as my Sabrent Pro 2TB that is hot (like burn), but get on the Sabrent single drive 2100+ both Read and Write.

My mouth dropped with the Acasis unit and the consist speeds when doing Black Magic checks. Consistent and does not throttle down. Works great so far with FCP.

No need to use my powered OWC enclosures now...I can use the Acasis enclosure for the road while Video editing directly on it.

My OWC has four 2TB SSD's RAID 0, but does not get these speeds consistently with the non-powered Acasis enclosure.

Does anybody know if performance is better on the OWC (4 drives splitting data to each drive with RAID 0) compared to the single drive in the Acasis? I cannot tell the difference right now (first day).

Very impressed with the Acasis TBU-401...

 

[joeriggs]

My OWC has four 2TB SSD's RAID 0, but does not get these speeds consistently with the non-powered Acasis enclosure.

What make and model are the SSDs?

If you put four of the same type of drive you're putting in the Acasis in the OWC 4M2 and set it to Raid 0,
you will certainly get faster speeds especially when it comes to sustained write speeds.

 

[loby]

What make and model are the SSDs?

If you put four of the same type of drive you're putting in the Acasis in the OWC 4M2 and set it to Raid 0,
you will certainly get faster speeds especially when it comes to sustained write speeds.

I have in the thunderbolt 3 OWC Express 4 M2 mini currently (Just updated the SSDs two weeks ago): 4x Kingston NV2 2TB M.2 2280 NVMe Internal SSD | PCIe 4.0 Gen 4x4 | Up to 3500 MB/s. Getting: write speeds of 1773.5 and Read speeds of: 2405.4 (Using SoftRAID software). Got a good deal on the Kingston drives, but should have bought again Sabrent or Samsung SSD's. Would have paid $100+ more for the four SSDs on Amazon at the time. Saved...but got hit a little on write speeds. Since the OWC drive (I think) is limited to 750 mb/s or so bus on each channel, I though it would not matter. if I got a 35000 MB/s or 70000 MB/s... But I guess you get what you pay for..

Before I had 4x 1TB Sabrent SSDs in the OWC and was getting 2100-2300 scores (around) for both Write and Read speeds. Good...but needed to update to 8TB (4x 2TB SSDs) for larger projects.

My 2TB Sabrent Rocket Pro XTRM (single) SSD Eternal drive is getting: Write speeds of 2134.9 and Read speeds of: 2536.2. Can do video editing on this without issues also. Gets kind of hot at times though...but does not effect performance that much (occasionally). It is small and convenient to lug around, but again gets hot at the touch sometimes (almost burns) and little heavy for the small size - but no complaint (built like a tank).

In my old thunderbolt 2 OWC Thunderbay mini, I am getting Write speeds of: 1169.1 and Read speeds of: 1189.8 (Using SoftRAID) with Apple's thunderbolt adapter. Expected since it is thunderbolt 2. 4x Samsung 1TB SSD 2.5"

Checked again having my new Acasis enclosure on all day and the case is a little hot, but not bad (much less than my Sabrent external drive). Can touch it to move and does not burn or anything like the Sabrent. Still getting write speeds of 2644.3 and read speeds of 2581.5. More than I originally expected.

All enclosures work for video editing and I don't have any stuttering or slow downs. Differences is in (of course) rendering time and exporting during projects which are noticeable, but not bad actually (even the thunderbolt 2 enclosure).

Again, using MacBook Pro 2021 M1 Max. Best laptop I have ever owned. Great for my video editing work (along with Apple's Studio Display- ideal)

All of that said...I want to thank those who recommended the Acasis enclosure on this tread. I would not have bought it if it wasn't for this tread and discussion. Did more research after reading this tread and this enclosure is wonderful and the speeds are good (without and noticeable slowdowns so far) and heat distribution is good so far concerning the case.

Added both SSD heat pads, for the SSD with the heat pad (single) did not touch the top of the case. I hope putting two heat pads together is ok...please say something (somebody) if this is bad for the SSD.

Now I have a decent (non external powered needed) enclosure that I can do video editing work on the move with plenty of storage.

 

[AAPLGeek]

For those who are using thunderbolt enclosure with MacBooks - does the enclosure/NVMe drive ever enter sleep or super low power mode? What's the power draw from battery when the enclosure is connected and idle?

 

[mogens]

Great information! Please post your temperatures with the 4TB SN850X once you receive it.

As I posted here, my TBU405 + 4TB SN850X gets anywhere from ~40-49°C idle, and around 62°C when running benchmarks for 10 minutes. I do have a copper heatsink sitting on top of my enclosure, and of course room temperature, location and other factors will affect temps. But it would be interesting to see if the updated version of the Acasis improves temps while still remaining quiet...

I’ve ordered the same combination. Which pads did you use inside the enclosure?

 

[loby]

For those who are using thunderbolt enclosure with MacBooks - does the enclosure/NVMe drive ever enter sleep or super low power mode? What's the power draw from battery when the enclosure is connected and idle?

light does not go out on the Acasis enclosure when in sleep mode, so it is still on, but the case is not as warm, so it looks like so far it goes into a low power mode during sleep. Not totally sure yet (just got it), but will do some testing to see.

 

[loby]

I’ve ordered the same combination. Which pads did you use inside the enclosure?

I am sure your unit comes with pads, as my TBU-401 did (two - one thinner, one more thicker). I just used both and it so far works to disperse the heat.

 

[AAPLGeek]

light does not go out on the Acasis enclosure when in sleep mode, so it is still on, but the case is not as warm, so it looks like so far it goes into a low power mode during sleep. Not totally sure yet (just got it), but will do some testing to see.

You can use coconut battery to estimate the battery power draw. Note the "discharging with" value without the enclosure connected and check it when the enclosure is connected and idle for a few minutes.

 

[bananataffy]

I’ve ordered the same combination. Which pads did you use inside the enclosure?

I went with Thermal Grizzly pads and used the method here to apply them:

Thermal Grizzly Minus Pad (120 x 20 x 0,5 mm, 2X Pieces, Minus Pad 8)

Thermal Grizzly Minus Pad (120 x 20 x 0,5 mm, 2X Pieces, Minus Pad 8)

www.amazon.com

Thermal Grizzly Minus Pad (120 x 20 x 1 mm, Minus Pad 8)

The Thermal Grizzly Minus Pad has a temperature range of -100 °C / + 250 °C. It is perfect for configurations that support extremely demanding applications, making it an ideal solution even for industrial environments. and at the same time protects the contact surfaces and prevents the formation ...

www.amazon.com

Thermal Grizzly products in my experience are top notch when it comes to cooling but the brand is also expensive...and I'm not so sure it's worth the extra money over cheaper thermal pads. In retrospect, I probably should have doubled up and stacked the pads to assure maximum contact. It does a good job with just 1 layer though as the heat transfer is obviously taking place.

 

[skeksi]

I just got an ACASIS AC-TBU405 enclosure and WD SN850X 4TB for Black Friday and they just arrived. The enclosure is seemingly better built than the other Chinese stuff I am used to like JEYI or WAVLINK. Heat dispersion feels better also as the surface only reaches 30-ish degrees instead of the usual 40-ish on others.

Haven't got to use it extensively but a short test with AmorphousDiskMark gives me this, which is about the best I can expect from a Thunderbolt port (to a base Mac Studio):
View attachment 2130204

Hi, I have those as well. How are they working out for you? I've actually had them for months but am confused about which thickness of thermal pads to buy with these (particularly since it's the 4TB version). Which thickness of thermal pads would you suggest?

 

[Chancha]

Hi, I have those as well. How are they working out for you? I've actually had them for months but am confused about which thickness of thermal pads to buy with these (particularly since it's the 4TB version). Which thickness of thermal pads would you suggest?

I actually just used what came in the Acasis box and be done with it. Not sure about the exact thickness, probably 2mm? As long as I can confirm it is touching both sides I think it will do its job.

Recently I got another Acasis which is the TBU405 Pro M1, on that one the space between the enclosure plate and the SSD is higher, as such the box came with two such pads and I had to use them stacked on top of each other for the NANDs to really touch.

If you are worried, it is not a bad idea to go thicker than needed. Just make sure you don't stuff up the air space side ways.

 

[skeksi]

I actually just used what came in the Acasis box and be done with it. Not sure about the exact thickness, probably 2mm? As long as I can confirm it is touching both sides I think it will do its job.

Recently I got another Acasis which is the TBU405 Pro M1, on that one the space between the enclosure plate and the SSD is higher, as such the box came with two such pads and I had to use them stacked on top of each other for the NANDs to really touch.

If you are worried, it is not a bad idea to go thicker than needed. Just make sure you don't stuff up the air space side ways.

With the TBU405, mine came with one 1mm and one 0.5mm.

How did you do the pad(s)? Both sides? I don't have any experience with double-sided NVMe's like the 4TB SN850X supposedly is.

I searched for your "TBU405 Pro M1" model, to understand what you meant. But I couldn't find it

 

[Chancha]

With the TBU405, mine came with one 1mm and one 0.5mm.

How did you do the pad(s)? Both sides? I don't have any experience with double-sided NVMe's like the 4TB SN850X supposedly is.

I searched for your "TBU405 Pro M1" model, to understand what you meant. But I couldn't find it

My thinking with dual sided SSDs is that, the side facing the board can't be helped anyway, if you sandwich something in between it will just create a larger mass with no air gap, which doesn't help heat escaping. I am hoping with only the up side having pads it should be enough. Also often times, it is the controller that heats up the most and they are usually on the up side.

Check back two pages of this thread since page 44, I reported seeing a bigger Acasis model that has a fan, which is only sold in China now, its model number is "TBU-405 Pro M1", "pro" being fanless, and "M1" being tooless. I bought it and tested it and concluded the fan does not help but the larger chunk of metal and the air vents do help.

 

[Earl Urley]

According to the new arrivals page on the US Acasis website, they're getting ready to sell the TBU 405 Pro M1, they probably have to prepare English instructions / sales materials before they do.

 

[Earl Urley]

So has anyone tested an Acasis TBU 405 / 401 on an Intel Mac, preferably a 2018-2020 versus an Apple Silicon machine? I'm of the impression that the M1/M2 TB3/4 ports work slower on Apple Silicon.

 

[Levina]

You want the case to get hot, it means the thermal transfer is taking place.

When I read that I thought, yeah that makes sense. However, I bought a few thicker thermals pads and stuffed the NVMe blade with it so it's really snug, to the point that I had to push a bit to get the case to close, and now it doesn't feel hot anymore but rather cool to the touch. Temps are around 36ºC. I'm quite pleased with that.

 

[mogens]

My TBU 405 now has arrived along with a SN 850X😀
i wonder how do you guys measure the temperature of the SSD.
is there an app or something?