Why I no longer recommend pre-built SSDs for Windows PCs - buy this instead

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

  • Ugreen's M.2 NVMe Enclosure is connected merchantability connected Amazon for $75.
  • It's an casual to usage enclosure that doesn't trust connected infinitesimal fasteners, and features USB4 speeds of up to 40Gbps.
  • If you request a instrumentality that supports up to 80Gbps, you'll privation to upgrade.

For a constricted time, the Ugreen M.2. NVMe SSD enclosure is conscionable $75 connected Amazon, a $35 discount.


External retention drives person go a portion of my beingness nowadays, truthful overmuch truthful that I ever person a fewer successful my laptop bag. But lately I've moved distant from pre-built outer SSDs and alternatively bargain enclosures and M.2 drives separately. This lets maine person the operation of performance, capacity, and outgo that suits my needs.

Also: The champion M.2 SSDs you tin buy

As such, I've been investigating a batch of enclosures with antithetic strengths. Some enactment portability astatine the apical of the list, portion others, specified arsenic the Ugreen 40Gbps USB4 M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure, marque show a priority. 

There are 3 things that basal retired astir this Ugreen enclosure that person made it a steadfast favourite for maine -- successful fact, I present person astir 5 of them!

First, it's casual to acceptable M.2 drives. There's 1 sensibly-sized screw holding the enclosure together, and different fastener holding the thrust successful spot that's arsenic sensible. There's nary having to messiness astir with tiny fasteners, and my aging fingers and eyes admit that.

The fasteners are sensibly sized!

The fasteners are sensibly sized!

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Next up, it's fast, allowing for up to 40Gbps/3,700 MB/s information transportation rates. These evidently beryllium connected the M.2 thrust you're using, but if you privation speed, get a accelerated thrust and you're bully to go. It supports drives up to 4TB successful a scope of signifier factors: 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280.

The enclosure is built to judge  a scope  of M.2 drives.

The enclosure is built to judge a scope of M.2 drives.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

The enclosure is besides well-made. It's coagulated and machined from aluminum to dissipate discarded heat. A built-in instrumentality that kicks successful erstwhile the interior temperatures deed 40°C helps the enclosure support things cool. 

Also: I tried utilizing the world's thinnest SSD enclosure - it made a large interaction connected my workflow

The kit besides comes with a silicone support to support the enclosure from bumps and scratches.

You tin  take  the thrust  to suit   your needs.

You tin take the thrust to suit your needs.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

The enclosure is powered by the fantabulous ASMedia ASM2426PD chip, which supports USB4/Thunderbolt Gen3 x2, and PCI Express Gen4, and has S.M.A.R.T thrust monitoring support. 

ZDNET's buying advice

All successful all, the Ugreen 40Gbps USB4 M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure is an unthinkable enclosure, and it's connected merchantability for $75.99. Measuring lone 4.72 x 1.89 x 0.75 inches and weighing lone 7 ounces, it's a precise portable package.

If 40Gbps velocity and 4TB of capableness aren't capable for you, drawback the Ugreen 80Gbps M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure. Externally, this enclosure looks the same, but it supports a theoretical 7,000MB/s and M.2 2280 drives up to 8TB. 

The downside is that this enclosure is simply a batch much costly (normally priced astatine $299, but Amazon Prime members tin get it for lone $209).

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