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The broad compatibility of the UGREEN M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure caught my eye, supporting NMVe protocol M and B&M Keys and accommodating SSD sizes ranging from 2230 to 2280, with a maximum capacity of 8TB. It is supported with Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and iOS operating systems. Installing an SSD is pretty easy as you just need to unscrew the cover, attach the M.2 drive along with the optional cooling pad, screw in the mounting screw and reattach the cover. Unfortunately, both the cover and the mounting screw are 5-point star shaped screws, which are not very common. However, there’s a screwdriver in the box. Cheap PNY 8GB commodity drive. Thing was so damned slow I changed it to 512GB and only ran 1 pass. Thats not a mistake, the random write tests are slow low as to not even register. RND4KQ32T16 is something like .0003MB/s. Diving deeper into the compatibility aspect, it’s designed to house PCIe NVMe M-Key M.2 SSDs with a capacity of up to 4TB. It accommodates a range of sizes including 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 SSDs. However, it draws a line by not supporting M.2 SATA-based SSDs, M.2 PCIe AHCI SSDs, and any SSD from Mac.
On a few M.2 enclosures, including the SSK SHE-C325, we found that our test Kingston Rage Fury SSD’s built-in graphene heat spreader, which adds 3.5mm of z height to the drive, didn’t leave much vertical clearance. However, the SHE-C325 could close anyway, without scraping the drive’s surface. Considering that many M.2 SSDs have built-in, non-removable heat spreaders, every enclosure should accommodate them. I am all for tool-free installations, and this enclosure does not disappoint in this regard. The setup is a breeze, involving just plugging the SSD into the M.2 NVMe USB adapter and securing it with a rubber plug. This is why it’s in the third position in our list of best M.2 SSD enclosures.This again can be set up without the need of any toolkit at all. The design of this enclosure is much more rugged and unique in its own way. Some people might not like but I personally liked it. The fastest enclosure we've tested, the ZikeDrive uses an ASMedia ASM2464 controller to deliver USB 4 read speeds that are 20 percent faster than we've seen on the competition. Write speeds were less impressive, but still strong in most scenarios. However, the ZikeDrive doesn't make the best list yet, because it's part of an IndieGoGo campaign and not available for general sale. Even in mSATA's heyday, though, a replacement was in the works. During development, it was known as NGFF, for "Next-Generation Form Factor." As it took shape, though, it took on its current, final name: M.2. The drives would be smaller, potentially more capacious, and, most important, not necessarily reliant on SATA. In my early career, I worked as an editor of scholarly science books, and as an editor of "Dummies"-style computer guidebooks for Brady Books (now, BradyGames). I'm a lifetime New Yorker, a graduate of New York University's journalism program, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
The aluminum alloy casing of the enclosure does an outstanding job of dissipating heat and maintaining performance. A notable convenience is the inclusion of two cables: a USB Type-C cable and a USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable.How fast? Enclosures can only handle as much speed as their USB ports and the USB ports on your computer allow. Most 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard drive / SSD enclosures operate under standard 5 Gbps USB (USB 3 / 3.1 or 3.2 Gen 1). Most M.2 SSD enclosures operate at 10 Gbps (aka USB 3.1 or USB 3.2 Gen 2). Now, to reiterate an important point: A drive may come in the M.2 form factor, but that says nothing about the bus that it makes use of. Determining that is just as important as making sure it fits.
But how will an enclosure behave in a real-world-like gaming scenario? Load times in the FF XIV standalone benchmark are actually quite impressive, especially when compared to an internal hard drive. Interestingly, a 20 Gbps enclosure seems to offer some improvements here as well. As for enclosures that match these specifications, there are several Thunderbolt-based variants on the market such as the Acasis TBU401. This one uses an Intel JHL7440 Thunderbolt 3 controller and offers sequential performance of around 2,700 MB/s when equipped with a high-end NVMe SSD.It is plug-and-play supported. However, you would need a screwdriver to install your drive inside it. You also get an LED indicator. Designed to accommodate M and B&M keys along with a broad spectrum of SSD sizes ranging from 2230 to 2280, it offers a home for SSDs with capacities of up to 8TB. The SATA drives were all in a Startech USB M.2 SATA enclosure. The USB's are of course simply USBs. Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. The ultra-slim aluminum case paired with an ABS frame brings to the table not just style but remarkable durability. The supported SSD sizes are 2242, 2260, and 2280. The maximum speed you can get with this enclosure is 1000 MB/s. No additional drivers are required for installation because it is completely a Plug-and-play device. This enclosure is also the fastest of the bunch, but only by about 15-20MB/s pure sequential with large files.
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