If you want the fastest speed with maximum storage capacity, format the unit as RAID 0 using Apple Disk Utility.NOTE: All speed tests were run on drives containing no data i.e. For RAID 4 and RAID 5 the results varied so much that I ran each test six times. All speed tests were run at least four times. Speeds were measured using the full version of AJA System Test. I used an M1 Pro MacBook Pro with 32 GB of RAM and running macOS Ventura 13.4. I ran 98 different speed tests on this unit. The Express is also marginally faster than the Thunderblade. If you need maximum storage, blazing speed and the potential to upgrade the storage as larger SSDs are released, get the OWC Express 4M2.If you need maximum storage with blazing speed, with zero installation, get the OWC Thunderblade.If you need the fastest speed in the smallest package, get the Envoy Pro FX.For SSDs on the Mac, always format using APFS, not HFS+. Once everything is installed and connected, formatting the drive is the same as any other Mac or Windows storage. So buy the storage you need – the speeds will be the same.Īs you look at the back, once you get everything screwed back together, you’ll see two Thunderbolt 3/4 connectors along with one DisplayPort and power connector. However, for the fastest performance and greatest capacity, buy four matching SSDs to fully populate the board.Īlso, OWC support tells me there is no performance difference as storage capacity increases. NOTE: You can easily use the Express with only one SSD. Push the SSD firmly into the dock (it only goes in one way and clicks), then screw the back down.Īdd all four SSDs to the motherboard, making sure to screw each down so it doesn’t come loose. You’ll need a really small point on your screwdriver.Ĭarefully unwrap an SSD blade, touching it only on the edges and NEVER on the gold contacts. I guess you could mess this up if you decidedly don’t pay attention, but for most of us, disassembly takes just a few minutes. The all-metal construction is solid and everything fits nicely in place. Remove one Phillips screw on each side of the fan, lift the fan off and disconnect the power cable. Two Phillips screws on the back attach the cover to the innards. When you compare it in size to a typical 4-drive spinning media RAID, it is much smaller, quieter and lighter. The OWC Express 4M2 box contains the storage unit, power brick and AC cable and a high-quality 0.7 meter Thunderbolt cable. Storage ranges from about $200 (1 TB) to $1,520 (16 TB) If I didn’t already own a Thunderblade, I’d consider buying one of these for myself. If you need speed combined with greater storage than one SSD provides, the Express 4M2 is an excellent choice. NOTE: If you want an SSD that is DEAD quiet, consider the Thunderblade which has no fan and no moving parts. I do not consider it in any way objectionable. However, putting my ear within inches of the unit, I did hear a low hum. ![]() Heat is dissipated using a 2″ fan that vents out the bottom of the unit. While no SSD has the capacity of spinning hard drives, no spinning media can touch these for speed, ruggedness and minimal noise. It also has a DisplayPort connection on the back to make it easy to attach a monitor directly to the unit. It has two Thunderbolt ports on the back so you can loop through this device to connect other Thunderbolt devices (up to six). Install the SSDs, plug the unit into wall power using a small power brick, connect it to a Thunderbolt port and you are ready to format it. But all parts seem to be high-quality and the ultimate fit is excellent. Installation is not for the fumble fingered – I dropped one itty-bitty screw and spent ten minutes searching for it. This all-metal enclosure is solidly-built, rugged and will last for years. NOTE: For best results, all four SSDs should match for model and storage capacity. I cover this in the Installation section below. While the unit ships without any storage, you can easily add up to four Aura P12 NVMe SSDs. It supports both Mac and Windows systems and is formatted by the end user.ĭepending upon how the system is formatted, it comes close to fully saturating a Thunderbolt 3 bus with speeds approaching 2,800 MB/second. Powered from the wall, it can be placed horizontally or vertically. The OWC Express 4M2 NVMe SSD RAID holds up to 32 TB of storage, spread across four Aura NVMe SSDs.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |