SATA or NVMe External Storage? Why Choose M.2 SATA Sometimes?
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- čas přidán 30. 04. 2023
- Why would you build a slower M.2 SATA External Storage SSD instead of a M.2 NVMe PCIe External Storage SSD? In this video we look at a few reasons why some people still use the slower M.2 SATA SSDs in 2023. If you are interested in building an external storage drive (SSD) for either Apple Mac computers or Windows PC, watch this video. We also cover the UGREEN external SSD enclosure (model: 90408) in this video.
In this video the products we discuss are:
UGREEN M.2 SATA and NVMe External Enclosure - amzn.to/3Lql9jA
Leven 1 TB M.2 SATA SSD - JM600 - amzn.to/3oZmere
Leven 2 TB M.2 SATA SSD - JM600 - amzn.to/3HuueXo
Inland 1 TB QN322 M.2 NVMe SSD - amzn.to/3LodAKa
Inland 2 TB QN322 M.2 NVMe SSD - amzn.to/425eaDG
ACASIS Thunderbolt 4 (40 Gbps Enclosure) - amzn.to/3oNKWdS
Thanks for watching and please subscribe for more videos like this on technology. Disclaimer - if you make a purchase using one of the links above a small percentage could go to help the channel make more videos. - Věda a technologie
Another great video Craig, thanks for all the info.
regards Peter
Thanks for the feedback Peter.
Thanks! funny thing is I just got that exact same UGREEN enclosure yesterday, it's really nice. I have a 2TB Crucial NVMe inside it
Yes, they are not expensive and do the job. Thanks.
Craig, excellent video. You answered my questions regarding heat issues. SATA it is. Thanks.
Thanks. If just using where speed isn't major factor sata works great.
I used this exact UGreen Case with Western Digital 256Gb SN 530 nvme (2000mbps speed). And it's the perfect match. I tested it and got 930 Mbps speeds. I am very happy with it. But I do agree on temperature with you. My drive was very hot to touch after transferring 14Gb of data. And the fact that I live in Pakistan where the temperature rises to 50°C (122°f) averagely, Doesn't help.
Thanks for sharing that it works pretty good for you. Good luck with everything and thanks for watching the video.
My dads 2018 HP Envy finally crapped out (power supply/port issues). So I scabbed the ram (2x8gb) and the SATA M.2 ssd. Free ram upgrade and extra storage once that Ugreen enclosure arrives. Ill use the SATA for music and photos, freeing up space on my pc ssd. Thanks Dad!
Good luck and thanks for watching.
I like to build my own external drives too, and I've used UGREEN products in the past and haven't had any problems with them, so I wouldn't be reluctant to use that enclosure. I don't mind using SATA drives either, they've always been fast enough for my needs (I'm still using SSDs in an NAS that I built a while ago!).
Thanks Bryan. I still use NVMe when booting off an external or even external video editing, but for a supped up flash drive for storing files quickly the SATA M.2 work great, and in my experience I never need to worry about cooling them with the enclosures. Thanks again.
Hey, loved the video
I also have a question but its not really related to this video; I recently bought a Macbook Air M2 and I was wondering if you had any recommendations for sleeves that look elegant under 30 bucks.
Thanks, and keep up the good work
Thanks. I have a few videos on the cases - maybe search my channel for cases. Those are the only ones I reviewed so far. Thanks again for watching.
Nice review. I have spare 512 nvme's so gonna use them with this enclosure
Thank you.
Hello, Thank you for your very informative video!
I would need an advice for my old macbook pro late 2013, wich have two thunderbolt 2 ports and 2 usb ports 3.0.
Until today I've used 2,5" ssd in an external enclosure only just for backup or booting from an external mac OS.
My question is: which combination of m2 nmve / enclosure do you think will work better with my system? In particular, will I use usb 3.0 ports or thunderbolt 2 for the connection of the enclosure with the macbook?
Sorry, I'm confused about the options... thanks a lot for your help!
Those thunderbolt ports are faster but it's expensive and hard to find an exclosure that still supports the older form factor. The usb 3 port should only be capable of about 423 MB/s based on past data so that means if you just get something like a standard Samsung T series external SSD with USB-A (not C) or an enclosure with the larger USB ports you might see around that speed with any ssd you connect. Not need to buy a super fast SSD as you won't see the speeds.
Great video! Do you know if the enclosure shows up as a solid state drive in "Defragment and Optimize Drives" in Windows? I've had M.2 SATA enclosures that either don't show up there at all, or are marked as HDDs which seems concerning. Windows might try to defragment those drives instead of TRIMing them which would cause unnecessary wear. I recently bought a 2.5 inch SATA enclosure made by UGREEN for an old 1TB Samsung SSD, and that one is correctly marked as an SSD when I go to optimize it.
Thanks for watching. I don't know the answer as I'm more of a Mac channel but these will act like any other external storage drive that you build. You need to format the drive when you plug it in. These are pretty inexpensive options and I just use them to transfer files to the coffee show while I edit etc. and things like that.
Love this. Thank you. Curious if these work with fire tv or with cell phone. Can you do a video for that?
Thanks, I'm not sure I will be able to do that video but it would always depend on the enclosure and the device you are connecting to.
the cell phone must come with "OTG-compliant USB-C" (on the Go-connector), if your device is supported, than you should be able to connect to any usb flash device.
Great staff brother man, uve helped me make the right decision on whether or not I should get the Sata m.2 or NVME SDD
Considering where am at, the temperatures get a little toasty sometimes and wouldn't want my drive to be smoking with the NVME's, if am to transfer games to my Rog Ally, 300 mb/s is okay for me to wait.. Appreciated
Thanks for the comment.Yes, in a ton of cases the SATA M.2 drives are fine for most. People think they need more speed but in reality 95% don't.
There is an interesting option for older laptops that have an expresscard slot that allows for hotswapple nvme with an fairly rare adapter though one is limited to 2230 and 2242. The catch is that the adapters with one exception are very cheaply made and the other is the speeding being capped out at 500mb/s due to the nature of the expresscard slot being limited to pci-e 2.0 and only 1x. Still a good option for old laptops without faster ports.
Thanks for the tip and for watching. Appreciate it.
Rare adaptor 🤔 have you checked all express they have everything on there
Hi Craig, I hope you can help me, I have an Imac 2017, 27 inch. and I used it for graphics and video editing. what would you recommend SATA SSD or M.2 NVME? and what brand? so I can use and boot a new OS and install Adobe applications? won't it be a problem if i will use an external SSD drive? will my iMac be a little faster? Thanks!
The easiest thing to do is to just purchase something like a Samsung T5 external SSD drive and it's already pre-built. Those work good on the older machines. Otherwise I have a ton of videos on different built out on my channel - search for ssd or M.2 and you will find those videos. All of those would work also if you wanted to try building them.
What app do you use to record screen on your mac and does it record sound as well, for example if I would record a video call?
I use quicktime player to record the screen.
There are two other issues to consider. The type of source or destination media used as well as the interface. I have an older MacBook with USB 3.0 ports and I have not noticed any real difference in performance between a SATA m.2 and an NVME m.2 external SSD. And yes, the external drive with the NVME m.2 does get hotter during long data transfers.
Yes I assume it will depend on the ports you connect to. If you don't have at least 10 Gbps ports then you might as well use SATA m.2.
I'm still using a 2013 iMac with USB 3 and Thunderbolt 1, which is fine for my needs, and sometimes even a 2009 iMac with USB 1. I'm never too sure about backwards compatability, but would I be able to use one of these enclusures and a SATA SSD with these? I realise speed will be governed by my systems. If not, or if more suitable, is there an enclosure for a 2.5" SSD that you're recommend for my antiques? Thank you.
On any of the equipment just check the connection of the USB enclosure that plugs into your computer and make sure it's compatible with the ports on your computer. You most likely won't get the fastest speed on a 2013 or older so going with the SATA is fine in most cases. There are hundreds of enclosures and just pick the correct plug and port that work together (you can look up on Google) and they should work good. You can also search the comments or questions on Amazon under the product and they will usually say if they work with a 2013 Mac for example. Thanks again for watching and good luck with everything.
Not being a developer and not really worried about FPS and that type of thing, I played games simply for enjoyment, I use external M.2 drive for emergency boot and file backup. Don't have a Mac and haven't seen a need for a thunderbolt adapter so regular speeds are okay with me. My main motivation is that it's just cheaper and I know what’s going on inside since I built the thing.
I use SATA M.2 drives because the USB ports have a speed limit and why put a 7k M.2 drive in an enclosure that’s only going to get 600 MB max anyway. So I use the “lower rated” SP or TG or Western Digital blue or green or Inland. When I was transferring some 9 GB files, I noticed that the transfer rate is consistent compared to a regular thumb drive or flash drive. The regular SATA SSD drives are pretty good as well and are a pretty good option if you want the 2.5 inch form factor.
The case brand-name actually matters because some will give you just enough speed and some will give you better speed. In addition, the decent brands will give you a few extra screws.
Because of my use case, I put a price limit on how much I want to pay for these things. The biggest complaint is that when you drop those itty-bitty screws on the carpet, you hope you have some spares. The problem with the M.2 screws is that you can't find a good price point balance in that either you buy 4 - 8 screws for $5 which is too much money for something like this or for $2 more you have to buy 8,000 year supply of screws.
Thanks for sharing all that info. Yes, the 10 Gbps enclosures are good enough for almost everything and most people really don't need to spend $125 for a Thunderbolt enclosure. Also, I tend to lose the screws also and a few of them use different screws so that can cause me some issues from time to time. Thanks again for watching.
maybe there is a ".stl" file for your 3D-printer? How about printing these little fellows on PLA? 😂
Excellent info. I have a Choetech NVMe-only aluminum tool-free case and I get 1 Gbs read and write through a USB 3.2v2 10 Gbs interface. I used to have a PCIe 3.0 card with a fan that has both M.2 NVMe and SATA drives. So I have an extra SATA M.2 drive after replacing with a much larger NVMe. So why not use the M.2 SATA as an auxiliary external drive for laptops with only USB 3.0 ports, or something else like that? Then give the NVMe-only external case to my son for backing up his new rig we just built. Win-win...
Thanks for watching and for the info. I use a bunch of NVMe setups too but I just wanted to show people why the sata externals can still be of use even though they are a bit slower. When I'm just backing up daily stuff I am working on I really don't notice any differences. When I edit off my external or boot off it then I would normally pick the NVMe.
Any Idea how to get the heat sink properly on ? Iam replacing my old nvme ssd with a bigger one in my laptop and the sata/heat argument I understand but I don't really have the option.
Yes, if there is no room in the laptop then you just can't fit it but at least maybe try some heat tape etc. if you can fit that.
I am looking for planning MacOS boot drive using external ssd enclosure... which would you suggest nvme or sata?
Either will be fine and I use a SATA for my 2017 and it's only 500 MB/s but very fast for me. It also runs cooler but if you want a bit more speed the NVMe is nice too but you need to cool it good.
I watched a video of the Ugreen enclosure that they complained the drive ran hot compared to their Sabrina enclosure.
These are all very inexpensive enclosures with min cooling. They will all run a bit warm if you run certain drives and push them.
Çan we use this encolsure case with a 4tb crucial ssd p3 and plug it in macbook pro 2012 (usb 2.0)? No protocol writing problems with this ? Tnks
It would not work with a 2012 or be very slow.
Can we use this case with those ssd which has a heat dissipation vest like WD black?
All drives are different sizes with the types of heat shrouds they have so I can't say for sure. But it's cheap so maybe get it and if not just return via Amazon return.
Can I also connect it to a mobile phone?
Thanks in advance for the efforts
It should be able to connect if formatted correctly.
Is the SATA drive formatted in APFS or ExFAT format?
Either will work and you need to format it. ExFat if you want to use on both Mac and Win but APFS if for Mac Only.
Should I use a SATA or NVMe to boot my late 2012 iMac's os from? It's used for my Ebay business, so we really only use Safari or upload pictures to Auctiva. Thanks and I really enjoy your channel!
I would just use a SATA SSD at 500 MB/s and should be fast enough. Runs cooler also.
@@craigneidel Awesome. Thanks for the quick reply!
Welcome.
What is the best enclosure for a 2014 MacBook SSD?
Wow, there are so many choices. Also what type of SSD?
What’s the best thunderbolt enclosure for m.2 nvme?
I have two videos on this so search for thunderbolt enclosure on my channel. One is by Acasis and the other by OWC. Thanks.
I want to install Linux and games on an external drive of some sort like an external drive or enclosure or I would even be ok with a newer USB stick drive, some of them hit 500mbs or 1gbs i'm just not sure if that type of drive would get too hot or wear out rapidly from such heavy use. I'm not sure what way to go
I think you would be fine with a Sata SSD that can only reach 500 MB/s for gaming. I mean some people easily play on HDD still and I don't think it would affect performance at 500 MB/s
@@craigneidel OK, I think I'm going with a Patriot 1tb m. 2 and an Orico enclosure. I'm not too concerned about the speeds, that should be plenty of storage for about $85
I agree
I bought the exact ugreen enclosure because of your video and paired it with a 1tb crucial p3 (gen 3 M.2 name) and I’m only getting 400mbs reads and writes!?!? How did u get 700 write and 800 read? 😢
It's a different SSD so not sure. Also what type of port are you plugging into. What's the device and is it USBC?
@@craigneidel that's correct my friend, but remember "USB-C" Port does not automatically mean you are using thunderbolt or equivalent! Often it is just Super Speed without Display Port Alternate Mode (Thunderbolt). The little flash icon label above the port should give you a hint.
Hello
Good Afternoon
What M.2-SATA would you recommend for 500gb?
Thanks
Any of the brand names work fine for SATA as they are all about the same speed. I even use TeamGroup or Silicon Power the cheaper side and they have performed well.
@@craigneidel thanks
Welcome.
@@craigneidel No Wonder My Enclosure got Hot but Not Soo Hot..
By the way Im Using M.2-NvmE-MSI Spatium M371
@@sherwintongco6879 ok thanks and good luck
Do you know if this reader/dock will work for a samsung m.2 heatsink drive... (i need one that will work as i want to update my samsung m.2 heatsink drive)
Also you could do a video on reader for a heatsink drives
I'm not sure what you are asking and not sure what a reader is in your example. Thanks for watching.
@@craigneidel what I mean is an example of a device like the one you have shown in your video which I insert my Samsung 990 pro heat sink so that I can then connect it to and update my heat pro on my laptop
I'm not sure about that but I would do a search on CZcams or Google for this.
What's the best setup for booting Win 10/11 with the SSD?
I'm more of a Mac Channel so if anybody knows please post here.
I bought this one yesterday, it was 18 Euros from Ugreen directly, with free delivery, which is super cheap, especially when comparing to the ROG Strix Arion, which is ~100 euros(at least when I bought it ~1 year ago).
Nice. Thanks for the comment and for watching
looking into all the talk about the drive types is a surreal experience figuring out the sweet spot for what to build for my folks who travel around and for me when I get off my butt an build a beefcake PC for some dumb stuff lol
I would just build an enclosure with a 10 Gbps rate and that is fine. That means you will get about 900 MB/s in the real world and it's fine for about 90% of use cases.
can this be used for external storage in a box series S?
I don't have one to test but I think so. I would go to the Amazon page and look at the questions section. I'm sure it would be listed there. As long as the drives is formatted correctly I don't see why not since this is just your standard external storage etc.
this is so true.. because i made an nvme with a 2242 drive and im scared that it will burn something lol even when it's got heatsink and heatpads on it... it's just not safe! so i am thinking of buying a new sata drive for this. and forget about all the heat issues altogether lol
Yes, there are pros and cons. For the most part they are fine but sometimes I just buy sata if I'm not video editing or running an OS off the external and just need solid backup space at a good price.
i recently "built" 2 drives - 1 PC + 1 Mac - using UGREEN enclosures and they worked better than my more expensive enclosures!
Thanks for sharing that info to help others.
come on, let's call it "to equip" instead of "to built" a cooler plate onto it, shall we?
@@deadlinerhorus Ok. How about "Select An Excellent M.2 SSD and then assemble and then thoroughly test". If we "equip" the enclosure with one of the many faulty Samsung SSD's or counterfeit SSD's then we have
not only wasted time and money but also we may cause some damage.
Great.
Thanks for watching.
Craig Neidel Thanks Much !.......
Thanks.
In some respects, getting the 2.5 inch SSD might be a better choice if you are just looking for storage locally, but have no plans to stick it in your pocket or bag. At least the chips are a bit more protected when out of the case.
And the notion that SATA is fast enough - is correct for MOST people, albeit, if I have a choice of buying a brand name SATA that is more expensive than a NVME from the same brand name, well, ...
Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. I really just wanted to let people know why I sometimes build the SATA M.2 enclosures but when I need the speed I'll build the NVMe. Thanks.
First off it’s waaay cheaper. Fun to build. Can get cheaper older (gen3) SSD’s with with low read write speeds sinc ethe max speeds are around 900mbs. So why spent 3-4 times on a normals portable ssd 🤷🏽♀️
I agree, you need to like to do it. You can also save on cost. Thanks for watching.
I found out about the heat difference between SATA and NVMe drives in external USB enclosures last year. It can be a substantial difference!
HOWEVER!!! The prices of the SATA drives you have linked are about $10 more than the NVMe drives of the same capacity. If the prices for the SATA drives were equal or less it would be an easier choice. 🤔
EDIT: The higher price of the SATA drives you have listed might be because they are the smaller 2230/2240 form factor. 2280 M.2 SATA drives tend to be a little cheaper.
Yes, they are normally about the same or cheaper but it could be do to size. Thanks.
Is it possible to upgrade Samsung or SanDisk portal SSD
I'm not sure what you are asking. Thanks for watching
@@craigneidelthankyou
@@njrajesh007 thanks
I need heat comparision between m2 ssd and nvme ssd please sir / mam
M.2 and NVMe is the same thing. NVMe are M.2 SSDs. Sata are different M.2 if that is what you mean. They are all different so it's hard to provide any numbers without testing individual drives and enclosures.
i suggest to inform yourself better as m.2 or NGFF (next generation form factor) solely is the form factor, the PIN-key layout determines, if it is a SATA or NVMe device!
Firstly its very unlikely that an ssd fails as it cannot be damaged by magnets and has no moving parts.
Secondly if you buy a pre enclosed one from samsung you can still use the enclosure with other ssds just open it up.
Nvme drives actually work better when there warm. If your drive is up to 256gb it doesnt need a heat sync
Yes but they can fail at times. But SSD tech gets better every year. Thanks for watching
@@craigneidel i guess if your unlucky enough for one to fail then yeah ive had many hdds fail but never an ssd fail
And yr welcome it was still a nice video
Thanks.
Also - why get one of these enclosures? There's no other way to get a fast external drive - all the pre-built ones like Samsung T7 etc are slow, maximum around 1000mbps, with one of these enclosures you can get that speed or even faster with a Thunderbolt 4 enclosure and there are no pre-built TB4 external drives so this is the only way to do it. You can also upgrade it later, if you run out of space, swap the NVMe out for a bigger one and put it inside.
Yes, and thanks for the post. Check out my videos on the Thunderbolt 4 enclosures that can get up to 2,800 MB/s but they are quite a bit more $.
I did that with samsung ssd 990 pro and it's not working !!
The 990 Pro is not a Sata SSD so it would not work in a SATA external ssd enclosure. I'm not exactly sure what you did but if you did that then that could be the reason.
@@craigneidel I saw some youtubers use it as enclosure but they said I've to format it first and Iam a windows user
When you put the SSD in the enclosure you need to format the SSD drive so it works (either Windows or Mac format depending on what you use).
Cable-matters ;)
They can for sure.
have to agree, tried 2 out of 3 cables and only 2 are capable of the minimal transfer speeds, mainly capped at 5GBit/s.
Its not really building your own its putting a ssd in an adaptor no skill is required.
Installing thermal pads isnt hard
Ok. Nice comment. No need to send that
@@craigneidel it wasnt rude I was just stating an observation
FYI didn't work with my wife's 2012 Mac book pro 😂
Needs USB c to work.
@@craigneidel not fully correct, because the 2012er Mac Book Pro should not offer Thunderbolt 2. The USB-C Port could "come" with different specs. Without Flash label it (very often) is just an USB3.x Super Speed link capped at 5000MBit/s.
Great video but you talk too fast. 😊
Thanks for watching. I do talk fast, people have said that before for sure.
slower than*
Works great for 95 percent of people
@@craigneidelI just corrected you for the thumbnail
@@GentlyUsedFrog ok thanks. See that now.
@@craigneidel No problem! Thanks for the video
Thanks.
Slower *than*
What do you do that needs super fast storage. I just did a video on this question.
@@craigneidel I suppose playing modern games benefits the most from that. I run the gamut of storage speeds, though. I have spinning rust connected via USB to a Mac mini serving as NAS and backup.
Maybe but even modern games doesn't need crazy fast storage except maybe to load the game up the first time. Thanks again for watching and good luck with everything.
Thanks for this video. I hadn't heard about the heat issue with NVMe. In my case, I'm looking to add better storage onto a RISC-V SBC, than eMMC. There aren't any M.2 slots on the thing, so I figured I'd use an enclosure. Since the SBC only has USB 3.0 ports, it seems that M.2 SATA makes more sense for me. It just seems that it's hard to find M.2 SATA now, since NVMe is so popular and inexpensive.
Yes, that sound right. There are a few M.2 Satas out there and they do run cooler. Just look for them on Amazon and they do still sell them.
This might be the best cost efficient method for external storage on last gen consoles. I have a ps4 slim and im cosidering this so that I can have my game collection offline on fast external storage.
Yes, this should work good for something like that too.