The OWC Categorical 1M2 is an enclosure that may home an NVMe SSD, permitting you to make use of it as an exterior storage system. It represents a bridge between the comfort of an exterior drive and the efficiency of an inside disk. In at this time’s fast assessment, I’ll share my experiences from the OWC Categorical 1M2.
I’ve no affiliation with OWC; I bought this storage resolution for my very own private use and thought it is likely to be helpful to share my constructive expertise right here.
The way it’s Made
The OWC Categorical 1M2 stands out for its die-cast aluminum construction – an actual and efficient passive cooling system. As you’ll be able to see, its floor is roofed with dissipation fins, which enormously enhance the contact space with the air. This permits the warmth generated by the NVMe SSD to dissipate effectively and completely silently.
Efficient thermal dissipation is essential as a result of trendy NVMe SSDs, particularly high-performance ones, generate a big quantity of warmth throughout huge knowledge transfers. With out enough dissipation, overheating may cause a phenomenon generally known as thermal throttling, the place disk efficiency is drastically lowered to forestall part harm. Contained in the package deal – and I strongly recommend utilizing it – a thermal pad is included to be positioned on the board, facilitating warmth switch immediately from the NVMe module to the aluminum physique of the OWC Categorical 1M2.
This design successfully dissipates warmth with no need conventional cooling followers. It implies that the facility provided by the USB cable is enough, avoiding heavy and ponderous exterior energy adapters. Because of this, you should use an NVMe SSD externally with minimal fuss.
This, mixed with its compact dimensions and low weight, makes it very transportable. Earlier than including the SSD, it weighs about 150 grams. In the meantime, the robustness of the aluminum physique protects the interior SSD from unintended impacts.
As you’ll be able to see, there’s a QR code and different data on the underside of the enclosure. By scanning it, you entry a piece of the OWC web site to seek the advice of the manuals and meeting directions, that are fairly easy.
Efficiency
The OWC Categorical 1M2 enclosure is supplied with a 40Gb/s USB-C port. This interface is extraordinarily quick and permits for very excessive working speeds. Nominally, that worth represents a theoretical velocity of about 5 GB/s; we are going to see the sensible velocity later.
I paired this enclosure with the WD_BLACK SN850X 4TB SSD, which may, theoretically, attain even larger speeds (6-7GB/s). Due to this fact, we can be restricted by the USB-C interface.
In response to the producer, this enclosure can maintain SSDs as much as 8TB. These are nonetheless very costly in the intervening time, nevertheless.
So, what velocity does this mix obtain? On my Apple Mac Studio M1 (first technology launched in 2022, base configuration), that is the outcome:
Very spectacular! However watch out together with your selection of cable if you wish to obtain these speeds. Once I join the OWC Categorical 1M2 to my Mac utilizing a earlier technology cable, the efficiency is negatively impacted (learn velocity capped at 1739MB/s; write velocity capped at 1762MB/s). I due to this fact suggest utilizing the cable that OWC contains within the package deal, or a great high quality cable designed for 40Gb/s USB-C.
An Economical and Excessive-Performing Different to Inside Storage
Some of the essential concerns for mass storage is the cost-to-performance ratio. Inside laptop storage, particularly in latest Apple fashions, is notoriously costly. As I write this, upgrading from 500GB to 4TB on a Mac Studio prices €1500, and upgrading to 8TB prices €3000. Furthermore, they aren’t upgradeable after buy.
My selection is to purchase Macs with comparatively small inside storage (512GB or 1TB) to retailer the system, purposes, and the Seize One catalog. Then I hold my archive of pictures externally, particularly on the SSD on this enclosure.
This setup works for me as a result of, regardless of photographing loads, I’m selective and solely hold my greatest photos (sometimes 10% of what I shoot). My photograph archive from 2006 to at this time occupies 3TB, and even on this period of huge RAW information, it grows by about 3-400GB per yr. So, I’ll in all probability have to interchange the 4TB NVMe card with an 8TB one in 2027 at this charge.
Photographers who’ve a bigger archive should still profit from disks like this as transitional storage, used for the newest images throughout choice and processing. Then, you possibly can completely archive the ultimate information on a bigger, slower storage unit.
Regardless that NVMe reminiscence is extra dependable than conventional laborious drives, a stable backup plan stays important. I hold 4 separate backups of my pictures in two places.
Conclusion
The OWC Categorical 1M2 enclosure gives speedy and reliable storage, permitting you to make use of quick SSDs externally. With its environment friendly passive cooling system, it operates in whole silence. Its small dimension and durable building make it helpful for photographers (or anybody else) who might have dependable efficiency engaged on the go. And I imagine that it presents superb worth for the cash, evaluating favorably in opposition to the value of devoted exterior SSDs with comparable construct high quality and velocity.
You will discover the OWC Categorical 1M2 at B&H or Amazon for $120, with a sale in the intervening time bringing it to $100. The product I linked doesn’t include any SSD, providing you with the selection of which one so as to add on your necessities. Nonetheless, observe that OWC additionally sells the Categorical 1M2 with their very own model SSDs with 1, 2, 4, or 8 TB of storage. I’ve not examined the velocity or efficiency of those, since I desire the worth of shopping for a separate high-performance NVMe SSD like my WD_BLACK SN850X 4TB as a substitute.
I hope you loved this assessment. Be happy to ask any questions within the feedback beneath.