StarTech.com 4 Bay Thunderbolt 3 - Review

StarTech.com 4 Bay Thunderbolt 3 NVMe Enclosure, for M.2 NVMe SSD Drives, 1x DisplayPort Video/ 2X TB3 Downstream Ports, 40Gbps, 72W Power Supply, External Hard Drive Enclosure (M2E4BTB3), Black

In today's digital age, there has been an enormous influx of digital data requiring high-speed and reliable storage devices to store it. The market is packed with different types of external storage units, but none of them can match the speed benefits and functionality of the StarTech.com 4 Bay Thunderbolt 3 NVMe Enclosure.

This sleek, vented metal enclosure is designed to turn up to 4 PCIe 80mm M.2 SSDs (M-Key) into an external storage solution through a Thunderbolt 3 port. With data transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps, it is capable of providing ultra-fast access to the data stored in it. The enclosure also features a DisplayPort output that lets users connect to a display with resolutions up to 4K 60Hz, along with a downstream TB3 port that enables the daisy-chaining of additional TB3 devices or a compatible TB3 display.

The enclosure's maximum speed is achieved by connecting up to four M.2 PCIe NVMe and/or AHCI drives with an 8Gbps PCIe lane dedicated to each SSD. The enclosure also supports software RAID with storage management systems like Storage Spaces (Microsoft), RAID Assistant (macOS), mdraid/mdadm (Linux), and more, giving users additional flexibility in terms of data management.

One of the most notable features of this enclosure is its Thunderbolt 3 Certification, ensuring that it works with TB3 & TB4 host devices like MacBook Pro 16/13/Air, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon/T Series, Dell XPS/Latitude/Precision & HP EliteBook. It is capable of supporting dual displays on Mac with an Intel processor and M1 Pro/Max Processor but does not support dual displays on M1 Mac.

Another welcome addition is the inclusion of a 72W EPS power supply that powers the enclosure, the connected drives, and provides 15W for the TB3 port. The device also includes a 2.3 ft (70 cm) TB3 certified passive cable in the package, making it accessible right out of the box.

In terms of downsides, the enclosure is not compatible with SATA SSDs, despite working with most NVMe M.2 SSDs. The enclosure's fan might make noise if the user is working in a silent environment, although this can be resolved by configuring the fan settings using the enclosure's management software.

In conclusion, the StarTech.com 4 Bay Thunderbolt 3 NVMe Enclosure is a great storage device capable of offering fantastic speed and flexibility. The device is very versatile and will work very well with most host devices, regardless of their operating systems. If you're looking for lightning-fast storage that is both reliable and functional, the StarTech.com 4 Bay Thunderbolt 3 NVMe Enclosure, is the way to go.

StarTech.com 4 Bay Thunderbolt 3

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