Building an external M.2 SSD backup

Tasmania Green · Sep 27, 2025

I'm looking to build an external M.2 SSD to backup my . The process seems straight-forward, but after somehow making a mistake another time, I'm not taking anything for granted.

What brands of enclosures should I look at?
What M.2 SSD's are good?
What cables are needed? I assume one would come with the enclosure. But like I said above, I'm not taking anything for granted.

Any tips or suggestions on putting one together?

TairikuOkami · Sep 27, 2025

Would not be USB better, safer, practical and more reliable? Unless you need an extra large space. USB tends to get pricy.

Tasmania Green · Sep 27, 2025

TairikuOkami said:
Would not be USB better, safer, practical and more reliable? Unless you need an extra large space. USB tends to get pricy.

An ssd would use a usb connection. The M. 2 is just faster than the SATA drive, from what I understand.

DennisG · Sep 27, 2025

I had a spare ssd after an upgrade so I bought one of these. I connect to the usb-C port on my laptop and it works fine.

Amazon.co.uk

gunrunnerjohn · Sep 27, 2025

There are tons of M.2 USB enclosures, I bought a pair of them from different sellers on Amazon in case one was a problem and I had to send it back. Both work fine, and both are 10Gbit USB 3.2 capable. I get around 800MB/sec transfers to either one when connected to a USB 3.2 gen2 port. Both of the NVMe drives I use are gen-4, so they're much faster than the enclosure's max transfer rate.

Amazon.com

Flashorn · Sep 27, 2025

How much space do you need and what is your budget?

gunrunnerjohn · Sep 27, 2025

I'd give some consideration to a USB HDD for external backup. While SSD's are great and speedy, there's a real benefit to having your backups on dissimilar media. While I have two NVMe and one SATA SSD in this machine, I also have a secondary backup 4TB SATA HDD as well.

hader · Sep 27, 2025

It's all depending what you want. Want a very fast solution? There are M.2 internal PCI-e boards that can contains 1 NVMe (or more. 2 till 6 even) drive. A wide PCI-e bus will be the fastest solution, faster then an USB-C solution. (Here also watch the reviews; a cheap controller will result in slower performance)

Want an external solution? Yes then USB-C external enclosure for your NVMe drive will be the next fastest thing. But beware. Many solutions has a USB-C connector but that will not mean USB-C speeds! It's a depending on the convertor/controller inside the enclosure. I have a USB-3.1 stick which promise dito speeds but it performs as an USB-2.0 drive. Slow speeds. All caused by the the controller inside. So USB-X doesn't mean USB-X speeds. It's all depending on the costs. If it's cheap don't expect top-speeds!

This looks like a good one. This enclosure makes sure the NVMe doesn't heat up that much.

Amazon.com: ORICO M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) PCIe External Adapter NVMe Case for 2230/2242/2260/2280 M.2 SSD up to 8TB, UASP Supported - M2PV : Electronics

www.amazon.com

Look for a external enclosure with an USB-C interface. Read the specs. Compare them against the official USB-C speeds. Look for more information on the same product at different site which also contains reviews. Look at them. Other people had experiences with it and they are happy or not with their expectations. Some scream "don't buy it" So don't. Real top-speeds has it price. More expensive.

As for an NVMe. There are fast NVMe out there but you be aware that those speeds are much higher (only intended for use on a motherboard) then the USB-C specs. Don't buy those! It's just a waste of money. Look also at your budget and how large that NVMe must be. Samsung and Crucial are good manufacturers. (I prefer Samsung) It does not be from the latest and newest higher speed generation. A lower and cheaper one will do the trick also.

As for the cable. I have found one good and solid manufacturer which sells quality cables and also are sturdy as hell. Not that expensive; (With a positive point; it can power an external USB-C enclosure. 60W. Often forgotten.)

Amazon.com: MOGOOD USB C to USB C Cable, C Male to C Male, Braided 60W USB C Fast Charger Cable for iPhone 15/15 Pro/15 Plus/15 Pro Max,MacBook Pro,iPad Air 4,S23 S22 S21 Ultra : Electronics

Buy MOGOOD USB C to USB C Cable, C Male to C Male, Braided 60W USB C Fast Charger Cable for iPhone 15/15 Pro/15 Plus/15 Pro Max,MacBook Pro,iPad Air 4,S23 S22 S21 Ultra: USB Cables - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

UGreen provides also good cables. They look a bit the same. The real good thing each products has a long list of reviews. All are good.

I was looking at a UGreen USB-C enclosure first but the reviews says it has some low quality heat dissipation quality's. That's not good! An other solution looks more promising. Aluminium casing.

I hope that I pointed out some pointers so that you can buy a reasonable good and cheap solution. Good luck.

Fishmill · Sep 27, 2025

I've been using a WD Blue SN550 NVMe 500 GB and a TDBT M.2 NVMe enclosure for about 5 years.

Amazon.com

The enclosure came with 2 cables. USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A.

Backup rate ranges between 800 and 1200 GB per hour on my system. Using USB-C to USB-C is slightly faster.

No issues at all. 79 dollars combined at the time from Amazon.

The SN550 has been superseded by newer models. It's a mid level NVME.

Be a bit careful...I think some enclosures have limits on the capacity of the drive you put inside.

Anibor_11 · Sep 27, 2025

hader said:
As for an NVMe. There are fast NVMe out there but you be aware that those speeds are much higher (only intended for use on a motherboard) then the USB-C specs.

Or with a 40G link, USB4 or Thunderbolt 4.

hdmi · Sep 27, 2025

The USB-C port on the back of your motherboard is USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (capable of up to 20 Gbps, or ~2,000 MB/s).

Here is a dual (up to two SSDs) M.2 NVMe enclosure that allows you to use that port to its fullest potential: ICY Box 2-Way M.2 SSD/NVMe Enclosure, USB 3.2 Gen 2 (20Gbps), Cooling System, Dual PCIe Gen 3x2 Support, USB-C, M-Key, External, NVMe Adapter, Aluminium, Black : Amazon.com.au: Computers
It has enough clearance to be able to fit the type of SSDs that have a relatively large heatsink on them or, alternatively, to be able to install a decent aftermarket heatsink on them. While it certainly is true that NVMe Gen3 SSDs nowadays don't generally require a heatsink (as they typically have just a thin graphene sticker or similar on them instead that is usually already sufficient), the extra breathing space still definitely helps to dissipate the heat. However, NVMe Gen3 SSDs can go up to ~3,400 MB/s whereas USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 is still limited to only ~2,000 MB/s so the SSD will be held back by it. As a result, the SSD generates less heat. (For reasons that should be completely obious, a lot also depends on the ambient temperature.)

As for what are good SSDs, it largely depends. How much drive capacity do you need? What kind of budget did you have in mind? Personally, I, would consider to get the 2TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus (not to be confused with the 990 EVO). One of the problems with DRAM-less SSDs is that, if copying a very large amount of data to them uninterruptedly, then after the pSLC cache gets full, the sustained write speed plummets (to ~460 MB/s for the Crucial T500, just to give only one example of this), and, next, when the copying finishes, the sustained write speed takes a long time to recover (more than 40 minutes for the WD Black SN7100, also just to give only one example of this).

The reason why it might matter to you even if the size of your backup is not that particularly huge is, the size of the pSLC cache (or the dynamic part thereof, if the specific DRAM-less SSD in question uses a hybrid cache) starts to get reduced gradually once the amount of available free space on the SSD drops below a certain threshold. If no additional overprovisioning (OP) space is set in Samsung Magician, AFAIK with the 2TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus this threshold is at 64% used capacity. One of the things that sets the 990 EVO Plus apart in the DRAM-less SSD ballpark, though, is that even after the pSLC cache is full, it still continues to sustain almost 1.8 GB/s write speed. So, due to the ~2,000 MB/s upper limit inherent of USB 3.2 Gen2×2, when operating in a good enclosure that properly supports this spec, the 990 EVO Plus will be given ample of opportunity to recover cache more frequently. As a result, you should be able to fill the whole 990 EVO Plus up at a constant ~2,000 MB/s in that enclosure.

Cr00zng · Sep 27, 2025

My full image backup goes to a Samsung T7 Portable SSD, 1TB. The backup takes around 10 minutes with good transfer rate:

The size is around 170GB, yeah, I need to clean it up....

Tasmania Green · Sep 27, 2025

Flashorn said:
How much space do you need and what is your budget?

1TB would be more than sufficient. Modest budget.

Tasmania Green · Sep 27, 2025

hader said:
It's all depending what you want. Want a very fast solution? There are M.2 internal PCI-e boards that can contains 1 NVMe (or more. 2 till 6 even) drive. A wide PCI-e bus will be the fastest solution, faster then an USB-C solution. (Here also watch the reviews; a cheap controller will result in slower performance)

Want an external solution? Yes then USB-C external enclosure for your NVMe drive will be the next fastest thing. But beware. Many solutions has a USB-C connector but that will not mean USB-C speeds! It's a depending on the convertor/controller inside the enclosure. I have a USB-3.1 stick which promise dito speeds but it performs as an USB-2.0 drive. Slow speeds. All caused by the the controller inside. So USB-X doesn't mean USB-X speeds. It's all depending on the costs. If it's cheap don't expect top-speeds!

This looks like a good one. This enclosure makes sure the NVMe doesn't heat up that much.

Amazon.com: ORICO M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) PCIe External Adapter NVMe Case for 2230/2242/2260/2280 M.2 SSD up to 8TB, UASP Supported - M2PV : Electronics

Amazon.com: ORICO M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure, USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) PCIe External Adapter NVMe Case for 2230/2242/2260/2280 M.2 SSD up to 8TB, UASP Supported - M2PV : Electronics

www.amazon.com

Look for a external enclosure with an USB-C interface. Read the specs. Compare them against the official USB-C speeds. Look for more information on the same product at different site which also contains reviews. Look at them. Other people had experiences with it and they are happy or not with their expectations. Some scream "don't buy it" So don't. Real top-speeds has it price. More expensive.

As for an NVMe. There are fast NVMe out there but you be aware that those speeds are much higher (only intended for use on a motherboard) then the USB-C specs. Don't buy those! It's just a waste of money. Look also at your budget and how large that NVMe must be. Samsung and Crucial are good manufacturers. (I prefer Samsung) It does not be from the latest and newest higher speed generation. A lower and cheaper one will do the trick also.

As for the cable. I have found one good and solid manufacturer which sells quality cables and also are sturdy as hell. Not that expensive; (With a positive point; it can power an external USB-C enclosure. 60W. Often forgotten.)

Amazon.com: MOGOOD USB C to USB C Cable, C Male to C Male, Braided 60W USB C Fast Charger Cable for iPhone 15/15 Pro/15 Plus/15 Pro Max,MacBook Pro,iPad Air 4,S23 S22 S21 Ultra : Electronics

Buy MOGOOD USB C to USB C Cable, C Male to C Male, Braided 60W USB C Fast Charger Cable for iPhone 15/15 Pro/15 Plus/15 Pro Max,MacBook Pro,iPad Air 4,S23 S22 S21 Ultra: USB Cables - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

UGreen provides also good cables. They look a bit the same. The real good thing each products has a long list of reviews. All are good.

I was looking at a UGreen USB-C enclosure first but the reviews says it has some low quality heat dissipation quality's. That's not good! An other solution looks more promising. Aluminium casing.

I hope that I pointed out some pointers so that you can buy a reasonable good and cheap solution. Good luck.

Good advice, Hader.

Tasmania Green · Sep 27, 2025

hdmi said:
The USB-C port on the back of your motherboard is USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (capable of up to 20 Gbps, or ~2,000 MB/s).

Here is a dual (up to two SSDs) M.2 NVMe enclosure that allows you to use that port to its fullest potential: ICY Box 2-Way M.2 SSD/NVMe Enclosure, USB 3.2 Gen 2 (20Gbps), Cooling System, Dual PCIe Gen 3x2 Support, USB-C, M-Key, External, NVMe Adapter, Aluminium, Black : Amazon.com.au: Computers
It has enough clearance to be able to fit the type of SSDs that have a relatively large heatsink on them or, alternatively, to be able to install a decent aftermarket heatsink on them. While it certainly is true that NVMe Gen3 SSDs nowadays don't generally require a heatsink (as they typically have just a thin graphene sticker or similar on them instead that is usually already sufficient), the extra breathing space still definitely helps to dissipate the heat. However, NVMe Gen3 SSDs can go up to ~3,400 MB/s whereas USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 is still limited to only ~2,000 MB/s so the SSD will be held back by it. As a result, the SSD generates less heat. (For reasons that should be completely obious, a lot also depends on the ambient temperature.)

As for what are good SSDs, it largely depends. How much drive capacity do you need? What kind of budget did you have in mind? Personally, I, would consider to get the 2TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus (not to be confused with the 990 EVO). One of the problems with DRAM-less SSDs is that, if copying a very large amount of data to them uninterruptedly, then after the pSLC cache gets full, the sustained write speed plummets (to ~460 MB/s for the Crucial T500, just to give only one example of this), and, next, when the copying finishes, the sustained write speed takes a long time to recover (more than 40 minutes for the WD Black SN7100, also just to give only one example of this).

The reason why it might matter to you even if the size of your backup is not that particularly huge is, the size of the pSLC cache (or the dynamic part thereof, if the specific DRAM-less SSD in question uses a hybrid cache) starts to get reduced gradually once the amount of available free space on the SSD drops below a certain threshold. If no additional overprovisioning (OP) space is set in Samsung Magician, AFAIK with the 2TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus this threshold is at 64% used capacity. One of the things that sets the 990 EVO Plus apart in the DRAM-less SSD ballpark, though, is that even after the pSLC cache is full, it still continues to sustain almost 1.8 GB/s write speed. So, due to the ~2,000 MB/s upper limit inherent of USB 3.2 Gen2×2, when operating in a good enclosure that properly supports this spec, the 990 EVO Plus will be given ample of opportunity to recover cache more frequently. As a result, you should be able to fill the whole 990 EVO Plus up at a constant ~2,000 MB/s in that enclosure.

Thanks HDMI. Good info. Some of the terms I'm not familiar with, but that's okay. I love learning about computer tech! And the best way to learn is with real-world examples. And a good online computer dictionary and access to the Amazon website. lol.

SIW2 · Sep 27, 2025

20 Gbps seems a sensible price

Amazon.co.uk

Tasmania Green · Sep 28, 2025

SIW2 said:
20 Gbps seems a sensible price

Amazon.co.uk

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm going to get the 10 Gps. Great reviews.

antspants · Sep 28, 2025

Tasmania Green said:
Thanks for the recommendation. I'm going to get the 10 Gps. Great reviews.

I use UGREEN.

Tasmania Green · Sep 28, 2025

Now for the M.2 NVMe SSD.

Fishmill · Sep 28, 2025

Tasmania Green said:
Now for the M.2 NVMe SSD.

Do you intend to leave this drive connected by cable more or less constantly? And to write to it daily?

Or will it be attached only occasionally?

I wouldn't get in a lather over the choice. Nor the TBW rating unless you have a highly unlikely use case.

Pay attention to vendor and manufacturer warranty and return privileges.

I'd probably go with a name brand gen 4 drive with DRAM, possibly larger capacity than you think you might need. The price difference between 1 and 2 TB is fairly small, but your choice entirely. It's certainly conceivable that you would use this drive for other purposes (outside the enclosure) at some later date.

Pick out 2 or 3 candidates and then pound google to see if can find any hints of abnormally high complaints from reviews or end user purchasers that might point to design flaws. Although user complaints on Amazon or New Egg can be of little value.

You can easily be hypnotized by benchmark differences that have little to no consequences in day-to-day operation.

Building an external M.2 SSD backup

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Microsoft 365 Basic

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Jack of all trades – master of none

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Similar threads

My Computer

My Computer

My Computer

My Computer

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computer

My Computer

My Computers

My Computer

My Computer

My Computer

My Computer

My Computers

My Computer

My Computers

My Computer

My Computer