Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Fully populated in RAID 0 , the OWC Express 4M2 is a four - slot NVMe / M.2 natural enclosure that offers lots of content and very ripe performance . Speed drop in other constellation – peculiarly in non - RAID modes .
The OWC Express 4M2 is a profligate Thunderbolt 3 inclosure that allow you to leverage up to four NVMe SSDs for large amounts of performance - orient external reposition . This can be as individual drives / volumes , or amalgamated in RAID . ( You require to supply your own NVMe SSD faculty . )
That ’s nicely various , but RAID is what you should corrupt the Express 4M2 for . Its non - RAID , individual - SSD public presentation was unsatisfying , however .
The Thunderbolt 3 and DisplayPort ports on the 4M2.
OWC Express 4M2: Features and specs
The Express 4M2 is a Thunderbolt 3 inclosure with two Thunderbolt 3 port as well as a full - sized DisplayPort port . That ’s a bit of a game show to the unit ’s erstwhile design . Inside , there are four M.2 slots bear PCIe 3.0 – another game show .
OWC ’s internet site does n’t cite any restriction on the capacity of the SSDs you may install , so at the minute , you may belike stuff this thing to the line of 32 TB .
The envelopment measures just shy of 2.5 column inch grandiloquent ( condom substructure admit ) , a little over 4.5 inch deep , and almost 5.4 inches wide . There ’s a rather big lover that you must remove to install SSDs ( our test unit was unpeopled ) , but it ’s an easy wad , and said sports fan is very quiet .
The Thunderbolt 3 and DisplayPort ports on the 4M2.
As you might guess , an AC transcriber is take to power four SSDs . In this event , a healthy 6 - amp , 12 - volt unit with a coax connector on the drive end , and a removable three - prong overseas telegram on the other .
OWC might ’ve been good off rename the Express 4M2 after the foundation of its much faster , far more versatile ( and pricier)Express 1M2cousin . As the Express 1M2 is USB 4 , it ’s a bit of a puzzling marketing message .
To operate the Express 4M2 in RAID , you need software . OWC provides a license for its handy crabbed - platform SoftRAID , though the Pro portion that allows you to produce volume expires three years from the date of purchase . SoftRAID remains functional – include the power to rebuild in suit of drive failure – forever .
The internal fan set aside, and the four internal M.2 slots.
you’re able to also leverage macOS or Windows RAID to the same effect , though that kill any transversal - platform use . Platform agnosticism is one of the reason I ’m still a lover of hardware RAID .
OWC Express 4M2: Speed and performamce
As I ’ve already state , the Express 4M2 ’s performance varies by drive configuration , but all state , it ’s a very fast lector and a libertine writer – look on what you compare it to .
It ’s not fast compared to the Express 1M2 , which proved fast across every bus we tried ( 5Gbps USB to 40Gbps USB 4 / Thunderbolt ) . We let in the 1M2 results to show you just how much you ’re missing .
We tested on a Mac Studio with Disk Speed Test and AmorphousDiskMark , but we also examine using sister issue PCWorld ’s test bed and suite . On both platforms , we tested the building block as four individual 2 TB SSDs ( test one ) , a undivided 8 TB volume in strip RAID 0 , and a single 4 TB volume in RAID 1 + 0 .
The Disk Speed Test results in RAID 0, RAID 1 + 0, and as a single SSD.
Four 2 TB , PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs were employed – each easy capable of 5GBps reads and 4 GB writes . The resolution surprised us a bit .
It was the single - drive performance that really shocked us . This is a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD which is easily capable of outpacing 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 . I ca n’t say for sure , but the bandwidth is in all probability split evenly across the four slots , depart only 10Gbps to play with . That ’s what the result interpret like .
Next up are the PCWorld test solvent , which largely accord with the macOS testing – tight in RAID 0 , fast with slow writing in RAID 1 + 0 , and below - average performance in non - RAID mode .
The AmorphousDiskMark results in RAID 0, RAID 1 + 0, and a single SSD.
Note that to get top carrying out under Windows ( tested for the chart ) , we had to specifically localize the Express4M2 ’s properties / insurance policy ( the SoftRAID computer software warns you about this ) to Best performance or save hurrying in both RAID modes was halve .
CrystalDiskMark 8 Read carrying out was outstanding in RAID 0 , and fantastic in RAID 1 + 0 . foray write performance was good , but as you could see from the 1M2 andSandisk Pro - G40 , hardly great .
Again , the very weak performance using only a single SSD indicates a fond bandwidth parceling . It ’s quicker than a hard parkway to be sure , but if you ’re face to tot four disjoined volume , you ’ll be much well off with single - drive inclosure . Unless of grade , you ’re out of interface – few single SSD enclosures provide straits - thru .
The 4M2 is fastest in RAID 0, while writing slows in RAID 1 + 0, and both reads and writes slow considerably in single drive mode.
CrystalDiskMark 8 rated random operation as good , and this is the one area where the Express 4M2 in non - RAID style continue up .
Our real - world 48 GB transfers mimic the CrystalDiskMark 8 conclusion . RAID 0 is best , RAID 1 + 0 next , and single SSD mode the worst .
We ’re not sure why RAID 1 + 0 is so ho-hum penning as there are still two volume to shotgun writes across , but keep in mind that this is software RAID that ’s at the mercy of your data processor ’s CPU . The RAID 0 450 GB write clock time is skilful for an outside drive . The foray 1 + 0 and individual drive times are not .
Random performance was acceptable in all three modes we tested on the 4M2.
In amount , we find the Express 4M2 delivered the read and compose speeds you ’re looking for in RAID 0 , the read speed in RAID 0 + 1 , but rather weak reading and write in single drive modality . Additionally , the 4M2 operate very nerveless in our examination – lots of interior air and the sports fan saw to that .
Caveat : RAID 0 offers no fault allowance . As reliable as modern NVMe SSDs have proven , if one goes bad , you ’ll lose all your data . We do n’t sleep together how much recovery for an SSD RAID setup would cost , but it ’s unlikely to be cheap , even if it is possible .
Should you buy the OWC Express 4M2?
If you plan to fully populate the Express 4M2 in RAID 0 , go for it . The performance will for the most part live up to expectations . Other modes , not so much . Again , you might be safe off with multiple undivided crusade such as OWC ’s outstanding , fast , and ace versatileExpress 1M2 .
Most disappointing here were the 4M2’s RAID 1 + 0 times. They were a little better than the 4M2 in single-drive mode and in one case–worse.
In RAID 0, the 4M2 hauled the mail in our 450GB write. In other modes, not so much.
