If you have access to a 20 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, you may want an M.2 SSD enclosure that makes full use of this bandwidth. This type of enclosure is however much less common than 10 Gbps variants and usually more costly.
Whether the price premium is additional performance is worthwhile probably depends on your use case, but we will have a quick look at some numbers here.
We will also be opining on this 20 Gbps enclosure from Orico with the very forthright name “M.2 SSD Enclosure” (model name: M223C3-G4).
Note: This product is a retail sample and was not provided by the manufacturer for the purpose of this review. Why you can trust us.
Specifications
| M.2 SSD Enclosure Specifications | Orico 20 Gbps M.2 NVMe Enclosure | Ugreen M.2 NVMe/SATA SSD Enclosure | Asus ROG Strix Arion M.2 NVMe |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
|
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 Gpbs) | USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gpbs) | USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gpbs) |
| USB Bridge | ASMedia ASM2364 | Realtek RTL9210B | ASMedia ASM2362 |
| Compatibility | M-Key M&B-Key (PCIe/NVMe) | M-Key M&B-Key (PCIe/NVMe+SATA) | M-Key M&B-Key (PCIe/NVMe) |
| Form Factor Support | 2230, 2242 2260, 2280 | 2230, 2242 2260, 2280 | 2230, 2242 2260, 2280 |
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Dimensions | 4.53 x 1.57 x 0.59 in (115 x 40 x 15 mm) | 4.96 x 1.61 x 0.55 in (126 x 41 x 14 mm) | 4.9 x 1.9 x 0.04 in (125 x 48 x 11 mm) |
| Weight | 6.17 oz (175 g) | 5.3 oz (150 g) | 3.46 oz (98 g) |
| Tool Free | No | No | No |
| Included Cable(s) | C-to-C | C-to-C C-to-A | C-to-C C-to-A |
| SKU | M223C3-G4 | 90408 | ESD-S1C |
| MSRP | $49.99 | $29.99 | $59.99 |
| Shopping Links | Amazon Newegg | Amazon Newegg | Amazon Newegg |
An M.2 enclosure will only be as fast as the USB bridge chip inside, and the Orico model uses the ASMedia ASM2364. This is a successor to the ASM2362 chip found in the Asus ROG Strix Arion, the difference being that it offers twice the bandwidth. Unlike the RTL9210B chip used in the Ugreen and SSK enclosures we’ve tested, the ASMedia one only supports PCIe/NVMe SSDs and not M.2 SATA drives.
To make use of the extra bandwidth, you will also need a computer with a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port and a USB Type-C rated at 20 Gbps or better. It should work fine with lesser Type-A ports as well but will be slower.
Design and Build Quality
Other than the aluminum enclosure, the box includes a screwdriver, a thermal pad (not pictured), a small heatsink, and a USB C-to-C cable. The lack of an additional C-to-A cable makes sense here since Type-A cables are limited to 10 Gbps.
You will only have to use the screwdriver to unscrew the lid on the casing, whereas the SSD itself is secured using a flexible rubber button.
A peculiar part of the installation process is that the heatsink is only supposed to be attached to the SSD using the included thermal pad. It seems to stay in place due to the slight force applied by the lid.
Another detail of note is that it’s not as compact as some 10 Gbps models, but this is common for 20 Gbps enclosures (and Thunderbolt/USB4 support tends to add even more volume).
Performance
Any decent budget M.2 SSD will easily max out the interface of even a 20 Gbps enclosure when it comes to sequential performance. Also, we would expect any of these SSD enclosures to perform about the same in ideal conditions, meaning a doubling from around 1000 MB/s to around 2000 MB/s via USB 3.2 Gen 2×2.
Testing is still important to identify potential problems such as thermal throttling. To this end, we use a 2TB Samsung 990 PRO that will not limit the enclosures’ performance whatsoever.
Sequential & Random Performance
The Orico 20 Gbps M.2 NVMe enclosure performs just as expected with sequential transfers. In practical terms, it will move very large files nearly twice as fast as a 10 Gbps variant.
Differences even out with small files and no queue depth, but the Orico device still comes out ahead of all other enclosures that we have tested to date.
Response Times
Response times are however nearly identical regardless of the USB bandwidth.
Gaming (FF XIV)
Interestingly, the Orico M.2 enclosure manages to load the five tested levels from the Final Fantasy XIV benchmark almost as fast as the WD Black SN770. Of course, the 10 Gbps alternatives are not far behind, but it’s an impressive result nonetheless.
Summary
So, provided that you have a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port available, is it worth spending more on a 20 Gbps enclosure? If you frequently move lots of large files, such as high-res video projects and the like, then it might be. If you are going to use it for regular backups, then perhaps not. On the other hand, this Orico model is not necessarily more expensive than a premium 10 Gbps enclosure like the Asus ROG Arion.
On the whole, the Orico enclosure performs as advertised and its solid aluminum casing seems very robust, although it is rather heavy for the same reason.
[wpsm_reviewbox title=”SSK Aluminum M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure” description=”High-end performance in a portable form factor” pros=”Twice the bandwidth of most competitors;Robust aluminum casing;Reasonably priced” cons=”Odd mechanism for securing heatsink;A bit bulkier than 10 Gbps enclosures” score=”7″]
