Professional’s Score
Execs
- Sort-C twin port (TB3/4 and USB 3.2 Gen2)
- IP67 and MIL-STD810G licensed
- Very excessive knowledge charges
- For Home windows, Mac, iPad OS, Chrome OS, Android
Cons
- Solely medium guarantee of three years
Our Verdict
The OWC Envoy Professional FX is an exterior hybrid SSD that brings spectacular efficiency by way of each TB3/4 and USB and is due to this fact advisable for excessive calls for. It’s not as useful as different exterior NVMe SSDs, however it may be used very flexibly. In view of the efficiency and suppleness, the worth could be very affordable.
The acronym OWC stands for Different World Computing—a U.S. producer that’s significantly well-known amongst Mac followers. With the OWC Envoy Professional FX, nonetheless, the corporate has an exterior SSD in its steady that’s explicitly aimed toward all pc customers. It is because it may be operated by way of its USB-C connection on each Thunderbolt and USB-certified Sort-C sockets.
For this hybrid use, two bridge controllers are at present nonetheless obligatory, as a result of “actual” TB4/USB4 controller chips aren’t but accessible. Relying on which port the exterior drive is connected to, it ought to be capable to stand up to speeds of 40 gigabits per second or handle 10 gigabits per second, the pace that USB 3.2 Gen2 dictates.
Additional studying: Finest exterior drives 2023
OWC Envoy Professional FX: For Home windows and Mac
To make sure that the exterior SSD works easily with Home windows and/or Mac programs, the drive packs the OWC Drive Information software program. In Home windows, it codecs the Envoy Professional FX with the NTFS file system.
In our take a look at, the exterior SSD is first linked to the TB3 port. Right here, the pc’s Thunderbolt software program pops up earlier than formatting, which now we have to make use of to authorize the gadget to be used. Formatting then works easily due to the nice wizard from OWC Drive Information.
Additional studying: NVMe vs. M.S. vs. SATA SSD: What’s the distinction?
The software program Acronis Cyber Shield Residence Workplace is seamlessly built-in into the OWC Drive Information routine, and a part of the whole setup. This system takes over backup duties in addition to virus safety and is included as a free license for Home windows and Mac OS.
Within the take a look at, the OWC Envoy Professional FX achieved very excessive knowledge charges on each interface requirements—in some circumstances even new excessive scores. This was first evident within the benchmark runs with the device CrystalDiskMark (we use in variations 6, 7, and eight). By way of the TB3 port, the exterior SSD peaked at nearly 3040MB/s in studying—a really excessive knowledge charge. That’s not fairly cracked in write efficiency, however a most of 2983MB/s isn’t far off both.
The benchmark efficiency can also be tops on the USB Sort-C port: The exterior SSD units new information with 1083MB/s in learn and 1081 MB/s in write. It’s attention-grabbing that the write charges are generally even larger than the learn charges—that doesn’t occur fairly often.
The OWC Envoy Professional FX achieved very excessive knowledge charges on each interface requirements—in some circumstances even new excessive scores.
How does the OWC Envoy Professional FX carry out?
The good benchmark efficiency is complemented by superb real-world efficiency. We measured the sequential knowledge switch efficiency utilizing a DVD film with 4.17GB capability. By way of Thunderbolt, the cellular SSD achieves nearly 1343MB/s in learn and 998MB/s in write—these are, once more, new excessive scores. On the similar time, it may possibly preserve the very excessive pace on the USB port: Right here, it reads the DVD movie at 807MB/s and writes it at an excellent 622MB/s.
The exterior SSD additionally handles small recordsdata in a short time, as our music package deal of 1,000 MP3s reveals: In studying, it achieves an information charge of an excellent 1342MB/s on the TB3, in writing it’s nearly 998MB/s. The pace does drop by way of USB, nonetheless. By way of USB the drive hits 582MB/s in studying and nearly 440MB/s in writing. Nonetheless, these switch charges additionally correspond to ends in the higher vary.
You may even really feel the drive’s excessive efficiency, as a result of the steel case will get fairly sizzling throughout testing. At its peak, we measured an excellent 44 levels Celsius on the floor when the exterior SSD was connected to the TB3. The comparatively heavy case has aspect vents that enable the warmth to flee simply. As well as, it’s dust- and water-protected in response to IP67 requirements and examined by the navy for dropping (MIL-STD810G).
The ability consumption is barely larger. In our take a look at, it was 3.3 watts in idle and three.7 watts underneath load. Our take a look at gadget has the interior NVMe SSD Aura Extremely IV within the casing, which additionally comes from OWC and has a PCI Categorical 4.0 interface.
Is the OWC Envoy Professional FX value it?
If you wish to obtain most switch speeds from an exterior, moveable drive (photographers out within the discipline, we’re taking a look at you), and your pc provides the requisite assist, this drive has you coated, and works on each Home windows or Mac platforms. Its twin assist for USB 3.2 Gen2 simply provides to its flexibility. And for the worth you’ll additionally get a TB4/USB-C to USB-C cable with a Sort A adapter connected—a good suggestion, since you’ll at all times have it useful. It’s one other good contact that the drive’s LEC lights up blue when linked to TB3 and inexperienced when linked to USB. All informed, it’s a nifty package deal for the person who wants that most efficiency.
This evaluate was translated from German to English and initially appeared on pcwelt.de.
