I Tested a USB 4.0 SSD and the Speed Is Crazy!
External SSD Review: Is This the Fastest USB 4 SSD?
Overview of the External SSD
- The market is saturated with external SSD disks and enclosures, making it challenging to choose the right one. However, a few stand out as exceptional.
- The featured external NVMe enclosure claims to be the fastest USB 4 SSD drive available, boasting a maximum write speed of 3.1 GB/s and read speed of 3.8 GB/s.
Performance Comparison
- The video questions what makes this external SSD exceptional, highlighting that it should outperform even the fastest Thunderbolt 3 SSD drives.
- While Thunderbolt 5 offers superior performance, not all users have Thunderbolt ports; thus, USB-C compatibility is crucial for broader accessibility.
Design and Installation
- Inside the box, there’s a braided USB-C to USB-C cable (50 cm long) and an aesthetically pleasing NVMe enclosure covered by a plastic shield.
- Installation of the NVMe drive is user-friendly—no tools are required. Users simply slide the NVMe into place and secure it with a rubber plug after removing thermal pad protection.
Compatibility and Testing
- The ZikeDrive supports four specifications of SSD sizes: 2280, 2260, 2242, and 2230.
- For testing consistency across reviews, an addlink S95 (4TB NVMe SSD) was used. This allows for better quality assessment since only storage changes between tests.
Performance Results
- After formatting as GUID/APFS, actual speeds measured were approximately 3.3 GB/s write and 3.5 GB/s read—confirming manufacturer claims.
- Testing with different drives showed impressive results: Lexar NM790 in ZikeDrive achieved up to 3910 MB/s read and 3831 MB/s write speeds.
Build Quality and Cooling Efficiency
- Constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum alloy with an effective heatsink design that dissipates heat well during high-speed data transfers.