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OWC's New 1M2 80G Portable SSD Brings 6,000MB/s Speeds to Thunderbolt 5 Macs

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OWC has unveiled its new Express 1M2 80G portable SSD, bringing another fast Thunderbolt 5 external storage option to Mac users with the latest hardware.

owc 1m2 80G external ssd
Providing over 6,000 MB/s real-world speeds, the 1M2 approaches the performance level of an internal MacBook Pro drive, making it a compelling partner for Apple's latest M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro models, not to mention the M4 Pro Mac mini and the latest Mac Studio.

The aluminum enclosure features a finned heatsink design that means no fans are required to maintain performance. Bus-powered through its included USB4 cable, the drive also works across multiple platforms including PCs, iPad Pro, Chromebooks, and Surface devices.

OWC offers both DIY and ready-to-run configurations. Users can purchase the empty enclosure and install their own NVMe M.2 SSD, or select pre-built models. The design supports both 2280 and 2242 form factor drives, so future upgrades should be straightforward.

The Express 1M2 80G maintains backward compatibility with Thunderbolt 3 and 4 systems, and starts at $219 for the empty enclosure, with pre-configured models ranging from $349 for 1TB to $1,299 for 8TB. The drive is available to purchase now through the OWC website and Amazon.

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Tag: OWC

Top Rated Comments

Slix Avatar
Slix
8 months ago
I must hang around old computers too much because I read this as 80GB and was wondering why anyone would be talking about this now. :P
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
Manzanito
8 months ago
It's astounding the amount of speed that can be achieved these days.

Yes, it's expensive for the average user but for those who need such performance it's good value.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
Michael Scrip
8 months ago
These NVMe drives must get super-hot if you need a chunk of aluminum 100 times bigger to keep it cool!

🤣
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bradman83 Avatar
bradman83
8 months ago

macOS treats USB-C 3.x enclosures differently from Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 enclosures. You can see the different categorization in the macOS system information. NVMe SSDs in Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 enclosures are identified as native NVMe drives, but NVMe SSDs in USB 3 enclosures are identified as USB 3 drives.
Just an interesting factoid: Thunderbolt, and USB4 since it's based on Thunderbolt, essentially acts as an external extension of the PCIe bus when directly connected to TB storage, which is why macOS looks at those drives as being akin to internal NVMe. USB is a separate protocol which is why the drives behave differently.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ds2000 Avatar
ds2000
8 months ago

I must hang around old computers too much because I read this as 80GB and was wondering why anyone would be talking about this now. :p
That was my take too, what a stupid product name.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
N
neuropsychguy
8 months ago
$220 just for the enclosure is rather expensive. That's in the range that other 80 Gb/s enclosures are going for, but the nice 40 Gb/s enclosures (<$100) are likely the better option for most people who need Thunderbolt. If you want cutting edge and really need the extra speed, this should be a solid option.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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