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- OWC Express 1M2 USB4/Thunderbolt Portable External M.2 NVMe SSD OWC Express 1M2 USB4/Thunderbolt Portable External M.2 NVMe SSD
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Add an NVMe M.2 SSD, and build your own portable USB4 drive for daily storage, backup, production-level audio, design, and photography workflows.
Highlights
Ultra-fast, compatible, and reliable portable USB4 NVMe SSD. Build your own or choose ready-to-run solutions
- Ultra-fast:over 2x faster than Thunderbolt portable enclosures with up to 3151MB/s real-world performance1
- Ultra-compatible: use with USB4, Thunderbolt, and USB-C computers and devices
- Ultra-reliable: aircraft grade aluminum offers rugged protection of your SSD while silently keeping drive cool for consistent top speed
- Powerful choices: Build your own drive or select OWC Aura SSD powered solution
- DIY easy: use your choice of NVMe M.2 2230, 2242, or 2280 SSD
- Portable: bus-powered and palm-sized for convenient use anywhere
- Complete: includes USB4 (USB-C) cable and screwdriver for assembly
- 2-Year OWC Limited Warranty
Note: Drive not included. Performance results will vary depending on the user-installed drive. Want enclosure with SSD installed? Click here.
The Ultimate Creation Tool
Give yourself the ultimate in creative power by building the portable drive of your dreams or choosing an advanced technology OWC Aura SSD powered OWC Express 1M2. Whether repurposing a drive, starting with a new drive, or wanting the convenience of a ready-to-run solution, you will infuse your workflow with the highest performance and reliability with an Express 1M2
Ultra-Fast
Over 2x faster than Thunderbolt portable enclosures with up to 3151MB/s real-world performance1
Ultra-Compatible
Use with USB4, Thunderbolt, and USB-C computers and devices
Ultra-Reliable
Aircraft grade aluminum offers rugged protection of your SSD while silently keeping drive cool for consistent top speed
Powerful Choices
Build your own drive or select OWC Aura SSD powered solution
Flexible DIY
Use your choice of NVMe M.2 2230, 2242, or 2280 SSD
Portable
Bus-powered and palm-sized for convenient use anywhere
Complete
Includes USB4 (USB-C) cable and screwdriver for assembly
Worry-Free
2 Year (enclosure) or 3 Year (solution) OWC Limited Warranty
As Fast as Your Computer or Device
The Express 1M2 is the fastest single portable SSD we offer and was purposefully built to maximize the performance capabilities of today and tomorrow's USB4 equipped Macs and PCs. Experience up to an astonishing 3151MB/s speed when you use the Express 1M2 with most Macs and PCs you own from 2020 and newer. You can also enjoy highly effective performance (yep…you can edit 4K video no problem) and flexible compatibility with millions of yesterday’s Thunderbolt and USB-C machines and devices:
Don’t Get Fooled
Because we’re widely considered the Thunderbolt experts, we must know all the little details that others purposefully overlook or hide. For a bus-powered enclosure to be Thunderbolt certified, it must meet Intel power certifications. As such, speeds are limited to 1500MB/s. While many no-name brands claim to be USB4, they are in fact Thunderbolt 3 solutions that do not follow Intel specifications. Unlike those budget brand pretenders that will leave you feeling fooled and disappointed in far lower speeds, the Express 1M2’s true USB4 connectivity assures you of an astounding doubling of Thunderbolt’s speed.
The Power of DIY
Build your Express 1M2 with a brand-new drive. Retask an existing drive replaced during an upgrade. Or make it simple by choosing a pre-built proven OWC reliable solution. Whatever your decision, Express 1M2 gives you the power to make it happen.
Use Today’s and Tomorrow’s Drives
Designed to support any NVMe M.2 2230, 2242, or 2280 SSD, the Express 1M2 gives you the freedom of flexibility to use any drive today - including OWC Aura SSDs up to 8.0TB capacity - as well as being ready for tomorrow’s 16TB and future capacities without limit.
Built to Handle Demanding Needs
You’ll never have to worry about thermal throttling because form meets function with the Express 1M2. Its solid aluminum heat sink design ensures proper heat dissipation so you can depend on consistent maximum performance. Unlike a snap together toolless enclosure, Express 1M2 screws together to securely protect your drive inside its rugged enclosure. And when you need to share the Express 1M2, it can work cross-platform with Macs and PCs using OWC MacDrive software (available separately) for peace between the platforms.
Express 1M2 is Ideal for…
You’ll never have to worry about thermal throttling because form meets function with the Express 1M2. Its solid aluminum heat sink design ensures proper heat dissipation so you can depend on consistent maximum performance. Unlike a snap together toolless enclosure, Express 1M2 screws together to securely protect your drive inside its rugged enclosure. And when you need to share the Express 1M2, it can work cross-platform with Macs and PCs using OWC MacDrive software (available separately) for peace between the platforms.
Professional Grade = Ready to Work
We understand having confidence in gear reliability is paramount to creative professionals. That’s why every Express 1M2 undergoes OWC's multi-hour "burn-in" performance certification prior to shipping. This ensures your Express 1M2 arrives operating properly and immediately ready for demanding use.
- Performance results will vary depending on user installed drive. 3151MB/s performance based on testing an 8.0TB OWC Aura Ultra IV equipped Express 1M2 connected to a 14-inch 2023 MacBook Pro (Mac14,5) with 32GB RAM and Apple M2 Max running AJA System Test (4K-Full resolution, 64GB file size, 16bit RGBA codec, single file test).
Includes
- (1) OWC Express 1M2 External Storage Enclosure
- (1) 0.3M (12") USB4 (USB-C) Cable
- (1) Phillips PH1 Screwdriver
- (1) Getting Started QR Insert Card
- (1) Support Manual for OWC Express 1M2
- 2-Year OWC Limited Warranty
- Number of Bays 1
- Drive Bays
- 1 bay supporting: M.2 drives
- Supports M.2 2280, M.2 2242, M.2 2230 "M Key" drives
- Mechanisms Supported: NVMe M.2 SSD
- Plug and Play Yes
- Drive Interface M.2
- Device Ports (1) Host Port - USB4 (USB-C) up to 40Gb/s (5000MB/s)
- Data Transfer Rate (Maximum) USB4 : Up to 40 Gb/s (or 5000 MB/s)
- Chipset USB: ASM2464PD
- Contact Start Stops Varies depending on drive mechanism installed
- Host Port Requirements USB4 or Thunderbolt (USB-C)1 port
- External Power Adapter No
- Power Supply Bus-powered
- Security Slot No
- Power/Activity LED Yes
- Housing Color Silver
- Housing Material Aluminum
- Dimensions
- Height: 2.3 cm (0.9 in)
- Length: 13.2 cm (5.2 in)
- Width: 7.0 cm (2.8 in)
- Weight 253.0 g (0.56 lbs)
- Certifications BSMI/ CE/ FCC/ RCM/ VCCI
- Reach Certification Yes
- Ambient Temperature
- Operating: 41°F to 95°F (5°C to 35°C)
- Non-Operating: -4°F to 140°F (-20°C to 60°C)
- Humidity
- Operating: 8% to 90% non-condensing
- Non-Operating: 5% to 95% non-condensing
- Notes
- Hosts with Thunderbolt 3 ports will experience performance up to USB 10Gb/s.
- NVMe SSDs with heat sinks will not fit and are not supported
- Mac OS Compatibility
- macOS 10.13 High Sierra
- macOS 10.14 Mojave
- macOS 10.15 Catalina
- macOS 11.x Big Sur
- macOS 12.x Monterey
- macOS 13.x Ventura
- macOS 14.x Sonoma
- PC OS Compatibility
- Windows 10 32-bit Edition
- Windows 10 64-bit Edition
- Windows Server 2016
- Windows 11
- Linux OS Compatibility Yes
- Mobile OS Compatibility
- iPadOS 13
- iPadOS 14
- iPadOS 15
- iPadOS 16
- iPadOS 17
- iOS 17
- Android 13.x
- Other OS Compatibility
- Chrome OS
- ChromeOS version 102 and later
- Driver Required No
- iMac
- 2017 iMac18,1 - A1418 - EMC3068
- 2017 iMac18,2 - A1418 - EMC3069
- 2017 iMac18,3 - A1419 - EMC3070
- 2019 iMac19,1 - A2115 - EMC3194
- 2019 iMac19,2 - A2116 - EMC3195
- 2020 iMac20,1 - A2115 - EMC3442
- 2020 iMac20,2 - A2115 - EMC3442
- 2021 iMac21,1 - A2438 - EMC3663 - M1
- 2021 iMac21,2 - A2439 - EMC3664 - M1
- 2023 Mac15,4 - A2874 - EMC8207 - M3
- 2023 Mac15,5 - A2873 - EMC8206 - M3
- iMacPro
- 2017 iMacPro1,1 - A1862 - EMC3144
- MacBookAir
- 2018 MacBookAir8,1 - A1932 - EMC3184
- 2019 MacBookAir8,2 - A1932 - EMC3184
- 2020 MacBookAir9,1 - A2179 - EMC3302
- 2020 MacBookAir10,1 - A2337 - EMC3598 - M1
- 2022 Mac14,2 - A2681 - EMC4074 - M2
- 2023 Mac14,15 - A2941 - EMC8301 - M2
- MacBookPro
- 2016 MacBookPro13,1 - A1708 - EMC2978
- 2016 MacBookPro13,2 - A1706 - EMC3071
- 2017 MacBookPro13,3 - A1707 - EMC3072
- 2017 MacBookPro14,1 - A1708 - EMC3164
- 2017 MacBookPro14,2 - A1706 - EMC3163
- 2017 MacBookPro14,3 - A1707 - EMC3162
- 2018 MacBookPro15,1 - A1990 - EMC3215
- 2018 MacBookPro15,2 - A1989 - EMC3214
- 2018 MacBookPro15,3 - A1990 - EMC3215
- 2019 MacBookPro15,1 - A1990 - EMC3359
- 2019 MacBookPro15,2 - A1989 - EMC3358
- 2019 MacBookPro15,3 - A1990 - EMC3359
- 2019 MacBookPro15,4 - A2159 - EMC3301
- 2019 MacBookPro16,1 - A2141 - EMC3347
- 2019 MacBookPro16,4 - A2141 - EMC3347
- 2020 MacBookPro16,2 - A2251 - EMC3348
- 2020 MacBookPro16,3 - A2289 - EMC3456
- 2020 MacBookPro17,1 - A2338 - EMC3578 - M1
- 2021 MacBookPro18,1 - A2485 - EMC3651 - M1 Pro
- 2021 MacBookPro18,2 - A2485 - EMC3651 - M1 MAX
- 2021 MacBookPro18,3 - A2442 - EMC3650 - M1 Pro
- 2021 MacBookPro18,4 - A2442 - EMC3650 - M1 Max
- 2022 Mac14,7 - A2338 - EMC8162 - M2
- 2023 Mac14,10 - A2780 M2 Pro
- 2023 Mac14,5 - A2779 M2 Max
- 2023 Mac14,6 - A2780 M2 Max
- 2023 Mac14,9 - A2779 M2 Pro
- 2023 Mac15,10 - A2992 - EMC8407 - M3 Max
- 2023 Mac15,11 - A2991 - EMC8408 - M3 Max
- 2023 Mac15,6 - A2992 - EMC8407 - M3 Pro
- 2023 Mac15,3 - A2918 - EMC8304 - M3
- 2023 Mac15,7 - A2991 - EMC8408 - M3 Pro
- 2023 Mac15,8 - A2992 - EMC8407 - M3 Max
- 2023 Mac15,9 - A2991 - EMC8408 - M3 Max
- Mac Pro
- 2019 MacPro7,1 - A1991 - EMC3203
- 2023 Mac14,8 - A2786 - EMC8163 - M2 Ultra
- Mac Pro Rack
- 2019 MacPro7,1 - A2304 - EMC3413
- 2023 Mac14,8 - A2787 - EMC8164 - M2 Ultra
- Mac Studio
- 2022 Mac13,1 - A2615 - EMC3988 - M1 Max
- 2022 Mac13,2 - A2615 - EMC3988 - M1 Ultra
- 2023 Mac14,14 - A2901 - EMC8292 - M2 Ultra
- 2023 Mac14,13 - A2901 - EMC8292 - M2 Max
- Macmini
- 2018 Macmini8,1 - A1993 - EMC3213
- 2020 Macmini9,1 - A2348 - EMC3569 - M1
- 2023 Mac14,3 - A2686 - EMC8003 - M2
- 2023 Mac14,12 - A2816 - EMC8180 - M2 Pro
- MacBook
- 2015 MacBook8,1 - A1534 - EMC2746 - Core M
- 2016 MacBook9,1 - A1534 - EMC2991
- 2017 MacBook10,1 - A1534 - EMC3099
- iPad
- 2018 iPad8,1 - Apple A12 Bionic
- 2018 iPad8,2 - Apple A12 Bionic
- 2018 iPad8,3 - Apple A12 Bionic
- 2018 iPad8,4 - Apple A12 Bionic
- 2018 iPad8,5 - Apple A12 Bionic
- 2018 iPad8,6 - Apple A12 Bionic
- 2018 iPad8,7 - Apple A12 Bionic
- 2018 iPad8,8 - Apple A12 Bionic
- 2020 iPad8,10 - Apple A12Z Bionic
- 2020 iPad8,11 - Apple A12Z Bionic
- 2020 iPad8,12 - A12Z Bionic
- 2020 iPad8,9 - A12Z Bionic
- 2020 iPad13,1 - Apple A14 Bionic
- 2020 iPad13,2 - Apple A14 Bionic
- 2021 iPad13,11 - Apple M1
- 2021 iPad13,10 - Apple M1
- 2021 iPad13,4 - Apple M1
- 2021 iPad13,5 - Apple M1
- 2021 iPad13,6 - Apple M1
- 2021 iPad13,7 - Apple M1
- 2021 iPad13,8 - Apple M1
- 2021 iPad13,9 - Apple M1
- 2022 iPad13,16 - Apple M1
- 2022 iPad13,17 - Apple M1
- 2022 iPad14,3 - Apple M2
- 2022 iPad14,4 - Apple M2
- 2022 iPad14,5 - Apple M2
- 2022 iPad14,6 - Apple M2
- Android Smartphones & Tablets
- Compatible with Android Smartphones & Tablets with USB Type-C ports that meet the specifications listed above.
- PC Compatible
- Compatible with PCs with USB Type-C ports that meet the specifications listed above
The OWC Express 1M2 USB4/Thunderbolt Portable External M.2 NVMe SSD is an impressive device that blends sleek design with powerful performance. Its compact, sturdy construction immediately catches the eye, and the build quality feels premium and reliable. The design is not just about aesthetics—it also plays a crucial role in heat dissipation. Even under heavy usage, the SSD remains cool, a testament to OWC’s attention to detail in thermal management.
Where the Express 1M2 really shines, however, is in its speed. Paired with my Thunderbolt input, it effortlessly reaches the blistering speeds promised in its advertisements. File transfers are lightning-fast, making it ideal for anyone handling large data sets, from video editing to gaming. The near-instant responsiveness is a game-changer for productivity, and it’s hard to imagine going back to anything slower after experiencing this.
Overall, the OWC Express 1M2 is a fantastic choice for those who value both performance and design. It delivers exactly what it promises—speed, reliability, and efficiency in a well-engineered package.