OWC has been one among my favourite manufacturers in terms of enclosures and storage gadgets. Their construct high quality and efficiency have all the time been top-tier, and that’s no totally different with the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G. This SSD enclosure is available in numerous SKUs. From an empty “deliver your drive” model all the way in which as much as one which homes an 8 TB SSD. That 8 TB model is fairly expensive, although, with the two TB model hitting a extra comfy value level. The OWC Categorical 1M2 80G the corporate despatched over for assessment is the empty one, and I added the 8 TB Samsung 9100 Professional Collection I already needed to this enclosure.
Estimated studying time: 11 minutes
The OWC Categorical 1M2 80G appeared like it could make a wonderful enclosure for moveable use and to be used between my continuously transferring between laptops and desktops. The 8 TB Samsung SSD helps too; having extra storage is all the time an ideal factor. Earlier than we get into this assessment, I ought to point out that I examined this enclosure on my M1 Professional MacBook Professional with Thunderbolt 4 ports, and people ports do have limitations. I haven’t gotten assessment models in for 2026 laptops, so I haven’t examined Thunderbolt 5 connections. Let’s get into this full assessment and see if this enclosure is price it.
Notice: I’ll replace this assessment with a pace take a look at from newer laptops as soon as I’ve some in-house to assessment. For now, testing was carried out with an M1 Professional MacBook Professional, which can not make the most of the total potential of this enclosure and my chosen SSD.
The Fast Take
The OWC Categorical 1M2 80G is a incredible enclosure with nice speeds, particularly if in case you have Thunderbolt 4 or higher connections. The enclosure alone has a high quality construct and is even sufficiently small to be moveable. As a result of it’s BUS powered, there is no such thing as a want for an exterior energy provide. In all probability the most important hurdle for some would be the value.
The enclosure alone is 219 USD, and if you would like the 8 TB SSD included, you’re taking a look at 1,799 USD. The center-of-the-road 2 TB model is a extra cheap 599 USD. Whereas it’s costly, it truly is definitely worth the asking value. You might all the time get an SSD from Samsung or different manufacturers for a bit cheaper and get monetary savings that manner.
Rating and Backside Line
OWC Categorical 1M2 80G
USD 219
Nailed it
- Quick speeds
- Silence and Thermal Efficiency
- Compatability
- Design and construct high quality
- DIY possibility, deliver your individual SSD
Wants work
- It’s a bit heavy and the design can get caught on materials
- It’s expensive
The underside line is that the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G is unbelievable. However you do must set your expectations based mostly on the {hardware} you’re plugging it into. I knew that my MacBook M1 Professional doesn’t help the total speeds of this enclosure, so I used to be not stunned to not get the total speeds. I get laptops in for assessment all 12 months, so I do know I’ll finally get full speeds as soon as I begin bouncing round between assessment models. Listed below are my key takeaways of the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G.
- What’s nice concerning the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G?
- Quick speeds: It is likely one of the quickest exterior enclosures available on the market, and it will possibly attain real-world speeds over 6,000 MB/s when paired with a high-end Gen 4 NVMe and a appropriate USB4 or Thunderbolt 5 port. I managed simply over half of that pace as a result of my connections not being present.
- Silence and Thermals: Your entire aluminum physique acts as an enormous heatsink. As a result of it’s fanless, you get zero noise.
- Compatibility: Whereas it hits peak efficiency on USB4/Thunderbolt 5, it’s backward appropriate with nearly the whole lot—Thunderbolt 3/4, USB 3.x, and even older USB 2.0 ports. However you will notice efficiency drops with older connections.
- Construct High quality: Rugged, aircraft-grade aluminum construct, and I really feel it will possibly take a beating if it comes all the way down to it.
- DIY Choice: You should purchase it unpopulated, which helps you to select your SSD from Third-party sellers and get monetary savings in comparison with shopping for a pre-built drive from OWC.
- What wants work or is perhaps a problem for some customers?
- Bulk and Weight: It’s considerably bigger than an ordinary moveable SSD like a Samsung T7. It gained’t comfortably slot in a denims pocket, and the steel fins is usually a bit sharp and may snag in a bag. It’s additionally heavier than different primary moveable SSDs.
- Value Tag: The 80G model is pricey for an enclosure. You’re paying a steep premium for that 80 Gbps headroom, which many present computer systems can’t even absolutely make the most of but. You would possibly contemplate one other OWC moveable. For those who don’t have the {hardware} to help this.
Total, the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G is a wonderful enclosure with wonderful efficiency. However it’s expensive, and you might not even be capable of take full benefit of the speeds in case your {hardware} doesn’t help it.
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OWC Categorical 1M2 80G Specs
- Drive Bays:
- 1 bay supporting M.2 SSDs
- Helps double-sided and single-sided M.2 2242 and M.2 2280 “M Key” drives
- Helps PCIe Gen 3.0 NVMe SSDs (as much as 3400 MB/s), Gen 4.0 NVMe SSDs (as much as 6800 MB/s), and Gen 5.0 NVMe SSDs (as much as 6800 MB/s).
- NVMe M.2 SSDs with a heatsink is not going to match and usually are not supported.
- Plug and Play: Sure
- Storage Interface: M.2
- System Ports: (1) Host Port—USB4 (USB-C) as much as 80 Gb/s (10000 MB/s)
- UASP Help: UASP (USB Hooked up SCSI Protocol) is supported
- Knowledge Switch Price (Most) USB4: As much as 80 Gb/s (or 10000 MB/s)
- Benchmark Velocity, Learn (Max): As much as 6362 MB/s
- Benchmark Velocity, Write (Max): As much as 5638 MB/s
- Chipset Controller: Barlow Ridge (JHL9480)
- Exterior Energy Adapter: No
- Energy Provide: Bus-powered
- Safety Slot: None
- Energy/Exercise LED(s): Sure
- Housing Colour: Silver
- Housing Materials: Aluminum
- Dimensions:
- Top: 2.4 cm (0.9 in)
- Size: 13.3 cm (5.2 in)
- Width: 7.2 cm (2.8 in)
- Weight: 280.8 g (0.62 lbs)
- Ambient Temperature:
- Working: 41°F to 95°F (5°C to 35°C)
- Non-Working: -4°F to 140°F (-20°C to 60°C)
- Humidity:
- Working: 8% to 90% non-condensing
- Non-Working: 5% to 95% non-condensing
What’s within the Field?
- OWC Categorical 1M2 80G
- Cable
- Screwdriver
- Documentation
Design
It’s attention-grabbing to me that what quantities to mainly a warmth sink can look so smooth. The enclosure is a straightforward design. The highest is mainly a warmth sink, and the underside holds the board, bus, and slot for the SSD. There’s a single Thunderbolt/USB-C port on the again and an LED mild on the entrance.
The OWC Categorical 1M2 80G is bigger than I anticipated. It’s moveable, however barely. It has some weight to it, and the warmth sink design may cause it to hold up when inserting it right into a bag or pocket. The warmth sink fins aren’t sharp, however they’ll snag on some supplies.
As a result of that is bus-powered, there is no such thing as a want for an exterior energy provide, and the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G pulls energy out of your system. One thing to remember when utilizing this with a laptop computer. It should draw energy and have an effect on your battery life. How a lot it would affect it, I can’t actually say. I feel it’ll be totally different for everybody.
Total, I like this design. It has an industrial look to it whereas sustaining a pleasant, minimal aesthetic. It’s heavier than anticipated, and whereas it may be moveable, it could be on the highest fringe of moveable consolation.
Ease of Use/Setup
Utilizing the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G is easy, and setting it up is even simpler. The enclosure comes with a screwdriver and three rubber foot pads. Simply use the screwdriver to take away the 2 screws on the underside, slide the underside portion from the warmth sink, slide in your SSD, and reassemble. Then plug it into your machine; that’s actually it.
Setup of the Samsung SSD I used is easy too. I selected to format mine in exFAT so I may transfer it between my MacBook Professional, my Linux laptop computer, and the varied Home windows laptops I often get all year long for assessment.
Total, the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G is useless easy to make use of and arrange.
Efficiency
Efficiency goes to fluctuate and rely upon the SSD you employ and the machine you plug this into. I used a contemporary SSD within the Samsung 9100 Professional, however my MacBook Professional M1 Professional doesn’t help the total speeds this drive is able to. So in line with numerous disk take a look at apps, I used to be getting nearly 3,500 MB/s up and down, not fairly 3,500, however shut.
I feel, after I get the brand new batch of 2026 laptops in for assessment, that I shall be testing the speeds on these as effectively. For now, I feel the efficiency is superb, given the constraints of my 5-year-old laptop computer. So concentrate on the capabilities of your machines earlier than shopping for this enclosure. You might find yourself shopping for extra energy than your machine can really use.
Total, the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G performs effectively, and (if) you have got fashionable {hardware} that may take full benefit of the efficiency specs of this enclosure. You can be comfortable. I ought to point out warmth as effectively. I by no means felt this enclosure create an excessive amount of warmth or change into sizzling.
Value/Worth
The OWC Categorical 1M2 80G with out the SSD is priced at 219 USD. That’s not low-cost, however you’re getting among the best-performing {hardware} available on the market, you don’t want an exterior energy provide, and it’s rugged and well-designed. It will get even pricier in the event you purchase OWC storage. It can save you quite a bit in the event you purchase the enclosure after which purchase a distinct SSD. I feel the worth is right here, however you might want to have matching {hardware} to take full benefit of it.
Wrap Up
The underside line is that the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G is unbelievable. However you do must set your expectations based mostly on the {hardware} you’re plugging it into. I knew that my MacBook M1 Professional doesn’t help the total speeds of this enclosure, so I used to be not stunned to not get the total speeds. I get laptops in for assessment all 12 months, so I do know I’ll finally get full speeds as soon as I begin bouncing round between assessment models. Listed below are my key takeaways of the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G.
- What’s nice concerning the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G?
- Quick speeds: It is likely one of the quickest exterior enclosures available on the market, and it will possibly attain real-world speeds over 6,000 MB/s when paired with a high-end Gen 4 NVMe and a appropriate USB4 or Thunderbolt 5 port. I managed simply over half of that pace as a result of my connections not being present.
- Silence and Thermals: Your entire aluminum physique acts as an enormous heatsink. As a result of it’s fanless, you get zero noise.
- Compatibility: Whereas it hits peak efficiency on USB4/Thunderbolt 5, it’s backward appropriate with nearly the whole lot—Thunderbolt 3/4, USB 3.x, and even older USB 2.0 ports. However you will notice efficiency drops with older connections.
- Construct High quality: Rugged, aircraft-grade aluminum construct, and I really feel it will possibly take a beating if it comes all the way down to it.
- DIY Choice: You should purchase it unpopulated, which helps you to select your SSD from Third-party sellers and get monetary savings in comparison with shopping for a pre-built drive from OWC.
- What wants work or is perhaps a problem for some customers?
- Bulk and Weight: It’s considerably bigger than an ordinary moveable SSD like a Samsung T7. It gained’t comfortably slot in a denims pocket, and the steel fins is usually a bit sharp and may snag in a bag. It’s additionally heavier than different primary moveable SSDs.
- Value Tag: The 80G model is pricey for an enclosure. You’re paying a steep premium for that 80 Gbps headroom, which many present computer systems can’t even absolutely make the most of but. You would possibly contemplate one other OWC moveable. For those who don’t have the {hardware} to help this.
Total, the OWC Categorical 1M2 80G is a wonderful enclosure with wonderful efficiency. However it’s expensive, and you might not even be capable of take full benefit of the speeds in case your {hardware} doesn’t help it.
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