Backup Data at Your Fingertips TEAMGROUP EC01 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD Enclosure Unboxing Test
With the price of M.2 NVME SSDs gradually dropping and becoming more affordable, even the entry-level budget host system disks will come with M.2 SSDs as standard, and PC DIY gamers will usually purchase at least one more as a gaming disk, which is becoming mainstream. The gradual popularization of M.2 SSDs has given rise to the new demand for use, which is how to back up and clone the data after buying the new large-capacity M.2 SSDs? When you buy a new high-capacity M.2 SSD, how do you back up your data and transfer it to a new clone? If you don't want to dismantle the motherboard thermal armor and SSD several times during operation, or if you don't have more M.2 slots on the motherboard to install a new SSD, an M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD enclosure is a very convenient thing to use.
TEAMGROUP EC01 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD External Box Specification:
Interface: USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C/Type-A
Weight: 60g (without SSD and cable)
Size: 117(L) x 35(W) x 16(H) mm
Maximum transfer rate: 1000 MB/s
Warranty: 1 year
EC01 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD Enclosure Unboxing
Instead, it is in the form of an external expansion box, providing users with the ability to install M.2 NVMe SSDs for backups, file transfers, and carrying data on the go, etc. If you have a spare M.2 NVMe SSD on hand, installing it into the EC01 is equivalent to an external SSD, and the CP value is better than that of an external SSD when paired with certain special events.
∆ TEAMGROUP EC01 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD External Enclosure.
∆ Boxed with basic paper specifications on the back and backed by a one-year warranty.
∆ After opening the box, you can see the M.2 SSD installation instruction.
The EC01 itself is only 117(L) x 35(W) x 16(H) mm in size, so it's almost like a recorder when you hold it in your hand, and the single external case weighs only about 60 grams, which is pretty lightweight, and is wrapped in a rubber case to prevent accidents from occurring. Though the body is made of aluminum alloy, and M.2 SSDs aren't afraid of shock compared to HDDs, it's still reassuring to know that there's some extra protection. The M.2 SSD is made of aluminum and is less prone to vibration than HDDs.
For the heat generated by M.2 NVMe PCIe SSDs, the EC01's aluminum alloy casing is designed with angled ventilation holes, which can quickly channel the heat out of the enclosure to prevent the main controller from overheating. However, the holes are designed to be open and therefore are not waterproof, so you need to be careful not to allow liquids and small objects to enter the enclosure, which could lead to damage during the process of using the EC01.
The ∆ measures 117(L) x 35(W) x 16(H) mm and weighs only 60g.
∆Angled heat sinks provide sufficient heat dissipation, and care should be taken to avoid the entry of liquids or foreign objects during use.
∆ Individually removable rubber-covered sheaths provide cushioning and protection.
The interface of the external box is USB 3.2 Gen2x1 Type-C interface, the maximum data transfer limit is 10Gbps or 1000 MB/s. Nowadays, new motherboards have at least one USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C or Type-A slot at the back of the motherboard, which can be used with EC01 to provide full bandwidth.
However, the front I/O of the chassis only comes standard with a USB 3.2 Gen2 bandwidth front USB slot on the higher priced models, and usually you will only see USB 3.2 Gen1x1 (USB 3.0) and USB 2.0 specifications below $2,500, so the EC01 is still downward compatible, but it will be slowed down.
∆The interface on the external box side is USB 3.2 Gen2x1 Type-C interface with up to 10Gbps (1000 MB/s) transmission bandwidth.
In addition to the external box itself, the TEAMGROUP EC01 comes with a 25cm USB 3.2 Type-A cable with a C to A connector and a Type-A to Type-C adapter, so that if your PC's Type-C connector is not enough, or an old computer doesn't have a USB Type-C connector, you can use the included USB Type-A to C cable for data transfer. If the PC's Type-C port is not enough, or the old computer does not have a USB Type-C port, you can still use the included USB Type-A to C cable for data transfer.
∆ 25cm long cable with USB Type-A and Type-C connections.
∆ Two additional M.2 SSD rubber mounting posts.
Another hidden feature of the EC01 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD Enclosure is the "tool-less disassembly". The aluminum frame is secured by a bayonet and can be easily removed after removing the rubber boot, while the M.2 NVMe PCIe SSDs are secured by rubber mounting posts, so the entire disassembly can be done with your hands without the need of any screws or other tools.
The enclosure supports NVMe PCIe SSDs in size 2230/2242/2260/2280 with M.2 B+M key or M key. It provides four mounting positions for different sizes of M.2 SSDs and is equipped with upper thermal pads to dissipate heat from the host controller and storage chips.
Since the transfer bandwidth of EC01 is limited to 1000 MB/s, if you want to use EC01 as an external SSD, it is recommended to use it with an early PCIe Gen2 or Gen3 SSD. The PCIe Gen2 specification is basically invisible now, but there are still a lot of PCIe Gen3 SSDs available. PCIe Gen2 specification is basically unseen now, but PCIe Gen3 SSDs are still available at many prices.
∆ supports M key 2230/2242/2260/2280 NVMe PCIe SSD installations with thermal pads with external cover for cooling.
∆ with TEAMGROUP MP33 1TB M.2 PCIe Gen3 SSD Actual installation demonstration.
∆ The white LED operation indicator lights up when power is applied.
EC01 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD External Box Testing
For this test on TEAMGROUP EC01 M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD enclosure, it will be paired with TEAMGROUP MP33 M.2 SSD. The 1TB MP33 is PCIe Gen3 x4 bandwidth with sequential read/write speeds of up to 1800 MB/s and 1500 MB/s, but due to the bandwidth limitations of the enclosure, it is limited to around 1000 MB/s. Therefore, the test result is around 10Gbps, which is normal. However, due to the bandwidth limitation of the external box connection, the speed will be limited to around 1000 MB/s, so it is normal for the test result to be around 10Gbps.
The test platform is an Intel Core i7 13700K processor and an MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI motherboard, and the EC01 external box is connected to the rear of the motherboard in the I/O USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gbps (Type-C) slot, providing the most complete bandwidth for the EC01 to test the performance.
∆ EC01, MP33 1TB, 13700K, Z790, motherboard USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C slot.
Testing Platform
Processor: Intel Core i7 13700K
Radiator:darkFlash TWISTER DX 360 Ver2.6
Motherboard: MSI MPG Z790 CARBON WIFI
Memory: Kingston FURY Renegade RGB 6000mt/s 16GBx2
Display Card: MSI GTX 1070 Quick Silver 8G OC
Power supply : MONTECH TITAN GOLD 1200W
Hard Disk : MP33+EC01 External Box
Operating System: Windows 11 Home Edition 21H2
∆ The actual capacity of the MP33 after formatting is 953 GB.
The first step is to use CrystalDiskInfo software to view the basic information of the external MP33, but since it is used with the EC01 enclosure, some information is not displayed correctly. The MP33 adopts the NVM Express 1.3 standard to support the S.M.A.R.T. function, and the standby temperature is 41°C. The MP33 is also equipped with the S.M.A.R.T. function.
∆ CrystalDiskInfo software viewed the basic data and the standby temperature was 41°C. The temperature of the standby device was 41°C.
Read/write performance was tested using CrystalDiskMark software in empty disk mode, with the test file size set to 1GiB in default mode, and sequential read/write speeds of 1084.64 MB/s and 1017.73 MB/s.
The Q8T1 test result in the first column represents a thread with eight queue depths, which means that there are eight 1MB-sized accesses in the worklist waiting to be accessed. This corresponds to a situation where eight 1MB files of different sizes are being read or written from or to the hard disk at the same time, which is a relatively rare operation.
∆ CrystalDiskMark default mode 1GiB profile test result.
For daily use or gamers, the QD1 to QD4 range is a good place to look. If we switch the CrystalDiskMark profile to real-world performance, the first column will be Q1T1, although the result will be lower than Q8T1, it will be more in line with the actual performance of the daily use experience.
The reason is that most of the daily operating systems use the Q1T1's one-thread, one-queue-depth mode, which makes the Q1T1 more suitable for daily use than the Q8T1. The read/write speeds of the Q1T1 in Q1T1 mode are 955.56 MB/s and 890.07 MB/s with the capacity of the test file set to 1GiB.
∆ CrystalDiskMark Real World Mode 1GiB profile test results.
∆ An additional CrystalDiskMark default mode 1GiB profile test was conducted with an operating temperature of about 46~49 degrees.
Next, ATTO Disk Benchmark was used to test the sequential read/write performance and stability of different file sizes.MP33+The maximum values for the EC01 external box are 975.92 MB/s for write and 707.83 MB/s for read.
∆ ATTO Disk Benchmark.
For the performance of writing and reading professional video multimedia files, AJA System Test was used to simulate the scenario, and the setting was 5120×2700 5K RED format 1GB size files, and the final results were 966 MB/s for writing and 698 MB/s for reading.
∆ AJA System Test.
Finally, PCMARK 10 is used to test the storage performance Data Drive Benchmark, which is mainly for data disks used for storing files, and can also be used to test NAS, USB, and memory cards and other related types of storage devices, in this test. MP33+The EC01 external box scored a bandwidth of 184.97 MB/s with an average access time of 136µs, resulting in a total test score of 1194.
∆ PCMARK 10 Data Drive Benchmark.
Conclusion
Small size, lightweight, tool-less, and highly supportive product features make the EC01 enclosure worth a look, but the lack of additional water and dust resistance is something to be aware of when using it. Although bandwidth limitations restrict M.2 SSDs to a sequential read/write performance of 1,000 MB/s, it's quite sufficient for data transfer or file transfers.
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