OWC 8TB Express 1M2 USB4 External SSD

About: OWC 8TB Express 1M2 USB4 External SSD

OWC Express 1M2 Overview:

Built to handle demanding needs, the 8TB Express 1M2 USB4 External SSD from OWC / Other World Computing is designed for photo and video professionals, DITs, prosumers, performance enthusiasts, and other creative professionals. Equipped with an 8TB OWC Aura Ultra IV PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD, the Express 1M2 delivers speeds of up to 3151 MB/s, which is fast enough for 8K raw and 4K video in slow motion as well as ProRes and other demanding codecs, plus high resolution photos in both raw and compressed formats. It comes preformatted APFS for macOS 10.13 and later, iPadOS 13 and later, and iOS 17, but may be used with Windows, Chrome, Linux, and Android with a simple reformat. It connects to your host system using a 40 Gb/s USB4 port, but is backward compatible with 10 Gb/s USB 3.2 Gen 2, which delivers real world speeds of up to 990 MB/s.

If you ever need to replace or upgrade the Express 1M2's internal storage, its one M.2 slot supports PCIe 4.0 x4 SSDs with a 2230, 2242, and 2280 form factor. Its aluminum enclosure offers rugged protection, while also keeping the drive cool for improved performance. The Express 1M2 may be used as a boot drive, but only on Mac. It is plug-and-play, meaning no drivers are required for use, while bus power means that the drive is powered solely using the included USB4 cable.

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.

As Fast as Your Computer or Device:

The Express 1M2 is the fastest single portable SSD OWC offers and was purposefully built to maximize the performance capabilities of today and tomorrow's USB4 equipped Macs and Windows computers. Experience speeds up to an astonishing 3151 MB/s when you use the Express 1M2 with most 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. When used with an Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3 Mac & iPad or a USB4 port or a Thunderbolt 4 on a Windows computer, the Express 1M2 will run as a 40 Gb/s USB4 device with speeds up to 3151 MB/s. When used with a Thunderbolt 3 port on an Intel Mac or Windows computer, or a 10 Gb/s USB-C port on an iPad, Mac, or Windows computer, the Express 1M2 will run as a 10 Gb/s USB 3.2 Gen 2 device with speeds of up to 990 MB/s.
Don't Get Fooled
Because of OWC's Thunderbolt expertise and their close work with Intel, they are familiar with details that others may overlook. While specific OWC solutions are certified for full speed on Thunderbolt, they (and everyone else) are limited to half that speed with DIY enclosures. USB4 unleashes the Express 1M2 performance capabilities so you can build the drive of your dreams. Unlike budget brand pretenders that do not follow Intel specifications—and will leave you feeling fooled and disappointed in far lower speeds—the Express 1M2's USB4 connectivity assures you of the maximum speed and reliability you count on and expect from every OWC solution.

The Power of DIY:

Build your Express 1M2 with a brand new drive, or re-task an existing drive replaced during an upgrade. Or, make it simple by choosing a pre-built proven OWC reliable solution. Whatever your decision, the Express 1M2 gives you the power to make it happen.

Use Today's and Tomorrow's Drives:

Designed to support almost any NVMe M.2 2230, 2242, or 2280 SSD, the Express 1M2 gives you the freedom of flexibility to use a wide variety of drives, including OWC Aura SSDs up to 8TB 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, the 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 Windows computers using OWC MacDrive software (available separately) for peace between the platforms.
Express 1M2 is Ideal for…
Photo and video professionals wanting an affordable yet solid editing drive that can be used both to backup and edit demanding content including 8K raw video, 4K video in slow-motion, ProRes and other demanding codecs, and ultra high-resolution pictures both in raw and compressed formats.

DITs looking to assemble the NVMe of their choice while also getting maximum offload speeds (faster than Thunderbolt) and thermal stability.

Prosumers/performance enthusiasts seeking an external enclosure to clone data from an internal drive at blazingly fast speeds.

Ready to Go, Right Out of the Box:

OWC products are loved around the world for It Just Works ease-of-use and reliability. To provide the highest performance, reliability, and ready-to-run convenience available, your solution comes formatted in the native APFS macOS and iPadOS file system. With OWC, you don't have to worry about reformatting hassles or confusion like other solutions, just plug your drive into your Mac or iPad and you're good to go.
Your Data's Reliability is OWC's #1 Priority
Anyone can put a bunch of components in a housing and call it an enclosure or a drive. OWC is not just anyone. They're a group of filmmakers, musicians, designers, content creators, and parents, just like you, wanting to capture and preserve that irreplaceable moment. Their data storage products go through countless hours of ongoing development testing and certification processes. OWC then subjects them to extreme real-world abuses. The priority for some drives is to be a mass-produced, lowest price commodity. They do it differently because the reliability of your data and the longevity of an OWC product is priority #1.

Key Features:

• 8TB Storage Capacity
• OWC Aura Ultra IV PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD
• 40 Gb/s USB4 Interface
• Up to 3151 MB/s Data Transfer Speed
• Bus Powered
• Aluminum Enclosure
• Supports M.2 2230, 2242, and 2280 SSDs
• Preformatted APFS for macOS and iPadOS
• Windows & Linux Compatible via Reformat
• Chrome & Android Compatible via Reformat