Professionals who need an SSD with terabytes of storage and crazy-fast data transfers have a new option: the OWC Express 1M2 80G. The drive offers up to 8TB of capacity, and because it uses Thunderbolt 5, the SSD offers 48GBps real-world data transfers.
It’s available in a range of storage capacities, or users can insert their own NVMe M.2 SSD.
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Go big and fast with OWC Express 1M2 80G Thunderbolt 5 SSD
Average consumers can put up with SSDs that transfer data at “only” 1 gigabyte per second. But for professionals working with very large files — like 8K video — need the fastest option they can get. That’s what Thunderbolt is for.
The OWC Express 1M2 80G supports Thunderbolt 5, the latest version of the standard. This doubles the speed of its predecessor, with a theoretical max of 80 GBps. In real-world use, OWC promises its new SSD provides up to 48 MBps data transfers.
The drive is available in capacities between 1TB and 8TB, but it’s also sold as a DIY with no storage at all. Customers can then plug in their own 2280 or 2242 NVMe M.2 SSD.
The OWC Express 1M2 80G doesn’t require a fan, as it uses a patent-pending heat-dissipating design. It’s also rugged, so it’s ready to accompany a MacBook on a photo shoot.
Because the SSD connects via USB-C, it works with Mac, iPad and iPhone, as well as Windows, Chromebook and more. Of course, not all of those computers support Thunderbolt 5. All recent Macs and iPad Pro models support some version of Thunderbolt, but only the newest M4-based Macs offer Thunderbolt 5.
Launches today
The OWC Express 1M2 80G Thunderbolt 5 SSD launched Tuesday, August 19.
Buy it from: OWC
The cost starts at $219 for the DIY version, the 1TB version is $349, and prices go up to $1,299 for the 8TB model.
- 0TB Enclosure – $219.00
- 1TB – $349.00
- 2TB – $499.00
- 4TB – $699.00
- 8TB – $1,299.00
This isn’t OWC’s only Thunderbolt 5 SSD. The Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 SSD launched last autumn.
