Ugreen M2 CM642 NVMe SSD Pocket Review: Speed ​​and Protection

 

In light of the arrival of the fourth-generation USB standard, Ugreen has released a well-equipped pocket for NVMe format SSDs with an M.2 interface. The case can be equipped with two types of controllers – USB 3.2 and 4.0. The first provides speed up to 20 Gbps, and the second up to 40 Gbps.

 

What is Ugreen M2 CM642

 

 

This is the company’s new generation of storage pockets. If the first one had some shortcomings, in particular, it got very hot during long-term operation, now we have a more perfect device. As already mentioned, there are two versions of Ugreen M2, slower and faster. We have an older version participating in the review.

 

Design and equipment

 

 

The case of Ugreen M2 CM642 is completely made of metal and, in addition to pleasant tactile sensations, the main advantage is effective heat dissipation at high loads. The case is characterized by high assembly quality, there can be no complaints about the assembly in principle.

 

On the front side, there is an LED work indicator. There is only one screw that holds the top cover. The design also includes a brand logo indicating the maximum data transfer rate. The connection port is on the side, next to the additional ventilation holes. Basic information about the device is located on the back.

 

 

The case feels very strong, and can be additionally protected with a silicone complete cover. It will be able to save the device when it falls on a hard surface.

 

 

Another nice bonus is a complete screwdriver.

 

 

For connection, the kit includes two cables with USB 4 support. One with both outputs on USB Type-C, and the other with a transition from USB Type-C to USB Type-A.

 

 

Ugreen M2 CM642 in operation

 

After unscrewing the screw, the cover is removed from the fasteners and opens the seat, where you can install an NVMe drive of sizes from 2230, 2242, 2260 to 2280.

 

 

Here we can see that cooling is active. The fan has speed control, while it works very quietly even under load. You may not be used to SSD heat, but at high speeds it’s a common occurrence. To understand the possible heating of the SSD during operation, let’s also say that the kit includes a contact gasket that connects the drive and the case cover for more efficient heat dissipation. That is, the manufacturer uses all means to achieve stable operation.

 

 

We will recall the main parameters of the interfaces for evaluating the speeds that the Ugreen M2 CM642 can provide.

 

USB 4.0 will allow you to get the most out of very fast solid-state drives. In its development, the goal was not only to provide support for Thunderbolt 3, but also to increase bandwidth (expectedly) and unify connectors for various devices and introduce USB Type-C as the main base connector.

 

By supporting multiple protocols such as USB 3, DisplayPort (DP) and PCI Express (PCIe) within a single interface, USB 4 provides a wide range of connectivity options. Each connected device controls the port controller, which distributes the bandwidth when several devices are connected. This allows USB 4 to work simultaneously, for example, with several monitors, although a lot also depends on the characteristics of the PC itself.

 

To compare speeds and understand how fast your future portable drive can be. The first USB 3.0 provides a data transfer speed of up to 5 Gbit/s. Current today’s USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 provides multi-lane operation for new host systems and devices, allowing the use of up to two 10 Gbit/s lanes to reach a theoretical data transfer rate of 20 Gbit/s.

 

Our Ugreen pocket has a USB 4 interface with a bandwidth of 5000 MB/s or 40 Gbps. That’s right, five gigabytes per second.

 

 

A number of modern components are required to achieve the maximum performance possible with this case for drives. This is an SSD with a revision interface no younger than PCIe 4.0, and a computer that has a USB 4 port. We will remind you that the previous PCIe 3.0 and USB 3.2 2×2 support read and write speeds twice as low.

 

As for prices, the cheapest SSD with PCIe 3.0 costs UAH 500-800, and with PCIe 4.0 – UAH 1000-1500. But this increase is not as critical as the cost of systems with the new USB 4, whether laptops or motherboards in the case of desktop PCs. There, the increase between devices with new generations of USB can be much more noticeable.

 

Impressions

 

 

Ugreen M2 CM642 – No front pocket reduction for SSD operation as a portable. In addition to the fact that it is equipped with a controller that supports the most current interfaces, it can also ensure trouble-free operation under loads. In addition to a high-quality case with ventilation, it has active cooling and does not hesitate to use the full effect of passive cooling. During the tests, the case did not heat up to 55℃ when working for 10-15 minutes. And this is due to the summer heat during power outages.

 

It turns out that this is an expensive accessory for an equally solid-state drive that will work with powerful PCs. Hundreds of gigabytes of data of filmed or created material will most likely be transferred to them. Theoretical speeds are of course good, but an important factor will be the size of the cache of the drive, which should be enough before it is filled with buffered files. But in capacious top SSD models, it will most likely be quite large. In no case should you be afraid of a long recording process, because the Ugreen pocket will not allow the drive to overheat.

 

Our readers can purchase the Ugreen M2 CM642 with the promo code UGST40HTU, which will provide $5 off its price at Ugreen‘s official store.

 

Rating:

+ bandwidth

+ cooling

+ 2 cables included

+ protective bumper included

 

Read also:

• Comparative review of SSD with PCIe 4.0 from Crucial, MSI , Patriot and Transcend
• SSD review Crucial P5 Plus 2TB PCIe M.2 2280SS: new light