OWC Envoy Pro EX USB-C: Rugged, small and fast

My benchmark results in CrystalDiskMark 8 and Blackmagic Disk Speed were impressive, not only matching but often exceeding the specs.

Thu, 24 Nov, 2022 - 08:40

Noel Campion

Earlier this year I reviewed the OWC Envoy Pro SX external SSD and I was impressed with its stellar performance and rugged build. Since then I’ve been testing the OWC Envoy Pro EX, which loses the Thunderbolt 3 port for a more compatible, albeit slower USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Type-C) port.

I love the performance the Envoy Pro SX provides and I still recommend it if all your devices are Thunderbolt 3. However, I use both Mac and PC and not all of my computers come with Thunderbolt 3. I store all of my current Adobe Lightroom photos and catalogues on external drives and need to be able to go from my MacBook Pro 16, desktop PC and iPad Pro, so having a drive that will work well with all these is a bonus.

Design

The metal casing on the Envoy Pro EX has a textured matte finish that matches my MacBook Pro 16. It has two long rubber feet on the base and features a single USB-C port on one end and a LED indicator light strip on the other.

The EX is available in capacities up to 8TB, but my review unit was the 1TB version. This is worth noting since larger drives tend to perform better than smaller capacities.

The rugged design of the Envoy Pro EX manages an impressive IP67 rating, which means it has been certified for up to 30 minutes under 1m of water. The combination of the metal case and IP67 rating should allow you to safely store your data on this drive without fear of loss due to damage. This kind of peace of mind is reassuring, especially for those who like to travel with important data.

Inside the case is an Aura P12 M.2 NVMe SSD and storage options range from 240GB, 480GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB sizes. The Envoy Pro EX doesn’t need any extra power to work — you only need a single cable. It can be connected to both USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C-to-C cables or a Type-C-to-A cable in case your laptop or PC doesn’t have a USB-C port.

Performance

The OWC Envoy Pro EX USB-C is specified to support speeds up to 10Gbps. My benchmark results in CrystalDiskMark 8 and Blackmagic Disk Speed were impressive, not only matching but often exceeding the specs. For reference, I used an HP Spectre 360 with an i7-1260P 12-gen processor and 16GB of RAM for my testing, so speeds on various computers and disk formats could show different results.

Real-world application

The Envoy Pro EX is excellent for those who need a small and portable storage solution that they can work directly from to do things like editing high-resolution videos or photos. I use fast drives like this to store my Lightroom library that contains my Sony A7R4 61MP RAW files. Of course, I also have a backup of these files but I use the external drive on my PC when I’m at home and on my laptop when away so that I can download the photos and do edits on the go.

Verdict

OWC say they rigorously quality test and back their hardware with a 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty and award-winning customer support. This, along with stellar performance and a rugged and compact form factor make it a great option for those who need a portable SSD drive they can rely on.

OWC Envoy Pro EX from €129 (240GB) www.memoryc.ie

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