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Custom Storage

DIY guide on building your own external drive with a WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD (or any NVMe M.2 SSDs with 2280 / 2242 / 2230 form factor) and an OWC Express 1M2 Enclosure.

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Opened OWC Express 1M2 Enclosure containing an M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
Opened OWC Express 1M2 Enclosure containing an M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
By Kiran Brahmatewari
12 min read
Custom Storage

Note: I started writing this before SSD prices skyrocketed, so I’m aware that some of the following (namely SSDs being an affordable option to adding additional storage to your Mac) may no longer be applicable…

Buying storage for your new MacBook is expensive and can be inconvenient. Customers can’t modify internal storage later, so what you buy is what you get. But what if you wanted an additional, customizable, and portable 4 TB SSD external drive? That’s what this guide seeks to address.

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WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD + OWC Express 1M2 Enclosure inside of a Pelican 1040 Micro Case
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Opened Pelican 1040 Micro Case containing my storage setup
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Contents of my Pelican 1040 Micro Case: My storage setup and accessories
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Back of my OWC Express 1M2 Enclosure

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WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD + OWC Express 1M2 Enclosure inside of a Pelican 1040 Micro Case
Opened Pelican 1040 Micro Case containing my storage setup
Contents of my Pelican 1040 Micro Case: My storage setup and accessories
Back of my OWC Express 1M2 Enclosure

Background

An SSD, short for Solid-State Drive, is a data storage device that uses nonvolatile flash memory (which is composed of integrated circuits). An SSD controller keeps track of where data is stored within the drive, thus allowing you to access your data.

How it works
SSDs store data on electronic circuits.
Read process
An SSD controller finds the correct address and reads its charges.
Write process
An SSD copies data to a new block, then erases the old block. It then writes new to the old block by changing its charges.
Performance
SSDs are faster than HDDs. They’re silent and run cooler.
Cost
SSDs are costlier than HDDs.
Durability
SSDs are electrical, which makes them less prone to damage.

In order to communicate data, SSDs contain floating gate transistors in grid patterns where different charges translate into binary ones and zeroes. Each row in the grid patterns is called a page, while a block – which is where information is stored – is composed of many pages.

This excerpt from TonyMacx861 provides additional context that’s specific to Apple / macOS:

An SSD controller, also referred to as a processor, includes the electronics that bridge the NAND Flash memory components to the SSD input/output interfaces. The controller is an embedded processor that executes firmware-level software. The SSD firmware is device specific, and in most cases can be updated.

ssd.png

Since November 2020, Apple has placed their SSD (NAND flash) Controller on the SoC and kept the NAND Flash separate for security reasons. This makes it nearly impossible to remove the SSD from a stolen M1/M2 Mac and view the data on another Mac. Even if you have the exact same model of Apple Silicon Mac to install it in. The Secure Enclave (also on the SoC) is isolated from the main processor to provide an extra layer of security and is designed to keep sensitive user data secure even when the Application Processor kernel becomes compromised.

ssd_chart.jpg

There are a bunch of SSDs and enclosures to choose from. How did I narrow it down, and why did I choose the WD_BLACK SN850X and the OWC Express 1M2 Enclosure?

Well, first, I wanted to make sure it was compatible with Mac (since I use a MacBook Pro). It must be customizable and be high performance, so buying a pre-made external drive was out of the question. The OWC Express 1M2 Enclosure was an easy choice since it has a robust heatsink, supports both Mac AND Windows, and (to my knowledge) has a reputation for quality.

Since I’d be using it for game storage, it has to be powerful and made with that purpose in mind. It has to be able to save both Windows AND Mac games from Steam. Of course, I also want to use it for backups and other stuff (i.e. not just gaming). Since I own a lot of games (mostly on Steam), I decided to play it safe and went with 4 TB storage size.

I was torn between the Samsung 990 PRO and WD_BLACK SN850X, but chose the latter after reading about a weird bug with Samsung 990 PRO that only affects Macs1:

Prior to macOS Monterey, Samsung drives worked seemingly without issue. We don’t know what changed in macOS 12 but we do know that Samsung’s proprietary NVMe SSD controllers do not work well with macOS Monterey or Ventura. It doesn’t look like a firmware fix from Samsung is ever going to be released. Here’s a few examples of their drives that will potentially lead to ultra long macOS boot times. Some have reported six to seven minutes.

ssd_csv.png

This is TRIM and APFS related. Disabling TRIM is not recommended… Acasis, who makes Mac compatible NVMe enclosures, warns their customers about using Samsung 970 EVO (Plus) drives with their product. Note that the WD SN570, SN770 and SN850(X) perform the very best of any drives

ssd_compat.jpg

This has been documented several times, such as with Acidanthera’s research on the Samsung “TRIM Bug” and this thread on tonymacx86.com that shows how write speeds are reduced to extremely slow levels when using a Samsung NVMe with an APFS formatted drive.

There’s also been issues with the Samsung 990 PRO’s reliability across different operating systems (i.e. not just macOS); multiple people have reported a drop of around 1% endurance per week2 and a loss of 10-12% health within a month3.

overclock.net user Midian reported4:

Drive is just 1 month old and already it seems 7% is used up, the TBW is no where near the supposed 1200TBW it’s capable of so what is going on here? … I have tried other programs and they all report the same 93% health. Readings have dropped from 95% to 93% in just a few days with no dramatic increase in TBW.

samsung_990_pro_performance.png

Reddit user RobbieKhan reported5:

Screenshot:

Screenshot of reddit user's Samsung 990 Pro health

Got my 990 Pro 2TB to upgrade from a 970 Evo Plus which I’ve had for over a year. The 970 for ref was at 99% health still last week before I disconnected it to clone over from onto the 990 Pro.

The 990 was fine until the other day when I noticed the health reported as 99%, now today I’m seeing 98%, only written an additional few tens of GB to it since that time.

Edit* My drive had dropped to 94% health before I contacted Samsung RMA service.

Twitter user Neil Schofield reported6:

36% worn out after writing less than 2TB of data?

Screenshot of Twitter user Neil Schofield's Samsung 990 PRO health

This is unusual because the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB has 1200TBW. If it’s 36% worn out, that implies it already wrote 432TB (0.36 * 1200TB) of data. But this makes no sense since less than 2TB of data was written, meaning it should actually be close to 0.17% (2TB / 1200TB) worn out (i.e. nearly brand new)?

Samsung is aware of this issue and has since released a firmware update7, but this only stops it from degrading further and doesn’t reverse any existing degraded health.

The fact that Apple sources their SSDs from Western Digital/SanDisk also helped me feel sure of my choice.

Requirements

Setup

Device Assembly

  1. Place OWC Express 1M2 upside down on a flat static free surface
  2. Remove the screws by using the included screwdriver owc_assembly_1.webp
  3. Slide back then lift away the bottom tray owc_assembly_2.webp
  4. Once the enclosure is open, take your NVMe M.2 SSD and carefully slide it inside owc_assembly_3.jpg owc_assembly_4.webp

    If your SSD has a 2242 OR 2230 form factor, you will need a 5mm hex socket to loosen the drive post, then move it to the desired form factor position owc_assembly_5.webp

  5. Screw the SSD into the enclosure so it’s secured owc_assembly_6.webp owc_assembly_7.webp
  6. Align the enclosure’s previously removed bottom tray with the top cover so the thermal pad (i.e. yellow and purple strip inside the enclosure) is atop the SSD, slide the pieces together, then gently press down the top cover to ensure they stick owc_assembly_8.webp
  7. To make sure it’s properly shut, screw the previously removed screws back inside the enclosure with the screwdriver owc_assembly_9.webp
  8. Peel open one of the included rubber foots and press it into the crevice containing the screws owc_assembly_10.webp
  9. Using the included 0.3M (12”) USB4 cable, connect it into the OWC Express 1M2 USB4 port and your Mac

    If successfully connected, the LED indicator should light up

Format SSD

Make sure to complete ALL the steps in Device Assembly before proceeding

  1. Open Disk Utility Disk Utility app
  2. Click on View, then Show All Devices disk_utility_view.png
  3. In the sidebar, select your SSD under External; in this example, it’s named “WD_BLACK SN850X 4000GB Media” disk_utility_ssd.png
  4. Click the Erase button disk_utility_erase.png
  5. Click the Scheme pop-up menu, then choose GUID Partition Map
  6. Click the Format pop-up menu, then choose the Apple File System (APFS) format
  7. Enter a name
  8. Click Erase, then click Done

Create Volumes

Make sure to complete ALL the steps in Format SSD before proceeding

  1. Click on your SSD in Disk Utility
  2. Click on the + symbol above Volume to add a volume disk_utility_volume.png
  3. Enter a name for the volume, then click Size Options... button disk_utility_add_apfs.png
  4. If you plan on having more than 1 volume on your SSD, enter your Reserve Size and/or Quota Size (both values are optional) disk_utility_size_options.png
    • Reserve Size: Ensures that the amount of storage remains available for this volume
    • Quota Size: Limits how much storage the volume can allocate
  5. Click Add, then Done
  6. Repeat Steps 1 – 5 for each volume you want to create; in my case, I created 2 volumes: 1 for Backups and 1 for Games
  7. To view your newly created volumes, click on View, then Show Only Volumes

Games volume setup Games volume setup in Disk Utility

Backups volume setup Backups volume setup in Disk Utility

Setup Volumes

Make sure to complete ALL the steps in Create Volumes before proceeding

Backups: Time Machine

  1. Open System Settings
  2. Click General, then Time Machine settings_general_time_machine.png
  3. Click the + symbol settings_add_backup.png
  4. Select the volume you want to use as your backup device, then click Set Up Disk... settings_select_backup.png
  5. Customize it to your liking, then click Done settings_setup_disk.png
  6. It should now appear as one of the listed backup devices
  7. Click Options... for further customization, then click Done settings_time_machine_options.png

Now that it’s setup, you can use your device as backup. If you’re still in the Time Machine settings and want to immediately backup: right-click your backup device, then click Back Up to "<YOUR_DEVICE_NAME>" Now

Anytime you want to create a backup, click the Time Machine icon in your menubar, then click Back Up Now in the dropdown time_machine_menubar.png

Games: Steam

If you’re like me and want to save both Windows (played via WINE) AND Mac games to the SSD, you’ll want to create 2 separate folders in your volume. This is to avoid installation conflicts and other issues.

If this doesn’t apply to you, there’s no need to create 2 separate folders or follow the steps in this section. All you’d need to do is:

  1. Open Steam
  2. Navigate to Preferences (or Settings) > Storage
  3. Click + Add Drive
  4. Select your drive from the dropdown

If you’re interested in reading more about my WINE setup, check out Play Windows Games.

  1. Open Finder
  2. Click on the volume you want to save your games to, then create 2 folders: WindowsGames and MacGames finder_games.png
  3. Open the Mac Steam client, then open Settings (either with ⌘ + , or by clicking Steam > Preferences in the menubar)
  4. Click Storage steam_storage.png
  5. Navigate to your backup steam_storage_games.png
  6. Click the ... icon, then click Remove Library steam_storage_remove.png
  7. Quit Steam (either with ⌘ + Q, by clicking Steam > Quit Steam in the menubar, or right-click the Steam icon in the dock and click Quit)
  8. Reopen Finder and navigate to your drive
  9. Create a new steamapps folder inside BOTH MacGames AND WindowsGames
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2
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5

     .
 ├── MacGames/
 │   └── steamapps
 └── WindowsGames/
     └── steamapps
  10. Relaunch the Mac Steam client, open Settings (either with ⌘ + , or by clicking Steam > Preferences in the menubar), then click Storage
  11. Click + Add Drive steam_add_drive.png
  12. Select Let me choose another location from the dropdown, then click Add
  13. Navigate to your drive, select MacGames, then click Open steam_add_drive_select.png
  14. Quit Steam (either with ⌘ + Q, by clicking Steam > Quit Steam in the menubar, or right-click the Steam icon in the dock and click Quit)
  15. Open your Windows Steam client (e.g. via CrossOver, your own WINE setup, etc.)
  16. Click Steam > Settings win_steam_settings.png
  17. Navigate to Storage, then click + Add Drive
  18. Select Let me choose another location from the dropdown, then click Add
  19. Navigate to your drive, select WindowsGames, then click Open win_steam_select_drive.png

If everything’s setup properly, you should be able to install games into their respective drives!

Performance

WD_BLACK SN850X

Disk speed test Speed test performed with Blackmagic Disk Speed Test

OWC Express 1M2

40 Gb/s (original model)

Ideal for use with USB4 40Gb/s and USB-C 10Gb/s Mac and PC computers, iPads, and tablets.8

Connected To…Runs AsUp to Real-World Speed
Mac computers with Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3/M4USB4 (40Gb/s)3189MB/s
USB4 (40Gb/s) port on any PCUSB4 (40Gb/s)3836MB/s
Thunderbolt 4 port on any PCUSB4 (40Gb/s)3836MB/s
USB-C (10Gb/s) port on iPad, Mac, or PCUSB4 (10Gb/s)990MB/s

80 Gb/s

Specifically optimized for Thunderbolt 3/4/5 and USB4 80Gb/s computers.9

Connected To…Real-World Speed
USB4 80Gb/s or Thunderbolt 5 hostOver 6000MB/s
USB4 40Gb/s hostOver 3800MB/s
Thunderbolt 4 hostUp to 3800MB/s
Thunderbolt 3 host (Mac only)Up to 2800MB/s

References

  1. Choosing a Compatible NVMe SSD for your macOS Boot Drive ↩︎ ↩︎2

  2. Samsung refusing to acknowledge and replace 990 Pro SSD with rapid health drops [Update] ↩︎

  3. Samsung 990 Pro SSDs Report Rapid Health Degradation ↩︎

  4. Problem with S.M.A.R.T. health reading on Samsung 990 Pro 2TB SSD ↩︎

  5. Samsung 990 Pro 2TB lost 2% health in the space of a week after 1.8TB writes? (/r/BuildAPC) ↩︎

  6. Tweet by Neil Schofield ↩︎

  7. Samsung 990 Pro SSD firmware update should halt—but not reverse—rapid wear-out ↩︎

  8. Express 1M2 ↩︎

  9. Express 1M2 80G ↩︎

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This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.