Review: OWC Envoy Pro FX SSD 480GB – The Faster Monster

My product from OWC provided for this review included the SSD with 480GB, a Thunderbolt 3 cable, an Acronis license, and an adapter from TB3 to USB-A (type-A adapter).

The SSD comes in a compact and stable packaging. The SSD itself is embedded again in a foam.

The OWC Envoy Pro FX is available in various sizes from 240 GB to 2TB memory. It can be used on Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS or iPadOS.

The chassis:

The SSD was installed in a high-quality, charcoal, grey aluminium chassis with optical vents (fanless, heat dissipating).

With a weight of 244g, the Envoy Pro FX is not exactly a lightweight.

In my opinion, however, the weight gives her a very solid overall impression. The chassis measures 7cm x 1.6cm x 11.4cm (W/H/D).

There is an LED on the front that indicates the status of the SSD, the USB3.2/TB3 port is installed on the back.

The initial setup (using with a Mac):

The SSD is connected to the MacBook Pro via the included Thunderbolt 3 cable. After connecting, the included and preinstalled OWC setup app will open with which the SSD can be set up.

After starting the app, you will be guided automatically through the setup menu.

When setting up the SSD, you can choose between the formats APFS, Hfs+, exFAT or even “manually set up”.

According to the manufacturer, the SSD should be able to transmit data with up to 2800 MB/s or 10GB/s via a USB Type-C connection. The following average transfer rates were found in the own test with Blackmagic Disc Speedtest and a MacBook Pro 2016 with 4 TB3 ports

Disk Speedtest

Write: 1616 MB/s

Read: 2214 MB/s

The following self-measured values were obtained when transferring your own files directly (including, for example, files with a size of 1.5 GB and 6 GB):

Write 1.5GB on SSD in 2.21s

Read 1.5GB of SSD in 1.84s

Write 6GB on SSD in 5.3s

Read 6GB of SSD in 4.97s

Works perfectly for:

• Photo, video, and document storage
• Backups via Time Machine or File History
• Secondary/portable OS boot drive
• On-set project drive for editing dailies
• Multi-angled camera editing
• Image editing in Affinity Photo and Adobe Photoshop
• Utilizing large sample libraries within audio projects 
• A portable Steam games library

Design:

The chassis looks very stable and high-quality. It’s protected against dust, water resistant, as well as against drop.

Power supply:

The power is powered by bus via Thunderbolt or USB.

Protection:

Protect client project files or personal information with ease. The Envoy Pro FX is fully compatible with macOS and Windows built-in encryption, so you can add password security to your data whenever you need it. Maximum compatibility. Total peace of mind… only from OWC. Your data is protected by MIL-STD810G certified military-level drop toughness.

Result:

The SSD is whisper-quiet in standby as well as when used. A dream when asked me. I couldn’t detect heating the chassis during my use.

OWC gives a 3-year warranty on its SSD. The promise inspires confidence in me that the SSD will work smoothly even after thousands of writes and reads.

I haven’t subjected the Envoy Pro FX to a drop test yet. However, if it ever falls down, I will add the article to this.

All in all, the OWC Envoy Pro FX is a well-functioning, ultra-fast and above all, quiet SSD with excellent reading and writing rates.

If you are looking for an SSD to move data between tablet and computer quickly and easily every day, you are well equipped with this SSD. Plug and play was yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Price and Availability:

The price for the 480 GB version in the OWC online store is just $269 at the time of release this article. 

A reasonable price for the quality and performance offered.

Visit the European store here: https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-envoy-pro-fx