OWC Thunderbolt 5 SSD gets first review, and yes, it can reach 48Gbps — making it the fastest single-drive portable SSD that you can buy

Great performance and pricing make the Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 portable SSD an attractive choice

News By Ross Kelly published 12 November 2024

• The Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 is easily transportable
• The new SSD offers 2x transfer speeds on previous models
• Initial testing shows OWC's Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 boasts top performance

The first reviews of OWC's new external SSD with built-in Thunderbolt 5 connectivity show promising capabilities for users.

The Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 portable SSD, which comes in 2TB and 4TB formats, offers ultra-fast transfer speeds of up to 6,000MB/s, marking a significant improvement on previous iterations.

All told, the new portable SSD offers transfer speeds up to two-times faster than Thunderbolt 4, the company revealed.

Envoy Ultra Thunderbolt 5 SSD: What you need to know

In a statement at launch, OWC founder and CEO Larry O’Connor said Thunderbolt 5 technology “sets a new standard for performance and simple connectivity” and will provide huge performance benefits for enterprise users and professionals.

Boasting a Thunderbolt 5 interface, the new SSD from OWC offers bidirectional bandwidth of up to 80Gbps, equivalent to 10,000MB/s, at the high end of the scale.

The SSD can also support dual 8K monitors alongside 240W charging options.

Versatility is a key talking point for the new SSD, according to OWC, as it works with Macs, PCs, iPad Pros, Chromebooks, and Surface devices. Similarly, the SSD is dustproof, waterproof, and shockproof, meaning users can transport it easily while reducing the potential risk for damage.

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