Why I built my external SSD instead of buying a premade one


Summary

  • Traditional USB SSDs provide no upgrade path, which means you’re stuck at its initial speed and storage capacity.
  • M.2 enclosures offer easy upgrades, as simply replacing the enclosure can deliver faster transfer speeds, and swapping the SSD itself can increase your storage capacity.
  • Building a custom external SSD with an NVMe drive can save money, while still allowing for future upgrades, all without being difficult to assemble.

I wanted to move my Adobe Lightroom library to a portable SSD so I could use it on both my desktop and laptop. Instead of purchasing a pre-built SSD, I built my own for a fraction of the cost (and I can upgrade it later if I need to).

USB SSDs are an easy solution, for sure

But they offer no upgrade path

Typically, when one thinks of a USB SSD, pre-built models are the first thing that come to mind. Models like the Samsung T7 Shield, Crucial X10 Pro, and others are what I normally think of when imagining a USB SSD.

However, these are far too often actually way more limiting than you’d expect. While great if you want a simple solution, there’s no upgrade path. If you buy a drive that’s USB 3.2 10Gb/s, then you’ll always be stuck at that speed. If you buy a 1TB drive, you’ll always be stuck with that amount of storage.

This might be fine for many people, but it’s not for me. While, yes, I do have a few of these style of drives (500GB portable SSDs that I purchased nearly a decade ago), when I was recently looking to pick up a drive to use for my photos, I wanted to go a different route. 500GB wouldn’t have been enough for what I wanted, and I also wanted to have the ability to upgrade the drive in the future, be that a higher capacity or faster read and write speeds.

USB M.2 enclosures make it easy to upgrade your drive

Plus, they’re not that expensive

In recent years, SSDs have gotten really fast. M.2 SSDs can now hit transfer speeds of 14GB/s (or more) with PCIe 5.0. That’s insane. USB, on the other hand, can only dream of speeds that fast. That’s where M.2 enclosures come in.

When I set out to look for a way to get portable storage for my Lightroom library, I was about to pull the trigger on a 1TB external SSD like many would think of doing. However, I remembered that I had a few spare 1TB NVMe drives (a perk of being a PC builder for years) and realized I could just get an enclosure to repurpose that old drive. It only cost $15 on sale to get a USB enclosure instead of spending $100 on an external SSD. Not only did I save some money by reusing hardware I already owned, but it also left me with the ability to upgrade in the future.

UGREEN M.2 NVMe SSD USB-C Enclosure with WD_BLACK SN750 SSD Inside Sitting on a MacBook. Credit: Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek

You see, instead of being stuck to one transfer speed cap like I would be with a pre-built external SSD, I can just swap out the enclosure for one that uses a different standard, like USB4, Thunderbolt 4, or even the incoming Thunderbolt 5, and keep my same 1TB drive if I need faster transfer speeds in the future. Or, I could just take and swap the 1TB drive out for a 2TB, 4TB, or even 8TB NVMe drive down the line if I need more storage — which can sometimes be quite a bit cheaper than buying yet another pre-built external SSD.

UGREEN M.2 USB Enclosure

Speed

10Gbit

Connection

USB-C

Portable

Yes

The UGREEN M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure is perfect for assembling your own USB SSD at home. It offers 10Gbps transfer rates over USB 3.2 Gen 2, and accepts both M and M&B key M.2 PCIe SSDs. With a USB-C interface, it’ll easily hook into your desktop or laptop to provide you with fast portable storage anywhere you go.



Give it a shot, you won’t regret it

At the end of the day, building my own external SSD saved me quite a bit of cash. Plus, it will allow me to upgrade either part of the storage drive in the future with relative ease. Building my own drive checked all my boxes, including price, which I wasn’t expecting when I set out to migrate my Lightroom library.

Whether you have spare NVMe drives lying around, or you’re purchasing new, I recommend building your own portable SSD instead of buying a pre-built one. Typically, there’s only one or two screws required, and you will have far more flexibility down the road too.



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Recent Reviews


What streaming platform do you think of when you hear the term “comfort shows?” There are plenty of great comfort shows over on Netflix, or maybe available with an HBO Max subscription. But for me, I always think of Peacock.

With a Peacock subscription, there are so many options for classic comfort shows that will no doubt make your day—and provide you with that comfy need that we all so desperately crave. Here are seven that you must check out.

The Office

A classic comedy

Dwight in The Office. Credit: NBC

I mean, you knew it was going to be on here, don’t lie.​​​​​​​

The Office was a nine-season sitcom that took the world by storm. Starring Steve Carell as Michael Scott, this iconic workplace comedy follows the professional and personal lives of workers at a paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

I think The Office is a show that defines the word “comfort.” Anytime I ask people what they usually put on in the background, The Office is always the first choice because it’s easy to follow, has characters you want to root for, and is so freaking funny (even if some of those jokes have not aged well all these years later). It’s certainly worth a shot

Parks And Recreation

Amy Poehler is the best

Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation speaking to a camera Credit: NBC

Another great comfort show that also happens to come from the same developer of the U.S. version of The Office (the wonderful Greg Daniels), Parks and Recreation is a sitcom mainly about Leslie Knope, a mid-level bureaucrat who is trying to improve her home in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, in the Parks and Recreation department.

The series is extremely well-received and has some huge stars attached, including Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Adam Scott, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, and more. With seven seasons and one hundred and twenty-six episodes, you’re in for a long binge.​​​​​​​

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The laughs go on and on

b99.jpg
Andy dressed asAndy Samberg as Jake Peralta with his arm around Eva Longoria as Sophia Perez in Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is one of those shows that I think everyone has seen at least one episode of, just because it’s so funny. The main premise of the series follows the lives of police officers, detectives, and others in a fictional police precinct in New York, specifically in Brooklyn.

This series was a hit for NBC, and while it did move to another streaming platform towards the end of its run, it is a beloved comedy perfect for a weekend of comfy watching. Not only that, but the stars—Andy Samberg, Terry Crews, and more—have some of the best chemistry out there and will, no doubt, make you laugh out loud.

Everybody Loves Raymond

Who doesn’t love an Italian Long Island-er?

Ray Romano in Everybody Loves Raymond Credit: CBS

You better believe I put Everybody Loves Raymond on here—because everyone loves it!

This late 1990s-early 2000s sitcom stars Ray Romano as Ray Barone, an Italian-American who lives on Long Island and has made it as a successful sports writer. It tells the story of his family and how he deals with the drama, juggling his wife, his neighbors, and more.​​​​​​​


The Simpsons on Disney+ on a 4K TV in a green living room.


The 5 Most Popular Comfort Shows and Where to Stream Them

Switch on these shows when you want to switch off.

I genuinely cannot think of another television show I have seen more often over the last couple of decades than this, and the number of reruns is astronomical. With nine seasons, Everybody Loves Raymond is the type of binge you don’t want to miss.​​​​​​​

Modern Family

A series anyone can relate to

Claire and Phil Dunphy in Modern Family Credit: ABC

Now this is my kind of comfort show. Modern Family—and all eleven of its seasons—is available to stream on Peacock.

This groundbreaking sitcom tells the stories of three diverse families in the suburbs of Los Angeles and how their lives intersect. But it’s so much more than that. The comedy is hysterical, and yet each episode finds a new way to tug at your heartstrings.

Not only that, but it’s also just a genuinely relatable show for modern-day parents, and I’m not just saying that because of the name. It touches on both funny topics and social issues, making it a really well-done series. There’s a reason why there were so many Emmys thrown at this series.

That ‘70s Show

So much smoke—and friends!

Topher Grace on That '70s Show. Credit: Fox

For some reason, That ‘70s Show was the series I was obsessed with as a kid. And honestly, it’s a vibe, even now. The series mainly follows six teenagers in Wisconsin between 1976 and 1979 as they come of age, experience growing pains, and learn to come into their own while also smoking the devil’s lettuce, if you know what I mean.

On a real note, That ‘70s Show is a hilarious series with great performances from Topher Grace, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Wilmer Valderrama, and so many more. This series has been with me on my good days and bad, and while its little successor, That ‘90s Show, on Netflix is a fun one, nothing compares to the original. You’re missing out if haven’t had the chance to sit down and watch the whole show.

Saturday Night Live

Laughs and more

Bill Hader and Ben Affleck in Saturday Night Live Credit: NBC

OK, so hear me out.

I know, when it comes to comfort shows, we honestly do think sitcoms are cute, but I think Saturday Night Live falls into that category. Why? Because it’s one of those shows that you can put on in the background and just chill.

It’s not something that’s heavily serialized or has any real plot to follow. It’s just funny sketches and enjoyable music performances. That’s it. And with the number of seasons that are available to watch on Peacock, you can’t really get better than this.


Peacock is such a great subscription service, and honestly, it just makes me want to rewatch each of these awesome shows. What are you looking forward to watching on a comfy weekend?

peacock thumbnail

Subscription with ads

Yes, $8/month

Simultaneous streams

3




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