OWC Envoy Pro SX SSD Review

The OWC Envoy Pro SX is another in OWC’s lengthy line of portable NVMe M.2 SSDs. Due to its speedy interface (support for both Thunderbolt 3 and USB4), this bus-powered mobile drive is ideal for a range of different use cases, including media storage, general backups, and on-set editing. The Envoy Pro SX also can be used as a secondary boot drive for a Mac and even as a portable Steam games library device. It comes in capacities ranging from 240GB to 2TB and features the Intel JHL6340 Thunderbolt 3 Controller, the latter which was launched back in 2016.

The OWC Envoy Pro SX is another in OWC’s lengthy line of portable NVMe M.2 SSDs. Due to its speedy interface (support for both Thunderbolt 3 and USB4), this bus-powered mobile drive is ideal for a range of different use cases, including media storage, general backups, and on-set editing. The Envoy Pro SX also can be used as a secondary boot drive for a Mac and even as a portable Steam games library device. It comes in capacities ranging from 240GB to 2TB and features the Intel JHL6340 Thunderbolt 3 Controller, the latter which was launched back in 2016.

The Envoy Pro SX is quoted to deliver real-world performance speeds up to (roughly) 2,800MB/s read and 2000MB/s write. To keep everything running smoothly, OWC has designed their portable drive with grooved fins to act as a heat sink, which runs along the black aluminum chassis. OWC has always released storage solutions with very impressive enclosure designs, and this super sturdy chunk of metal is no exception, moving heat very effectively.

Envoy Pro SX is compatible with macOS and Windows built-in encryption, allowing users to add password security while supporting backups via Time Machine, File History, or OWC Acronis True Image OEM.

Supported by a 3-year warranty, the OWC Envoy Pro SX goes for roughly $180 (240GB), $230 (480GB), $300 (1TB), $480 (2TB).

OWC Envoy Pro SX Specifications

OWC Envoy Pro SX Design and Build

As mentioned, OWC is known for its enclosure builds. As such, the Envoy Pro SX sports a nice matte black aluminum chassis with grooved fins around the perimeter of the drive, which acts as a heat sink. Weighing in roughly a half-pound, it’s a fairly compact device measuring in at 0.6 inches, 4.5 inches, and 2.8 inches for height, length, and width, respectively. This makes it around a third smaller than its predecessor, the Envoy Pro EX.

Though small, this is a very rugged-feeling device. It’s also dust, drop, and waterproof certified, though scratches will likely appear if you are a bit too rough with it.

We also loved non-skid rubber feet on the bottom side of the device, which helps hold the drive in place so it won’t easily slide around your desk area when accidentally tugged or nudged.

On the front of the portable drive are the OWC branding and the product name, while the USB-C/Thunderbolt port is located on the top side of the device. Two LEDs are located at the bottom panel, which indicate power and activity status.

OWC Envoy Pro FX Performance

To gauge the performance of the OWC Envoy Pro SX, we tested it via Blackmagic software and IOMeter, both on a Lenovo P520. We compared it to the following other OWC portables we recently reviewed:

• OWC Envoy Pro FX
• OWC Envoy Pro Elektron (Blackmagic only)

Note that because Envoy Pro SX is mostly targeted to creative professionals. We are just comparing drives these drives in particular so you can get a sense of which of the Envoy models best fits your needs.

For Blackmagic, the Envoy Pro SX saw 2,217MB/s read and 984.6MB/s write. In comparison, the Envoy Pro FX hit 948.5MB/s read and 956MB/s write, while the Envoy Pro Elektron recorded similar results with 905.2MB/s read and 946.1MB/s.

Moving on to IOMeter, we measured both 1 and 4 thread, the latter which is a higher load that pushes the SSDs harder. Looking at 1-thread performance, the Envoy Pro SX saw 1.74GB/s read and 848MB/s write in 2MB sequential. In 2MB random, the new OWC portable drive hit 1.77GB/s read and 917.8MB/s write. With 4K random, the Pro SX hit 9,625 IOPS read and 973 IOPS write.

For the Envoy Pro FX, we saw 923.1MB/s read and 874.9MB/s write in 2MB sequential. In 2MB random, the OWC portable drive hit 804.4MB/s read and 881.2MB/s write. With 4K random, it recorded 8,687 IOPS read and 18,414 IOPS write.

Here is a table of how both Envoy drives fared in 1-thread performance:

In 4-thread performance, the Pro SX recorded 1.68.3GB/s read and 1.18GB/s write in 2MB sequential. In 2MB random, the OWC portable drive hit 1.93GB/s read and 1.17GB/s write, while 4K random performance showed 35,830 IOPS read and 1,125 IOPS write.

For the Envoy Pro FX, it recorded 1.03GB/s read and 1.04GB/s write in 2MB sequential. In 2MB random, the OWC portable drive hit 975.4MB/s read and 1.04GB/s write, while 4K random performance showed 36,127 IOPS read and 72,037 IOPS write.

Here is a table of how both Envoy drives fared in 4-thread performance:

Conclusion

The Envoy Pro SX is the latest addition to OWC’s performance-driven line of portable SSDs. It’s highlighted by its dual interface (USB 4 and Thunderbolt 3) and rugged design, the latter of which features grooved fins that surround the black aluminum chassis, helping to dissipate the heat. The Pro SX is also fully compatible with both macOS and Windows built-in encryption, which means you can easily secure important data via password security.

All of this combined makes the Pro SX an extremely flexible external storage solution across different platforms. Use cases are thus numerous, which include anywhere from on-set editing directly from the drive itself to storing all types of games from your Steam library (even resource-intensive titles).

For performance, we ran Blackmagic and IOMeter where it showed great overall results, especially in read activity. In Blackmagic, we saw 2,217MB/s read and 984.6MB/s write. For IOMeter, .74GB/s read and 848MB/s write in 2MB sequential. In 2MB random, the new OWC portable drive hit 1.77GB/s read and 917.8MB/s write. With 4K random, the Pro SX hit 9,625 IOPS read and 973 IOPS write.

In 4-thread performance, the Pro SX recorded 1.68.3GB/s read and 1.18GB/s write in 2MB sequential. In 2MB random, the OWC portable drive hit 1.93GB/s read and 1.17GB/s write, while 4K random performance showed 35,830 IOPS read and 1,125 IOPS write.

Overall, the Envoy Pro SX is another great portable device from OWC. Its unique design and high-quality enclosure allow the device to stay cooler than most under tough workloads (just like the Envoy FX) while hitting some great performance numbers via the speedy NVMe interface. Coupling this with its cross-platform compatibility makes this a great portable SSD solution for a wide range of high-end applications.

OWC Envoy Pro SX Product Page

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