review XPG SX6000Pro NVME + QNINE M-key usb enclosure

givingtnt · November 28, 2019

For the longest of times, I have been on the search of the perfect usb drive. Something with capacity for my enormous college projects as well as speed.
USB 3.0 sticks have the speed (sort of) and external hdds have the capacity..
But what about NVME M.2 ssds ? Sure.. but they always have that one thing I hate about external hdds.. that darn cable !
Not when you combine the power of the XPG SX600 Pro with the ingenuity of QNINE's M-Key USB enclosure !

Level1Techs version of this review

Part 1: Why ???

To put it simply, I HATE cables. I know, that's a strong word... But when you've been breaking and losing them like I have, it's justified .
Also, the price was the same, so like.. why not

Now, for the past 2 years of college, I've been rocking this great little 128gb @Corsair Nick Voyager slider X1.
It's been working flawlessly until I broke it myself. (and ok, the file transfer abuse was also my fault). It still works.. but it near the end of its life.
So I found a replacement

Part 2: How ???
To put it simply, it's a giant USB drive.
To put it how it should, it's not. It's a full size NVME M.2 2280 SSD inside an aluminium enclosure, strapped to a usb port.
It barely interacts with windows like a normal drive lol.

Part 3: So, is it any good ?
Honestly, yeah ! But there are some caveats..

Is it NVME fast ? Of course not ! Does it get hot and burn your hand when under load ? YOU BET !
But honestly, I can put that aside. If anything, this has started more conversation than anything with literally anyone. No one seems to know what it is, and everyone gives me that awkward chuckle like they understand a word of what I say when I explain what it is. I quite enjoy it

Furthermore, after a few months with it (I purchased both items during this summer's Amazon prime day) I can tell you that it's been a great thing to have. Currently, I sit at 202gb out of 476. I never had issues with corrupted files or had any real issues with heat.

One issue that I do have every so often however, is that the device won't be detected by Windows. Most of the time on a Mac or Linux machine all is good, but for some reason it takes two, sometimes three attempts for windows to detect the drive. I'm not sure if that's to do with the configuration of the ssd or the enclosure, but honestly, I can live with it.

The aluminium construction is decent, the thermal pads it comes with are plenty (I actually had over double the length left over). Though they are a bit thick.
Overall, would I recommend this ?
Heck no. I mean, sure it's quick, has lots of capacity and can be tossed around without worry. However it's a bit expensive for the performance you ultimately don't gain.
So unless you want something funny looking and it's cheap because of a sale, I say don't bother.

Thanks for reading, please let me know what you thought !
More reviews to come