Shell NVMe SSD Enclosure (0GB) with Active Cooling for USB - Portable SSD Enclosure for M.2 to USB-C and M.2 to USB 3.1 with Whisper-Quiet Fan

I got the Fledging Shell to host my Photo Library and Catalogs while at home and on the go. Installing the NVMe was an easy task and transfer speeds are maxing out close to 1GB/s using USB-C (if you need even more speed, you need to go for their Thunderbolt 3 enclosure). It is surprisingly small, looks well machined and nicely designed. Using aluminum was definitely a smart choice. SSD's can become very hot these days and effective cooling is indispensable. There is only one small caveat. The integrated fan spins all the time (not when there is no activity on the SSD though), so there will be some noise. However, there is a workaround solution if you contact customer support. Overall, I am very happy with it.

It doesn’t work with USB 3.0 interface (MacBook 2015). Works fine with MacBook 2017 and a new ASUS B-360I gaming board but the speed is not impressive.The fan is noisy but the enclosure still gets hot (using EVO 1Tb). The cables provided are very stiff. The USB-C one too long.Edit: turns out none of the enclosures work with my model of MacBook 12” 2015. One specifically described as supporting USB 3.0 doesn’t even mount. The problem is an inability to write v large files like 200G for backup. All work with newer models and even w older PC boards. Changed rating to neutral (3 stars). Seller very supportive.

The positives: Worked great with a PM891 drive. Active cooling means the drive stays pretty cool to the touch. (The fan is also voltage controlled.)The negatives:-The screws that came with it, don't seem to fit the top lid.. so it rattles around... They're about 1mm too long. Also mine is missing a screw.-The fan when idle, is loud, when it's running at full blast, it's crazy loud... I sort of want to rip the thing out, and use a proper Noctua fan.. it's 30x30x4 mm.. a weird dimension, and it blows air to the side.-The thermal paste underneath, and the stuff provided is very very cheap. No FujiPoly pads here. :(-The support email doesn't seem to notice support requests, so basically 90 day warranty on this thing...Overall, I think there are better products out there.

Very easy to install an SSD I had on hand. The metal build quality is really nice. Includes short cables for both new USB C and older USB connectors. One confusing thing were the extra items included in the box not mentioned in the instructions including a red rubber band? Huh? Oh well, highly recommended!

I use this with a Samsung EVO 970 (MZ-V7E1T0BW) and the speed is really amazing: the full 1GB/second sustained read and write (which is all the enclosure promises; the Samsung SSD is rated for higher speeds), and that's using it as an encrypted drive in Mac OS. I also like the small, attractive form factor.I was initially confused about assembly since, as others have noted, there aren't really any instructions. There's a blue thermal pad that seemed to be too thick to attach the lid of the enclosure. What threw me was that one side of the lid is recessed to allow room. In hindsight it's obvious, but out of the box the recessed side was facing up and I mistakenly thought that was what final assembly should look like. A dumb mistake on my part that would have been easily resolved with some instructions.I appreciated that the empty shell I purchased comes with both USB cables (USB-C and USB). I'm really impressed with this device.

UPDATE: Added another star for quick customer service response Fledging stated that TRIM does function on SSD's in the Shell enclosure.Also Max, Fledging, contacted me immediately regarding the missing USB 3.1 Type C to Type C cable.I will update again when recieved.It is a very nice low heat unit. The fan operates intermittently when the unit is being accessed. Very low noise.Works best/fastest on a USB Type C 3.1 connection, vs USB 3., Type A conx.

Well made and easy to use. Highly recommend!

Great marketing, good design, but weak execution.1) No installation instructions. Like not on paper, not at their website, not on YouTube. Really?2) Benchmark with included USB-C-to-USB-A cable. 40 GB/s. Huh?! Swap cables with a SanDisk Portable SSD cable. 420 MB/s. Try multiple times, multiple ways. Same result. Weirdly, it eventually started working correctly. Never had this issue with this computer before with any other device, so probably some minor defect in the Fledging cable.Testing with 10Gbps USB-C more than doubled speed (with no cable problems) to > 940 GB/s. Cool!The internal fan is barely audible. (Didn't test cooling with extended torture testing.)Fix these two issues, and it's a great product. Leave them unfixed, and it's weaker than expected.