Netstor Thunderbolt 3 enclosure for 4 M.2 NVMe SSDs

Netstor NA622TB3 Thunderbolt 3 four-slot M.2 NVMe SSD storage

The Netstor NA622TB3 holds up to four M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs in a light aluminum enclosure and connects them to Mac or Windows computers over Thunderbolt 3 at 40 Gbps, with data rates up to 2750 MB/s. Netstor describes it as the first Thunderbolt 3 external M.2 SSD storage with a built-in PCIe Gen3 switch, which gives each M.2 slot PCIe 3.0 x2 bandwidth of up to 1600 MB/s.

Each SSD can be an individual volume, pairs can be grouped in RAID 0 or 1, or all four in RAID 0, all managed by the operating system. Front LEDs show the status of each SSD, the internal 120 W power supply has enough headroom even for four high-power 2280 or 22110 SSDs, and the Thunderbolt 3 ports provide 15 W USB Power Delivery. SSDs are sold separately.

Key features

• Four M.2 M key slots for PCIe NVMe SSDs (2242, 2260, 2280, 22110)
• Built-in PCIe Gen3 switch: up to 1600 MB/s (PCIe 3.0 x2) per slot
• Thunderbolt 3 at 40 Gbps, data rates up to 2750 MB/s
• Individual volumes, RAID 0/1 pairs or a four-SSD RAID 0 created by the operating system
• Individual front LED indicator for each M.2 SSD
• Built-in 120 W power supply
• USB Power Delivery 15 W on the Thunderbolt 3 ports
• Three-level variable-speed fan cooling, selectable to suit the working environment
• Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports for daisy-chaining up to 6 devices

Compatibility

• macOS High Sierra 10.13 or later, on Apple silicon (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra) or Intel Macs
• Windows 8 and Windows 10
• M.2 NVMe SSDs in 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110 sizes; on Windows all standard M.2 NVMe SSDs work, for macOS Netstor publishes a list of tested SSDs on the product page
• Boot disk: supported on macOS 10.13 or later with a single, non-RAID NVMe SSD; not supported on Windows

Notes

• NVMe SSDs are not included.
• PCIe 4.0 SSDs work, but their speed is limited to about 2750 MB/s by the PCIe 3.0 bandwidth of Thunderbolt 3. For the Samsung 970 EVO Plus on macOS, Netstor recommends updating the SSD to the latest Samsung firmware.
• Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 run at the same 40 Gbps: according to Netstor, this Thunderbolt 3 unit can be connected to either a Thunderbolt 3 or a Thunderbolt 4 port on the host computer.
• Performance figures are from Netstor; actual performance may vary with system hardware and configuration.

Specifications

• Host interface: dual Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports for host connection and daisy-chain, 40 Gbps, compatible with Thunderbolt 4 host ports
• Data transfer rate: 40 Gbps
• NVMe interface: four M.2 x4 M key slots (four PCIe 3.0 x2 electrical)
• Supported SSDs: 2242 / 2260 / 2280 / 22110 PCIe NVMe
• RAID mode: JBOD (RAID 0 or 1 provided by the operating system)
• LEDs: standby orange, power on blue, NVMe access flashing white
• Power supply: internal 120 W, AC input 100-240 V 50-60 Hz
• Cooling: two 45 x 45 x 12 mm blower fans
• Daisy-chain of up to 6 Thunderbolt devices
• Dimensions: 220 (D) x 195 (W) x 46 (H) mm
• Weight: 1.5 kg
• Housing: aluminum
• Environment: operating 0 to 40 °C, storage -10 to 50 °C, relative humidity 20-80% non-condensing

In the box

• Enclosure
• Thunderbolt 3 40 Gbps cable, 0.5 m
• Power cord