Samsung X5
Score: 86/100
OWC Envoy Ultra 8TB
Score: 87/100Rankings
The OWC 8TB Envoy Ultra is a bus-powered Thunderbolt 5 enclosure delivering over 6000 MB/s speeds in an IP67-rated aluminum chassis. Its ultra-high performance comes at a premium price and may not reach full speeds on older Thunderbolt 3 hosts. It is best suited for professional creators requiring massive, ultra-fast portable storage.
The Samsung X5 Portable SSD 2TB delivers Thunderbolt 3 performance with up to 2,800 MB/s read speeds and a rugged magnesium-alloy chassis. Its need for a Thunderbolt 3 port and premium price limit its appeal to non-professional users. Ideal for creators who require top-tier speed and durability.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
2 GB | 8,000 GBbest | |
2,800 MB/s | 6,000 MB/sbest | |
2,300 MB/sbest | — | |
| ↓ lower better | 150 gbest | 326.6 g |
3 years | 5 yearsbest | |
2 mbest | — |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
General(1) | ||
Warranty (years) | 3 years | 5 years |
Connectivity(2) | ||
Interface | Thunderbolt 3 | Thunderbolt 5 |
OS Compatibility | macOS 10.2+, Windows 10+ | Mac, Windows PC, iPad Pro, Chromebook, Surface |
Build & Design(2) | ||
Weight (g) | 150 g | 326.6 g |
Enclosure Material | Magnesium alloy | Aluminum |
Accessories(1) | ||
Included Accessories | Integrated cable | OWC 8TB Envoy Ultra SSD enclosure with integrated captive Thunderbolt 5 cable, Limited 5-year manufacturer warranty documentation |
Storage(2) | ||
Capacity (GB) | 2 GB | 8000 GB |
NAND Type | TLC | NVMe |
Performance(1) | ||
Sequential Read Speed (MB/s) | 2800 MB/s | 6000 MB/s |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers overwhelmingly praise the X5 for its blistering real-world performance, noting read speeds around 2.5 GB/s and write speeds over 2 GB/s that closely match the advertised figures. They highlight the dramatic speed advantage over the T5 and USB-based competitors, the ability to transfer large 4K video files in seconds, and the rugged magnesium-alloy build with 6-foot drop resistance. However, they also point out the mandatory Thunderbolt 3 interface, lack of macOS firmware support, larger footprint, and high price as notable drawbacks that limit its appeal to users without Thunderbolt ports or tight budgets.
Professional reviewers praise the Envoy Ultra as a groundbreaking portable SSD, calling it insanely fast and the largest in its class. They highlight its bus-powered 6000 MB/s performance, IP67 ruggedness, silent fanless design, and integrated cable as key advantages for creative workflows, noting it enables previously impractical high-bandwidth tasks on Thunderbolt 5 systems.
No direct consumer reviews or ratings are available yet, as the product was only recently announced, so everyday user sentiment is not documented.
