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TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus Enclosure: 30-second review
Considering the compact size of an M.2 SSD drive, the size of the TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus is far larger than most M.2 enclosures, and this is down to the functional design that offers huge amounts of passive cooling.
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen an enclosure of this style where passive cooling has been used rather than a fan system, and once again, that creates a quiet yet extremely robust portable SSD. The design lends itself to use by any jobbing photographer or videographer who requires fast data storage for archiving or at the speed made possible here for editing 4K or even 8K video and high-resolution imagery.
Getting started with the drive is straightforward enough, with a single screw holding the top plate in place, and TerraMaster have included a small screwdriver in the box so that you don’t have to go hunting around for your own. SSD installation is quick, with a single screw holding the M.2 SSD stick in place, and then on the lid, there’s a thermal pad that sits on top of the SSD to ensure maximum heat transfer.
Once everything is screwed back together, you can just plug in your USB cable and directly link into your computer. Through this test, I used the drive formatted in the exFAT format on both Mac and PC to test out the variety of performance, and in both situations, the speeds were extremely impressive, with both macOS and Windows 11 able to put in read speeds of over 3000 MB/s. However, the write speeds were considerably lower, averaging around the 2000 MB/s mark on macOS and just over the 1000 MB/s mark on Windows 11 home.
What was surprising, however, was when I left the benchmarking software to run solidly for an hour; performance remained much the same, and whilst the drive itself was warm to the touch, the design of the enclosure did its job at keeping the drive exceptionally cool.
This all adds up to a portable SSD that is perfect for a videographer or photographer looking for fast storage, not only to archive images and video but also to enable them to expand storage to edit footage and pictures whilst out on the road. As there are no internal fans to keep everything cool and all is done through the passive heat dissipation made possible by the design, the drive runs without any noise, so no distractions as you are editing video.
There’s a lot more to say about why this drive is actually so good, but suffice it to say if you’re working in the creative sector and you need a portable SSD to maximise the potential of your USB4 ports, then this is an absolutely superb option, enabling you, with the right SSD installed, to keep up with the demands of your applications. It is a bit of a shame that the write speeds do drop, but when it comes to overall performance, it should be more than fast enough to keep up with video editing in Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro X.
TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus Enclosure Price & availability
- How much does it cost? $109 / £109
- When is it out? Now
- Where can you get it? Widely available
The TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus is widely available, with the enclosure available for $110/£110, which includes the enclosure, short USB4 cable, thermal pad and a fabric bag to keep the drive safe. At present, the drive is available from TerraMaster’s website, Amazon and Newegg.
TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus Enclosure: Design
Specifications
Controller: USB4
Storage: M.2 NVMe 2280 (user provided)
Front Ports: USB-C (40 Gbps)
Connectivity: USB4, Thunderbolt 4/3, USB 3.x
Size: 112.5 x 60 x 33 mm
Weight: 246 g (No SSD)
Accessories: Screwdriver, captive screw, USB-C cable
This is far from the first all-aluminium heatsink-designed portable SSD enclosure that I’ve seen, but it is one of the larger options out there, and with the fin design looking like a standard CPU or RAM heatsink, it gives you confidence that it’s going to draw the heat away from the SSD efficiency to keep the drive cool even under heavy loads.
One of the main advantages of having an enclosure of this style is that it doesn’t include any fans, and without fans, there is no noise. So if you are editing video, for instance, then having silent running storage and machines is a huge advantage, as you won’t be trying to correct audio issues and background noise that doesn’t actually exist. For many of us, just a purely quiet environment when we’re working helps us focus on what we’re doing rather than being irritated by the low background hum of cooling fans.
Whilst the drive is slightly larger than some of the other drives that I’ve seen with this style and design, it is still relatively compact, measuring in at 112.5 x 60 x 33 mm and weighing 246 g before an SSD is popped inside.
Because the body is made from aluminium, it’s good in terms of robustness, so whilst it comes with its own little carry case, I wouldn’t be too worried if it’s just thrown into a bag. It feels more than robust enough to survive a small knock or two.
On the exterior of the drive, there is really just the fin design of the heatsink. Otherwise, at one end, you have the TerraMaster logo, and the other end has a small status light and the USB4 port.
If you look between the fins, you’ll also see a small screw that enables you to unbolt the top cover so that you can access the inner circuit board to slot in your M.2 drive. Installation of an M.2 should only take you a couple of minutes, and there really is nothing tricky here, simply undo the two screws (one for the case, one for the M.2 holder), pop in the drive, screw it back together, and you’re set to go.
On first plugging the drive into your machine, you might need to reformat the SSD. In the case of this review, I formatted it to the exFAT file system so that it’s compatible with both Mac and PC systems. However, if you’re going to use it on PC, then I’d recommend formatting NTFS, whilst on Mac, APFS is probably the best bet.
To make the connection to your Mac or PC, all you need to do is plug in the USB4 cable once again, provided in the box. This will plug directly into your laptop’s USB-C port or Thunderbolt port. In this review, I’ve used a MacBook Pro M1 Max and an Asus Prime Z890-P motherboard equipped with USB4 and Thunderbolt 5 for good measure.
TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus Enclosure: Features
This drive has been designed to be used by creators or users who demand absolute speed and reliability from their portable drives. As such, whilst it does feature the USB4 interface enabling transfer rates up to 40 Gbps, the design of the enclosure has been developed to look both aesthetically appealing and be functional, essentially helpping to dissipate the heat from the SSD without the need for internal fans.
The fact that the enclosure disperses heat and runs silently is of course a nice feature, and as there are no moving parts, there’s nothing really to break, making it extremely robust, although it isn’t waterproof.
When it comes to compatible disks, I’ve put in a Samsung 9100 Pro, but essentially any PCIe NVMe M.2 2280 SSD will fit, and through this test, I’ve tried out a series of Lexar and Samsung drives, and all worked without issue.
As the interface is standardised, you have a full range of choices when it comes to the file system of the drive that you install, I tried out NTFS, APFS and exFAT and all worked without issue and it will support capacities up to 8 terabytes.
As a benchmark TerraMaster states that the max read speed is 3853 MB/s, while the max write speed is 3707 MB/s, using a Samsung 990 Pro, while I didn’t have access to this exact SSD I did have the Samsung 9100 Pro.
Even though this is a DIY enclosure, as in you install the drive yourself, it still comes with some safety protection, and the D1 SSD Plus incorporates protective components to ensure reliable data transmission, short circuit protection, voltage surges and electrostatic discharge (ESD).
In this review I’m primarily looking at the results and use with a Mac or a PC, it can be used with mobile devices using that USB port to plug directly into the latest iPhones and Android mobiles.
TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus Enclosure: Performance
Benchmarks
AJA System Test Lite Read: 3251 MB/s
AJA System Test Lite Write: 1170 MB/s
AS SSD Benchmark Read: 3336.73 MB/s
AS SSD Benchmark Write: 1178.76 MB/s
CrystalDiskMark Read: 3810.08 MB/s
CrystalDiskMark Write: 1311.09 MB/s
ATTO Disk Benchmark Read: 3560 MB/s
ATTO Disk Benchmark Write: 1220 MB/s
Getting started with the TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus was straight forward. Once everything was removed from the box and laid out, the small screwdriver, also included in the box, was used to undo the retaining screw and the top lid was lifted off. Then the M.2 drive was put into place and screwed into position so that it was held securely. On the back of the lid, there’s a thermal strip with a protective cover. Once this is pulled off, the lid can be placed back over the SSD and screwed back into position. The whole process should take no longer than five minutes, and you need no technical skill in order to get started.
With everything installed, the D1 SSD Plus can be plugged into your USB-C port, obviously this drive is optimised for USB4 and Thunderbolt 4, where you will reach those higher transfer rates. However, if you have an older interface, such as standard USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×2, then you will see that the transfer rate is limited by the interface.
The first thing to do with the drive is format it to a file system, which is done in exactly the same way as you would with any other new hard drive. For the purpose of this test, I tried it out with APFS, NTFS and exFAT, with the benchmarking results recorded using the exFAT file system on both the Mac and the PC.
I ran through the benchmarking and was generally impressed with the write speed, with read speed hitting above 3000 MB per second, and the write speed on the PC just over 1000 MB per second, whilst on the Mac it was just over 2000 MB per second, more than enough to edit 4K and even 8K video in DaVinci Resolve or Premiere Pro depending on which video editor you wish to use.
Obviously, those speeds will change depending on the SSD that you put inside, and while the 9100 Pro is an exceptionally fast card, the optimal drive to put into this type of enclosure would be the Samsung 990 Pro, matching the read speeds but enhancing the compatibility for the write speed.
Whilst the general performance of the portable SSD was very good, the feature that really stood out was that the drive was able to deliver the data to applications such as Final Cut Pro at a consistent speed over the duration of a day’s worth of editing. Touching the drive, it was warm to the touch but not overly hot, and I noticed there was no slowdown in the data delivery.
To check this out further, for the benchmarks, I ran AJA System Test Lite consistently for an hour and came back to check on the results, which were still roughly the same as they were an hour before. On the Mac, with a read speed of around 3000 MB/s and a write speed of around 2000 MB/s, coming back a couple of hours later, those transfer rates were still much the same. Whilst the drive itself was getting rather warm, it was still at a temperature that could be handled.
When it comes to performance, the enclosure provides you with the interface to enable these ultra-fast transfer rates that are so important in the creative sector. The design looks great asthetically but also is also functional enabling the dissipation of heat away from the SSD, and ensuring that you get maximum performance out of whatever SSD you place inside.
TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus Enclosure: Final verdict
As a portable SSD enclosure the D1 SSD Plus is larger than most due to its heat sink design, but that design offers excellent functionality when it comes to keeping the drive cool and through the test proved effective when editing video and images and will inevitably suit other heavy data users.
The enclouse can obviously be used in the studio as well as out in the field, and the solid aluminium casing provides a durable design that will stand up to more than a knock or two, although it’s worth noting that this isn’t waterproof. It’s really a nice touch that it comes with its own fabric bag to keep it safe.
Throughout the test, I did swap over to a few different M.2 SSDs just to test out the difference in speed, and the one thing that was consistent throughout was the excellent write speed although there was generally a drop in the read speed, whilst this is usual, I felt it was just a little bit more of a drop than I would’ve expected. However, this is still fast enough to edit 4K and 8K video shots on the Canon EOS R5C.
If you’re in the market for a portable SSD enclosure and you need an option that is going to be able to withstand heavy and sustained use, then the TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus is a great option. It’s ideal for video editors and creators looking for something that will keep up with the demands of their workflow. However, if you’re just looking for a standard use SSD enclosure, then there are other options out there with a slightly slower interface and without the bulk of design that is the result of the heatsink ergonomics.
Should I buy a TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus Enclosure?
|
Value |
Great value for money for such a solid design and fast interface, although the cost of the SSD is on top. |
5 |
|
Design |
Larger and heavier than many options, but that design is not just for aesthetics, but highly functional as well. |
4.5 |
|
Features |
This really is a simple, straightforward SSD enclosure designed to offer you a fast interface with your storage. |
4 |
|
Performance |
This very much depends on the SSD included, but you have plenty of potential with whatever SSD you pop inside. |
4 |
|
Overalls |
Generally fast transfer rates, with the write speeds being a little bit lower than the read, but a great option for content creators. |
4 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
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