It is always highly interesting to see how different companies overcome the same problem. We are of course referring to the fact that NVMe M.2 drives run hot, and when used in an external enclosure they run even hotter. ‘Sadly’ the sheer performance NVMe drives offer is unmatched and is the only way to get a single drive capable of easily saturating a USB 3.1 Gen 2 bus. Recently we looked at Crucial’s X8 and saw how they overcame this issue (they went with a ‘single sided everything’ solution). Today we will be looking at LaCie and their Rugged SSD series to see how they have solved this issue. Specifically, the $299 1TB capacity version of the Rugged SSD series.
In typical LaCie fashion, the Rugged SSD is not just about keeping the M.2 drive housed inside happy (a Seagate FireCuda 1TB M.2 SSD) but also solved other issues. Issues such keeping the drive – and your data – safe regardless of the conditions it faces. For example, your drive falls out of your pocket and into your swimming pool (and we really mean toilet), or into your child’s sandbox (we really mean off your 4 wheeler while mudding)… or even just falls out your first story window (and we really mean out of your front pocket while tying your shoes at the bus or subway stop). All are guaranteed to be shrugged off thanks to a combination of darn near sealed exterior chassis (with IP67 certification) and copious amounts of silicon covering said all metal chassis.
So with promises of 1GB/s performance, moderate weight (100 grams), moderate dimensions (97.9×64.9x17mm), and excellent protection the LaCie Rugged SSD does indeed seem to be an excellent competitor to the likes of Crucial… or even after-market NVMe to USB enclosures. Of course, with an asking price nearly double of an Crucial X8 1TB ($165) it will indeed need everything it can to convince you to spend that extra money.
