I'm currently keeping an eye on the SHARGE Disk, a really small M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure that can plug directly into the Steam Deck (and many other devices). Mentioned briefly in my recent news round-up, this device looks like it could be really useful.
There's many different types of SSD enclosures and it's not a new idea but it does look good. The compact size and portability, plus the cooling fan and drop-proof casing all add up to a device that I feel like I need to carry around with me.
SHARGE Disk is an ultra-lightweight and small portable M.2 NVMe SSD with Active Heat Dissipation System, with 2TB (Maximum) capacity and high read/write speeds of up to 1000 MB/s. It features an aluminum shell and a silicone case for any unpredictable circumstances. SHARGE Disk is the perfect choice for those who often carry EDC devices, such as phones, cameras, and laptops.
Currently it's being funded via Kickstarter, with around £327,682 in pledges from 3,603 backers so there's a fair bit of interest in this little device. Their trailer even shows it with a Steam Deck:
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The full kit with the drop-proof case and wrap-around cable costs around £42 but just the enclosure will be about £32. Seems like quite a reasonable price. Check it out on Kickstarter.
What do you think? Would you find it useful? One thing I seem to always been running out of is drive space, so this could prove very useful in a pinch to get some more games with me.
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15 comments
On their KS page, one picture states:
What can you do with 2TB of capacity?I have conflicted feelings about this statement.
Over 50 PS5 PC Steam Deck games
2 Likes, Who?
It looked interesting at first, but I am concerned about the possible noise. There is no such thing as "silent 13000 rpm fan", and in the Mac demo video you definitely can hear it when it's plugged in.
Last edited by KROM on 29 June 2023 at 3:08 pm UTC
The maximum fan noise currently does not exceed 32dB, which is a very small sound to the human ear and is not uncomfortable.My ears might be old, but to me that is pretty uncomfortable, especially at a high pitch. But other people's mileage may vary.
Last edited by KROM on 29 June 2023 at 3:08 pm UTC
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My ears might be old, but to me that is pretty uncomfortable, especially at a high pitch. But other people's mileage may vary.
Mine got older because of unbearable thing like that.
The deck really got me hard with the high pitch fan and from now on, any new tech with small fan with high rpm is gonna be a hard pass for me.
0 Likes
I got into portable M.2 storage when the fastest (~150/170MB/s) flashdrive I had said goodby, less than a year after I got it. After the refund I got a Corsair "GT" that said to be USB 3.0, but could only deliver 50MB/s. I was very pissed off because the thing was more expensive than the faster Lexar I had.
Later I saw a USB adapter for M.2 drivers. It was dirt cheap and together with the cheapest 120GB M.2 drive I could find, it was only 60% of the price I paid for the over-hyped Corsair "GT" 3.0 with only 32GB. So I bought it, and it was the biggest surprise I had gambling with unknown hardware. Even being only a SATA M.2 driver paired with a cheap USB adapter, they could still provide ~400MB/s, while having four times the capacity and costing almost half of the last "high speed" flashdrive I had.
Never again I will spend money on over-hyped flash storage. From now on I will "roll my own".
Later I saw a USB adapter for M.2 drivers. It was dirt cheap and together with the cheapest 120GB M.2 drive I could find, it was only 60% of the price I paid for the over-hyped Corsair "GT" 3.0 with only 32GB. So I bought it, and it was the biggest surprise I had gambling with unknown hardware. Even being only a SATA M.2 driver paired with a cheap USB adapter, they could still provide ~400MB/s, while having four times the capacity and costing almost half of the last "high speed" flashdrive I had.
Never again I will spend money on over-hyped flash storage. From now on I will "roll my own".
2 Likes, Who?
ElectricPrism Jun 29, 2023
I got into portable M.2 storage when the fastest (~150/170MB/s) flashdrive I had said goodby, less than a year after I got it. After the refund I got a Corsair "GT" that said to be USB 3.0, but could only deliver 50MB/s. I was very pissed off because the thing was more expensive than the faster Lexar I had.
Later I saw a USB adapter for M.2 drivers. It was dirt cheap and together with the cheapest 120GB M.2 drive I could find, it was only 60% of the price I paid for the over-hyped Corsair "GT" 3.0 with only 32GB. So I bought it, and it was the biggest surprise I had gambling with unknown hardware. Even being only a SATA M.2 driver paired with a cheap USB adapter, they could still provide ~400MB/s, while having four times the capacity and costing almost half of the last "high speed" flashdrive I had.
Never again I will spend money on over-hyped flash storage. From now on I will "roll my own".
This.
Sabrent makes some good NVME enclosures as seen here:
https://sabrent.com/collections/nvme-enclosures
Not in the 2230 size, and this is more of a laptop or desktop use case.
There really is ZERO reason to not roll your own, especially when you can select a NVME with the LOWEST failure rate, HIGHEST specs at the FAIREST price.
1 Likes, Who?
ElectricPrism Jun 29, 2023
To add to my previous comment, yes I would buy a 2230 enclosure like this -- however I would require it be made of aluminum or pure copper as a heat dissipator. Plastic is not going to get me excited -- I already own probably 5 or 6 of these kinds of deals.
I also prefer no fan unless Noctua makes ones in that size.
Last edited by ElectricPrism on 29 June 2023 at 4:54 pm UTC
I also prefer no fan unless Noctua makes ones in that size.
Last edited by ElectricPrism on 29 June 2023 at 4:54 pm UTC
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RavenWings Jun 29, 2023
Just what my Steam Deck needs: Another fan 
0 Likes
As I'm regularly at places with horrible internet, this might be very interesting. I'd probably use something like this like a very fast repository. Moving a game from this to internal SSD should be damn quick and after that process, I'd just remove it, so who cares about the fan?
1 Likes, Who?
Mountain Man Jun 29, 2023
I'll take a look when they actually have something to sell.
0 Likes
Just what my Steam Deck needs: Another fan
But I'm already a fan!?!
4 Likes, Who?
But I'm already a fan!?!But do you make a high-pitched whining sound?
4 Likes, Who?
But I'm already a fan!?!But do you make a high-pitched whining sound?
*lol *
My daughter (6 yo) is great at that!
7 Likes, Who?
RavenWings Jun 30, 2023
Now that's interesting. I have been booting my Steam Deck off a USB nvme drive for a while.
My takeaway is: the Steam Deck could really use a second USB port, even if the second couldn't do video output.
As for this one... The form factor makes and breaks it. It's the same size as the internal steam deck SSD, so more expensive and relatively hard to find, and you might as well upgrade the internal one. I'm glad the format is getting more common though, that will make finding spares easier.
I would prefer it to be metallic and hermetically sealed, personally. I can live with throttling, and don't need ludicrous speeds.
I'm also curious about the cable. Is this a male to female cable? I thought these were disallowed by the specification?
Last edited by MayeulC on 1 July 2023 at 8:53 am UTC
My takeaway is: the Steam Deck could really use a second USB port, even if the second couldn't do video output.
As for this one... The form factor makes and breaks it. It's the same size as the internal steam deck SSD, so more expensive and relatively hard to find, and you might as well upgrade the internal one. I'm glad the format is getting more common though, that will make finding spares easier.
I would prefer it to be metallic and hermetically sealed, personally. I can live with throttling, and don't need ludicrous speeds.
I'm also curious about the cable. Is this a male to female cable? I thought these were disallowed by the specification?
Last edited by MayeulC on 1 July 2023 at 8:53 am UTC
1 Likes, Who?
I thought these were disallowed by the specification?They are – it seems to be a precaution against someone using a cable with a lower max power rating to extend a stronger cable. If you take care that the extension cable has at least the same power rating there shouldn't be any problem. I use one that's rated >> more than it needs to be all the time.
2 Likes, Who?
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