Dockcase Explorer M.2 SSD Enclosure Review

Dockcase still makes some cool accessories. Last time we looked at dedicated USB hubs that also provide information about the health and data of connected devices. Dockcase sent me an M.2 SSD enclosure known as the Explorer today. It’s currently available on Kickstarter.

The main selling point of this M.2 enclosure is the fact that it provides very useful information about the SSD you plug into. Not only that, but it also comes with great features like Power Loss Protection and a real-time scanner. So in theory, this should be the perfect device for hardware enthusiasts looking for a very neat M.2 reader.

I got this review unit from Dockcase and used it for a week on my gaming laptop and my main PC. I should also add that this review uses a Kingston FURY Renegade as our test M.2.

So let’s start with the technical stuff. After all, this is what you are here for. The Dockcase Explorer enclosure supports M.2 SSDs up to 4TB. The enclosure also comes with a 10 Gbps USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 cable that can match USB-A (thankfully).

As for the casing, this one is pretty slick. It has a sturdy aluminum frame with a glass case on the front. The device looks futuristic and stylish, no doubt about what you’d expect from something like this, but it certainly looks a little fragile. there is.

Still, the real attraction is the PLP functionality. The Dockcase Explorer M.2 Enclosure protects his M.2’s data with 10 second power loss protection. This ensures that your data will not be lost even if your computer shuts down abruptly, and data is not easy to find in many of this kind of SSD enclosures.

In addition to that, there is also an LCD screen that relays all sorts of useful information from the SSD itself. All sorts of information can be viewed through this device, such as the current state of the M.2, the number of partitions currently on the SSD, and other information such as the serial number and model of the device.

All this technical information is always accessible at the touch of a button. Honestly, I’m impressed with how easy it is to access all this information. Especially because I want to know the state of my SSD (after many dangerous shutdowns due to lack of energy).

Now, as I said before, I tested the enclosure in two different environments. One was from his IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop of mine and the other was the gaming PC I used to review the Renegade. The device obviously works in both environments. A key difference, however, is the fact that transfer speeds can be affected depending on the device you’re using.

To get the most out of this enclosure, it should be connected to a USB 3.2 Gen-2 port. It sounds silly in hindsight, but using it on any other port results in a significant drop in transfer speeds.My IdeaPad doesn’t support USB 3.2 Gen 2, so I got the following results . This clearly pales in comparison to the results provided during the review.

Things changed when I plugged the device into a USB 3.2 Gen-2 port on the motherboard of my main PC. In terms of R/W speed, you will notice a big difference. The conclusion that can be drawn from this is that plugging a device into an incompatible slot does not really provide any performance gains other than those found with, say, a regular SATA SSD.

Of course, this is an early revision of the product, so the device may reach that speed in the final revision.

I have abused this device to test PLP. I wanted to see if there were any circumstances that would result in sloppy results or damage the M.2. The device’s PLP not only charges quickly, but can also hold data stored in cache for 10 seconds. The Dockcase Explorer enclosure also has a separate USB-C plug that can be used to power your device. So you’re never without an alternative in the face of an abrupt shutdown.

Overall, this enclosure is perfect for hardware enthusiasts who want access to more data than usual on their SSDs. It certainly does a lot with fancy features like health and partition info.At $79 it’s well worth the money and very reliable along with extra info to help with debugging and stats checks I believe you have access to PLP protection.

However, this device did not completely eliminate the problem. The protection that the device offers is something not physically found in many enclosures, but I feel like I could break this device if I stared at it. The is sturdy, but it feels like one nasty drop could mean the end of both the enclosure and the M.2 it houses.

Still, for a device you can easily carry in your pocket, there are plenty of utilities here.It’s available for Windows and Mac devices and it’s plug-and-play, so where can you actually get this device to work with your M.2 SSD? But you don’t have to go. The major deal breaker for some people could be R/W speed. You won’t get exceptional speeds compared to SATA SSDs. Double if your device doesn’t support USB 3.2 Gen-2.

At least the Dockcase Explorer Enclosure does what it needs to do. In some cases, that’s all that matters.

The Dockcase Explorer enclosure offers many advantages for debugging and statistical checking. This device is perfect for hardware enthusiasts who want not only a portable NVMe SSD enclosure, but also a set of premium features that let them know their SSD’s health and other statistics in real time. While this device offers many great options, there are drawbacks that may turn off some enthusiasts.