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Review on πŸ’Ύ Sabrent Rocket Pro 1TB NVMe External Aluminum SSD | USB 3.1 Interface (SB-1TB-NVME) by Marco Gavi

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Don't use Debian Buster, it's fine for Windows. Firmware update trick inside!

SB-1TB-NVME is unstable due to constant USB controller resets and corruption in Debian Buster (Linux) via USB 3.0 ports (Raspberry Pi 4 both with and without powered USB 3.0 hub). With USB 2.0 you get less than 12MB/s but more stable on Linux. I've tried quirks/workarounds and a powered USB hub, but no luck with the current kernel and firmwares (July 2019). Works great on Windows 10 64-bit. The file transfer speed is 840 MB/s. I tested my Macbook for 60 seconds and had some issues which could mean it is also not compatible with Mac (Linux) drivers or the issue is due to corruption due to my failed Linux tests prior to the connection to the Mac. In all my Linux testing and research (hours) trying to get this to work on the RPi, I've learned a lot: 1) This NVMe actually consists of two devices. First is the JMS583 bridge controller which is recognized as a PCI bridge, then an M.2 SSD is inside. ) You cannot update the firmware of an M.2 SSD, but YOU CAN update the firmware of the JMS583 bridge controller that the M.2 connects to (see #4) 4) To update the firmware of this product , YOU MUST VOID THE WARRANTY by opening the JMS583 controller case and M.2 SSD. Simply unscrew the 4 screws under the covers on the bottom of the case, open it up and unscrew the one screw that attaches the M.2 to the controller. Note that you will need a small Torx hex wrench to remove these screws (I had one in my drill set). 5) I updated the firmware but it did NOT solve my Linux instability problems. The flashing lasts up to 2 seconds. You can see the HW ID change in Windows Device Manager after flashing and powering on again. 6) My SB-1TB-NVME purchased in July 2019 through the Revain vendor arrived with firmware 2.4.7). I updated the JMS controller to firmware. 2.5 then 2.6 follow the instructions and download on this webpage which I can't link to due to regulations. Search for firmware-update-for-mydigitalssd-m2x-nvme-m2-enclosure-adapter in a search engine for firmware and instructions. FW M2X NVMe M.2 Adapter Firmware Update 0205 Firmware Revision 0205 Changelog Improved Compatibility Fixed overheating issues on some motherboard chipsets Fixed shutdown issues during large transfers. Firmware version FW 0206 changelog. Improved compatibility with 2TB/1920GB M.2 SSDs. 3 stars overall as I lost several hours trying to get this to work on Linux by trying a powered USB hub, chokes and quirks. But it works very well on Windows.

Pros
  • Supports SMART and TRIM commands. Supports ONFi 2.3, ONFi 3.0, ONFi 3.2 and ONFi 4.0 interfaces. Improved wear leveling, bad block management, and redundant deployment.
Cons
  • Nothing Here