Hard drive enclosures turn your old notebook SSD, swapped HDD or fresh M.2 NVMe into an external USB-C drive — perfect for recycling old hardware or low-cost DIY backup. We stock 2.5″ SATA cases for classic notebook SSDs/HDDs, 3.5″ SATA docks with their own PSU for desktop HDDs and NVMe M.2 enclosures with USB-C (up to 1000 MB/s) for modern M.2 2280 SSDs. Aluminium housings with thermal pad, tool-less installation and plug-and-play on macOS, Windows, Linux. Shipped from Basel — same day by 4 pm, free above CHF 15, 2-year Swiss warranty. Invoice payment available (credit check by Powerpay).
RPD.ch carries over 9,000 accessories for iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, iPad, MacBook and more. We ship from Basel via Swiss Post (1-3 business days), accept invoice via Powerpay (with credit check) and offer 14-day returns. If nothing in this category matches your need, browse our most popular sections below or contact us - we also source specific accessories on request.
SATA SSDs (max 550 MB/s) are older, cheaper, from 2010–2020 notebooks. NVMe SSDs (3000–7000 MB/s) are newer, M.2 format, standard in MacBooks and gaming PCs since 2018.
MacBook 2012–2015 had proprietary SSDs — special Apple adapter required. From MacBook M1 (2020) the SSD is soldered to the logic board.
Cross-platform = exFAT. macOS only = APFS. Windows only = NTFS. Time Machine = APFS or HFS+. Linux only = ext4.
At most as fast as enclosure + host. USB 3.2 Gen 2 enclosure + host = ~1000 MB/s. USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 + Windows Gen 2x2 = ~2000 MB/s. On MacBook 1000 MB/s max.
Premium cases are tool-less. Cheaper ones need 4 small screws — screwdriver included.
Question 1: which SSD or HDD do you have? Notebook SSD from 2010–2020 = mostly 2.5″ SATA (7 or 9.5 mm tall). Desktop HDD from a tower = 3.5″ SATA. Modern M.2 SSD from a MacBook Air service or PS5 expansion = NVMe M.2. Question 2: USB-A or USB-C? USB-A for older desktops, USB-C for MacBook M-series and iPad. Question 3: PSU yes or no? 2.5″ and NVMe = bus-powered, no PSU. 3.5″ = own 12 V PSU required.
The SSD/HDD and the enclosure must match. SATA III SSDs (max 550 MB/s) pair well with USB 3.0/USB 3.2 Gen 1 enclosures (5 Gbps = ~500 MB/s effective). NVMe SSDs (3000–7000 MB/s internally) are limited by USB-C enclosures to USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps = ~1000 MB/s) or rarely USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (~2000 MB/s). So your NVMe will be slower in an external case than installed inside — but still faster than any SATA SSD.
NVMe M.2 enclosures expect M.2 NVMe (PCIe), not M.2 SATA. Both share the connector but differ in keying. Check before buying: NVMe SSDs are nearly all 2280 (80 mm long), shorter formats (2230, 2242) need adapters. SATA M.2 SSDs (rare, mostly Acer/HP office laptops 2018–2020) need a combined SATA/NVMe enclosure. macOS, Windows, Linux detect the enclosure automatically — choose the filesystem (exFAT, APFS, NTFS) for your use.
NVMe cases get noticeably warm under sustained load — the heat comes from the SSD controller. Aluminium housings with thermal pad transport heat to the case wall and prevent thermal throttling. Power use: 2.5″ SATA = 2–3 W, NVMe = 3–6 W under load. 3.5″ SATA = 6–10 W with PSU. Aluminium fully recyclable — take-back via the RPD recycling programme.
SATA SSDs (max 550 MB/s) are older, cheaper and come from 2010–2020 notebooks. NVMe SSDs (3000–7000 MB/s) are newer, smaller (M.2) and standard in MacBooks/gaming PCs since 2018. External enclosures usually cap NVMe at 1000 MB/s.
MacBook 2012–2015 had proprietary SSDs — these need a special Apple adapter. From MacBook M1 (2020) the SSD is soldered to the logic board — external recycling not possible.
Cross-platform = exFAT. macOS only = APFS. Windows only = NTFS. Time Machine = APFS or HFS+. Linux only = ext4.
At most as fast as enclosure + host. USB 3.2 Gen 2 enclosure + host = ~1000 MB/s. USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 enclosure + Windows Gen 2x2 = ~2000 MB/s. On MacBook 1000 MB/s is the max.
Premium cases are tool-less — click mechanism. Cheaper ones need 4 small screws (screwdriver included).
Shipped from our Basel warehouse — A-Post 1–2 working days, express next business day or free pickup in Basel, Aarau or Olten. 2 years Swiss warranty on all products, 14-day returns. Invoice payment available (credit check by Powerpay), best-price guarantee CH. Aluminium housings are fully recyclable — return old adapters, hubs and storage media via our RPD recycling programme. Visit one of our stores for personal advice — bring your laptop or iPad and we will find the right accessory together.
