Get the Sabrent EC-NE30. It's built for the M.2 2230 size of the drive the Steam Machine ships with, so the original drive clips straight in. Its USB-C cable is attached, and it plugs into the USB-C port on the back of the Machine.
At a Glance#
Best overall : Sabrent EC-NE30 View on Amazon
Built-in fan : SHARGE Disk
Built-in cable, fits up to 2280 : UGREEN 95846FX
Tool-free, fits up to 2280 : Sabrent EC-PNVO
Key Highlights:
- The Steam Machine ships with an M.2 2230 NVMe drive, and all four enclosures here take it
- The Sabrent EC-NE30 takes 2230 drives only, and a tool-free latch holds the drive
- The SHARGE Disk also takes 2230 drives only and has a built-in fan
- The UGREEN 95846FX takes drives up to 2280 and has its USB-C cable built in
- The Sabrent EC-PNVO takes drives up to 2280, and its cover flips open to swap them with no screws or tools
- All four connect over USB-C at up to 10Gbps
Who these enclosures are for#
- You upgraded your Steam Machine's SSD and want the old 2230 drive as extra storage: get the Sabrent EC-NE30.
- You'll copy big game libraries onto the old drive and want a fan keeping it cool: get the SHARGE Disk.
- You might put a longer drive in it later and want the cable built in: get the UGREEN 95846FX.
- You'll swap drives of different lengths in and out: get the Sabrent EC-PNVO.
- You have no spare drive: get a ready-made portable SSD instead. Here are the best external SSDs for the Steam Machine.
How we picked#
- We picked enclosures that take M.2 2230 NVMe drives, the size of the drive the Steam Machine ships with.
- We picked enclosures that connect at up to 10Gbps over USB-C, as fast as the Machine's USB-C port goes.
- The specs come from Sabrent's and SHARGE's pages, the listings we link to, a published review, Valve's own page, the official repair guide and launch coverage of the Machine. We haven't tested these enclosures ourselves.
The drive you took out#
The Steam Machine has a single M.2 slot, so a bigger SSD means the old one comes out. The drive it ships with is an M.2 2230 NVMe drive, 512GB or 2TB depending on your model. Put it in an enclosure and it becomes a portable USB drive.
Copy off anything you want to keep from it before you reuse it. To set it up for games, use the same steps as for our best external SSDs for the Steam Machine.
Haven't swapped yet? Here are the best SSDs for the Steam Machine.
The four side by side#
| Enclosure | Drive sizes | USB-C cable | Fitting the drive | Cooling | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabrent EC-NE30 | 2230 | Built in | Tool-free latch | Aluminum | View on Amazon |
| SHARGE Disk | 2230 | Plugs in, cable included | Tool-free | Fan | View on Amazon |
| UGREEN 95846FX | 2230 to 2280 | Built in | Toolkit in the box | Aluminum | View on Amazon |
| Sabrent EC-PNVO | 2230 to 2280 | Separate | Flip-open, no tools | Aluminum, thermal pad | View on Amazon |
Sabrent EC-NE30 — Best overall#
It's built for M.2 2230 NVMe drives alone, the size of the drive the Steam Machine ships with. It's 1.92 inches long, less than half the length of the Sabrent EC-PNVO, and a tool-free latch holds the drive in place, so you fit it without a screwdriver.
It has an integrated USB-C cable and connects at up to 10Gbps. It needs no drivers and runs off the USB port's power, and its aluminum and plastic shell is built to help the drive shed heat.
Get the UGREEN 95846FX or the Sabrent EC-PNVO if you might put a longer drive in it later.
Key Specs
Drive size : M.2 2230 NVMe
Connection : USB-C, up to 10Gbps
Cable : built in
Fitting the drive : tool-free latch
Body length : 1.92 inches
Bottom line. The tidy choice when your spare drive is the 2230 from your Steam Machine.
SHARGE Disk — Built-in fan#
It takes 2230 drives only, like the Sabrent EC-NE30, and it has a built-in fan to keep the drive cool through big transfers. The fan stops after 3 minutes without data.
It plugs straight into a USB-C port, and it also comes with a cable. On the Steam Machine, plug it in with the cable and keep the drive out of the hot air the Machine blows out the back. Take it out of its silicone case when you use it, or at least flip open the case's clear cover, so the fan can pull in air.
In its silicone case it's rated IP54 against dust and splashes and built to take a 6.56ft drop. A switch locks the drive so nothing can write to it, and it weighs 24 g. It runs at up to 10Gbps and takes drives up to 2TB.
Key Specs
Drive size : M.2 2230 NVMe, up to 2TB
Connection : USB-C, up to 10Gbps
Cooling : built-in fan
Fitting the drive : tool-free
Cable : plugs in directly, cable included
Rating : IP54 in its silicone case
Weight : 24 g
Bottom line. A fan, a write-lock switch and a tough case in a 24 g body.
UGREEN 95846FX — Built-in cable, fits up to 2280#
It takes M.2 NVMe drives from 2230 to 2280 long and up to 8TB, so it still fits if your next spare drive is a longer one.
Its USB-C cable is built in and 7.9 inches long, and it runs at up to 10Gbps. Its aluminum housing helps it shed heat. It comes with an installation toolkit for fitting the drive.
Key Specs
Drive sizes : M.2 2230 to 2280 NVMe, up to 8TB
Connection : USB-C, up to 10Gbps
Cable : built-in USB-C, 7.9 inches
Fitting the drive : installation toolkit in the box
Housing : aluminum
Bottom line. A built-in cable and room for a longer drive later.
Sabrent EC-PNVO — Tool-free, fits up to 2280#
Its cover flips open, so swapping drives is easy. Put the drive in, lock it in place and close it, with no screws or tools. It takes M.2 NVMe drives from 2230 to 2280 long, single- or double-sided, and 8TB drives work too.
The aluminum top presses the thermal pad against the drive to carry heat away. It connects at up to 10Gbps and needs no drivers or external power. It comes with a separate 25cm USB-C cable.
Key Specs
Drive sizes : M.2 2230 to 2280 NVMe, takes 8TB drives
Connection : USB-C, up to 10Gbps
Cable : separate USB-C, 25cm
Fitting the drive : flip-open cover, no screws or tools
Cooling : aluminum top on a thermal pad
Body length : 4.59 inches
Bottom line. Takes drives up to 2280 and swaps them without tools.
Which one should you buy?#
The Sabrent EC-NE30 is the one to buy for the drive from your Steam Machine: it's made for that 2230 drive and has its USB-C cable attached, so there's nothing loose to lose.
Get the SHARGE Disk instead if you want a fan cooling the drive during big game transfers, the UGREEN 95846FX if you might put a longer drive in it later and want the cable built in, or the Sabrent EC-PNVO if you'll swap between drives of different lengths. Everyone else should get the Sabrent EC-NE30. View on Amazon
FAQ#
Will the SSD from my Steam Machine fit these enclosures?
Yes. The Machine ships with an M.2 2230 NVMe drive, and all four take that size. The Machine's slot takes 2280 drives too, so if the drive you took out is a 2280 one, get the UGREEN 95846FX or the Sabrent EC-PNVO, which take drives up to 2280.
Should I get an enclosure or a portable SSD?
An enclosure, if you have a spare NVMe drive like the one you took out of your Steam Machine. If you don't, a ready-made portable SSD is simpler.
Which port on the Steam Machine should I use?
The USB-C port on the back. The Machine has one USB-C port and four USB-A ports, and the USB-C one is the fastest, at 10Gbps. The two USB-A ports on the front run at 5Gbps, and the two on the back are USB 2.0, too slow for a game library. The Machine blows its hot air out the back, so keep the enclosure out of that stream.
Is a drive in an enclosure faster than a microSD card?
Yes, by a wide margin. The Machine's microSD slot is UHS-I, which tops out at 104MB/s. These enclosures connect at up to 10Gbps, about ten times that.