Pico SSD. DIY 1000MB/s USB-C Storage

-- Update --

The hardware (PCB) used in the project doesn't appear to be sold any more.

This design will be updated with a different PCB.

Intro

This is a tiny 3D printed enclosure for a 2230 NVME usb bridge.  Nearly as small as the disposable 10gbs flash drives, except you can put your own SSD in this one.  Up to 1000MB/s reads and writes, so it's much faster than 2.5" SATA.

Effectively, you can customize and DIY your own ultra fast usb disk, for nearly the same cost or cheaper than mass produced 10gbs Usb drives.  And it's upgradeable and repairable. 

If you want to make it more interesting looking, you can combine it with surface texture slicer techniques by @Xavier Faraudo and dual extrusion to get a pattern going on the surface, like I did in the pictures.

The included models don't have any patterns.

What can I use it for?

You can use it like a regular “flash drive”.  But also, you can:

• Stick it onto the back of a steam deck or handheld for more storage

• Add it internally to a PC case to increase your storage without taking up any room. You'll need to also get a $1 USB Type-E to Type-C adapter, or a USB 3.0 20pin to Type-C Adapter, then you're good to go.

• It makes a cool personalized gift!  

Cost of this project:  Ranges from about $35 to craft a 256gb kit, to about $200 to craft yourself a 2TB kit.

Hardware Needed:

-1x 10gbps 2230 to USB-C 10gbs Bridge (Jmicron JMS583) ($9)

-1x 2230 NVME SSD.  You can use this with the very common Hynix BC711 256gb 2230s (about $15 on Ebay), or for higher capacity, look for the Western Digital WD SN740 2230s on Ali Express go up to 2TB in size (~$170).

-2x M2.5 by 6mm screws

-20mm x .5mm Copper shims (optional) - There is a spot on each side of the model to add these shims for heat dissipation.

-Kapton Tape (optional) - You can wrap the electronics in this for a bit more protection.

Notes: 

• It's possible to flash the Jmicron controller's firmware to update it if you aren't getting good performance or have some kind of issues out of the box. You can see this thread and there are some tools posted to update the JMS583 nvme controller: https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/stable-nvme-usb-adapter.2572973/post-40949370

• The most premium 2230 drives are the Sabrent Rocket series, but these Gen 4 drives are way way faster than the usb interface permits so you can't fully utilize the speed. Since the max speed is about 1000MB/s, it's not worth getting a Gen 4.0 nvme drive. You'll get the most value out of lower spec Gen 3.0 drive like the Hynix BC711.