Effortless NVMe Disk Drive Cloning with the Sabrent NVMe Tool-Free Enclosure and Macrium Reflect

When it comes to upgrading your computer hard drive, having a reliable and efficient cloning software is essential. Macrium Reflect has emerged as the go-to choice for me. Anyone seeking a seamless and hassle-free cloning experience should give it a try. By leveraging Macrium Reflect with the Sabrent NVMe Tool-Free Enclosure, you have a winning combination that streamlines NVMe disk drive cloning. With just a few simple steps, you can clone your NVMe drive and enjoy the benefits of a new or upgraded drive. In this blog post, I’ll share my experience with using Macrium Reflect to clone a 1 TB NVMe hard drive in my Dell XPS 15 9500 using the Sabrent NVMe tool-free enclosure with a new 2 TB Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe drive.

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Back in 2022 I replaced my Dell XPS 2720 all-in-one desktop PC with the XPS 15 9500 laptop. The 2720 was a wonderful desktop computer and I used it for nearly a decade. But while it had a beautiful 27” display it was by design fundamentally not portable and only the hard drive could be upgraded. So in January last year I decided to sell my Dell 2720 and bought an XPS 15 9500 laptop. To keep the cost down I ordered it with only a 1 TB NVMe SSD drive.

With a background as a Windows system administrator I have been conditioned to always partition hard drives with the OS on C: and the D: drive gets whatever is left over. Naturally with a Windows computer whether it’s a server or PC, over time disk space magically gets consumed. So after a year or so I decided to replace the 1 TB NVMe drive.

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What is NVMe?

NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) SSD (Solid-State Drive) is an advanced storage device that utilizes a high-speed interface and protocol specially optimized for solid-state drives. Unlike traditional SATA (Serial ATA) SSDs, NVMe represents a newer technology that brings substantial performance enhancements, all within a compact form factor. NVMe SSDs utilize the PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) interface, which allows for faster data transfer rates and lower latency compared to SATA SSDs. This enables NVMe drives to achieve exceptional read and write speeds, making them ideal for applications that require high-performance storage, such as gaming, content creation, data analysis, and enterprise-level workloads.

It is astonishing to think about the evolution of technology from my first i486 desktop computer in 1992 with a 240 MB Seagate Quantum Fireball hard drive which cost me nearly $2,000 and now you can get a 2 TB NVMe for a mere $100. Moore’s Law about doubling capacity every two years seems to continue holding holding true.

 

Samsung 960 EVO Plus NVMe

Sale
SABRENT USB 3.2 10Gbps Type C Tool Free Enclosure for M.2 PCIe NVMe and SATA SSDs (EC-SNVE)
  • CONVENIENCE: 100% Tool-Free, quickly install and remove SSDs without any tools.
  • DESIGN: Ultra-slim Aluminum case with ABS frame. Sleek, Durable, and Convenient. Portable yet durable, ideal for traveling.
  • COMPATIBILITY: M.2 form factor compatible with both SATA and NVME in sizes: 2242/2260/2280.

Sabrent NVMe tool-free enclosure

The Sabrent USB C NVMe tool-free enclosure is designed to harness the full potential of NVMe drives. By utilizing the USB C interface and the blazing-fast transfer speeds of PCIe 3.0 NVMe M.2 drives, this enclosure ensures rapid data access and transfer. Gone are the days of fumbling with tiny screws and complicated installation processes. The Sabrent enclosure features a tool-free design, making it incredibly easy to install and swap NVMe drives. Simply slide open the cover, insert your NVMe drive, close the cover, and attach the USB C cable to your PC.

Sale
SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 2TB - M.2 NVMe Interface Internal Solid State Drive with V-NAND Technology (MZ-V7S2T0B/AM)
  • Always Evolving SSD: The 970 EVO Plus is powered by the latest V-NAND technology and firmware optimization, maximizing the potential of NVMe bandwidth; Comes in storage capacities of up to 2TB, with reliability of up to 1,200 TBW.Computer Platform:PC.Internal Storage : Samsung V-NAND 3-bit MLC. Voltage : 3.3 V ± 5 % Allowable voltage.Allowable Voltage : 3.3 V ± 5 % Allowable voltage.
  • Breakthrough Read/Write Speeds: The 970 EVO Plus reaches sequential read/write speeds up to 3,500/3,300 MB/s, up to 53%* faster than the 970 EVO
  • Samsung Magician for Data Security: This software provides a suite of user-friendly tools that help you keep your drive up to date, monitor drive health and speed, and even boost performance

 

 

Replacing an NVMe hard drive

For my XPS 15 drive replacement project, I first installed the new Samsung 970 Plus NVMe drive in the Sabrent NVMe enclosure and then connected it to my PC with the included USB C cable. As you can see from Windows Disk Management the Sabrent USB enclosure is recognized as a new drive with unallocated space.

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Macrium Reflect Disk Cloning

Macrium Reflect offers a full feature 30 day trial. When downloading the software you will be emailed a registration key so be sure to keep that handy. During the installation process you’ll be prompted to enter it.  When the program opens you’ll see all the drives and partitions available on your computer. First choose the source disk drive and partitions you want to clone. Next click Clone this disk.

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Next choose the destination drive by clicking Select a disk to clone to…

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In my example I select the new Samsung 970 NVMe drive that is connected to my laptop in the Sabrent enclosure.

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After clicking Next you will be presented with a confirmation screen. Double check the settings are correct and then click Finish.

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After clicking Finish the cloning process will start. The time required depends on the size and performance of your drives. My 1 TB drive only took about 20 minutes to clone.

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Once the cloning process is complete, simply power down your computer, detach the cloned drive from the Sabrent enclosure, and proceed to install the new drive. Always check your computer’s service manual before starting. Dell had detailed instructions for removing the cover. With my XPS 15 9500 I had to remove 8 Torx screws before I could remove the back cover. Even with the screws removed the case was still quite snug and separating the cover from the computer was a bit more challenging that I expected. After successfully removing the back cover, I just had to gently slide out the old NVMe drive and install the new one. Fortunately attaching the back cover again was easier than removing it.

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After rebooting the computer with the new Samsung 970 Plus NVMe drive, I was happy to see the new unallocated disk space showing in Disk Management. Unfortunately the new space is sitting next to the wrong partition so the final step before I can use it to expand my D: Drive will be to move the partition using Parted Magic. And I will cover that task in a future blog post.

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In Summary

Macrium Reflect is a reliable and powerful disk cloning software that simplifies the process of migrating your data to a new drive. Combining it with the Sabrent NVMe Tool-Free Enclosure provides a winning solution for streamlining NVMe disk drive cloning. Experience the convenience and peace of mind that come with this exceptional pairing, making NVMe drive cloning a hassle-free endeavor. Upgrade with confidence and unlock the full potential of your storage system today. Thanks for reading!

Peter Viola

Creative, customer focused, results oriented, Senior Web Systems Engineer who enjoys providing the highest level of customer service supporting complex Windows hosting solutions. MCITP, MCSA, MCTS

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