Do you have an old unused M.2 SSD in a drawer, or do you need to clone a disk without opening your PC? This

Techly device

is a compact adapter that transforms any M.2 SSD—both NVMe and SATA—into an external drive that can connect via USB-A or USB-C. It doesn’t stop there, as it also includes an SD and TF card reader. A small accessory, but with a surprisingly wide range of functionalities.

What It’s For and When It Comes in Handy

The most obvious scenario is that of data recovery or migration: those who buy a new laptop and want to transfer data from the SSD of the old one, or those who need to clone a disk before reinstalling the operating system, can do so without dismantling anything, simply by inserting the SSD into the adapter slot and connecting it via USB. Equally practical is the case for periodic backups: those who have spare M.2 SSDs can use them as plug-and-play external storage drives without investing in a dedicated enclosure.

The built-in SD/TF reader opens up other scenarios:

photographers and videomakers

who work on the go can import footage directly from the camera or action cam memory card, without having to carry a separate reader. Finally, for those working with embedded systems or single-board computers like Raspberry Pi (often powered by microSD), the adapter becomes a very useful tool for preparing and updating system images. In all scenarios, data transfers occur at the maximum performance allowed by the respective connection interfaces.

Design and Build

The body is made of black plastic with compact dimensions of 41.7 × 66 × 14 mm and a weight of only 50 grams, designed to fit in a pocket or work bag without bulk. The host connector is a retractable USB-A/USB-C type, a smart solution that eliminates the need for separate cables: you rotate the desired connector and insert it directly into the port of the PC, Mac, or Android smartphone. The slot for the M.2 SSD is accessible by opening the top cover, where there is also a stabilizing screw included in the package to secure the module during use.

Technical Specifications

The adapter supports M.2 SSDs of type M-key or B+M key: thus covering both PCIe NVMe modules and the cheaper SATA NGFF. The compatible form factors range from 2230 to the longer 22110, passing through the more common formats 2242, 2260, and 2280 available in the consumer market. The built-in chipset is the 9210B, a proven controller that manages both the NVMe protocol via PCIe and the SATA-USB bridge.

The device manages to match the 10 Gbps transfer speed of the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard, thus leveraging the performance potential of NVMe supports. It is important to note that the two memory card slots cannot be used simultaneously. Compatibility is stated for Windows (from XP to 11), macOS, Linux, and Android, without the need for additional drivers thanks to the USB Mass Storage protocol. The product is CE and RoHS certified and operates in a temperature range from -10 to +55 °C with humidity between 10% and 90% RH.

Benchmarks and Real-World Performance

To evaluate performance, we installed an NVMe M.2 SSD in the adapter and connected it to a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port on a desktop PC. The benchmark with

CrystalDiskMark 9.0.2

yielded very solid results: in sequential read with Q8T1 queue, we measured

1,039.96 MB/s,

while in writing the same test halted at

1,002.31 MB/s.

The single-queue (Q1T1) sequential test returned

875.96 MB/s

in reading and

861.12 MB/s

in writing, confirming that the 9210B controller genuinely approaches the theoretical ceiling of 10 Gbps of the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface. On the front of random 4K access, the RND4K Q32T1 test measured

187.79 MB/s

in reading and

219.15 MB/s

in writing, while the more demanding Q1T1 yielded

37.84 MB/s

in reading and

67.24 MB/s

in writing—normal values for an NVMe SSD channeled through a USB bridge.

To verify performance in a concrete use case, we copied a large file from the desktop to the SSD connected via the adapter. Windows maintained a real transfer speed of

684 MB/s,

a practical copy speed that is excellent, significantly exceeding any USB 3.0 Gen 1 solution at 5 Gbps, and absolutely comparable to that of a mid-range dedicated NVMe enclosure.

Verdict

The

Techly adapter

is one of those accessories that, once purchased, become indispensable. The coverage of all major M.2 formats, the retractable dual-mode USB-A/C connector, the built-in card reader, and—most importantly—real-world performance approaching 700 MB/s in continuous writing make it an extremely versatile solution at a list price of

€35.60 including VAT.

USB-A/USB-C™ Adapter to NVME/SATA M.2 with SD/TF Memory Reader - Techly

Coupon

€35.60

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The only limitation to keep in mind is that the SD and TF reader does not work simultaneously, and that the speed of the card reader is limited to USB 2.0: those with professional high-speed card transfer needs will have to rely on a dedicated UHS-II reader. For everything else, it's hard to find a better price-to-performance ratio in this category.