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Thermalright

Thermalright HR-EP103 C Aluminum M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure

A CNC-machined aluminum shell and three stacked thermal pads aimed squarely at the throttling that slows down long NVMe transfers

$16.69*
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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jul 23, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.

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Overview

Thermalright built its name on heatsinks, so an SSD enclosure that leads with thermal engineering is a coherent extension rather than a stretch. The HR-EP103 C is a Mini Series enclosure designed around 2230 and 2242 M.2 NVMe drives — the short-format sticks pulled from handheld consoles, ultrabooks, and compact laptops. That focus is the defining trait. Buyers hunting for a home for a standard 2280 drive should look elsewhere; those with a spare 2230 sitting in a drawer after a storage upgrade have a purpose-built option here.

Construction is full aluminum alloy, CNC-machined, with a stated wall thickness of 2.7mm and finely polished edges. The body doubles as the heatsink. Thermalright's triple-layer thermal bonding places silicone pads on both sides of the drive — a 1mm pad, a 0.5mm pad, and a pre-installed pad — so heat generated during high-intensity read and write cycles has a path into the shell instead of accumulating around the controller. An anti-slip design keeps it from sliding across a desk or camera bag. Assembly relies on screws rather than a tool-free latch, which is slower to open but holds the drive firmly; Thermalright supplies both the screws and a screwdriver.

Day to day, it behaves as a plug-and-play device across computers, tablets, smartphones, projectors, and cameras, with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C link rated to 10Gbps and a bundled USB-C to USB-C cable. A blue LED reports state: solid for power, blinking for active transfer.

Key Features

[Metal Build Quality] Designed for high-intensity read/write operations, this Mini Series SSD enclosure features an aluminum alloy body for enhanced durability. Comes with screws and a screwdriver for hassle-free installation. Stable compatibility with mainstream protocols, fast transfer speeds, and reliable data read/write performance. Ensures that NVMe SSDs do not suffer from thermal throttling during long-term file transfers.

[10Gbps Extreme Speed] Supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C interface with transfer speeds up to 10Gbps. Perfectly compatible with M.2 NVMe (PCIe) protocol SSDs. Plug-and-play with computers, tablets, smartphones, projectors, and cameras.

[Triple-Layer Thermal Bonding] Features thermal silicone pads on both sides (1mm thermal pad + 0.5mm thermal pad + pre-installed thermal pad) to ensure stable transfer without throttling even under prolonged high-intensity use. Full aluminum CNC body provides multi-directional protection for the drive. A solid blue LED indicates power is connected; a blinking blue LED indicates data is being transferred.

[Supports M.2 NVMe Protocol Drives] Compatible with M Key and B&M Key M.2 SSD interfaces (SSD sizes: 2230/2242), supporting SSDs up to 2TB. Meets the needs of daily use and office work—multiple applications with one device, offering great value. (Not compatible with B Key interface.)

[Compact & Portable] SSD enclosure dimensions: 70 x 34 x 11.5mm. Features a 2.7mm thick aluminum alloy CNC-machined housing with finely polished edges and an anti-slip design. Easily portable—plug and play for data transfer on smartphones/computers, screen casting with projectors, and photo/video backups from cameras, etc.

[USB 3.2 Port] This M.2 SSD enclosure supports USB 3.2 10Gbps high-speed transfer. Please ensure it is connected to a USB port on your computer that supports the same or higher specification. No additional drivers required. The package includes one 10Gbps USB-C to C cable, thermal silicone pads, a screwdriver, and screws. The SSD enclosure is lightweight and portable, making it an ideal travel companion.

Specifications

Brand
Thermalright
Model
HR-EP103 C
Color
Black
Interface
USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
Maximum Transfer Speed
10Gbps
Supported Protocol
M.2 NVMe (PCIe)
Supported Key Types
M Key and B&M Key (B Key not supported)
Supported Drive Sizes
2230 / 2242
Maximum Capacity
2TB
Housing Material
CNC-machined aluminum alloy, 2.7mm thick
Dimensions
70 x 34 x 11.5mm
Thermal Pads
1mm pad + 0.5mm pad + pre-installed pad
LED Indicator
Solid blue for power, blinking blue for data transfer
In the Box
Enclosure, 10Gbps USB-C to C cable, thermal silicone pads, screwdriver, screws

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The HR-EP103 C supports only 2230 and 2242 drive lengths. It is a Mini Series enclosure, so longer 2280 sticks are outside its supported sizes.
Up to 2TB. Thermalright lists that ceiling alongside 2230 and 2242 form factors, which covers daily use and office workloads rather than large archival storage.
No drivers are required. It is plug-and-play with computers, tablets, smartphones, projectors, and cameras over the USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C connection.
No. It works with M Key and B&M Key M.2 interfaces only. B Key drives are explicitly listed as incompatible, so check your drive's notch before buying.
Through triple-layer thermal bonding — a 1mm pad, a 0.5mm pad, and a pre-installed pad on both sides — routing heat into the full CNC aluminum body, which acts as the heatsink.
A solid blue LED means power is connected. A blinking blue LED means data is actively transferring, giving a quick visual check on transfer status.
A 10Gbps USB-C to USB-C cable is included. The package also contains thermal silicone pads, screws, and a screwdriver for installation.

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