MOKiN NVMe Dual-Bay Enclosure Review: Worth It?

Most dual-bay NVMe enclosures fall into one of two camps: cheap units that throttle under load, or expensive docks with features you’ll never use. After two weeks testing the MOKiN dual-bay enclosure with various NVMe drives, I’ve found where it sits in that spectrum, and whether the compromises make sense for the price.

The hardware RAID is a nice touch, though I’ll be honest, most people will probably just run JBOD mode (two independent drives). RAID 0 doubles your speed but loses everything if one drive fails. RAID 1 mirrors for redundancy but halves your capacity. For portable storage, I’d personally stick with JBOD and use proper backup software instead.

Here’s the thing about performance: the MOKiN enclosure isn’t the limiting factor in most scenarios. That USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection is. You’re getting basically everything the interface can deliver, which means the enclosure’s controller and PCB design are doing their job properly.

But (and this is important) thermal throttling is real. I ran a 50GB file transfer test, and after about three minutes of sustained writing, speeds dropped from 850MB/s down to around 650MB/s. The aluminium chassis gets warm enough that you’ll notice if you pick it up mid-transfer. Not dangerously hot, but warmer than I’d prefer.

For typical use, copying project files, backing up folders, moving video clips, you’ll rarely hit thermal limits. But if you’re planning to use this as your primary video editing scratch disk with constant read/write activity? The heat might become a problem. Consider a desktop enclosure with active cooling instead.

My only real complaint is the internal thermal pad situation. The drives make contact with the aluminium chassis through thermal pads, but the pad quality feels average. I’d probably replace them with higher-quality pads if thermal performance becomes an issue (though that voids warranty, so proceed at your own risk).

The included USB-C to USB-C cable is decent quality, feels better than the cheap cables that usually ship with budget enclosures. It’s about 30cm long, which is fine for desktop use but a bit short if you’re connecting to a laptop on your lap. You’ll probably want a longer cable for some scenarios.

The RAID configuration requires opening the enclosure and flipping tiny DIP switches on the PCB. The manual shows which switch positions correspond to which RAID modes, but honestly, the labelling could be clearer. I had to double-check the manual twice to make sure I had RAID 1 configured correctly. Not a dealbreaker, but it’s not as intuitive as it could be.

One quirk: when you first connect the enclosure, Windows sometimes takes 10-15 seconds to recognize both drives if you’re running JBOD mode. MacOS is instant. Not sure if this is a Windows USB controller thing or something specific to the enclosure, but it’s worth noting.

If you’re definitely planning to use RAID modes, the MOKiN makes more sense than the Sabrent. But if you just want two independent drives and don’t care about RAID, the Sabrent’s superior build quality might be worth the extra tenner. The ORICO is fine if budget is tight, but I’d spend the extra £6-10 for the MOKiN’s better construction and thermals.

None of these touch Thunderbolt alternatives like the OWC Envoy Express, but those start at £150+ and require Thunderbolt ports. Different category entirely.

Value-wise, the MOKiN makes sense if you actually need dual-bay functionality. If you only have one NVMe drive to house, you’re better off with a single-bay enclosure for £30-40. But if you want two drives in one portable unit with RAID options, this delivers solid performance without the premium pricing of high-end alternatives.

The thermal management is the main compromise at this price. Actively cooled enclosures exist, but they’re typically £120+ and often require external power. For portable use with intermittent transfers, the passive cooling here is adequate. For constant heavy use, budget more for better thermal solutions.