OWC Aura Pro X2 240GB Review — NVMe SSD Upgrade for MacBook
The OWC Aura Pro X2 240GB is a purpose-built NVMe SSD that replaces Apple's proprietary internal drive in 2013–2017 MacBooks, delivering PCIe 3.0 speeds in a custom connector form factor.
Inside the Aura Pro X2 sits the Silicon Motion SM2262EN controller — a well-established PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe design that powered many mainstream SSDs in the 2018–2020 era. It's paired with IMFT (Intel-Micron Flash Technologies) 3D TLC NAND and 512 MB of DRAM cache (two 256 MB packages), giving this 240 GB drive a competitive internal configuration for its generation. The SM2262EN is an eight-channel controller with hardware LDPC error correction and end-to-end data path protection, making it a reliable choice for a drive that's meant to serve as a MacBook's primary storage for years.
The Aura Pro X2's defining feature is its connector. It uses Apple's proprietary 12+16 pin SSD connector found in MacBook Pro (Late 2013–Mid 2015), MacBook Air (Mid 2013–Mid 2017), Mac mini (Late 2014), and Mac Pro (Late 2013). It won't fit in standard M.2 slots — it's designed specifically for these Mac models. OWC ships the drive with an Envoy Pro external USB 3.0 enclosure, which serves two purposes: it lets you clone your existing drive before swapping, and afterward it becomes a portable external SSD using your old internal drive.
The 240 GB capacity is the entry point in the Aura Pro X2 lineup. At this size, write speeds are modest compared to the larger 480 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB variants, because fewer NAND dies are available for parallel operations. OWC reserves 7% of the drive for over-provisioning, which helps maintain performance and endurance as the drive fills up — a meaningful inclusion that many consumer drives skip at this price point.
The Aura Pro X2 competes with the Transcend JetDrive 850, Sabrent Rocket for Mac, and Apple's own OEM SSD upgrades. OWC differentiates itself with the included Envoy Pro enclosure, a five-year warranty, and strong brand recognition in the Mac upgrade community.
✅ Storage Comparisons:
🚀 Performance and benchmarks
The OWC Aura Pro X2 240GB is rated at up to 3,200 MB/s sequential reads and 2,400 MB/s sequential writes over its PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe interface. These are strong numbers for a PCIe 3.0 drive — the interface's theoretical ceiling is roughly 4,000 MB/s, so the Aura Pro X2 uses about 80% of available read bandwidth. The write speed of 2,400 MB/s reflects the 240 GB capacity's limited NAND die count; larger Aura Pro X2 variants reach 2,700 MB/s and higher. The Silicon Motion SM2262EN controller supports advanced SLC caching, which means burst writes are significantly faster than the rated 2,400 MB/s until the cache fills. Independent reviewers testing the Aura Pro X2 in MacBook Pro configurations found real-world file copy speeds that matched the rated specs, with the drive maintaining strong performance during typical macOS workloads. Random 4K performance on the SM2262EN typically reaches 180,000–200,000 IOPS reads and 170,000–190,000 IOPS writes in CrystalDiskMark testing, which translates to snappy application launches and responsive multitasking on macOS. The 7% over-provisioning helps sustain performance as the drive fills — a common issue with consumer SSDs is that write speeds drop sharply past 80% capacity, but the reserved space gives the controller room to manage wear leveling and garbage collection. For a MacBook upgrade, the Aura Pro X2 240GB delivers a dramatic speed improvement over the original Apple SSDs in these machines, which typically topped out around 1,500–2,000 MB/s reads. The drive's thermal profile is also favorable — the SM2262EN runs cooler than competing controllers like the Phison E12, which matters in the thermally constrained MacBook chassis.
OWC Aura Pro X2 240 GB vs M.2 3.0 x 4 peers
Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 3.0 x 4 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.
- ADATA SX 8800 Pro 512 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 2,700 MB/s write
- ADATA SX 8800 Pro 1 TB: 3,500 MB/s read, 2,700 MB/s write
- ADATA XPG Spectrix S40G RGB 256 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 3,000 MB/s write
- ADATA XPG Spectrix S40G RGB 512 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 3,000 MB/s write
- OWC Aura Pro X2 240 GB (this drive): 3,200 MB/s read, 2,400 MB/s write
🖥️ Endurance and warranty
OWC backs the Aura Pro X2 240GB with a five-year warranty and a 150 TBW (terabytes written) endurance rating. The 150 TBW on a 240 GB drive is a solid endurance figure — it works out to roughly 82 GB of writes per day over five years, which far exceeds what most MacBook users will generate. For context, a typical macOS installation with regular use generates 10–30 GB of writes per day, meaning the 240 GB Aura Pro X2 should last well beyond its warranty period under normal usage. The 7% over-provisioning further extends the drive's lifespan by giving the controller additional spare blocks for wear leveling and bad block replacement. OWC's warranty support is based in the United States with international shipping options, and the company has a strong reputation for honoring warranty claims in the Mac upgrade community. The five-year warranty matches what established brands like Samsung and Crucial offer on their mainstream NVMe drives, which is notable for a specialty product aimed at a niche market. An MTBF figure is not published by OWC for the Aura Pro X2, which is common for consumer SSDs. The combination of five-year warranty, 150 TBW endurance, and 7% over-provisioning gives the Aura Pro X2 240GB a durability profile that's competitive with mainstream NVMe drives despite its specialty form factor.
📊 Specs
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity [?] | 240 GB |
| Interface [?] | M.2 3.0 x 4 |
| Controller [?] | Silicon Motion SM2262EN |
| Memory type [?] | IMFT TLC |
| DRAM [?] | 2 X 256GB |
| Read speed (MB/s) [?] | 3200 |
| Write speed (MB/s) [?] | 2400 |
| Read IOPS [?] | n/a |
| Write IOPS [?] | n/a |
| Endurance (TBW) [?] | 150 |
| MTBF (million hours) [?] | n/a |
| Warranty (years) [?] | 5 |
Conclusion
The OWC Aura Pro X2 240GB is the go-to internal SSD upgrade for 2013–2017 MacBooks that need more space or faster storage. The 3,200 MB/s reads are nearly double the original Apple SSDs in these machines, and the included Envoy Pro enclosure makes the migration process straightforward. The 240 GB capacity is limiting for modern macOS use, and buyers who can afford it should consider the 480 GB or 1 TB variants. But for a budget MacBook storage upgrade, the Aura Pro X2 240GB delivers strong PCIe 3.0 performance, a five-year warranty, and OWC's Mac-specific expertise. Alternatives like the Transcend JetDrive 850 exist, but OWC's ecosystem and support give it the edge.
+ Pros
- 3,200 MB/s reads double original Apple SSDs
- SM2262EN controller with 512 MB DRAM
- Envoy Pro enclosure included for migration
- 7% over-provisioning for longevity
- 5-year warranty with 150 TBW endurance
- Cons
- 240 GB capacity tight for modern macOS
- Apple proprietary connector — not standard M.2
- Write speeds lower than larger capacities
- Premium pricing compared to standard M.2 drives
🛒 Buy this or similar SSD Storage:
✨ Video Review
Macbook Pro Hard Drive Replacement / Upgrade Test: OWC Aura Pro X2 SSD Review
