Inter-Tech K-1696-P2 Test – Must-have adapter for every IT emergency case

Inter-Tech Elektronik Handels GmbH is a company based in Germany and was founded in 1996. Since then, the main focus has been on the Europe-wide distribution of OEM and retail hardware for PC systems. Originally, the portfolio mainly comprised PC cases and power supply units. However, this has since been expanded to include numerous divisions (fans, peripherals, hard disk enclosures, etc.). In summer 2023, Inter-Tech added numerous new peripherals and adapters to its portfolio. These include the Inter-Tech K-1696-P2 M.2 to USB adapter, which we will be testing today.

Technical details and scope of delivery

As always, we start this review with the technical data of the Inter-Tech K-1696-P2 adapter.

Model:	Inter-Tech K-1696-P2
Dimensions:	54 x 37 x 12 mm
Weight:	20 g
Material:	Plastic
Color:	Black
Number of data carriers:	1x M.2 SATA/ PCIe
Data carrier length:	80/ 60/ 42/ 30 mm
Internal connection:	PCIe (NVMe) and SATA (Key M or Key B M)
External connection:	USB C 3.2 Gen2 (max. 10 Gbit/s)
Data transfer compatibility:	USB 3.2 Gen2 USB 3.2 Gen1 USB 2.0 USB 1.0
Operating system compatibility:	Windows® from version 2000 MacOS from version 10.x Linux from version 2.4.2
Scope of delivery:	Adapter, manual
Price:	€ 25.90 *

As you can already see from the table, the scope of delivery of this adapter is very clear. The M.2 to USB adapter and a short manual are shrink-wrapped in a plastic film printed with the most important technical information.

Visual impression and workmanship

With the exception of the USB port and the circuit board, the Inter-Tech K-1696-P2 is made entirely of black plastic and weighs just 20 grams. This makes the adapter particularly portable and, thanks to its compact dimensions, it fits in any trouser pocket. The workmanship is OK and nothing rattles or rattles. The connection cable is around 10 centimeters long.

The adapter is connected to a device via a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 connection and therefore allows speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s or a calculated 1250 MB/s. The SSD is inserted into a housing in which an M.2 board has been integrated. To make this process easier, Inter-Tech has incorporated a small slot in the housing through which the M.2 slot can be viewed. Both M.2 SATA SSDs (Key M or Key B M) and M.2 PCIe SSDs are supported. The adapter also has a blue indicator LED to show data carrier activity.

Inserting the SSDs was very easy and the M.2 slot ensures a secure hold, so that the adapter could also hang on the back of a PC, for example, without the SSD falling out again. As the housing is also thicker, the SSD never touches the surface and there is no risk of a short circuit.

Function test

The performance of the USB to M.2 adapter was measured as part of a small functional test. The following SSDs were used as test objects.

• Micron M1100 256GB (SATA)
• Samsung PM981a 256GB (PCIe 3.0 x4)
• Kioxia Exceria Pro 2TB (PCIE 4.0 x4)

The measurements were carried out on a Thunderbolt 4 port (40 Gb/s) of a Lenovo ThinkPad T14 G4 and the following results were achieved on average from three measurements with the AS SSD Benchmark.

	Micron M1100 256GB	Samsung PM981a 256GB	Kioxia Exceria Pro 2TB
Seq. read	383.12 MB/s	965.82 MB/s	957.02 MB/s
Seq. write	475.26 MB/s	940,98	935.70 MB/s
4K read	19.28 MB/s	31.34 MB/s	36.69 MB/s
4K write	70.69 MB/s	54.70 MB/s	60.77 MB/s
4K-64Thrd read	31.46 MB/s	200.76 MB/s	187.44 MB/s
4K-64Thrd write	184.53 MB/s	205.00 MB/s	219.26 MB/s
Read access time	0.103 ms	0.102 ms	0.089 ms
Write access time	0.056 ms	0.078 ms	0.057 ms

As already mentioned, the USB-C 3.2 Gen2 port used supports maximum speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s or 1250 MB/s. These values are not quite reached in our measurements of the PCIe SSDs. However, this is nothing unusual, as certain losses are always to be expected with an adapter or an external hard disk enclosure. From our point of view, the transfer rates achieved are therefore okay.

Inter-Tech K-1696-P2 test: Conclusion

There really isn’t much more that can be said about this small adapter. The Inter-Tech K-1696-P2 leaves a good impression and achieves the maximum supported transfer rates of the USB port, taking into account the typical losses. The adapter also has a very compact design and is easy to use without any risk of damage to the M.2 SSD. It is also compatible with both M.2 PCIe and M.2 SATA SSDs.

At a price of

, the biggest competition for this adapter is probably any classic USB-C to M.2 enclosure, which are now available like sand by the sea and whose price is sometimes even lower than that of the adapter. In return, however, you also get a hard disk enclosure, which in some cases even serves as a heat sink and can protect the SSD from damage during transport. However, the hard disk housing must first be removed and the SSD often has to be screwed into place.

You should therefore think carefully about what you want to use the adapter or hard disk enclosure for before buying. If you frequently clone SSDs or just want to transfer data from an M.2 SSD, then the Inter-Tech K-1696-P2 is a very practical companion.