With the T-FORCE Z540, TeamGroup is selling its own NVMe SSD with PCIe Gen. 5, based on the penultimate iteration of the reference boards for the Phison E26. The SSD is therefore not completely brand new. Whether this was such a good idea remains to be seen, because I can compare it with the MSI SPATIUM M570, which is absolutely identical in construction. Like many other current SSDs, the Z540 relies on a variable cooling solution, whereby you have to pay extra for active cooling. But this is exactly where the problem lies, because the prices of Gen.5 SSDs are slipping somewhat and the competitors are usually a little cheaper. The Z540 is currently around 300 euros from the cheapest store, which in my opinion is a little bit too high.
The 2 TB version comes to the customer without a real cooler, but with a graphene sticker, which I have also written about in other SSDs.
This is rather cosmetic and does not replace a real thermal pad, but at least Teamgroup has refrained from sticking the sticker on straight away. This reduces the risk of possibly damaging the SSD when removing it later.
The T-FORCE DARK AirFlow Cooler
The manufacturer offers the active cooler separately, but I’m sorry to have to issue a warning here. At just over 8100 rpm and almost 41 dBA, the part is just as loud as an RTX 6000 Ada in blower design and 300 watts full load after 20 minutes. No, you really can’t and shouldn’t do that anymore. With server fans like this, you are completely penalized here, especially since you would have achieved your goal better with other measures and fewer propellers.
I have to explain my displeasure. What kind of brainiac had the entire cooler powder-coated so thickly? The entire heatsink, including the two surrounding (pointless!), ground heatpipes for direct contact with the SSD, were also given a thick, black coating throughout. If you have such a massive insulating layer, you don’t need any more thermal enemies! Please do not copy this.
But what you can do: Remove the black armor from the heatsink and polish it, and replace the Luftikus with a quiet noise blocker. Then it’s quiet and it cools even (better). If you have enough airflow in the housing, you can also completely disconnect the noisemaker from the mains, then there will be absolute silence!
An important preliminary remark about PCIe 5.0 and compatibility
The new PCI Express 5.0 (Gen5) standard brings with it a number of changes that place new technical demands on hardware components. In order to fully benefit from PCI-Express 5.0, you need a mainboard that supports PCI-Express 5.0 as well as corresponding I/O support from the CPU or an I/O controller. Current processors such as Intel’s 12th and 13th generation Core and AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series support PCI-Express 5.0, albeit with a different number of lanes.
On motherboards, most M.2 slots offer four lanes of PCI Express bandwidth across their PCI Express slots, but you will need to check which slot is suitable. This information can be checked on the mainboard manufacturer’s datasheet under the STORAGE section. Some mainboards also offer expansion options via riser cards, such as those offered by ASUS and MSI for Gen5 devices. When using a PCI-Express 5.0 SSD in a PCI-Express 5.0 slot, the SSD is operated at its full speed, otherwise not.
PCI-Express slots are generally compatible with each other, but the performance limits should be taken into account. A PCI-Express 3.0 SSD that is designed for 3,000 MB/s will not suddenly reach 12,000 MB/s in a PCI-Express 5.0 slot, nor will a Gen4 SSD with a rating of 7000 MB/s. Conversely, a PCI-Express 5.0 SSD in a PCI-Express 3.0 slot will only operate at the maximum theoretical speed of the slot.
This also clarifies the scope of delivery and cooler, including the power connection, and we’ll quickly take a look at the technical data before we delve deeper into the matter. This is definitely worthwhile and offers interesting insights that are only available in this form exclusively here.
Technical data
The technical data can be found in the table below:
Product | 1TB | 2TB | 4TB |
---|---|---|---|
Form factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
Interface | PCIe 5.0 x4 | PCIe 5.0 x4 | PCIe 5.0 x4 |
Controller | Phison E26 | Phison E26 | Phison E26 |
DRAM | LPDDR4 | LPDDR4 | LPDDR4 |
Flash Memory | 232-Layer Micron TLC | 232-Layer Micron TLC | 232-Layer Micron TLC |
Sequential read | 11,700 MBps | 12,400 MBps | 12,400 MBps |
Sequential write | 9,500 MBps | 11,800 MBps | 11,800 MBps |
Random read | 1,350 K | 1,400 K | 1,500 K |
Random write | 1,400 K | 1,500 K | 1,500 K |
Endurance (TBW) | 700 TB | 1400 TB | — |
PN | TM8FF1001T0C129 | TM8FF1002T0C219 | TM8FF1004T0C219 |
Warranty in years | 5 | 5 | 5 |
But that’s enough of an introduction for now, let’s move on to the technology! Please scroll on…
TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 2TB, M.2 2280 / M-Key / PCIe 5.0 x4, Kühlkörper (TM8FF1002T0C129)
Ab Lager lieferbar - Lieferzeit 2-4 Werktage | 318,43 €*Stand: 10.10.24 21:29 | |
Bestellware - 8-10 Tage Lieferzeit | 326,07 €*Stand: 11.10.24 04:33 | |
2-3 Wochen | 326,15 €*Stand: 11.10.24 05:33 |
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