After greater than three years, Samsung is lastly releasing the T9, the successor to the T7. It now comes with USB 3.2 Gen2x2 and lets its predecessor swallow mud in my checks. The exterior SSD not solely will increase in efficiency, but additionally in measurement and weight.
The 2 just lately examined SSDs from Kingston and Essential have one thing in widespread: due to the brand new controller, they’re smaller than earlier exterior SSDs. The brand new Samsung T9 is over 10 % bigger than its predecessor, the T7 Protect. In spite of everything, the switch fee additionally doubles, making the SSD at the moment the quickest in its class.
The Samsung T9 intimately
At 88 × 60 × 14 millimeters, the T9 is the most important SSD I’ve come throughout just lately. It weighs 122 grams, nearly 100 grams greater than the Kingston XS1000.
Just like the T7 Protect, the T9 is roofed in rubber. This implies it might survive falls from a top of as much as three meters. There isn’t a IP certification as a result of, in contrast to the T7 Protect, the T9 is neither mud nor waterproof.
Picture: Kevin Hofer
The T9 is accessible in storage sizes of 1, 2 and 4 terabytes (TB). The Samsung Pablo, which can be put in within the T7, is used because the controller. In distinction to the X10 Professional, the T9 nonetheless requires a bridge chip to translate the SATA/NVMe protocol into the USB protocol. This additionally explains the scale of the T9. The bridge chip wants further house.
Samsung makes use of 128-layer TLC for 3D NAND reminiscence. NAND is a non-volatile reminiscence expertise that doesn’t require energy to retailer knowledge. TLC stands for “Triple Degree Cell”. Because of this 3 bits are attainable per reminiscence cell. The SSD additionally gives 256-bit AES encryption and a five-year producer’s guarantee.
Relating to knowledge switch, Samsung specifies 2000 megabytes per second (MB/s) for studying and writing. At the very least that is the case with my 4 TB check pattern. Within the smaller variations, the producer specifies the writing pace as 1950 MB/s.
The T9 comes within the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 customary. This theoretically permits switch charges of as much as 2000 MB/s. To realize these speeds, your PC or pocket book should assist the usual. Though Thunderbolt 3 or 4 are sooner on paper, the switch charges with the T9 would solely attain as much as 1000 MB/s. It is because USB 3.2 Gen2x2 transmits over two lanes and Thunderbolt 3 and 4 solely over one.
The scope of supply additionally features a USB-A to USB-C cable and one from USB-C to USB-C. Warning: Solely the USB-C to USB-C cable is USB 3.2 Gen2x2 succesful, with the opposite solely switch charges of as much as 1000 MB/s are attainable.
Sequential write and browse pace within the ATTO Disk Benchmark
Knowledge saved sequentially is saved in contiguous blocks. Due to the sequential studying and writing, you may estimate how briskly the SSD is for sure actions. Particularly, when accessing massive multimedia recordsdata, transcoding movies or watching movies. Producers prefer to specify sequential speeds as a result of they produce the best values.
I do all checks on my check system with the next parts:
429.–
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X
AM5, 4.70 GHz, 12 -Core
67.6067.60/1TB
Essential P5 Plus
124.–
G.Ability Ripjaws S5
2 x 16GB, 6000 MHz, DDR5-RAM, DIMM
Within the following graphic you may see the ends in comparability with exterior SSDs which have already been examined. The X10 Professional and the Excessive Professional V2 additionally come within the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 customary. For the sake of readability, I’ve not built-in the entire outcomes into the graphic. You see the utmost measured outcomes.
The ATTO Disk Benchmark makes use of uncompressed knowledge. It checks the learn and write efficiency of varied switch sizes from 512 bytes to 64 megabytes throughout sequential studying and writing.
At 1910 MB/s, the T9 doesn’t attain the acknowledged most learn pace of 2000 MB/s. Most inner and exterior SSDs don’t attain the official specs on this benchmark as a result of these are theoretical specs. These are solely achieved beneath optimum circumstances. In comparison with the opposite SSDs, the distinction between promised and precise efficiency is sweet. On the specified write pace of 2000 MB/s, it’s additional off at 1850 MB/s. Nonetheless, this can be a good worth in comparison with different SSDs. The exterior SSD solely develops its full learn and write pace with a file measurement of round 512 kilobytes (KB).
Random entry and much more to sequential pace
Whereas the MB/s worth is central to sequential studying and writing, the enter and output instructions per second (IOPS) are essential to random writing. The upper the IOPS values, the sooner the SSD. The shorter the response instances, the sooner the SSD reacts. “Random studying and writing” refers to knowledge that’s not saved in contiguous reminiscence cells. They’re randomly distributed on the SSD.
The Anvil’s Storage Utilities benchmark not solely reveals learn and write speeds, but additionally details about IOPS and response instances. The benchmark checks the pace of random accesses of various sizes. This benchmark can be utilized to estimate how briskly SSDs are when booting, loading functions, or trying to find saved recordsdata. From the checks, the benchmark creates a rating for studying and one for writing.
The T9 lies between the 2 USB 3.2 Gen2x2 rivals, the X10 Professional and the SanDisk Excessive Professional V2. Nonetheless, the hole to the X10 Professional, which performs finest, is small at 4.5 %. And in actuality it appears completely different anyway, as the following checks present.
Transferring recordsdata
To check the efficiency of the SSD in real-world eventualities, I copy varied recordsdata from the system drive to the T9.
First up is a 101 GB file folder with MP4, RAW photographs and a Premiere Professional undertaking – 60 recordsdata in complete. The T9 Professional wants 94 seconds for this. The typical pace is 1070 MB/s. The SSD can do that all through your entire switch interval. This makes the T9 three seconds sooner than the X10 Professional. The competitors with slower transmission requirements is overwhelmed by over a minute.
If the exterior drive shouldn’t be used, the Crystal Disk Information software program reveals me 29 levels Celsius. In the course of the switch of the 101 GB folder, the temperature rises to 34 levels Celsius. Externally, my thermal imaging digicam reveals me even larger temperatures. The T9’s sensor appears to be poorly positioned. I observed the identical factor with the Essential X10 Professional.
Picture: Kevin Hofer
I additionally check the quantity of knowledge from which an SSD throttles down the speed. To do that, I copy the 101 GB file folder a number of instances to the SSD. Solely after about 500 GB of knowledge has been transferred does the SSD decelerate barely. As an alternative of 1070 MB/s, the info switch pace is simply round 850 MB/s. From a capability of 500 GB, the pace continues to be round 900 MB/s. At half capability, i.e. 2 TB, it drops to round 870 MB/s. The T9 can keep this tempo till it’s 90 % full. From then on there’s nonetheless round 750 MB/s.
Throughout these lengthy copying processes, the SSD turns into considerably hotter once more: the sensor reveals me 71 levels Celsius and with the thermal imaging digicam I even measure 81 levels Celsius.
Within the second check, I copy a file folder measuring nearly ten GB with MTS, MP4, MP3, MOV and JPEG recordsdata in addition to one other Premiere undertaking – 100 recordsdata in complete. Right here the T9 is one second sooner than the X10 Professional and the Excessive Professional V2. The switch pace on this case shouldn’t be as quick as within the first check and is a median of 1040 MB/s. That is in all probability as a result of the folder accommodates the next variety of recordsdata, which implies that random accesses are extra probably than sequential ones.
The identical applies much more to the final check. The just about 4 GB file folder accommodates greater than 160 photographs in RAW format. Right here the three exterior SSDs with the identical connection customary are equally quick. The T9 transfers knowledge at round 920 MB/s.
If I transfer recordsdata round on the SSD itself, the pace is considerably slower. I measured a median of 380 MB/s.
Conclusion: At the moment the quickest SSD with USB 3.2 Gen2x2 customary
The T9 replaces the X10 Professional because the quickest exterior SSD with USB 3.2 Gen2x2 customary. It makes good use of the theoretically attainable bandwidth of 2000 MB/s. It is solely sooner with a Thunderbolt 3-capable exterior SSD, but it surely prices considerably extra.
The one query is: Does your pc assist USB 3.2 Gen2x2? Many units do not do that – despite the fact that they’ve Thunderbolt 3 and even 4. With these requirements, theoretically much more bandwidth is accessible. Nonetheless, the T9 can solely use 1000 MB/s of this because of the completely different requirements. Before you purchase, guarantee that your pc or pocket book is USB 3.2 Gen2x2 succesful.
In comparison with the competitors, the marginally larger pace speaks in favor of the T9. Nonetheless, you will not discover a lot of this in on a regular basis life: the 4 seconds sooner knowledge switch for 100 GB might be of no significance to most individuals. As a result of its measurement and weight, I see the T9 as extra appropriate for workplace use than for touring. Particularly because it doesn’t have any IP certification in comparison with the competitors. If in case you have extra persistence when transferring knowledge, it can save you some cash with a USB 3.2 Gen2 SSD. When it comes to value, the T9 is between the Excessive Professional V2 and the X10 Professional.
