REVIEW: External SSD T-FORCE M200 has impressive numbers

Still little known here in Brazil, T-FORCE is the gamer sub-brand of TeamGroup, a global manufacturer of computer components such as DDR5 RAM, SSDs, cables, USB sticks, memory cards and other parts. Founded in 1997, the company has become one of the leading companies in its segment and is increasingly investing in new products for different types of needs.

One of these products is the External SSD M200 that was sent to us for testing. With impressive transfer rates and very useful features such as DRAM, the model proves to be a great option to be taken into account for those looking for a great external SSD, whether to connect to the camera to get files, make backup from the computer, or even to save games from your console.

Come see how he fared.

Design

It is beautiful and discreet and not by chance, it won the GOOD DESIGN 2021 from Japan. Interestingly inspired by the M200 rifle, this external SSD is completely covered in black painted metal, reminiscent of a military product. Weighing just 83 grams and measuring 10,5 centimeters high by 5,5 centimeters wide and just 1.1 centimeters thick, it fits just about anywhere.

It has no apparent screws and the USB-C port is located at the bottom of the product. It's possible to open it, but we definitely don't recommend it, as you could damage it.

At the top is a handle in case you want to tie it to a string to avoid losing it. The manufacturer informs that it is resistant to drops of up to 2 meters. It's the kind of thing that we hope to never test and never need, but accidents happen and having the resource is one less concern. The textures even help prevent it from slipping out of your hand.

Inside is a full-sized M.2 NVMe type SSD, and as we all know, SSDs get hot. For this, the Team Group placed 2 graphene heatsinks to keep it at temperatures that do not compromise daily use, since, in general, any device works better at lower temperatures.

Storage capacity

8TB. Yes, the maximum capacity of this little guy is up to 8TB. For those who don't need so much, there are models of 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB, that is, it meets all needs.

Hardware and performance

The T-Force M200's performance is excellent – ​​impressive might be a better word – and positions it as one of the fastest external SSDs on the market in its price range.

We have here an external SSD with support for USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 technology that is capable of supporting up to 20 Gbps of transfer rate – which, let's face it, is a lot. See below the difference between the current technology, embedded in the M200, and the previous ones:

To measure the performance of sequential and random reads/writes of various sizes to any storage device we use CrystalDiskMark.

Combined with the DRAM cache chip, the random recording performance is superior to other models that do not have the technology. Basically, when you have to access a file, the controller needs to search the sector where the file is stored, and when it is in a DRAM chip, this access is much faster, working almost like a cache.

Another key data point is that sequential mixing – writing a file and reading another file at the same time – completes at 1,2GB/sec, faster than models without USB 3.2 Gen 2×2.

For those who make daily use of external SSDs, having a model with some cooling technology is very important and essential for the product to work properly. The dual graphene structure employed in the M200 comes in handy at these times.

And where you can plug it in:

• Computer (Windows, Linux, ChromeOS and MacOS);
• Laptop (Windows, Linux, ChromeOS and MacOS);
• Tablet (Android, iPadOS, Windows);
• Mobile (Android and iOS);
• Videogame (PS and Xbox);
• Cameras;
• Other devices.

Even if you want to use it to expand your PS5's memory, you can, since with random I/O you gain performance in this regard.

Conclusion

costing about R $ 449,00 in pichau, the external SSD T-FORCE M200 proves to be one of the best options for those looking for the best cost-benefit ratio. With 500GB of storage, USB-C and an incredible 2.000Mb/s of read speed, the competitor with similar specifications costs almost R$700,00. And what sets it apart from its competitors is that thanks to the inclusion of a DRAM cache chip, the random write performance is excellent.

Technical specifications