Samsung Portable SSD T5 EVO USB 3.2 8TB Quick Look Review
Phenomenal Storage Power, Itty-Bitty Interface
The Portable SSD T5 EVO from Samsung is available in capacities up to a mammoth 8TB, and we have that largest SKU on hand for this review. However, we must caution you to temper your expectations in light of recent USB 3.2×2 products like the Samsung Portable SSD T9; this T5 EVO is not a 20 Gbps device. In fact, it will not even saturate a 10 Gbps connection. Officially it is a 5 Gbps device, and actually offers similar – if not slower – speed to the original T5 from 2017. Ouch. But it’s 8TB, darn it!
Product Specifications
- Capacity: 8TB
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- Encryption: AES 256-bit hardware encryption
- Performance:
- Sequential Read Speed: Up to 460 MB/s
- Sequential Write Speed: Up to 460 MB/s
- UASP Mode: Supported
- Compatible Devices: PCs, Laptops, Android smart phones and tablets, Game consoles, Smart TVs, Cameras
- Operating Temperature: 32°F to 140°F (0°C to 60°C)
- Non-operating Temperature: -40°F to 185°F (-40°C to 85°C)
- Management Software: Samsung Magician Software
- Warranty: Three (3) year limited warranty
- Dimension (WxHxD): 3.7 x 1.6 x 0.7 inches
- Weight: 102 grams
Pricing
$649.99 USD list (Samsung.com)
Manufacturer Description
“We went big and made it portable. It’s the T5 EVO—an ideal choice for gamers and content creators. This SSD is engineered to handle large file transfers while still small and nimble enough to take on the go.”
Performance
Are you ready for some 5 Gbps benchmarks in 2023? Great! If you care, the test system was a Lenovo Yoga laptop, powered by an Intel 12th Gen Core i7. I don’t think the results would have been different with any laptop with a USB-C port, but I didn’t test that theory. What I did test was CrystalDiskMark at the “Peak Performance” preset, and then some basic read/write operations in Windows.
Well, 466 MB/s is faster than writing to my NAS over Gigabit Ethernet, thus proving once again that sneakernet will always be best. Next, some file transfers to and from the T5 EVO:
T5 EVO Windows File Read
T5 EVO Windows File Write
After the effects of Windows caching wore off during a larger file transfer, we saw numbers a bit lower than the CrystalDiskMark theoretical max, but still perfectly respectable when remembering that the T5 EVO is a 5 Gbps drive.
Final Thoughts
Typically, when presented with a storage product that offers tons of capacity, but below-average performance, we are talking about a budget product. And, while 8TB is still enough to command a premium in the NVMe storage world, the T5 EVO’s $649.99 list price is enough to make this a very hard sell for 5 Gbps performance. Yes, the T5 EVO offers 256-bit hardware encryption, and it sports a very compact and rugged enclosure, but intrepid enthusiasts might look into a large-capacity SATA drive and an inexpensive USB enclosure if they are willing to settle for speeds like this.
Case in point: Samsung’s 870 QVO drive with an 8TB capacity is just $349 on Amazon as I write this, and you can have your pick of 2.5-inch USB enclosures for less than $20. When comparing $369 to $649 for 8TB of 5 Gbps speed, the choice seems fairly obvious. At present I am only seeing the full list price on Samsung’s website and on Amazon for the T5 EVO, and I don’t know what to make of this. Let’s hope for a market correction soon.
