TeamGroup GE Pro 2TB SSD Review: A Budget-Friendly High-Performer
▼ Summary
– The TeamGroup GE Pro is a PCIe 5.0 SSD using the InnoGrit IG5666 controller, which has enterprise origins and feels less refined than competing options like the Phison E26.
– While it offers high sequential performance, the drive is inconsistent, consumes significant power, and runs very hot, requiring its included effective heatsink to avoid throttling.
– Its primary advantage is a relatively low price, making it one of the cheapest drives of its caliber, but it is not widely available on the market.
– The drive is best suited as a secondary drive in a powerful desktop system, and the 1TB and 8TB capacity models are not recommended due to performance and availability issues.
– The InnoGrit controller’s history of reliability issues and its inefficient, hot-running 11-core RISC-V design adapted from an enterprise chip contribute to the drive’s compromises.
Finding a high-performance PCIe 5.0 SSD that doesn’t break the bank can feel like a challenge, but the TeamGroup GE Pro 2TB SSD aims to fill that niche. It leverages an InnoGrit IG5666 controller and YMTC 232-layer TLC flash to deliver impressive sequential speeds at a price point that undercuts many competitors. However, this drive’s journey from enterprise-oriented hardware to a consumer product involves some notable trade-offs in efficiency and thermal management that potential buyers should carefully consider.
While the hardware promises top-tier bandwidth, the reality is more nuanced. Consumer drives have different needs than enterprise models, prioritizing responsive pSLC caching for bursty workloads over raw, sustained throughput. The GE Pro’s core controller, with its origins in more demanding server environments, doesn’t seem fully optimized for this consumer role. This results in a drive that delivers strong peak numbers but can be inconsistent and consumes significantly more power than some alternatives, generating considerable heat in the process.
This thermal output is the drive’s most prominent characteristic. Thankfully, TeamGroup includes a substantial heatsink with an integrated fan. While the active cooling is effective, it introduces considerations about noise, long-term fan reliability, and physical clearance in a crowded PC case. The drive will absolutely require robust cooling of some kind to prevent performance throttling, though users can opt to use their own cooling solution if preferred.
On paper, the specifications are compelling for the price. The reviewed 2TB model boasts sequential read and write speeds up to 14,000 MB/s and 11,800 MB/s, respectively. Available capacities include 2TB and 4TB, with the 2TB model carrying an attractive street price. The drive is backed by a standard five-year warranty. It’s important to note that the 1TB variant offers significantly reduced performance and is best avoided.
A closer look at the components reveals a double-sided design housing the controller, DRAM, and NAND packages. The use of a 12nm fabrication process for the InnoGrit IG5666 controller is a key factor behind its high power draw and heat generation, especially when compared to newer 6nm rivals. The controller’s architecture, featuring an eleven-core RISC-V design derived from an enterprise sibling, is overbuilt for a consumer drive, leading to inherent inefficiencies.
This brings us to the broader context. InnoGrit’s track record with consumer controllers has been mixed, featuring both standout performances and later issues with reliability or flash pairing. This history adds a layer of caution when evaluating the GE Pro. While its performance is competitive, especially in sequential tasks, it often falls short of the refinement found in drives based on Phison’s or SMI’s latest platforms.
Ultimately, the TeamGroup GE Pro occupies a specific position in the market. It is a full-fledged PCIe 5.0 SSD available at a budget-friendly price, making it a tempting option for users building a high-end desktop where a few extra watts of power consumption aren’t a primary concern. Its value shines when used as a secondary drive for large file transfers or game libraries, capitalizing on its high sequential speeds. However, for a primary boot drive where consistent low-latency performance and efficiency are paramount, more polished and cooler-running options may be worth the additional investment. The GE Pro is a capable performer with a major caveat: be prepared to manage its heat.
(Source: Tom’s Hardware)
