By Although the Teamgroup PD20M is a good 20Gbps USB SSD with moderate workloads, it is not the disk to use for continuously writing big data sets. Our 1TB test unit ranked dead last overall in our performance assessments due to its frugal 20GB of cache. Unfortunately, this is also one of the thinnest and most stylish SSDs we have tried; that means it travels well, especially with the convenient carrying case Teamgroup included.
What features does the Teamgroup PD20M offer?
The PD20M is a 3.2×2 external SSD that supports 20Gbps USB and has a tiny, squarish design. It measures 2.45 inches wide by 2.75 inches long by just 0.32 inches thick. The bottom is flat, while the top is rounded.
The absence of anti-skid material on the unit’s bottom is unusual, yet it makes perfect sense: When the Type-C cable is plugged into one edge, the PD20M weighs only 1.3 ounces, down from a scant 1.1 ounces when it is alone. You would need to use semi-adhesive tape to hold this featherweight puppy in place because it has too little weight for gravity to affect.
The main benefit is that this is the SSD you have been waiting for—one that you can hang from a port without risking damage. Disregarding performance issues, that is. Just take care not to forget it is in your pocket and wash it afterward!
What is the price of the Teamgroup PD20M?
The selling prices of the 1TB and 2TB versions of the PD20M are $110 and $165, respectively. That seems a little expensive considering the performance. In fact, the much better 1TB Crucial X10 Pro SSD was only $100 on Amazon when we looked. I hope that the PD20M will soon get a considerable price reduction.
What is the Teamgroup PD20M’s speed?
The Teamgroup PD20M yielded a much lower (364MBps) CrystalDiskMark 8 sequential write result in our initial tests than the 2GBps stated on the package. After I halved the size of the 64GB data set I usually use to 16GB, it wrote at 1.8GBps at last.
I have included the 64GB and 16GB results to show how crucial cache is—or how crucial it might be to not have it.
CONCLUSION
The PD20M works well for light workload applications, but at least with the 1TB variant, the write slowdowns happen much too early for me to suggest using it for anything more than light-duty applications. Compare pricing as well. There are many 20Gbps SSDs available for cheaper right now, some of which are significantly more reliable performers.
