TEAMGROUP MS30 2TB M.2 SATA SSD: specs, compatibility and who it suits

The TEAMGROUP MS30 is a 2TB solid state drive in the small M.2 2280 format, but it uses the SATA III interface rather than NVMe. That combination is aimed at laptops and desktops with an M.2 slot that supports SATA, and at embedded systems. The most important point is making sure your slot matches the drive.

M.2 shape, SATA speed

M.2 is a physical format: a thin card about 80 mm long (the "2280" means 22 mm wide and 80 mm long). Drives in that shape can speak two different protocols. NVMe drives use PCIe lanes and are much faster. SATA M.2 drives like the MS30 use the same protocol as 2.5-inch SATA SSDs, just in a smaller package. TEAMGROUP describes the MS30 as a B and M key drive, which refers to the notches on the connector. Motherboards and laptops differ in which protocols and keys their M.2 slots accept, so the slot's specification is what decides whether this drive works.

What the speeds mean

The title quotes up to 550 MB/s read and 500 MB/s write, while the feature list says up to 530/480 MB/s. Both describe the same ceiling of SATA III at 6Gb/s, which tops out at roughly 550 MB/s in practice. These are maximum sequential speeds under ideal conditions. Everyday use, with lots of small files, is typically slower. For comparison, a SATA SSD is usually much quicker than a mechanical hard drive in boot times and loading, though not as fast as NVMe.

SLC cache and 3D NAND TLC

The MS30 uses 3D NAND with TLC cells, which hold three bits per cell and allow high capacities. TLC is typically slower to write than SLC, so many drives use part of the flash as an SLC cache: a fast landing area for incoming data. Writes are quick while the cache lasts, and then speeds can drop during very large transfers. For general use this rarely matters, but it can for long, heavy copies.

Smart features

TEAMGROUP lists support for these:

• TRIM, which tells the drive which blocks are no longer used, helping it keep performance up over time.
• Wear leveling, spreading writes evenly across the flash.
• Garbage collection, tidying up blocks in the background.
• S.M.A.R.T., which reports drive health data to monitoring tools.
• Intel Smart Response Technology, which lets the SSD act as a cache for a hard drive on supported systems.
• Power saving functions, useful in laptops.

Warranty

The brand gives a 3-year or TBW (terabytes written) limited warranty, whichever applies first, with the TBW definition based on the JEDEC standard. Check the exact TBW figure for the 2TB model on the maker's website.

Size and who it suits

The drive measures about 3.1 x 0.9 x 0.1 inches (roughly 79 x 23 x 3 mm) and is very light. It suits someone upgrading an older laptop or small PC whose M.2 slot is SATA-only, adding storage to a system with a free SATA M.2 slot, or building an embedded device. If your computer has a fast NVMe slot, a PCIe drive is usually the better match for that slot.

What to check before you buy

• Slot type: confirm your M.2 slot supports SATA drives, not only NVMe, in your motherboard or laptop manual.
• Length and key: check that the slot takes 2280 modules.
• Sharing: some motherboards disable a SATA port when an M.2 SATA drive is installed.
• Cloning or fresh install: plan how you will move your operating system and files across.
• Heat and mounting: make sure you have the screw or standoff for the slot.
• Capacity listing: the feature list mentions 1TB in one line, so confirm that you are getting the 2TB model number TM8PS7002T0C101.

The short version

• A 2TB M.2 2280 SSD using SATA III 6Gb/s, not NVMe.
• Rated at up to about 550/500 MB/s (530/480 in the feature list).
• 3D TLC NAND with an SLC cache, TRIM, S.M.A.R.T. and Intel SRT support.
• Warranty of 3 years or a TBW limit, whichever comes first.
• Check that your M.2 slot accepts SATA drives before you buy.

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