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TEAMGROUP QX 4TB 2.5-Inch SATA SSD: specs, endurance and who it suits
A 4TB 2.5-inch SATA III solid-state drive using 3D NAND QLC, with read and write speeds up to 560/500MB/s and 1000TBW endurance. What the specs mean.
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The TEAMGROUP QX 4TB is a 2.5-inch internal SSD that connects over SATA III. It is aimed at laptops and desktops that use the standard 2.5-inch drive format, and its capacity is large enough to replace a big mechanical hard drive.
SATA III and the 560/500MB/s figures
SATA III is the long-standing connection for 2.5-inch drives, and it caps speeds at roughly 550-600MB/s. TEAMGROUP rates the QX at up to 560MB/s for reads and 500MB/s for writes, which is close to that limit. These are maximums, and actual results depend on your system and the files involved. An NVMe drive can be several times faster, but a SATA SSD is still much quicker than a mechanical hard disk at starting up, loading programs and opening files, and it suits older machines that have no M.2 slot.
What QLC and 3D NAND mean
The listing describes 3D NAND QLC memory. 3D NAND stacks cells in layers to increase capacity. QLC stores four bits per cell, which usually makes high capacities more practical than with TLC, which stores three bits. The trade-off is that QLC typically has lower endurance and slower sustained writes than TLC.
SLC caching
TEAMGROUP says the drive supports SLC caching, and mentions a "Smart Dual Cache". SLC caching temporarily uses part of the flash as fast single-bit storage so that short bursts of writing complete quickly. When the cache fills during a very large transfer, speeds usually fall back to the drive's native rate.
Endurance: 1000TBW
The drive is rated for 1000TBW (terabytes written). That is the total amount of data TEAMGROUP says can be written over its life under warranty. The manufacturer offers a 3-year or TBW limited warranty, whichever comes first, and says the TBW definition follows the JEDEC standard. For most home uses, writing 1000TB takes a very long time, but heavy workloads write more.
Support
TEAMGROUP lists free technical support and customer service through its official website.
Size and fit
The drive measures about 3.9 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches and weighs roughly 0.1 lb. The standard 2.5-inch format fits many laptops and desktop drive bays. Some thin laptops use a 7 mm height, and this drive is listed at about 0.3 inches (roughly 7 mm), but confirm for yours.
Who it suits
It suits people upgrading an older laptop or desktop with a 2.5-inch SATA bay, and those who need lots of space for files, photos or games without buying an NVMe-capable machine.
What to check before you buy
- Connection: make sure your device has a free SATA port and drive bay, plus the power connection a desktop needs.
- Speed expectations: SATA tops out near 560MB/s, so it will not match an NVMe drive.
- Drive type: QLC trades some sustained write speed and endurance for capacity.
- Backups: keep a second copy of important data, as with any drive.
- Installation: check your device manual for fitting a 2.5-inch drive, and whether you need a bracket or cloning software.
The short version
- A 4TB 2.5-inch SATA III internal SSD from TEAMGROUP, model T253X7004T0C101.
- 3D NAND QLC with SLC caching; speeds up to 560MB/s read and 500MB/s write.
- Rated at 1000TBW, with a 3-year or TBW limited warranty.
- Weighs about 0.1 lb.
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