Introduction
TEAMGROUP has a healthy stack of SSD options but with many users not taking too kindly to parts swapping on existing models, TEAM has decided to just released a new line to adjust for changing controllers. This is unlike the attempts of other manufacturers like Kingston who openly state that parts may change without notice with commitment to performance ratings remaining the same. This saves them the judgement of pulling a bait-and-switch but major changes will require a change.
This is why TEAMGROUP is using various namings for their different controller lines with the T-FORCE G-series SSDs serving as the performance line-up using Innogrit controllers. Today we have the TEAMGROUP T-FORCE G50: a PCIe Gen4 SSD featuring the Innogrit IG5220 controller together with YMTC 3D TLC flash NANDs. It is a DRAMless SSD with a smaller buffer for write cache but depending on your usecase, it might be immaterial.
Available in capacities up to 2TB (plans for 4TB existed but were pulled prior to launch), the T-FORCE G50 is available now and we’ll see how it performs in this review. Read on!
Features & Specification
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe Gen4x4 with NVMe |
| Voltage | DC +3.3V |
| Operation Temperature | 0˚C ~ 70˚C |
| Storage Temperature | -40˚C ~ 85˚C |
| Weight | 7g |
| Dimensions | 80.0(L) x 22.0(W) x 3.7(H)mm |
| Vibration | 80Hz~2,000Hz/20G |
| Shock | 1,500G/0.5ms |
| MTBF | 3,000,000 Hours |
| Operating System | Compatible with Intel and AMD platforms and has one of the following operating systems: – Windows 11 / 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7 / Vista – MAC OS 10.4 or later – Linux 2.6.33 or later |
| Warranty | 5-year limited warranty |
G50 M.2 PCIe SSD Models
| Model | Capacity | Sequential Read | Sequential Write | TBW | DRAM | SKU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G50 M.2 PCIe SSD | 2TB | up to 5,000 MB/s | up to 4,500 MB/s | 1300TBW | NO | TM8FFE002T0C129 |
| G50 M.2 PCIe SSD | 1TB | up to 5,000 MB/s | up to 4,800 MB/s | 650TBW | NO | TM8FFE001T0C129 |
| G50 M.2 PCIe SSD | 512GB | up to 5,000 MB/s | up to 3,500 MB/s | 325TBW | NO | TM8FFE512G0C129 |
Closer Look – TEAMGROUP T-FORCE G50
The T-FORCE G50 comes in TEAMGROUP’s signature T-FORCE packaging with a full-coloured package on with a dark theme. A hero shot of the product is on the front with the model name. A capacity sticker is used for easier production of the packaging. There is a cutout window to see the SSD inside with the actual SSD encased in a clamshell molded packaging.
The 1TB T-FORCE G50 features minimal minimal compoents on the PCB so the drive itself is a very compact offering. As seen above, the label side doesn’t any components with the business side on the other end being the recipient of a patented graphene heatspreader from TEAMGROUP.
The graphene heatspreader has technical design that differs versus other graphene manufacturing process. TEAMGROUP is highly confident in the thermal advantage of their graphene heatspreaders so much that its actually patented as of 2021 (USPTO Patent # US-11051392-B2).
Not a lot to describe here as this is a standard M.2 device. It is offered with no heatsink but from you may be able to get away with minimal cooling but its highly recommended that you put it on a slot with at least a heatsink slot cover for optimal performance.
With consumers becoming more aware of part revisions and how they can affect performance down the line, we include the key components in our SSD reviews. Below are the components used by TEAMGROUP T-FORCE G50 sample as pictured:
- Controller: Innogrit IG5220
- Flash: YMTC 128-Layer 3D TLC
- DRAM: N/A
Performance Testing – TEAMGROUP T-FORCE G50
Test Setup
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
Motherboard: ROG Maximus Z890 HERO
Memory: Kingston FURY Renegade DDR5-6400 32GB (2×16)
Storage: Kingston FURY Renegade SSD (OS), tested drive as listed
PSU: FSP Hydro GT Pro 1000W
Cooling: Arctic Frozr III 360
Monitor: ROG Strix XG32UQ
VGA: ASUS GTX 1050 Ti Phoenix
Our sample for this test is the TEAMGROUP T-FORCE G50 1TB capacity version
Linear Performance Testing
SSD performance rating especially on write usually only achieved in optimal sitautions particularly sequential transfers. In this we use a script to write 1GB data files to fill-up the drive or until we hit the saturation point where the drive doesn’t delivery its rated performance.
The performance here is curious as the read speeds sprung later in the chain. One thing about this test is that read testing is done after the extremely long write testing and uses the actual written files for the reads. We can see the read performing jumping later down the queue while so it could be the drive still recovery from the write flush. For the write performance itself, the Innogrit IG5220 has a small buffer but the drive dips to SATA speeds after 280GB of writes.
Curiously, it behaves with this sawtooth-like behavior suggesting that the G50 is actually recovering write performance at some point to burst but just doesn’t do it with our test size. What this means is that if you’re transferring a single file, you may enjoy the drive’s rated performance with <280GB file sizes.
Crystal DiskMark
CrystalDIskMark has been the most actively updated disk benchmark amongst all the ones we use and is effectively the most reliable. Unfortunately, version to version results are not comparable which limits the ability to extrapolate comparative data. Still its a reliable and direct benchmark. Like the previous, it allows control over test data pattern, the test data size, amount of passes and individual benchmark control.
PCMark 10 Storage Benchmark
PCMark 10 introduces a set of four storage benchmarks that use relevant real-world traces from popular applications and common tasks to fully test the performance of the latest modern drives.
3DMark Storage Benchmark
The 3DMark Storage Benchmark uses traces recorded from popular games and gaming-related activities to measure real-world gaming performance, such as:
- Loading Battlefield V from launch to the main menu.
- Loading Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 from launch to the main menu.
- Loading Overwatch® from launch to the main menu.
- Recording a 1080p gameplay video at 60 FPS with OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) while playing Overwatch.
- Installing The Outer Worlds from the Epic Games Launcher.
- Saving game progress in The Outer Worlds.
- Copying the Steam folder for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive from an external SSD to the system drive.
Final Fantasy XIV Benchmark
Final Fantasy XIV has a standalone benchmark application for PC, with the mid-2024 update to the game being the Drawntrail expansion which means that we’re restarting from scratch in our testing archive for this benchmark which delivers some very nice graphical updates. A long-standing feature of the Final Fantasy XIV standalone benchmark is the loading data is captures which is a summary of all the load times between scenes in the benchmark. We take the aggregate loading times of these scenes for the total score.
Playstation 5 Testing
The Sony Playstation 5 supports storage expansion thru M.2 devices and many SSD makers are advertising their drives as supporting the Playstation 5. That said, we’ve included PS5 bandwidth testing in our reviews. We use the Playstation 5’s internal read speed test for the primary initialization. Due to how Sony designed this benchmark, our testing averages at least 5 reads with the drive formatted after a rest period for best thermal results.
Conclusion
The T-FORCE G50 is intended to be the more budget option for gamers by TEAMGROUP. They’ve positioned this configuration to perform at “ok-ish” levels at Gen4 speeds and still offering an option for TLC for those that want something that doesn’t scream ultra-budget, and should have better overall endurance. Depending on where you are, this drive may be cheaper or pricier than competing budget options from other Taiwanese or Chinese brands. If your use-case is mostly gaming, the occasional game transfer could tax the SSD but most usecases will probably be fine. Still, it should be worth noting that if you’re copying files like Call of Duty’s massive folder sizes, you’ll see the drive dip below 600MB/s or so on average.
As a Gen4 drive, I highly recommend this drive for motherboard with an M.2 slot cover or heatsink. The included graphene heatspreader may be good but its not enough to make it a bare drive and prolonged write will either tank performance or shut the drive outright making it a non-option for laptops that are primarily gaming or video editing machines as the occassional continuous write tasks may cause the drive to heat up.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly PCIe Gen4 SSD that delivers great price-to-performance, the Team Group G50 is an excellent choice. It competes closely with alternatives while undercutting many competitors in terms pricing. There’s a ton of faster drives available also but they come at a premium—and for most everyday users, the G50 is more than sufficient.
For desktop users who need affordable high-speed storage for gaming, general productivity, and even light creative work, the Team Group G50 offers decent value with not much trade-off for its intended usage.
TEAMGROUP backs the T-FORCE G50 with a 5-year warranty. I give it my B2G Recommended Seal!
