TeamGroup T-Force Z540 (4TB)

We tested the TeamGroup T-Force Z540 (4TB model), this PCIe gen 5.0 NVMe SSD offers blistering speeds. You can (and should) tuck it away underneath your motherboard heatsink, however we'll also pair it with the Dark AirFlow I combo Heatsink, which offers tremendous good cooling, making sure your new NVMe SSD runs optimally cooled. T-Force recently introduced its latest solid-state drive, the M.2 PCIe SSD, which is now the flagship model of the company's NVMe lineup. Available in capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB, the G70 Pro is designed to cater to both hardcore gamers and professional users with high data throughput requirements. A thin graphene heatsink, which resembles a sticker, is an innovative feature designed to fit into the constrained spaces of laptops and PS5 consoles, where larger, bulkier heatsinks cannot be accommodated. The T-FORCE CARDEA Z540 M.2 PCIe 5.0 SSD uses the latest PCIe Gen 5 x4 interface and supports the NVMe 2.0 protocol. It delivers read speeds of up to 12,000 MB/s and write speeds of up to 10,000 MB/s, making it a top choice for users who need strong performance. This SSD includes a very thin graphene heatspreader, under 1 mm thick, made from recyclable material. It effectively spreads out heat, helping to lower the SSD's temperature by 3-5°C when used with a motherboard heatsink, according to T-FORCE LAB's internal testing. This heatspreader works with various PCIe 5.0 motherboards. Additionally, the Z540 offers Team Group's S.M.A.R.T. monitoring software which tracks the SSD's health and performance in real time. The product also comes with a 5-year warranty.

Offered with a 5-year warranty and available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities, the 4TB SSD model is tested in this review. 4TB is sweet in the sense that you get a very high endurance rating with up to 2400 TBW (Terabytes Written), and a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 1.5 million hours.

Dark Airflow I SSD Heatsink

TeamGroup also submitted their T-Force Dark AirFlow I, a newly introduced heatsink designed for M.2 NVMe SSDs. It boasts a compact design, constructed from a combination of multi-layer aluminum alloy and two copper heat pipes to enhance thermal management. Additionally, it features a 40 mm fan that aids in boosting airflow and heat dissipation. The dimensions of the heatsink are 105 mm in length, 55.5 mm in width, and 11 mm in depth, and it weighs 83 grams. This product is specifically tailored for M.2 2280 SSDs and is offered at a price of $34.99, including a 1-year warranty.

In testing various cooling setups to assess its efficiency in maintaining ideal SSD temperatures, the results were as follows:

With Fan: Utilizing the heatsink with its 40 mm fan, the SSD's temperature capped at ~50°C, providing the most effective cooling to keep the SSD within safe operational temperatures, even under high loads. Without Fan: Removing the fan led the SSD's temperature to rise to ~55°C. Although slightly warmer, this demonstrates that the heatsink alone can adequately cool the SSD to maintain performance. Graphene Pad Only: Employing just the graphene pad that comes with the SSD resulted in a temperature of ~83°C, showcasing that passive cooling alone is not adequate for high-performance Gen 5 SSDs, pushing temperatures well beyond safe thresholds during load conditions.