Introduction
Fast PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe SSDs running at 7000MB/s, yet value-oriented running new DRAM-less controllers such as the Maxio MAP1602A, are all the rage right now. The new TEAMGROUP MP44 SSD series is one of these new breeds of SSDs, offering very fast 7000MB/s of PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe performance, without a DRAM cache, relying on Host Memory Buffer and SLC cache, and a new Maxio controller and 3D TLC NAND Flash. The new TEAMGROUP MP44 is TEAMGROUP’s foray into this market, and we have a full review of the TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD (TM8FPW002T0C101) for you today.
TEAMGROUP mainly produces its own brand of memory modules, memory cards, USB flash drives, solid-state drives, peripheral series, and mobile accessories. Under TEAMGROUP’s banner of SSD products, it has three distinct M.2 SSD lines, including the T-FORCE Gaming, T-CREATE Creator, and simply its more plainly labeled SSD line. The new MP44 falls under its standard SSD lineup. The new MP44 M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD sits at the top of the stack currently in this lineup, offering the best performance and capacities, as well as the highest endurance.
The new MP44 is not to be confused with the MP44L that TEAMGROUP also offers. The MP44L is not very new, in fact, there are reviews of it across the web since 2022. While the MP44 is a DRAM-less SSD, similar to the MP44L, the new MP44 does sit in a higher performance tier than the MP44L and is therefore geared for a more performance-oriented enthusiast. The MP44L is for a more budget-conscious individual, while the MP44 user needs higher performance, a very high level of endurance, and very high capacities.
TEAMGROUP MP44 SSD
The TEAMGROUP MP44 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD has no less than five different capacity models available. The TEAMGROUP MP44 offers a 512MB capacity, 1TB capacity, 2TB capacity, 4TB capacity, and even an 8TB capacity. This is really impressive, and we don’t see this a lot on SSDs this fast offering up to 8TB of capacity. The TEAMGROUP MP44 runs on the NVMe 1.4 PCIe Gen4 x4 interface and protocol and is a 3D TLC NAND Flash-based SSD with an SLC cache and without a DRAM cache. It has SSD monitoring software and a Graphene heat-dissipating label for thermal dissipation.
The rated sequential read and write speeds, as well as IOPS are different for each model. The 2TB capacity we are reviewing today, has the fastest-rated read and write performance out of all the capacities. The 2TB model has a read speed of up to 7400MB/s and a write speed of 7000MB/s. The IOPS are read up to 650K and write up to 660K IOPS.
For comparison, the 512MB capacity has a read/write of 7300MB/s and 4500MB/s. The 1TB capacity has a read/write of 7400MB/s and 6500MB/s. The 4TB capacity has a read/write of 7400MB/s and 6900MB/s. The 8TB capacity has a read/write of 7200MB/s and 6000MB/s.
The IOPS for the 512MB capacity read/write is 590K and 610K. The IOPS for the 1TB capacity read/write is 650K and 650K. The IOPS for the 4TB capacity read/write is 650K and 660K. The IOPS for the 8TB capacity read/write is 650K and 590K.
The endurance is also a key factor with the new TEAMGROUP MP44 which needs to be talked about. The TEAMGROUP MP44 has very high endurance (TBW) ratings compared to other SSDs of this caliber. The 512GB capacity has a rating of 700TBW, the 1TB capacity has a rating of 1450TBW, the 2TB capacity we are reviewing has a rating of 2500TBW, the 4TB capacity is 3000TBW and the 8TB capacity is 6000TBW. These are all well above average endurance ratings for these SSDs and are a very strong point of the TEAMGROUP MP44 for long-term usage. MTBF is 1.6 million hours and a 5-year limited warranty is also provided.
SSD Pictures
The TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB SSD comes in a recyclable packaging material and has passed environmental protection certifications to contribute to sustainability endeavors. Printed on the box is the capacity and key points, on the backside the performance is listed. Inside the box all we find is the SSD, with the thermal label pre-applied, there are no M.2 screws supplied.
At first glance, we can see that the 2TB capacity model only has components on one side, with the other side bare. This then appears to be using high-density 1TB NAND Flash chips, for 2 total on the 2TB model. This allows TEAMGROUP to have 4 on one side, and 4 on the other, for a total of 8TB in the 8TB capacity model. The 2TB model simply has the Maxio controller, and 2 NAND Flash Chips on the top side, and that is all that has to be cooled.
The TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB SSD uses TEAMGROUP’s patented heat-dissipating graphene label, which is less than 1mm thick of M.2 2280 size. Combined with an onboard motherboard M.2 heatsink, the dissipating performance is superior to that of just a heatsink alone.
When we take a closer look at the components, we can see that the TEAMGROUP M44 2TB SSD uses the new Maxio MAP1602A-F2C 4-channel controller. You can read all about this controller here. The Maxio MAP1602 is a 12nm process technology IC that supports PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe, and Maxio Agile ECC 3 technology based on an ARM R5 CPU core. It is geared for DRAM-less SSDs. The 3D TLC NAND Flash is labeled CD04BD46968 with no other markings.