Conclusion
In this review, we took a look at the TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD which is geared toward an individual looking for top-tier performance, high endurance, and high capacity options without breaking the bank. The TEAMGROUP MP44 SSD offers a 512MB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB model with PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe performance at up to 7400MB/s. The TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe SSD is a 3D TLC NAND flash-based SSD without a DRAM cache, using the new Maxio MAP1602A controller. The 2TB model we reviewed today is rated at 7400MB/s sequential read speeds and 7000MB/s sequential write speeds, offering top-tier PCIe Gen4 x4 performance.
Cooling
The TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB SSD we have reviewed today does utilize TEAMGROUP’s graphene-based thermal label. It is not an aluminum heatsink, and it is not a metal heat spreader, it is, in fact, thinner than a heat spreader. We were impressed with how cool the Maxio controller ran under this graphene thermal label. Our maximum temperatures while running a stress test for 20 minutes managed to heat up the ASIC to only 64c, putting it as one of the coolest running SSDs in our comparisons.
This ran just as cool as the Netac NV7000-t and the Patriot Viper VPR400, and remember the Patriot Viper is running an aluminum heatsink, the TEAMGROUP MP44 is not. With the other SSD in our testing suite that also uses the Maxio controller and doesn’t have a heatsink or heat spreader, the Acer Predator GM7, we now have more data that is proving that the Maxio controller runs very cool compared to other controllers. The graphene thermal solution on the TEAMGROUP MP44 does seem to be keeping the controller cooler than the Acer Predator GM7 which did not use graphene.
The fact is, the TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB SSD just does not run hot, and you don’t need a robust cooling device to keep it cool. You will be absolutely fine using the graphene cooling that TEAMGROUP provides on it, and you can use your motherboard M.2 heatsink for maximum effect. The fact that this SSD stays cool with such a thin graphene cooling label also means it is perfect for laptops, small form factor PCs, and the PS5.
TEAMGROUP SSD S.M.A.R.T. Tool
TEAMGROUP does offer an SSD S.M.A.R.T. Tool utility to manage the TEAMGROUP MP44 SSD. Upon launch, you can view the disk info, which provides the model name, firmware, serial number, transfer mode, capacity, health status, temperature, power on status, and S.M.A.R.T. details. You can also view the interface standard to make sure it is running at the right protocol, as well as the host reads and writes of the drive. The system info will display information about your computer, also with a nifty feature to hide sensitive info if you want to take a screenshot to send for support. The utility also includes a Performance Testing option that is based on CrystalDiskMark to test performance if you do not want to download CrystalDiskMark.
While the utility does offer the ability to check the drive’s health status, which is always an important factor, it does miss a few key features we’d like to see. We would like to see the utility add a feature to check for new drive firmware and update firmware if needed. We’d also like to see Secure Erase for NVMe SSDs as well.
Performance
Starting in PCMark 10 Full System Drive benchmark, the TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB SSD performed with a score of 3496 coming in only second to one other SSD. This was a great performance out of the gate. This was due to the access time, which was phenomenal at just 47 microseconds coming in with the fastest access time. In the Quick System Drive Benchmark, the score was 3168, which was average performance due to no DRAM cache. In PassMark PerformanceTEST the TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB also had average performance at 40608.
In throughput performance, the TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB performed very strongly in CrystalDiskMark read performance where it ran at its quoted performance or higher. There was one area that wasn’t as strong, the write performance fell a bit under expected results, and the random read performance also fell a bit below expectations. However, the random write performance was strong.
The TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB SSD impressed us with file copy and game load times. In DskBench it took only 15.4 seconds to copy our test file, which is amazing, and only a hair shy of the fastest drives. We also experienced well above average game loading times, with only 9.99 seconds, it was the second fastest in game load. In ATTO throughput we saw many of the results we saw replicated from CrystalDiskMark, however, the SSD was remarkably consistent in file size throughput.
Final Points
The new TEAMGROUP MP44 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD is a really strong entry from TEAMGROUP into this realm of really fast PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSDs, without a DRAM cache. There is a lot to like about this SSD. For starters, it comes in five different capacity options, from 512MB up to 8TB. This gives you lots of options for your needs, and if you need massive amounts of space, 8TB cannot be beaten on an SSD that performs this fast. In addition, we really have to emphasize the endurance ratings on the TEAMGROUP MP44.
Often times we have seen more budget-friendly or value-oriented SSDs come with lesser endurance. However, the TEAMGROUP MP44 does not compromise at all in this area. It provides very high TBW ratings, the 2TB model we reviewed is 2500TBW, and to be quite frank, this is incredible for an SSD of this generation and performance. This means that the TEAMGROUP MP44 is not only great for gamers, enthusiasts, or the value-conscious but also really good for workstations and work-critical situations. It has a very wide application of use with performance, endurance, and capacity options such as it offers. The pairing of the Maxio MAP1602 controller worked well for the TEAMGROUP MP44 and its 3D TLC NAND Flash.
With prices hovering around $115 or less (at the time of writing) for the 2TB model, the high performance we experienced, and the high endurance factor, you really should consider the TEAMGROUP MP44 as your next SSD.
