The Samsung SSD T7 is the latest model of the company’s flagship portable SSD line. Sporting a sleek and slim design, the T7 leverages the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface and offers a speedy physical alternative to store digital projects and redundancy for backups coupled with the Cloud. It also offers another option for supplemental storage where connectivity might be an issue. Available in capacities ranging from 500GB to 2TB, the T7 is ideal for digital professionals who take large numbers of pictures or edit 4K/8K videos, as well as for gamers who need some extra space to store their games.
The Samsung SSD T7 is the latest model of the company’s flagship portable SSD line. Sporting a sleek and slim design, the T7 leverages the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface and offers a speedy physical alternative to store digital projects and redundancy for backups coupled with the Cloud. It also offers another option for supplemental storage where connectivity might be an issue. Available in capacities ranging from 500GB to 2TB, the T7 is ideal for digital professionals who take large numbers of pictures or edit 4K/8K videos, as well as for gamers who need some extra space to store their games.
Earlier this year, we reviewed the T7 Touch version of Samsung’s line. The specifications are identical between the two models other than the Touch’s built-in fingerprint sensor. Though the T7 doesn’t have this added security feature, it comes with password protection and AES 256-bit hardware encryption, which is usually enough for most use cases. Samsung quote read speeds up to 1.05GB/s while writes can reach as high as 1GB/s. The USB 3.2 Gen2 interface utilizes NVMe, which will allow it to deliver a noticeable improvement over the previous T5 model.
Backed by a 3-year limited warranty, the Samsung T7 comes in capacities of 500GG, 1TB and 2TB, which are currently priced at $90, $160, and $300 on Amazon, respectively. The drive also comes with both a USB Type-C-to-C cable and a USB Type-C-to-A cable. We will be looking at the 2TB model for this review.
Samsung Portable SSD T7 Touch Specifications
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen2 | ||
| NAND | 3-bit MLC V-NAND | ||
| Compatibility | Windows 7 +, Mac OS 10.10 +, Android 5.1 + | ||
| Capacity | 500GB | 1TB | 2TB |
| Performance | |||
| Sequential Read (128KB) | Up to 1,050MB/s | Up to 1,050MB/s | Up to 1,050MB/s |
| Sequential Write (128KB) | Up to 1,000MB/s | Up to 1,000MB/s | Up to 1,000MB/s |
| Security | |||
| Encryption | AES 256-bit Encryption Engine | ||
| Security | Password protection (optional) Fingerprint Recognition (optional) | ||
| Warranty | 3-year limited | ||
| Reliability | |||
| Operating Temperature | 0-60°C | ||
| Humidity | 65°C, 95% | ||
| Shock | 1.500G, duration: 0.5ms, 3 axis | ||
| Vibration | 10-2,000Hz, 20G | ||
| Physical | |||
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 85 x 57 x 8.0mm (3.3 x 2.2 x 0.3 inches) | ||
| Weight | 58 grams (2.0 oz) | ||
Design and build
Samsung SSD T7 is a very slick-looking device. Available in red, blue and grey with aluminum unibody construction, the T7 weighs in at just 50 grams and can easily fit in a tight pocket and the palm of your hand. This aluminum metal casing allows for better durability of the internal components, as it can withstand drops of up to two meters (or 6.6 feet). The drive looks pretty much identical to previous models, with simply the Samsung branding on the front part and the USB connector on the side.
The T7 also employs the latest thermal management technologies. Dynamic Thermal Guard technology minimizes overall heat generation and automatically maintains optimal operating temperatures.
High transfer speeds mean a decent amount of heat, so T7’s advanced thermal design is very important. For example, the Dynamic Thermal Guard minimizes the drive’s overall heat generation, while automatically adjusting to ensure optimal operating temperatures and minimize performance drops. Coupled with this is an ePMC (Encapsulated Phase Change Materials), which absorbs thermal energy (releasing it gradually on the board) to protect against overheating.
Samsung SSD T7 Performance
To test the performance of the Samsung T7, we will look at both the BlackMagic test on a current-generation MacBook Air and IOMeter on an Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n. We will be comparing the Samsung T7 to the following drives:
For BlackMagic, the Samsung T7 recorded 894MB/s read and 840MB/s write. Like in the Touch model, this is below its quoted maximum transfer speeds of 1GB/s. For comparables, the identically-specced Samsung T7 Touch hit 861.1MB/s read and 817.2MB/s write, while the Crucial X8 recorded 904.7 MB/s read and 802.0 MB/s write.
For IOMeter, we first looked at 2MB sequential with both 1 and 4 thread, the latter which is a higher load that pushes the drive a bit more. Here, the T7 saw 692.1MB/s read and 713.4MB/s write (1 Thread) and 1GB/s read and 919.8MB/s write (4 threads). The Touch saw 800.6MB/s read and 643.4MB/s write (1 thread) and 980.5MB/s read and 841.5MB/s write (4 thread), while the Crucial x8 hit 784.24 MB/s read and 760.02 MB/s write (1 thread), and 1GB/s read and 942.7MB/s write (4 thread).
When looking at 2MB random speeds, the T7 recorded 667.6MB/s read and 712.8MB/s write (1 thread), and 978.7MB/s read and 920.0MB/s write (4 thread). The T7 Touch recorded 681.6MB/s read and 740MB/s write (1 thread), and 963.6MB/s read and 840.5MB/s write (4 thread), while the Crucial X8 reached 727.33 MB/s read and 752.36 MB/s write (1 thread) and 999.9MB/s read and 939.0MB/s write (4 thread).
For Random 4K the Samsung T7 hit 4,204 IOPS read and 12,306 IOPS write (1 thread) and 17,805 IOPS read and 37,202 IOPS write (4 thread). The Samsung T7 Touch hit 4,235 IOPS read and 9,578 IOPS write (1 thread) and 17,206 IOPS read and 37,973 IOPS write (4 thread). The Crucial X8 hit 5,978 IOPS read and 8,435 IOPS write (1 thread) and 30,635 IOPS read 39,536 IOPS write (4 thread).
Conclusion
The Samsung SSD T7 is an excellent, premium storage solution for the size of slightly larger than a credit card. Featuring capacities up to 2TB, Samsung’s newest addition to their impressive portable SSD line features multi-device compatibility, high performance, durability, and ultra-portability. Though it lacks the security touch feature of the Samsung T7 Touch, it still comes with password protection and AES 256-bit hardware encryption, which is more than enough for most use cases. It also features a slick, modern aluminum design and supports a range of different platforms including PC, Mac, Android devices, and gaming consoles.
For performance, the drive had some pretty good numbers for its class: 692.1MB/s read and 713.4MB/s write (1 Thread) and 1GB/s read and 919.8MB/s write (4 threads) during our 2MB sequential test, while random performance hit 667.6MB/s read and 712.8MB/s write (1 thread), and 978.7MB/s read and 920.0MB/s write (4 thread).
Overall, this is another solid addition to Samsung’s already great line of portable SSDs. If you’re looking for the ultimate security, we recommend checking out the T7 Touch version. But if you don’t need that extra security, and are looking to pay a little less ( by 30 to 50 dollars, depending on the capacity), the Samsung SSD T7 is an excellent choice who need speedy access to their files at any time and from anywhere.
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