The next-generation Samsung T9 Portable SSD was officially unleashed on the world at the beginning of the month. The previous-generation 1,050MB/s T7 and T7 Shield were among some of the most popular options among Electronicsforward readers, and Samsung has now updated the internals and specs to deliver its very first USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 and (potentially) much faster speeds. The question is, how many users out there have the gear to actually take advantage of this tech at this point? Head below for some hands-on impressions of the new Samsung T9 Portable SSD as part of our Tested with Electronicsforward series.
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Hands-on with the new Samsung T9 Portable SSD
The new Samsung T9 Portable SSD comes in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities starting from $139.99 MSRP. That up-charge from the previous-generation models is very much due to the updated and enhanced USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 internals that can support up to 2,000MB/s transfer speeds.
The T9’s aluminum body is wrapped in a new rubberized and sort of woven material and is only available in a stealthy black colorway this time, as opposed to the blue, beige, and red we have seen generations past. Samsung says it can withstand up to 9.8-foot drops, but it doesn’t mention anything to do with waterproofing this time around.
Features at a glance
- Up to 2,000MB/s
- Internal aluminum body
- Coated, highly durable rubber material
- Dynamic thermal guard
- 9.8-foot drop protection
- 5-year limited warranty
Build
This time around, Samsung has once again switched up the material used to wrap its latest SSD. With the T7 Shield (check out our full review of this model right here), it updated to a gummy rubber material with a ridged design from the shiny metal exterior of the previous-generation T7 standard. The T9, however, flips over to more of a woven carbon-fiber look. It, too, is a rubber material, but with a slightly textured wavy concave pattern swirled around the enclosure – its subtly 3D wave isn’t quite as pronounced as the ridges on the T7 Shield but still adds some design interest and a fair share of grip.
One thing that always comes to mind with these enclosures that don’t feature a smooth metal exterior is dust. Some of these things can be serious dust magnets, much like the SanDisk PRO G40 we reviewed previously, as well as the T7 Shield. The new T9 is slightly less so in my experience thus far, but not by much – the sort of less gummy rubber here seems to attract less dust than others, but how that shakes up over time remains to be seen. Thus far, a quick dusting once or week or so has kept it quite clean, as annoying as that can be for some.
All in all, I like the design, and it feels nice in the hands.
Performance
As far as speeds go, it’s the same old story with all of these USB 3.2 2×2 drives – only the most ideal conditions with the latest high-end USB ports will be able to actually hit the max speeds. Even so, this is nothing new and something we are all used to. These drives never quite hit the speeds they are marketed within most of the rigs most folks will be using them on. Having said that, the listed speeds do give a relatively usable idea of what you’re actually getting – in my experience the 2,000MB/s drives are never double the speed of the 1,050MB/s models, but they are certainly faster, and this rings true for the Samsung T9 Portable SSD.
In terms of a real-world speed test that will give a broad range users a decent idea of what they’re in for, let’s plug both the T9 and the T7 Shield into my Mac mini with your average USB-C Thunderbolt cable and give it a go.
A 13.43GB folder full of documents, Logic Pro sessions, some video project assets, and some photos took exactly 51 seconds to transfer onto the T7 Shield while the exact same folder of goodies landed on the T9 and just over 32 seconds. Again, not quite double, but certainly faster.
One thing worth pointing out, along with your ports, that will almost certainly have an effect on your speeds is the cable you’re using. The T9’s included USB-C cable, though quite thick and well made, took a little bit longer to move the data compared to the OWC Thunderbolt cable I use in the studio here. Nothing surprising – just something to keep in mind for folks who might not be seriously pro users who would have already considered this.
While it doesn’t mean much to me personally, here’s a look at the Black Magic speed test for a 5GB file moving to and from the T9 connected to a Mac mini:
In the end, both your host device and connection cable must both support USB 3.2 2×2 to hit the max speeds here. Most folks aren’t going to have this, but the T9 is still faster than all of the 1,050MB/s drives I have in the office here.
In the end, Samsung is once again delivering a compelling portable SSD solution. It always comes down to how these things perform and remain stable and reliable a year down the line, as opposed to how they work out of the box for the first couple of weeks. But I can confidently say the Samsung T9 Portable SSD has worked perfectly in the few weeks I have been using it on a regular basis. The speeds are great for my setup (would be even faster on higher-end rigs), and it delivers another protected storage device that will slide nicely into just about anyone’s EDC (providing you’re not out in the woods when it’s raining all that often) or at-home content creation system.
The price, however, is still too high if you ask me. Considering most folks won’t truly be able to support the speeds it is capable of, it might make more sense for some to wait until the prices come down another $20 or $40 or more – the 2TB is on sale at the time of writing for $200 or roughly $70 more than the T7 Shield – and if history and the deal already live are any indication, that will be happening well before the year is out, if not sooner.
Buy the Samsung T9 Portable SSD
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