Samsung Portable SSD T5 500GB and 2TB Performance Review
Samsung Portable SSDs Get 64-Layer V-NAND Flash
Samsung today announced their newest Portable Solid State Drive (PSSD), the Samsung Portable SSD T5. This portable SSD uses the latest 64-layer V-NAND technology and USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface to get up to 540 MB/s sequential read and up to 515 MB/s sequential write speeds. The T5 comes in two distinct aluminum finishes – an alluring blue for 250 GB and 500 GB models, and a deep black for 1 TB and 2 TB models. The manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) starts at $129.99 for the 250GB model and goes all the way up to $799.99 for the large 2TB model.
Samsung Portable SSD T5 Features
| Capacity | 2TB/1TB (Deep Black), 500GB/250GB (Alluring Blue) |
| Interface | USB 3.1 (Gen 2, 10Gbps) backwards compatibility |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 74 x 57.3 x 10.5 mm (3.0 x 2.3 x 0.4 inches) |
| Weight | 51 grams (1.8 oz) |
| Transfer Speed | Up to 540 MB/s |
| UASP Mode | Supported |
| Encryption | AES 256-bit hardware data encryption |
| Security | Samsung Portable SSD Software |
| Certifications | CE, BSMI, KC, VCCI, C-tick, FCC, IC, UL, TUV, CB |
| RoHS Compliance | RoHS2 |
| Warranty | Three Year Limited Warranty |
For this review we will be taking a closer look at the Samsung Portable SSD T5 500GB (part number MU-PA500B/AM) that runs $199.99 shipped and then the Portable SSD T5 2TB (part number MU-PA2T0B/AM) for $799.99 shipped. Both drives have the same rated speed and are backed by a 3-year warranty, so Samsung likely sent both to show the performance is the same. 
We love the full metal construction of the Samsung Portable SSD T5 and the colors look great much better in person than in the picture below. Samsung says this drive can take a 2 meter drop and keep on ticking, so it should be pretty durable over the years you’ll be using it. Samsung stuck with USB Type-C ports and we are glad that they did. Inside the retail packaging Samsung includes two USB 3.1 cables. One is a USB-A to Type-C cable and the other is a USB 3.1 Type-C to Type-C cable for use with the latest systems with a USB Type-C port.
When you first plug in the Samsung Portable T5 you’ll find pretty much an empty drive that has the encryption disabled. If you want to enable the AES 256-bit hardware data encryption you can fire up the pre-loaded software and quickly enable that by adding a password to the portable SSD.
Let’s take a look at some performance tests that we performed on Intel X99 powered desktop PC and wrap this up!