PC World - USA (2020-03)

MARCH 2020 PCWorld 69

48GB Write

48GB Read

48GB copies

(Seconds)

LONGER BARS INDICATE BETTER PERFORMANCE

721

638

Tot al

48GB Folder Write

48GB Folder Read

The older Samsung T5 is a bit faster writer than the T7, once the latter runs out of cache. On our 500GB T7,
that was at roughly the halfway mark in this test, allowing the T5 to catch up.

Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD

Samsung T7 Samsung T5

843

257

272

329

225

203

270

127

136

135

112

72

109

Tortoise-vs.-Hare (go.pcworld.com/trhr)
behavior, as it did with the T7 and T5.
The T7 was eventually caught by the T5
and posted a longer time, as you can see

above. The T7’s 500MBps write speed while

its cache lasted gave it a hefty head start;

however, the T5’s steady 50MBps advantage

off cache allowed it to catch up at the very

end. Again, with the 1TB

or 2TB T7 with their

larger amounts of cache,

this likely would not have

happened.

The screen capture

below more vividly

illustrates the drop in

speed when the T7 runs

out of cache. Note that

300MBps writing is still

In our 450GB write test, which we use largely to spot any dips in
performance due to running out of cache, the T5 eventually caught the
T7. FIX It was near run thing as the T7’s cache gave it a hefty head start
writing at well over 500MBps.

450GB Write

450GB Write

(Seconds)

1,325

1,366

LONGER BARS INDICATE BETTER PERFORMANCE

Samsung T7 Samsung T5