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Worth It?
Review Summary
The Teamgroup T‑Force GC Pro 2 TB Gen5 NVMe hits blistering 13 GB/s read and 12 GB/s write speeds for just $199, works fine in a PS5, and even packs DRAM. The only possible downside is that it runs hot under load, reaching into a high 70°C range despite its graphene pad, so you’ll need active cooling. However, if you can tame the heat, it’s unbeatable bang‑for‑buck Gen5 performance.
Hours Tested: 6
Overall
-
Quality - 9/10
9/10
-
Performance - 8/10
8/10
-
Feature - 9/10
9/10
-
Value - 9/10
9/10
Pros
- 13000+ MB/s Sequential Read
- 12000+ MB/s Sequential Write
- Efficient Controller
- TLC 3D NAND
- PS5 Compatibility
- Graphene Thermal Pad
- 5-Year Warranty
- Overall good performance
Cons
- Runs hot
Teamgroup released GE Pro series Gen5 NVMe SSDs earlier. In a somewhat surprising way, they are back with yet another series named GC Pro. Both types use the same controller and NAND Flash. The subtle difference is that GC Pro is only available in 2TB and 4TB capacities and from my research, it seems like the controller on GC Pro is clocked a bit higher than the GE Pro.
Anyhow, I am taking a look at T-Force GC Pro 2TB NVMe SSD. This SSD being a PCIe Gen5 based is rated for sequential data transfer rate of 12500MB/s and 11000MB/s in read and write. I have seen reviews where 512GB size NAND flash packages are used. However, our sample comprises a 1TB NAND flash package with a total of two.
These SSDs are driven by InnoGrit IG5666FAA controller and seem to have YMTC 232-layer TLC 3D NAND. The DRAM seems to be a Micron DDR4-3200 chip providing up to 2GB DRAM storage. This SSD also utilizes SLC Caching of up to 600MB.
This SSD comes with a 0.5mm Graphene thermal pad for effective heat transfer. The 2TB variant is listed at USD 199.99 and it comes with a five-year warranty. This price is a stellar and main show here given that it is a Gen5 NVMe SSD.
Key Takeaways
- The T-Force GC Pro 2TB NVMe SSD delivers blazing-fast speeds of up to 12,500MB/s read and 11,000MB/s write, backed by a Graphene thermal pad.
- You should go for the T-Force GC Pro 2TB NVMe SSD if you need a Gen5 SSD that delivers rock-solid speeds, fits easily into a PS5, and offers good value for money.
- You should skip the T-Force GC Pro 2TB NVMe SSD if you don’t have active cooling for your drive, as the SSD needs it to run at optimal temperatures.
Here are the key specs:
| Capacity | 2TB |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | NVMe 2.0 PCIe Gen 5×4 |
| Controller | InnoGrit IG5666FAA |
| NAND | 3D TLC NAND |
| DRAM Cache Size | 2GB |
| NAND Cache Size | Dynamic SLC |
| TBW | 1200 |
| MTBF | 1,600,000 hours |
| Sequential Read | Up to 12500MB/s |
| Sequential Write | Up to 1100MB/s |
| 4K Random Read | Up to 1000K |
| 4K Random Write | Up to 1000K |
| Dimension | 80x22x3.9mm with Graphene |
What Makes It Different?
The T-Force GC Pro 2TB NVMe SSD has main selling feature of how cost-effective it is. You can experience a fast storage drive in the PCIe Gen5 category – which is still not a mainstream option – for as low as USD 200 mark making it a good value for your bucks. However, you will need to spend more bucks on a good cooling solution for this drive.
Packaging And Unboxing
The drive is shipped inside a paperboard black-themed packing box. The drive and other items are packed inside a transparent container. The following are provided:
- 1x SSD
- 1x Graphene Pad
Design
The top of the PCB is exposed as there is no heatsink cover. A graphene pad is provided separately and is optional. This SSD has a dimension of 22x80x3.9mm with the Graphene thermal pad. This SSD has components on one side hence it is a single-sided storage solution.
The SSD is compatible with Sony Play Station 5 as its height is less than 11.25mm height supported by the console. I recommend checking our guide on the best SSDs for PS5 to explore more options. In any case, this is a PCIe Gen 5×4 drive using an NVMe 2.0 interface. The drive has an M.2 2280 form factor using M Key Type.
A sticker can be seen on the backside showing the part number and serial number of the drive along with its capacity which is 2TB (2000GB). The drive is made in China.
The drive supports S.M.A.R.T, TRIM, E.C.C, and 4K LDPC features. The provision of TRIM advanced full equalization mode and active garbage collection helps in providing durability. This drive comes equipped with a data security isolation mechanism.
Internal Components
The SSD is driven by an 8-channel controller from InnoGrit which is IG5666FAA. This is a PCIe Gen5 controller fabricated on a 12nm process node. The two 1GB 3D NAND Flash packages are from YTMC and there is a 2GB Micron DDR4 DRAM chip operating at 3200MHz speed. Besides, this SSD also uses SLC for caching which helps in sustained bursts of writes.
Test Setup
We used this setup for testing the drive:
- Intel i7 13700k
- ID-Cooling DX360 Max
- MSI Z790 ACE MAX WiFi
- XPG Lancer RGB DDR5 7200MHz CL34 Kit
- Intel Arc B580 [For Display]
- Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe SSD [OS Drive]
- Fractal Design ION+ 2 860W Platinum PSU
- Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout
These software were used to benchmark the performance :
- ATTO Disk Benchmark
- CrystalDiskMark
- Anvil Pro Storage Utilities 1.1.0
- DiskBench
- Blackmagic Disk Benchmark
- 3DMARK Storage Benchmark
- PCMARK10 Storage Benchmark
Microsoft Windows 11 23H2 is used for the testing.
I ran CrystalDiskInfo after installing the disk. The firmware version is 050g0554. The interface is listed as NVM Express using 2.0 as standard. It also confirmed that the drive is operating at PCIe 5.0 at an x4 speed link. The supported features are S.M.A.R.T, TRIM, and VolatileWriteCache.
Test Results
CrystalDiskMark
Let’s start with three different runs of CrystalDiskMark. This drive did 13422.12MB/s in sequential read and 12287.69MB/s in sequential write speeds. This is an impressive performance but it came with a penalty of drive running hot. For this run, the drive easily crossed 76ᵒC So I had to use an active cooling solution for the complete testing.
The T-Force GC Pro 2TB even managed to take a lead over the T-Force Z540 2TB drive.
ATTO Disk Benchmark
The maximum read speed on GC Pro 2TB was 12.47GB/s in read and 11.47GB/s in write which is unrivaled in the graph. Even The Z540 is lingering behind.
Anvil Storage Utilities Benchmark
Next, I ran the Anvil Storage Utilities benchmark to test the performance of the drive. The Z540 and GC Pro and neck-on-neck here and it was a bit surprising to see that the Z540 did better in read speeds. The overall score favors the GC Pro 2TB.
I also ran Threaded Writes in queue depth of 32 and 64. The SSD passes the 1000K speeds with flying colors.
Next, I ran the Threaded Reads in queue depths of 32, 64, and 128 threads. The drive passed the 1000K IOPS.
3DMark Storage Test
3DMark Storage test is relatively a new test bench measuring the gaming-only performance of the given drive using three games. It measures the load time of the games, records the gameplay, saves the game, and moves the game. The overall score is given in the bandwidth and access time.
We are seeing a tough completion between two Gen5 drives in the graph. The Z540 has a marginal lead here.
PCMARK10
We ran two tests from Storage benchmarks in this suite. These are Data Drive Benchmark and Quick System Drive Benchmark.
Both Gen-5 drives offer similar performance.
Blackmagic Disk Benchmark
We have used the Blackmagic disk benchmark as well. This is a critical benchmark from the point of view that it monitors the three video compression coders against multiple formats and checks if the drive in hand supports that format and if it does then at what speed.
Real World Testing
Now, it is time for a real-world use. For that, we have used DiskBench in multiple scenarios to check the real-world data transfer rates. We prepared a data set of mixed files and folders including compressed files.
A 97GB-sized compressed file was copied to the T-Force GC Pro 2TB NVMe SSD. The file was then read from the DiskBench. This SSD has performed quite well with 3866MB/s taking 24.6 seconds. The Z540 is also offering similar performance.
Next, I copied the same compressed file from one folder to another on the same drive. The transfer rate was 3824MB/s and it took 24.9 seconds to complete this operation. We are seeing similar performance from Z540.
Next, we copied a folder of 220GB size containing multiple compressed files, sub-folders, and mixed files. The main folder was copied from the same drive to a destination drive on the same drive. The transfer rate was 3386 MB/s and it took 1.09 minutes to complete this operation. Both Gen5 drives are neck-to-neck here.
Ultimate Performance Tests
Next, I prepared heavy data of 530GB and repeated the copy operation.
Well, well, well! Some Gen4-based NVMe drives are showing the upper hand here. GC Pro is still somewhat competitive compared to the Z540.
I wanted to see the impact on the data copy speeds, particularly the write speeds with the drive filling up to full capacity. For that, I prepared 944GB of heavy data and repeated the copy operation.
It took 9 minutes to complete this operation at an average speed of 1617 MB/s. The lowest in the read department was 40.614MB/s in read and it was 11.31MB/s in write. Despite filling the space near full capacity, the drive maintains over 1100MB/s write speed which is good.
Gaming Load Time
This is the time when gamers are using NVMe SSDs for their games for faster loading. This is why we also test the game load times. This is done using the Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Benchmark using High settings.
It took 5.416 seconds in total to load the game making the GC Pro one of the top choices for gaming.
Thermals
77ᵒC was the maximum temperature recorded when the simultaneous read and write operation of 944GB data was done on this drive. I have used Teamgroup Dark AirFlow-I active cooling solution and even then this SSD runs hot. The Z540 was put under the same cooler and it did a wonderful 57ᵒC. Part of this SSD running hot may be coming from its high power draw.
Should You Buy It
Buy It If
✅You are looking for a Gen5 SSD: The T-Force GC Pro 2TB NVME SSD is a PCIe Gen5x4 rated drive offering high data transfer rates.
✅High speeds are your thing: The GC Pro 2TB NVMe SSD did a marvelous 13000+ MB/s sequential read and 12000+ MB/s sequential write in our testing.
✅You are looking for more storage for PS5: This drive is compatible with Sony PS5.
✅You are looking for a cost-effective Gen5 SSD: This drive retails at USD199.99 making the best value for your bucks in a Gen5 drive with a DRAM chip.
Don’t Buy It If
❌You don’t have active cooling for NVMe SSD: This SSD runs hot and you would need an active cooling solution for this drive.
Final Words
I have tested Teamgroup T-Force GC Pro 2TB NVMe SSD. This is a second PCIe Gen5x4 SSD on my test bench from Teamgroup. Earlier we tested Z540 2TB NVMe SSD. The GC Pro is launched after the GE Pro series. This SSD is only available in 2TB and 4TB variants. This fifth-generation drive retails at USD199.99 which is its main proposition.
The driving force of this SSD is InnoGrit IG5666FAA which is the same as in GE Pro series drives. It is an eight-channel controller supporting PCIe Gen5. This SSD comes equipped with a Hynix 2GB DRAM chip based on DDR4-3200. The two 1TB 3D NAND Flash chips are from YTMC.
This SSD comes with a Graphene thermal pad. This SSD runs hot and even an active cooler struggles to keep its temperature in check. This drive has a dimension of 22x80x2.45mm making this SSD compatible with Sony Play Station 5. This drive features TRIM, S.M.A.R.T, E.C.C. 4K LDPC.
This drive is rated for 12500MB/s sequential read and 11000MB/s sequential write. It is rated for 1000K IOPS in 4K Random Read and Write. It has 1200 TBW. The TBW rating is relatively low.
In our testing, this SSD has crossed 13000MB/s and 12000MB/s in sequential read and write speeds respectively. The overall performance of this drive is good although in real-world performance, the numbers are hidden and PCIe Gen4x4 drives offer competitive performance. However, this drive runs hot.
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[Hardware Reviewer & Editor]
Meet Nauman Siddique, a highly experienced computer science graduate with more than 15 years of knowledge in technology. Nauman is an expert in the field known for his deep understanding of computer hardware.
As a tech tester, insightful reviewer, and skilled hardware editor, Nauman carefully breaks down important parts like motherboards, graphics cards, processors, PC cases, CPU coolers, and more.
- 15+ years of PC Building Experience
- 10+ years of first-hand knowledge of technology
- 7+ years of doing in-depth testing of PC Hardware
- A motivated individual with a keen interest in tech testing from multiple angles.
- I majored in Computer Science with a Masters in Marketing
- Previously worked at eXputer, EnosTech, and Appuals.
- Completed Course in Computer Systems Specialization From Illinois Tech
Get In Touch: nauman@tech4gamers.com
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