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Worth It?
Review Summary
The Teamgroup T-Force GA Pro 2TB is an affordable PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD with DRAM, offering speeds of 10,000MB/s read and 8,500MB/s write. It stays cool with a Graphene thermal pad and doesn’t need active cooling, making it a great choice for those on a budget. Available in different sizes, it performs well for both everyday use and gaming, and is compatible with PlayStation 5.
Hours Tested: 6
Overall
-
Quality - 8/10
8/10
-
Performance - 8/10
8/10
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Features - 8.5/10
8.5/10
-
Value - 9.5/10
9.5/10
Pros
- 10000+ MB/s Sequential Read
- 8500+ MB/s Sequential Write
- Efficient Controller
- TLC 3D NAND
- PS5 Compatibility
- Graphene Thermal Pad
- 5-Year Warranty
- Overall good performance
- Price
Cons
- Not as such
So far, I have tested two PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSDs from Teamgroup: the Z540 2TB and the GC Pro 2TB. These two models represent different classes of Gen5 drives based on their controllers. In addition, there is another category of Gen5 drives rated for up to 10,000 MB/s sequential read or write speeds. This class is primarily DRAM-less, which makes sense since Gen5 drives are still expensive, and DRAM-less models are relatively more affordable.
Now, meet the GA Pro series from Teamgroup under the T-Force branding. This is also a PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD, but it belongs to the more affordable Gen5 class, yet with a key difference. The GA Pro includes a dedicated DRAM cache chip, setting it apart from the DRAM-less drives in this category. One competitor in this space is the Corsair MP700 Elite, which follows a DRAM-less design. Despite featuring DRAM, the GA Pro series is still priced lower, and this cost efficiency is its main selling point.
The T-Force GA Pro 2TB NVMe SSD, being PCIe Gen5-based, is rated for sequential transfer speeds of 10,000 MB/s read and 8,500 MB/s write. The series is available in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB capacities, with or without a Graphene pad.
These SSDs are powered by the InnoGrit IG5666FAA controller, which is also used in the GC and GE series drives. The TLC 3D NAND appears to be from Teamgroup, though I don’t have confirmation on that. The DRAM is an SK Hynix DDR4-3200 chip.
The SSD also comes with a 0.5mm Graphene thermal pad for efficient heat dissipation. The 2TB variant is listed at USD 179.99 and includes a five-year warranty.
The key specifications are:
| 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 10,000MB/s |
| Sequential Write | Up to 8500MB/s |
| 4K Random Read | N/A |
| 4K Random Write | N/A |
| Dimension | 80x22x3.9mm with Graphene Pad |
What Makes It Different?
The T-Force GA Pro 2TB NVMe SSD has its strength in DRAM-enabled Gen5 drive that costs less and runs cool while utilizing the same efficient cooler as on the other latest offerings. You have nothing to lose with 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 Graphene pad does not come pre-installed, hence the components are visible on the top of the PCB. 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 the Sony PlayStation 5 as its height is less than 11.25mm, which is supported by the console. This is a PCIe Gen 5×4 drive using 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.
The Graphene thermal pad has T-Force branding and shows the model of the drive.
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 seem to be from Teamgroup, and there is a 2GB SK Hynix DDR4 DRAM chip operating at 3200MHz speed. Besides, this SSD also uses SLC for caching, which helps in sustained bursts of writes.
Testing
We used this setup for testing:
- Intel i7 13700K
- Lian Li GA-II Lite 360 Performance
- 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
- Microsoft Windows 11 24H2
I ran CrystalDiskInfo after installing the disk. The firmware version is 050g0554. This is the same as I saw on the GC Pro 2TB NVMe drive. 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 x4 speed link. The supported features are S.M.A.R.T., TRIM, and VolatileWriteCache. Unlike Biwin NV7400 and X570 Pro drives, which show 0 Power On hours, the drives from Teamgroup have a non-zero value.
Test Results
CrystalDiskMark
Let’s start with three different runs of CrystalDiskMark. This drive easily managed over 10,000 MB/s in sequential read and over 8500 MB/s in sequential write speeds.
The other Gen5 drives in the test result are rated for over 12000MB/s. In that sense, the T-Force GA Pro 2TB is sitting comfortably between those Gen5 drives and the other Gen4 drives.
ATTO Disk Benchmark
The maximum read speed on the GC Pro 2TB was 9.58GB/s in read and 8.4GB/s in write. Again, this drive is sitting on the border between high-performance Gen4 drives and Gen5 drives.
Anvil Storage Utilities
Next, I ran the Anvil Storage Utilities benchmark to test the performance of the drive. This is the first test in which the GA Pro 2TB NVMe SSD falls behind two PCIe Gen4x4 drives.
I also ran Threaded Writes in queue depths of 32 and 64. The SSD passes the 1000K speeds.
Next, I ran the Threaded Reads in queue depths of 32, 64, and 128 threads. The drive came closer to 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, recording the gameplay, saving the game, and moving the game. The overall score is given in the bandwidth and access time.
This is another test where the drive falls behind the Gen4x4 drives.
PCMARK10
We ran two tests from the Storage benchmarks in this suite. These are Data Drive Benchmark and Quick System Drive Benchmark.
The T-Force GA Pro 2TB NVMe drive has performed quite well in these two tests.
Blackmagic Disk Benchmark
We have used 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 GA Pro 2TB NVMe SSD. The file was then read from the DiskBench. This SSD has performed quite well with 3572MB/s, taking 26.72 seconds.
Next, I copied the same compressed file from one folder to another on the same drive. The transfer rate was 3489MB/s, and it took 27.363 seconds to complete this operation.
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 3007 MB/s, and it took 1.23 minutes to complete this operation.
Ultimate Performance Tests
Next, I prepared a heavy dataset of 529GB and 945GB repeated the copy operation.
The drive did 1537MB/s in 5.87 minutes in copying a data set of 529GB.
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 945GB of heavy data and repeated the copy operation.
It took 9.79 minutes to complete this operation at an average speed of 1484 MB/s. The lowest in read department was 67.55MB/s in read, and it was 36.509MB/s in write. Despite filling the space near full capacity, the drive maintains over 1400MB/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 5.681 seconds in total to load the game, making GC Pro the winner here, though it is marginal.
Thermals
I have used the T-Force Dark Airflow I cooler for this testing. The same has been used for other Gen5 NVMe drives testing.
65ᵒC was the maximum temperature recorded when the simultaneous read and write operation of 945GB of data was done on this drive. This drive does not run hot, and this is another positive of this class NVMe drive.
Final Words
The GA Pro is my third Gen5 NVMe drive from Teamgroup in a row. So far, I have tested the Z540 2TB and GC Pro 2TB, which are different-class drives. The GA Pro 2TB features the same controller as the GC Pro, but its main selling point is that it competes in the Gen5 NVMe drive class that doesn’t use DRAM chips due to cost considerations. However, the GA Pro does include a DRAM chip and still costs less.
This series is available in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB capacities and is available with or without a Graphene heatsink. The drive uses the InnoGrit IG5666FAA controller and comes equipped with a SK Hynix 2GB DRAM chip based on DDR4-3200. It also features two 1TB 3D NAND Flash chips.
The SSD includes a Graphene thermal pad. Unlike the Z540 and GC Pro series drives, the GA Pro does not run hot and, as such, does not require an active cooling solution—another advantage of this series. The drive has dimensions of 22x80x3.9mm, making it compatible with the Sony PlayStation 5. It also features TRIM, S.M.A.R.T., E.C.C., and 4K LDPC.
This drive is rated for 10,000MB/s sequential read and 8,500MB/s sequential write. It has a 1200 TBW rating with 1.6M MTBF. The TBW rating is relatively low.
In our testing, this SSD surpassed 10,000MB/s in sequential read and 8,500MB/s in sequential write speeds. The overall performance of this drive is quite impressive, making it a good option for budget-conscious users. Since it doesn’t require an active cooling solution, you’ll save some additional money there as well.
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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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