Leaked Samsung T5 EVO External SSD Won't Impress On Speed, Tops Out at 8TB

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460 MB/s isn't going to win any races, but maybe you need a lot of pocketable solid-state storage.

Leaked information of Samsung SSD T5 EVO
(Image credit: VIA WinFuture)

Samsung may have only recently launched its T9 portable SSD, but it appears the company isn't done slinging potable storage devices this year. Information about a Samsung T5 EVO slipped out recently, which indicates the drive is aimed more capacity and value seekers rather than absolute speed. The T5 Evo reportedly will be offered in two-, four-, and eight-terabyte variants. 

The source indicates the storage casing is made of plastic that is resistant to falls up to 2 meters. There's no information about the IP rating, so it is not rated to be dust and waterproof. But it has a three-year warranty. 

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Samsung SSD T5 EVO
(Image credit: VIA WinFuture)

Sleek and Pocket-Friendly for Its Capacity

Based on the leak from German site WinFuture, the two, four and eight TB storage will be priced at $189.99, $349.99 and $655.99 USD, respectively. Based on the leaked images, the T5 EVO looks a bit chunky and weighs at 102 grams. It's 17mm thick, 95mm tall including the eyelet and 40mm in width. It is provided with a Type-C to Type-C cable and compatible with Windows 7 and higher, MacOS 10.10 and above and Android 5.1 lollipop OS and above. AES 256-bit encryption is also supported.

Advertised Performance Differences Between the SSD T9 and the T5 EVO

It's clear the T5 will have a tough time competing with the best external SSDs when it comes to speed. It's rated for up to 460 MB/s sequential read and write speeds via its USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) interface. The drive connects via a Type-C USB port with a power-on LED next to it. It is not surprising to see its advertised performance below that of the Samsung T9, with its faster USB 3.1 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) interface. But the T9's capacity tops out at 4TB, while the T5 EVO provides up to 8TB.

We don't know the T5's launch date, but considering the product design and packaging images look like those typically seen in press releases, it's likely the drive will get an official announcement soon.

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Roshan Ashraf Shaikh
Roshan Ashraf Shaikh
Contributing Writer

Roshan Ashraf Shaikh has been in the Indian PC hardware community since the early 2000s and has been building PCs, contributing to many Indian tech forums, & blogs. He operated Hardware BBQ for 11 years and wrote news for eTeknix & TweakTown before joining Tom's Hardware team. Besides tech, he is interested in fighting games, movies, anime, and mechanical watches.

4 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Li Ken-un
    lol. This is slower than their 8 TB SATA SSD, which costs only $320. (Its price has dropped to that point several times this year, so I’m quoting that as its sales price.)
    Reply
  • mdd1963
    "...slinging potable storage devices"...

    Fascinating! :)
    Reply
  • Alvar "Miles" Udell
    This doesn't make much sense, even if you figure a much lower USA cost. The VectoTech Rapid 8TB External SSD has been available on Amazon for 3 years and has been below $550 since July.

    However, like Li pointed out above, it's significantly more expensive than the 8TV 870 QVO which is hitting around $350. Combine that with an inexpensive external enclosure, like the $12 one from Sabrent, and $10 on a protective case, and you have an 8TB portable SSD for less than half of the supposed price of the T5 Evo 8TB.
    Reply
  • 8086
    And external 8TB SSD at this speed would make for a good windows backup drive. 500 MB/s is way better than the slower speeds of a similarly sized hard drive.
    Reply