• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

FRONTPAGE Team Group T-Force Z540 2TB NVMe PCIe Gen5 SSD Review (with DARK AirFlow I M.2 Heatsink)

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.

Overclockers.com

Member
Joined
Nov 1, 1998
TG_Z540_2TB_pht0fp.jpg
Team Group was among the first brands to present the NVMe PCIe 5.0 SSDs. However, we had to wait some months to see them in stores. Today, we focus on the T-Force Z540, now available with new firmware and improvements that promise exceptional performance. As with all T-Force products, the Z540 is also designed for the most demanding gamers and power users. Since the SSD is sold without a cooler, it's recommended to use a motherboard cooler or some other type, like the one provided by Team Group—DARK AirFlow I. Our tests will include this cooler as a recommended option to keep optimal temperatures and performance of our new Z540 NVMe PCIe 5.0 SSD.
Click here to read more!
 
I like the look of that cooler. Do gen 5 motherboards have a fan header specifically for the NVME or is it just connected to a regular mobo fan header?
 
There aren't any specific headers. The ones I've seen have typical 3/4-pin or powered through the slot.
 
With a heatsink like that, I'll ask what's on everyone's mind.

How long until we can start overclocking storage?
I remember working with IMOG back in the day when we were working on passmark benchmark and overclocking the pcie bus would give better storage scores, but up to a certain point before it would corrupt storage.
 
I remember working with IMOG back in the day when we were working on passmark benchmark and overclocking the pcie bus would give better storage scores, but up to a certain point before it would corrupt storage.

I guess it still works, but barely anyone cares anymore about overclocking. Nowadays, most people are focused on optimal performance out of the box and full stability without hours of stability tests.
I remember checking the PCIe clock and SSD results of the previous generation. It actually helped in some synthetic benchmarks, but most current chipsets end at about 103MHz, so if there is no additional clock controller, like in some top ASUS motherboards, then it's not even worth trying.
RAM performance helps some, but more in DRAM-less SSDs. On the other hand, DDR5 is already so fast at ~6400MT/s that overclocking also barely improves results. It was more visible in DDR4.

Going back to the Z540, it's one of the best PCIe 5.0 SSDs, and its price is quite reasonable compared to most PCIe 5.0 SSDs on the market.
Considering that most PCIe 5.0 SSDs are installed on high-end motherboards, which already have large heatsinks (at least covering M.2 PCIe 5.0 sockets), I assume that barely anyone will need a separate heatsink. However, it's still one of the best options for those who need additional cooling for M.2 SSDs.
 
4GB of cache?! That seems like a lot. It is a lot for spinning disks. Is it a lot for NVMe's?
 
4GB of cache?! That seems like a lot. It is a lot for spinning disks. Is it a lot for NVMe's?

Most of the Phison E26 SSDs I tested have 2GB of cache. If I remember correctly, only the Corsair MP700 Pro SE in this review's comparison has 8GB, but it is also the most expensive. Crucial uses 1GB of cache per 1TB of capacity, so a 2TB T700/705 will have 2 GB. ADATA 970 has 2GB of cache. The Team Group Z540 looks pretty good, as not many options have 4GB of cache for 2TB capacity.
PCIe 5.0 SSDs with the InnoGrit controller have not been reviewed yet, but two of them will probably be soon.
 
How many people on this forum have used Team Group SSD's and what are have been your experience's with them,I have heard some people say they are crap but that was also a few years ago.

From what I'm seeing their TBW numbers closer to what Sabrent's are like which are pretty high but then again it doesn't mean that the SSD is going to last all that long.
 
On the web, anyone who has problems with a single product will spam everywhere that the brand is bad in general. There is still around a 1% RMA rate for most electronics. This is why manufacturers give a lifetime warranty for RAM and, more often, a 5-year warranty for all SSDs or TBW. TBW is typically so high that a regular home/office user won't reach it in 10 years.
The only thing that causes problems with M.2 SSDs is firmware. Probably every well-known brand had a single SSD with firmware issues. The tested Z540 has no problems, or I would notice it in tests.
 
Back