Team Group T-Force GC PRO 2TB NVMe PCIe 5.0 x4 SSD Review

Team Group is back with the latest Innogrit-based SSD, simply called GC PRO. The new SSD is designed to deliver high performance and be an alternative to popular Phison SSDs. Team Group promises excellent results for the most demanding users, and you can be sure we will check that. Let’s start with the specifications and features of the new SSD.

T-Force GC PRO; Source Team Group
T-Force GC PRO; Source Team Group

Specifications and Features

T-FORCE GC PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD features a high-spec PCIe Gen5x4 interface and DRAM Cache architecture, offering outstanding performance. With excellent temperature control, combined with TEAMGROUP’s patented ultra-thin graphene heat spreader, it can be used with any motherboard’s native M.2 SSD heatsink to maximize cooling efficiency and performance. The read speed reaches up to 12,500 MB/s, providing an unparalleled experience for gamers and users seeking high-speed read and write performance.

The T-FORCE GC PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD is available in 2 TB and 4 TB capacities, supporting the latest NVMe 2.0 protocol. Sequential read and write speeds reach up to 12,500 MB/s and 11,000 MB/s. It features Security Isolation to protect data from external malicious attacks and incorporates the newly evolved 4K LDPC (Low-Density Parity Check Code) technology to significantly extend its lifespan, enhancing both the security and durability of the SSD. Equipped with TEAMGROUP’ s patented graphene heat spreader, it ensures superior cooling performance for stable system operation. Additionally, the S.M.A.R.T. monitoring software allows users to easily monitor the quality and performance of the SSD. The T-FORCE GC PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD employs a high-speed interface, reinforced with advanced security and durability technologies, and is monitored by the S.M.A.R.T. software, catering to the needs of gamers and AI storage applications, meeting consumers’ high standards for hardware equipment.
~TeamGroup

Key Features

  • Gen5 Is beyond Limits, Offering Next-gen Speed Performance
  • Multi-core Solution for Performance Evolution
  • Data Security Isolation Mechanism
  • New Generation Error Correction Technology
  • Patented graphene heatsink for enhanced heat dissipation and system operating stability
  • S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring System
  • Be Eco-friendly and Conserve the Earth
  • Patented Graphene Heat Sink
    Invention patent number in the US: US11051392B2
    Innovation patent number in Taiwan: I703921
    Utility model patent number in China: CN 211019739 U
  • Patented S.M.A.R.T. Software
    Innovation patent number in Taiwan: I751753

 

TEAMGROUP GC PRO 2TB - Package
TEAMGROUP GC PRO 2TB

Specifications

Team Group GC PRO Specifications
Form Factor
M.2 2280
HeatsinkGraphene
Interface
PCIe Gen 5.0 x4
Max Sequential Read
Up to 12500MB/s (2TB/4TB)
Max Sequential Write
Up to 11000MB/s (2TB/4TB)
Storage Temperature
-40°C to + 85°C
Operating Temperature
0°C to +70°C
Endurance2400 TBW (4TB), 1200 TBW (2TB)
MTBF Hours
1,600,000 Hours
NAND Technology
3D TLC – YMTC 232-layer NAND
Controller
Innogrit IG5666
DRAM Cache Size
2GB Hynix DDR4-2666
Encryption
AES 256-bit

Full specifications and features for the GC PRO SSD can be found on the Team Group product website.

It’s our second SSD review with the new Innogrit IG5666 controller. We could see it in ADATA 970 PRO a few days ago. However, Team Group delivered the GC PRO with a well-performing and stable firmware and decided not to include the cooler. It’s a win-win situation as Team Group recommends a separate, high-performance cooler or a motherboard heatsink; we can’t blame the SSD for a badly designed cooler like the previously reviewed ADATA. Team Group also gives us an option to get their DARK AIRFLOW I M.2 cooler, which is perfect for the GC PRO. Why do I mention all the cooling options? This is because the IG5666 controller runs hot, and proper cooling is required to avoid thermal throttling.

TEAMGROUP GC PRO 2TB - CrystalDiskInfo
TEAMGROUP GC PRO 2TB – CrystalDiskInfo

The GC PRO SSD arrived in perfect condition with 0 power-ups and 0GB written. I rarely see this, as most SSDs have a couple of GB written and a few power-ups.

The GC PRO uses similar 2GB cache specifications to the ADATA 970 PRO, but it is manufactured by Hynix instead of Samsung. It also uses YMTC 232-layer 3D TLC NAND instead of Micron. Ultimately, differences are in brand names, not necessarily specifications, that affect performance or endurance.

TEAMGROUP GC PRO 2TB - SSD Software
TEAMGROUP GC PRO 2TB – SSD Software

Team Group offers software that can be downloaded from its website. It shows S.M.A.R.T. status, system info, and a basic performance test. The SSD arrived with the latest and fully stable firmware, so there is no need for upgrades.

 

Packaging and Product Photos

The T-Force GC PRO 2TB SSD arrived in a small retail package that is enough to protect the package’s contents. The package’s exterior tells us everything we may need about the SSD, and we can find more details on Team Group’s website. Inside the box, we will see a well-protected SSD and, separately, a graphene heatsink. The simple installation manual is printed on the back of the box, so we can say we get everything we need.

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The SSD is sold without a proper heatsink. The graphene heatsink is a nice addition, but we need something better to maintain optimal temperatures. Team Group could highlight cooling requirements better, as I already saw that some users decided on this SSD, thinking they don’t need any additional cooling, or used them in PS5 consoles. A large motherboard heatsink or a solution like Team Group DARK AirFlow I is recommended. In our tests, ASRock or Gigabyte higher series motherboards handle the GC PRO SSD without additional fans.

DARK AirFlow I – Source: Team Group YouTube channel

The GC PRO is in the most popular M.2 2280 standard and should fit every gaming PC, but we must consider cooling requirements. The SSD is double-sided, but most, if not all, M.2 PCIe 5.0 sockets are prepared for that. The GC PRO SSD is not recommended for laptops because of limited cooling and less space.

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Below are close-ups of the mentioned components: Innogrit IG5666 controller, YMTC 232-layer 3D TLC NAND, and Hynix DDR4 cache.

 

Comparison Tests

Test Setup
ProcessorRyzen 7 7950X
MotherboardGigabyte Z870E Pro ICE
Graphics CardColorful RTX4080 Advanced OC 16GB
Memory KitCorsair Dominator Titanium 48GB DDR5-7200 CL36-46-46 1.40V
Power SupplyCorsair HX1200, 1200W 80+ Platinum
OS StorageKingston Fury Renegade 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
Test StorageAcer Predator GM7000 4TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
ADATA Legend 970 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD
ADATA Legend 970 Pro 2TB PCIE 5.0 SSD
ADATA XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Corsair MP600 Core Mini 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Corsair MP700 Pro 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD
Corsair MP700 Pro SE 4TB PCIe 5.0 SSD
Crucial P5 Plus 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Crucial T500 Pro 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Crucial T700 Pro 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD
Kingston FURY Renegade 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
KLEVV CRAS 930 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
Patriot VP4300 Lite 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
TEAMGROUP CARDEA A440 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
TEAMGROUP MP44 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
TEAMGROUP Z540 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD
TEAMGROUP GC PRO 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD
Operating SystemWindows 11 Pro x64 with the latest updates

Tests were performed on popular synthetic benchmarks and benchmarks that simulate daily workloads. Most tests are free, so you can compare some results at home without spending money. Results were made on the AMD Ryzen platform, so some of the presented results may vary if we compare them to the same SSDs tested on Intel chipsets.

Benchmarks list includes:

  • AIDA64 Storage Benchmark: Random Read and Write
  • ATTO Disk Benchmark
  • CrystalDiskMark: Sequential Read and Write, Random Low Queue Read and Write, IOPS
  • PCMark 10 Storage Benchmarks:  Data, Quick, and Full System Tests
  • 3DMark Storage Benchmark

 

ATTO Disk Benchmark

ATTO used to be the most popular benchmark for testing storage performance. However, it focuses on sequential bandwidth, which, in recent years, hasn’t been as crucial as random operations. It still counts and is the main factor describing the storage performance by the marketing of all brands.

In the sequential bandwidth tests, the GC PRO performs slightly better than declared—up to 12.56GB/s read and 11.24GB/s write. This is a surprise, as the ATTO benchmark usually shows lower results than specified by manufacturers.

CrystalDiskMark

Nowadays, CrystalDiskMark is the leading benchmark for home and office storage devices. It’s free, easy to use, and provides many valuable results.

In CrystalDiskMark sequential read and write tests, the GC PRO achieves even better results than in the ATTO benchmark—slightly above 13GB/s read and 12GB/s write.

Low queue random operations are essential for daily usage, and the random read bandwidth is significant for gaming. The results still highly depend on the chipset and motherboard used and are generally better on Intel chipsets. Our results on the AMD chipset are not bad but could be better as Phison-based SSDs are significantly better.

IOPS results are more important for professional work and content creation, and in these tasks, the GC PRO shines the most, achieving the best results in our comparison.

PCMark 10 Storage Benchmarks

PCMark 10 shows expected performance gains in popular applications and daily workloads. The GC PRO isn’t the fastest in this benchmark, but it is still faster than the ADATA 970 PRO, which uses the same controller.

3DMark Storage Benchmark

The same story can be seen in the 3DMark Storage Benchmark. The result isn’t great, but it’s also not bad and still better than the ADATA 970 PRO could make.

AIDA64 Disk Benchmark

Ultimately, the AIDA64 Disk Benchmark is in random read and write operations. This benchmark isn’t popular but gives us one specific workload—extended random operations. Innogrit-based SSDs, like the reviewed GC PRO, have poor results in the random read tests but perform better than most other PCIe 5.0 SSDs in the written test. The gathered test results suggest that a larger and faster cache may help in AIDA64 and gaming benchmarks. It would be very interesting to see how the GC PRO with double the cache performs. A larger cache significantly improves Phison E26-based SSD performance. On the other hand, we could see a higher-than-expected price difference, which might not be worth the performance gain.

Temperatures

The GC PRO SSD wasn’t delivered with a recommended cooler, and it’s clearly designed to work with larger cooling solutions than the graphene heatsink/pad. Our tests were performed with the passive Gigabyte X870E Pro ICE motherboard heatsink, and it didn’t throttle in our tests, or we couldn’t notice that, but it maintained a sustained bandwidth.

TEAMGROUP GC PRO 2TB - Temperatures
TEAMGROUP GC PRO 2TB – Temperatures

Since the typical throttling temperature is above 75°C and the typical safe limit is 85°C, our test rig was free of issues. For most of the time, the temperature was about 55-65°C.

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Conclusion

Team Group introduced new PCIe 5.0 SSDs with Innogrit controllers, promising exceptional performance. I feel the expectations were too high, as the results are not better than those of higher Phison-based options, but they are still respectable. The SSD performs better in more professional tasks than home entertainment, but it’s fast enough to deliver outstanding results in a gaming PC.

Team Group decided to sell the GC PRO without an additional cooler, which is a good idea as mainly users with higher-series motherboards buy PCIe 5.0 SSDs, and these motherboards are equipped with good enough heatsinks. Users wishing to use the SSD on lower-series motherboards must buy a proper cooler. Team Group offers the DARK AirFlow I, which costs around $26 on Newegg.

The GC PRO costs around $170 in the Newegg online store, so even with the additional cooler, it costs about $30-50 less than competitive 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSDs. Prices recently change often, so I recommend searching for promotions as we may get it even cheaper.

The T-Force GC PRO 2TB SSD is a well-designed, fully stable PCIe 5.0 SSD that delivers high performance and is reasonably priced, so it deserves our Approved Stamp!

 

Click the stamp for an explanation of what this means.

 

Bartosz Waluk – Woomack

 

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Avatar of JLK03F150
JLK03F150

What have I done! Member

4,259 messages 1,686 likes

Looks like a nice drive. :thup:

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Avatar of macklin01
macklin01

Computational Oncologist / Biomathematician / Mod

5,673 messages 14 likes

Looks impressive, but I'm still amused at now reaching an era where we need active aftermarket coolers for storage devices. :)

Is that a 40mm fan on there? Man, I don't miss the scream of tiny high RPM low CFM fans from 20 years ago.

Maybe we'll see a progression to 60mm, then 80mm, then 90mm, then 120mm like GPU and CPU fans did. :)

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W
Woomack

Benching Team Leader

14,079 messages 3,560 likes

I can't check it now, but I think it was 40mm. You can't really hear it from a closed case when it's at 50% speed, and at 100%, it's audible but not loud. There is a PWM connector, but I dislike RPM going up and down, so I set static speed. 50% speed is enough to keep low temps on any SSD.
As I mentioned in the review, you don't really need a cooler if your motherboard is equipped with a large heatsink. All mid-shelf or higher gaming motherboards have large heatsinks, and nearly every first (usually the one above the first PCIe slot) M.2 PCIe 5.0 socket has a proper heatsink, too. The GC PRO SSD runs in my AMD test PC on the GB X870E Pro ICE, and no fan is required.

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