TeamGroup MP44 in test: Is the new cooling system worth it?

In mid-April, the manufacturer TeamGroup announced new M.2 SSDs in different form factors for maximum support. Besides the TeamGroup MP44 in the usual M.2-2280 form factor, the manufacturer also launched the MP44S and MP34S SSD, which are preferably aimed at handhelds or tablets. Our test model has a PCIe Gen4 connection with transfer speeds of up to 7,400 MB/s in sequential read and 6,500 MB/s in sequential write. Furthermore, the industry-patented and ultra-thin graphene cooling label is supposed to provide better cooling than conventional M.2 SSDs.

In the review, we will clarify for you whether the MP44 from TeamGroup can stand out from other M2-SSDs and receives a purchase recommendation from us.

Technical data

Model	MP44 M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
Capacity	1 TB
Interface	PCIe 4.0 x4 with NVMe
Form Factor	M.2 2280
DRAM Cache	Not present
Controller	Maxiotek MAP1602
Max. Read/write speed (MB/s)	7,400/6,500
Max. IOPS (4K Random)	650.000/650.000
Operating Temperature	0 °C – 70 °C
Storage temperature	-40 °C – 85 °C
Dimensions (L x W x H)	80 x 22 x 3.7 mm
Weight	7 g
MTBF	1.6 million hours
TBW	1,450 TB
Warranty	5 years
Price	€ 83.56 *

Scope of delivery

The TeamGroup MP44 comes in a rather unobtrusive white and blue cardboard packaging. On the front, a few main features of the M.2 SSD are briefly highlighted in bullet points, while we can even catch a glimpse of the SSD on the back. In addition, the technical specifications are printed in tabular form and the installation instructions are included in two pictures.

The installed technology at a glance

The TeamGroup MP44 1TB uses the PCIe Gen4x4 interface and features read/write speeds of up to 7,400/6,500 MB/s. The SSD is available in the capacities 512GB / 1TB / 2TB / 4TB / 8TB. The form factor is in the usual 2280 format, whereas the Maxiotek MAP1602 serves as controller. An exciting novelty is the new graphene label, which is supposed to optimize the heat dissipation between SSD and motherboard heatsink significantly. The label nevertheless makes the MP44 no thicker than conventional SSDs, so we can install it in any computer with a standard M.2 socket.

A first technical overview is provided by the CrystalDiskInfo tool:

Furthermore, the S.M.A.R.T. values of the MP44 can be read out via the manufacturer’s own SSD S.M.A.R.T. TOOL and check how the operating state looks at any time. Furthermore, the tool contains similar functions, which are already known from CrystalDiskInfo and CrystalDiskMark. However, the English software is probably not yet free of bugs: The reading of our system information doesn’t work quite flawlessly. For example, the installed AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX has 24GB VRAM instead of the displayed 4GB. Unfortunately, changing the language does not work either, because a certain font is missing on the computer, which is not yet included in the installation package.

Test system

Our test system consists of the following components:

• AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
• ASUS ROG STRIX X670E-A GAMING WIFI
• Corsair VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 RAM 32GB 6000MHz CL30 AMD EXPO
• XFX Speedster MERC310 AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX
• NZXT Kraken 280 RGB
• ASUS ROG Strix 850G
• be quiet! Pure Base 500DX

All of the following tests were handled on this test system. In order to be able to unleash the full potential from the TeamGroup MP44 and not run into the limit of the motherboard in terms of bandwidth, so we installed the MP44 in the PCIe 5.0 x4 slot. This slot is also backwards compatible to PCIe 4.0. Even though the available motherboard has its own M.2 cooling pads on both sides, the ultra-thin graphene cooling label of the SSD was of course left on.

Performancetest

For the M.2 SSD test, we rely as usual on proven tools to be able to thoroughly put an SSD through its paces. The following applications are used for this.

• CrystalDiskMark
• ATTO DISK
• HD Tune Pro

Performance test results

In the AS SSD benchmark, the TeamGroup MP44 scores comparatively very well and is currently at the top of our SSD ranking. Both in sequential read with almost 6,300 MB/s as well as in write with around 5,600 MB/s in the test, we can confidently say that the performance is completely right. However, if we take a closer look at the AS SSD Copy benchmark, we notice that the TeamGroup MP44 rather moves into the midfield. This behavior is identical in the second application test, which we performed with HDD Tune Pro. We also see good rates for the access times in our table overview. On the other hand, the MP44 achieves spectacular results in the ATTO Disk Benchmark and can prove itself in the front in every test scenario. If we now add the temperatures over the test period, the M.2 SSD fluctuates in a range between 45 and 48° Celsius.

Rounding up, we can conclude that the TeamGroup MP44 offers very good results overall in our performance test and can shine at the front in various disciplines. The charts therefore look as follows in detail:

TeamGroup MP44 review: conclusion

The TeamGroup MP44 is a smart choice for users who want to get the most out of a current PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. In our view, the M.2 SSD offers excellent performance at storage capacities up to 8 TB. This is above all sufficient to store all personal data as well as games and programs on an SSD. As for the read and write speeds, we almost reached the 7,400 MB/s in read and 6,500 MB/s in write advertised by the manufacturer in the performance tests. The access times of under 0.05 ms contribute to shorter load times, which can consequently improve system response. In addition, the MP44 supports SMART mode as well as TRIM function.

However, the ultra-thin graphene cooling label, which is supposed to effectively dissipate heat better and protect the SSD from overheating, had hardly achieved any significant differences in our test. Nevertheless, we did not get into the area of thermal throttling at any time. On a positive note, the label is less than 1 mm thick and therefore fits easily into most laptops or desktops. A separate cooler is namely not required.

In conclusion, the TeamGroup MP44 is a comparatively cheap SSD, which offers a very good price-performance ratio. On top of that, the SSD has a warranty of 5 years and is probably one of the best PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs on the market today. Therefore, we give it a clear buy recommendation.