Team Group is indeed one of the more appealing brands to consider for your storage needs. While the company has offered an extensive lineup of NVMe SSDs, the X2 MAX is certainly a standout product, and we'll discuss why ahead.
The manufacturer has been expanding its product portfolio for several years now, tapping into newer segments such as Gen4 and Gen5-based offerings. However, in the portable category, the company has a rather confined lineup. However, with the X2 MAX, that looks to change, as this marks Team Group's first initiative to integrate a portable SSD in a USB form factor with the supported connections. The manufacturer was kind enough to send out a sample of the X2 MAX 2TB portable SSD, and here's an extensive review on it.
TeamGroup X2 MAX 2TB Portable SSD - Dual Drive With Massive Storage Onboard
SSD on a USB stick is a segment that few manufacturers have tapped into, but if you look at the functionality it brings onboard, the X2 MAX certainly does a great job. More importantly, as the world shifts away from traditional USB sticks due to their storage and speed limitations, Team Group has actually managed to open a new frontier by combining the portability elements of a USB with the performance of an SSD, creating a top-tier product.
Before we get into the close-up, here's a quick rundown on specifications, detailing each detail of what to expect with this drive, or should I call it 'USB SSD'?
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | X2 MAX Portable SSD – TX2MAX32TBT01 |
| Capacity | 2 TB |
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 (via dual Type-C & Type-A ports) |
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 1,000 MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 900 MB/s |
| Voltage | DC +5V |
| Operating Temperature | 0 °C to 70 °C |
| Storage Temperature | –20 °C to 85 °C |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 75.9 × 20 × 8 mm |
| Weight | ~12 g |
| DRAM Cache | None |
| TBW (Endurance) | Not specified |
| OS Compatibility | Windows XP+, macOS 10.6+, Linux 2.6+, iOS 17+, iPadOS, PS4 (v4.50+), PS5 |
| Cooling Design | Aluminum alloy casing for passive heat dissipation |
| Form Factor | Ultra-portable, cable-less plug-and-play |
| Warranty | 5-year limited warranty |
TeamGroup X2 MAX 2TB Portable SSD – Unboxing and Closer Look
Since the X2 MAX SSD is a tiny product, the packaging itself wasn't too big of a deal, but it did have the classy Team Group touch, with the rundown of the speeds of the drive at the front, along with other specifics at the back.
Taking it out of the package, the drive does have a tidy look, with an aluminum alloy casing running all along at both ends. On one side, you get the conventional USB Type-C connection; on the other, there's support for Type-A, allowing the X2 MAX to be connected to a wide range of devices, such as desktop PCs, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. The extensive connectivity range certainly puts the drive on a much more attractive position for consumers.
I couldn't find any way to open the internals; otherwise, I wouldn't have avoided it, but the X2 MAX certainly feels like a top-tier product. Although, we are yet to conclude this without diving into extensive testing, which is up next.
TeamGroup X2 MAX 2TB Portable SSD – Performance & Comparison
Well, since we haven't reviewed similar flash drives, or should I callthem portable SSDs, compiling real-time tests might be a bit difficult. However, to compare the X2 MAX with industry alternatives, we have compared the read/write speeds of options available and their respective data as disclosed by the manufacturers themselves. Here's how it stacks up:
Compact USB Stick-Style Portable SSD Speeds (MB/s)
The above comparison clearly shows that most of the drives with a similar form factor have basically the same speeds, except for the Corsair EX100U, which goes up to 1,600 MB/s. We also include options like the S Nano Touch, which is a tiny version of the X2 Max. Relative to this, it is certain that the X2 MAX does match industry standards in terms of the speeds. However, the one thing that makes TeamGroup stand out here is that it offers both Type-C and Type-A platforms on a single stick, which immensely increases functionality.
Let's examine what to expect when transferring hefty files on this particular drive. Since the X2 MAX is different from mainstream NVMe products, we decided to manually test the drive's thermals by shifting a 200 GB file from one system to another. The temperatures were recorded at 62 to 65 degrees, which isn't that high for a drive that relies on aluminum for heat dissipation. So, if you are worrying about facing thermal issues with such a compact storage drive, I would conclude that you shouldn't worry about the X2 MAX at all.
Conclusion - Portable & Highly Functional USB Storage Drive
The TeamGroup X2 MAX is undoubtedly one of the best drives in this segment. At $124.99 for the 2 TB variant, you get top-tier speeds and durability in the long run. The manufacturer offers some of the best NVMe drives out there, and there's no doubt that this USB storage drive is no exception. If you are interested in getting the X2 MAX 2 TB variant, do check out the company's official Amazon store here.
About the author: Muhammad Zuhair is a hardware and technology reporter for Wccftech, specializing in the semiconductor industry and the complex interplay between technology, manufacturing, and geopolitics. His coverage focuses on the corporate strategies and technological roadmaps of industry giants like TSMC, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Intel. Zuhair's expertise lies in deconstructing complex topics such as fabrication nodes (e.g., 2nm process), the economic impact of policies like the CHIPS Act, and the strategic development of AI infrastructure from NVIDIA, AMD and Intel.
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