The Samsung T9 is a popular external SSD. An upgraded version compared to the Samsung T7 and T7 Shield. It has a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface with speeds up to 20Gbps. Being Samsung’s higher-end portable SSD, it comes in at a higher price point and performs better.
At around $199, the Samsung T9 is about $60 more than the Samsung T7 and $50 more than the Samsung T7 Shield. It is about $20 more than the Crucial X10 Pro which has similar performance metrics. These prices vary based on the day, so we always advise checking around.
If you just want to get one of these, here is an Amazon Affiliate link to the drive. Our main comparison point will be the Crucial X10 Pro which you can find an affiliate link to here.
Samsung T9 2TB Hardware Overview
The drive is 60 x 88 x 14 mm. This is notably thicker than the T7 and similar in size to the Samsung T7 Shield.
We have used these in two colors, black and grey. Which is useful when you have multiple and want them to be easy to identify.
The 122g drive has the rubberized outer casing making it rated for up to a 3m or 9.8ft drop. That texture also makes it easier to keep ahold of in your hand.
On one side, we have the USB Type-C port and a status LED. This is a 20Gbps port for those systems that have 2×2 ports. Just to be clear, these are probably less common ports than the USB 3.2 Gen2 10Gbps ports and not all systems have the higher speed USB interface.
Something that is painful with the Samsung SSDs is the label. This says 2TB on the end cap which is visible, but that is in a corner on the 14mm side which can be hard to see. Other vendors print the capacity larger on the case for quick identification.
In the box we get both a USB Type-A to Type-C cable and a Type-C to Type-C cable. That may not seem like a big deal, but some competitive drives do not come with the Type-A cables. We have used a few as charging cables as well.
This is a 20Gbps class SSD, it is in a higher tier of SSD, so let us take a look at the performance next.
No pictures to show what’s inside? Is it a consumer ssd (which model) with m.2 pcie to usb or sata to usb logic in the enclosure? Or a fully customized design?
The rubberized exterior can’t be good for thermal dissipation, and often these soft-touch coating, if they are not made from silicone, get disgustingly sticky with age as the incompletely polymerized coating decomposes, so I avoid them like the plague.
That texture also makes it easier to keep ahold of in your hand. ^typo
I don’t think reviews like this have any place on STH. It’s very lightweight, there’s not even a tear down. And all the plugs/links for affiliate programs made it feel like an advertorial.
There are almost no m.2 PCIe external SSD. Almost every is custom design.
I have issies with mine, keeps dropping out. Removed the rubber coating to improve cooling. Tried different computers and cables, no luck….
Updated firmware through magician, but still no luck….
I have so far been satisfied with all the different nvme disks and the T7, but this one failed me… I have two of these, will see if it also behaves like this before RMA….