TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Zero Z440 2TB, M.2 2280 / M-Key / PCIe 4.0 x4

A few storage vendors have been eager to jump on the PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 bandwagon that's a perfect fit for a performance AMD build in 2020. The likes of Corsair, Aorus, Sabrent, ADATA, and TeamGroup use the Phison E16 controller allied to, usually, 96-layer NAND from Kioxia TeamGroup's T-Force Cardea Zero Z440 is no different in this regard. Focussing on larger 1TB and 2TB capacities, entry into this realm of fast, spacious storage begins at £200. That outlay brings with it a drive that's great in sequential transfers and solid elsewhere, and there's little debate that going down this hardware route offers top-notch performance. Yet compared to other PCIe 4.0 x4 drives using ostensibly the same hardware, the Cardea Zero Z440 is a bit slower in the intensive SPEC test, has perfunctory application support, comes in at a higher price than, say, the Sabrent or Corsair, and is available in fewer online stores. It's not a bad drive per se, yet it fails the match the overall proposition from its immediate competitors. Bottom line: a fast 1TB drive built on proven Phison E16 and Kioxia technology, it needs to be closer to £150 for it to stand out amongst similar drives that offer that bit extra.