The Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield 4TB is the latest high-capacity model in the company’s rugged portable SSD line aimed at outdoor users and content creators who need a reliable and robust storage solution.
The Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield 4TB is the latest high-capacity model in the company’s rugged portable SSD line aimed at outdoor users and content creators who need a reliable and robust storage solution.
With extra durability, the T7 Shield can thrive in the elements, bumps and bruises of professionals on the go or in the field. It’s aimed at any type of user who needs it.
Samsung T7 Shield 4TB
Samsung T7 Shield (4TB) features
For performance, the T7 Shield supports a USB 3.2 Gen2 interface and offers a maximum bandwidth of 10Gbps. This is a bit disappointing as we expected the next iteration of the T7 Shield to use Gen2x2 technology and go beyond 1GB/s to 2GB/s. It’s not a new portable platform for the company.
previously reviewed T7 Shield 2TB (one of the great portable SSDs reviewed on StoragReview) featured identical specs last year, including a quoted (max) 1,050MB/s read and 1,000MB/s write. This allows most users to transfer large files quickly and perform high-quality video recording, editing, and encoding.
Additionally, Samsung emphasizes that the T7 Shield maintains its performance even when the drive starts to fill up. Portable SSD performance often begins to degrade as it approaches full capacity as less space is available for write operations. So this certainly appeals to professionals who need consistent performance for heavy continuous tasks.
Samsung T7 Shield (4TB) build
Like all T models before it, Samsung’s T7 Shield uses sustainable, eco-friendly materials and reduced packaging to minimize its environmental impact. Measuring 88 x 59 x 13mm, it is fairly compact for its large storage capacity when compared to other durable portable SSDs.
The T7 Shield is certainly built for durability. Previous reviews of the 2TB featured a beige shell, but we received a sleek looking black design (which is good for heavy, sometimes dirty, road travel). That said, it has the same strong aluminum body and rubber shell designed to withstand rough handling and protect against external damage. The aluminum body also allows for maximum heat dissipation, while the rubber grips well and protects against scratches and dirt.
Rubber padding is both a blessing and a curse. It offers extra protection from bumps and bruises common to portable drives, but it also attracts things like lint and dust, as you can see in the image below (and stay I’m stuck until I do a scrub). It’s a little trick, but some people may find it annoying.
Samsung T7 Shield 4TB standing on top of Lenovo ThinkPad
Samsung T7 Shield (4TB) Software
T7 Shield is supported by Magician 7.0, a powerful software tool that provides users with various functions to manage Samsung storage devices. Users can check device status, test speed with performance benchmarks, set passwords, and more. I wrote a detailed review of Samsung Magician 7.0 software from a few years ago (I found it to be one of the most advanced and modern SSD toolsets), be sure to check it out.
Note that Samsung plans to add a data migration feature in February 2023, allowing users to upgrade their desktops and laptops with portable SSDs.
Samsung T7 Shield 4TB with a 3-year warranty costs approx. $409.99 at Amazon.
Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield (4TB) Specifications
| interface | USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps) | ||
| Hardware information | capacity | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | |
| Size | 88 x 59 x 13 mm (3.5 x 2.3 x 0.5 inch) | ||
| weight | 98 grams (3.47 oz) | ||
| performance | Sequential read | Up to 1,050 MB/s | |
| Sequential write | Up to 1,000 MB/s | ||
| durability | Waterproof/Dustproof | IP65 | |
| drop resistance | up to 3m | ||
| safety | encryption | AES 256-bit hardware encryption | |
| software | Samsung Portable SSD 1.0
samsung magician software |
||
| compatibility | Windows 7 or higher (4TB 64-bit), Mac OS X 10.10 or higher Android Lollipop or higher | ||
| reliability | temperature | operating
(case temperature) |
0°C to 60°C 7) |
| Non-operating | -40°C to 85°C | ||
| humidity | 5% to 95% non-condensing | ||
| shock | Non-operating | 1,500G, duration: 0.5ms, 3 axes | |
| vibration | Non-operating | 10-2,000Hz, 20G | |
| Certification | CE, BSMI, KC, VCCI, C-tick, FCC, IC, UL, TUV, CB | ||
| RoHS compliant | RoHS2 | ||
| guarantee | 3 year limited warranty | ||
Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield (4TB) Performance
In the test Lenovo ThinkStation P520 Workstation.
First up is a Blackmagic test where the Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield (4TB) recorded 893.8MB/s read and 936.5MB/s write.
The next test is IOMeter. Here we looked at 2MB Sequential Read/Write, 2MB Random Read/Write, and 4K Random Read/Write. In our initial tests, the T7 Shield posted slower speeds than the peak claims cited by Samsung (which was to be expected given the nature of the single-threaded benchmarks). Nevertheless, for 2MB sequential speed, the T7 Shield recorded 804.4MB/s write and 765.6MB/s read, while 2MB random posted 805.2MB/s write and 757.81MB/s read. showed. In the 4K test, the T7 Shield reached 13,610.3 IOPS write and 3,791 read IOPS.
| IOMeter (1 thread) | speed |
| Sequence 2MB write | 804.4MB/s |
| Sequence 2MB Read | 765.6MB/s |
| Random 2MB write | 805.2MB/s |
| Random 2MB read | 757.81MB/s |
| Random 4K write | 3,636 IOPS |
| Random 4K read | 11,303 IOPS |
Up to 4 threads (putting a lot of stress on the card) the T7 showed results that were pretty much in line with what Samsung quoted.
Here is a summary of the results:
| IOMeter (4 threads) | |
| Sequence 2MB write | 1,017.6MB/s |
| Sequence 2MB Read | 1,041.5MB/s |
| Random 2MB write | 999.88MB/s |
| Random 2MB read | 1,019MB/s |
| Random 4K write | 17,909 IOPS |
| Random 4K read | 15,347 IOPS |
As you can see, the Samsung T7 Shield saturates through its USB 3.2 connection port when tested with a 4-thread workload, speeding up the process of transferring files in and out of the PC.
Conclusion
The 4TB Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield is a high-capacity, rugged storage solution designed for outdoor users and content creators. With an aluminum body, rubber cover and IP65 certified dust and water resistant design, it can handle both the elements and bumps and bruises on the go.We also support Magician 7.0 softwarewhich includes the usual culprits like performance diagnostics, drive info, and benchmarks.
Samsung T7 Shield 4TB Port
In terms of performance, the T7 Shield supports a USB 3.2 Gen2 interface, with Samsung’s estimated speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s read and 1,000 MB/s write. The portable drive underperformed slightly in the Blackmagic test, but in IOMeter’s 4-thread test, 1,017.6MB/s write and 1,041.5MB/s read, 999.88MB/s write and 1,019MB in 2MB sequential Reading /s showed solid results. This was pretty much what Samsung quoted.
All in all, the 4TB T7 Shield is basically just a higher capacity version of the line. No performance improvement compared to the smaller capacity (substantially the same results were obtained). It just offers another mainstream performer for the portable market. That said, the T7 Shield 4TB is still a solid release from Samsung, and a capacious, rugged, good-looking, and reliable device for those who need to store and transfer large amounts of data quickly and securely. Providing a storage solution is highly recommended. .
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