TeamGroup PD20 mini external SSD review

It can be difficult to truly distinguish your external SSD from others in the same USB generation. USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 drives like this TeamGroup PD20, for instance, tend to share the same rated speeds, the same capacity options, and heck, even the same internals such as the controller.

TeamGroup's tackled this problem by putting its eggs into the form factor basket and going for a small but stylish portable SSD with the PD20. It's a strategy that has, in my opinion, paid off.

This isn't to say it's perfect—the PD20 has its problems, and we'll get into those shortly—but it really nails its strategy and delivers a very portable drive. Which, I need not remind us all, is what external SSDs are supposed to be all about: portability.

First off—and most obviously—it's incredibly small. For reference, check the gallery below and you'll see it next to the already very dinky Adata SD810, the Samsung T9, and then the Logitech G Pro X Superlight gaming mouse. But its size isn't all that makes it very portable. 

Capacity: 1 TB / 2 TB (tested) / 4 TB
USB Gen: 3.2 Gen 2x2
Rated performance: 2,000 MB/s
Flash memory: 3D NAND
Controller: Silicon Motion SM2320
Price: $148 / £146 

You'll also notice a little hoop on top, which I can only assume is to attach it to something like a keyring. And this really shows how far we've come, doesn't it? This thing is so small and portable that it's practically the same as a USB flash drive but much faster and more capacious.

It's the kind of drive you can be proud to take out and about, too. It looks plenty fancy and the bulk of its ridged, rubberised shell is pleasant to hold and chuck around. Not that you should be doing lots of chucking around, mind, because this thing isn't the most durable drive ever. Mine survived a desk-height drop to the floor without any issues, though, and it feels durable enough to attach to your keys and plonk them hither and thither, as one tends to do with keys. 

Don't worry about dust or water, either, because the PD20's