External SSDs have gotten more common as more people dabble in content creation or simply consume more content. Speed becomes more important with the larger file sizes produced by professional cameras, and even phones, when shooting RAW or LOG footage. Unfortunately, the portable SSD market is also affected by the AI-induced shortage, but that didn’t stop TeamGroup from sending us their latest external SSD – the TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD.
TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD – A Closer Look
The TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD shares the name of the PD20 series external SSDs, with the “M” standing for Magnetic. It comes in TeamGroup’s distinct packaging with the front showcasing the SSD’s Mag Safe capability.
The TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD comes in a square form factor with a metallic gray finish. The edges are curved for better ergonomic handling when attached to a phone. The TeamGroup PD20M SSD can be slightly smaller, as there’s quite a bit of space after the magnet ring for a much more compact and portable SSD.
The magnets on the TeamGroup PD20M SSD are strong enough to hold on when filming both horizontally and vertically. That said, the cable’s thickness and length will be the main culprit should the PD20M SSD be detached magnetically. Connecting the cable to the phone first before mounting the SSD to the phone magnetically, will not give you a secure connection due to the cable’s stiffness. Certain phones may have a worse or better fit depending on the placement of the MagSafe magnets. That said, in the case of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, I need to mount the SSD first without the cable, then connect the first end to the SSD, then to the phone. Connecting the phone-side cable will still induce a resistance that might unmount the SSD.
The TeamGroup PD20M is rated up to 2,000MB/s read and write. The included USB 3.2 Gen 2 x2 Type-C cable is probably the shortest cable length we’ve seen for a portable SSD so far. Since it has a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, the included cable is one of the stiffest ones we’ve seen so far despite its flat form factor. Its length allows for a little bit of slack for larger phones. But as mentioned earlier, depending on the SSD positioning, the cable’s stiffness and resistance will be the main cause of dislodgement.
TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD Specifications
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2 x2 Type-C |
| Speed | Up to 2,000MB/s read, 2,000 MB/s write |
| NAND | 3D |
| Capacities | 1TB, 2TB |
| Dimensions | 70(L) x 62(W) x 8.2(H)mm |
| Weight | 40g |
| Casing Material | 75% Post-Consumer-Recycled Plastic |
| Includes | 1x USB Type-C to C cable |
| Operating temperature | 0°C~70°C |
| Storage temperature | -40°C~80°C |
| Warranty/Support | Limited 3-year warranty |
Benchmark Setup and Test Methodology
Gadget Pilipinas’ testing philosophy is to provide detail-oriented results as accurately as possible so that our readers can replicate our tests, given that these conditions are met. Different benchmarking apps and sequences are used depending on the tested component or device.
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D |
| COOLER | RYUJIN II 360mm V2 – NT-H2 Thermal Paste |
| MOTHERBOARD | Gigabyte X870E Aorus Master |
| MEMORY | GSkill Trident Z Neo 32GB(2x16GB) DDR5-6000 CL28 |
| GPUs | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Founders Edition |
| STORAGE | Kingston Renegade 2TB NVME SSD |
| POWER SUPPLY | FSP VITA GM1000W Gold ATX 3.1 |
| OPERATING SYSTEM | Windows 11 Pro Build 25H2 |
| CASE | Open Benchtable V2 |
We use CapFrameX 1.8.4 BETA as our primary FPS capture and analysis tool for all our gaming benchmarks. The latest build version of Windows 11 Pro and WHQL-certified drivers are used for our benchmarks. Readings such as temperatures and power draws are recorded using HWINFO64, and other relevant software for cross-checking.
For more information, read our Benchmark Methodology article.
TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD Benchmarks
We pit the TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD against various portable SSD types. We decided not to include thumb drive benchmarks as we don’t have a 512GB or higher capacity to compare with. The TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD is tested against the Kingston XS2000 2TB Portable SSD, Kingston XS1000R 2TB Portable SSD, ADATA 1TB SC610 Portable SSD, ADATA SE880 1TB Portable SSD, PNY RP60 1TB SSD, and TeamGroup PD20 ECO 1TB SSD for reference.
We are currently expanding our SSD benchmark suite with the addition of 3DMark, Procyon, and SSD Slowmark Benchmarks. You may see incomplete DATA compared to our throughput, IOPS, and Access time benchmarks, as we are still expanding our database.
THROUGHPUT Performance
Developed by Noriyuki Miyazaki, CrystalDiskMark is a free benchmark tool that is used by thousands of experts. This tool measures SSDs’ sequential read and write speeds. That means how fast files can be read from and written to the drive, usually measured in MB/s.
IOPS Performance
IOPS, or Input/Output Operations Per Second, is a measure of how many inputs or outputs an SSD can perform in a short period. IOPS is a useful parameter to measure how fast it can process small amounts of workload that are similar to real-world usages, such as loading a webpage and launching apps.
ACCESS TIME
Access time or latency is just as crucial as sequential, random, and IOPS for an SSD. It wraps up all the values from the previous performance and shows the SSD’s responsiveness, whether it be small or heavy workloads.
AS SSD’s Copy benchmark simulates copying various file types, namely, ISOs, Games, and applications. Different file types result in different transfer speeds.
TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD Temperatures
We recorded the TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD’s peak temperature at 61°C, suprsingly lower than the smaller external SSDs in our test suite. That said, since the TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD is designed to be used and mounted to a phone, the SSD temperatures may be higher due to the heat generated by your smartphone.
Performance Summary and Conclusion
The TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD, even without its MagSafe mounting capabilities, is already a great SSD with its read and write speeds, even in sustained workloads. The addition of its MagSafe mounting support makes it ideal for those shooting RAW/LOG footage on their mobile phones. There’s quite a bit of tweaking needed on the cable side to ensure sturdy mounting. That said, with the PD20M Mag Portable SSD positioned as a shooting partner for your mobile phones, it doesn’t have any IP resistance rating that would add to your peace of mind, especially when shooting in harsh environments. Other than that, there’s simply nothing more to complain about the TeamGroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD.
At Php 6,999, you’re simply getting a well-rounded, more portable version of the TeamGroup PD20 SSD with an added bonus of MagSafe mounting capability for better overall portability – albeit some may prefer the hanging hole design of the PD20. The TeamGroup PD20M is a great SSD choice for those looking for a fast and reliable SSD to pair with their smartphones for RAW/LOG shooting. Its 2,000MB/s read and write speeds are considered overkill for the iPhone’s specifications, but any other flagship Android device will gladly take advantage of the speeds, which coincidentally also makes the TeamGroup PD20M future-ready once the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface becomes the norm.
Grant is a Financial Management graduate from UST. His passion for gadgets and tech crossed him over in the industry where he could apply his knowledge as an enthusiast and in-depth analytic skills as a Finance Major. His passion allows him to earn at the same time help Gadget Pilipinas' readers in making smart, value-based decisions and purchases with his reviews and guides.
