The MSI DataMag 40Gbps features an appealing appearance, a magnetic fastening mechanism, and robust build quality. However, it delivers reliable rather than exceptional results as a USB4 external storage option.
External solid-state drives with magnetic mounting prove useful, particularly high-speed variants like the 40Gbps MSI DataMag 40Gbps under examination. These devices can adhere securely to compatible metal surfaces. Unfortunately, they do not stick to aluminum Mac computers, though they attach well to nearby routers.
The product's name and initial description reveal key elements, including the magnetic circle on its rear side and its support for 40Gbps USB4 connectivity. The unit spans slightly more than 2.5 inches in width and length, measures just below 0.5 inches in height, includes a loop for a lanyard at the top right, and weighs 2.8 ounces for a satisfying weight.
Equipped with a Phison U21 processor and layered 3D TLC NAND flash memory, the MSI DataMag 40Gbps comes with a five-year warranty or coverage until the endurance limit is met.
The endurance specification stands at 750TBW for each terabyte of storage. This exceeds typical standards for external SSDs, which often provide three years of coverage and up to 600TBW based on the flash type used.
At present, the device is offered in 1TB for $170 and 2TB for $296 configurations, according to the manufacturer, who also announced an upcoming 4TB model. These costs are somewhat elevated for USB4 drives, yet remain reasonable. It has not yet appeared on Amazon, suggesting potential price reductions soon.
In summary, the drive achieves respectable speeds, although it falls short of rivals in certain benchmarks. A contributing factor was the review unit's 1TB size, which provided half the flash capacity of the Adata SE920 and one-fourth that of the leading LaCie Rugged SSD4.
Reduced flash amount leads to smaller auxiliary buffering and quicker transition to the inherent writing velocity. Nevertheless, the baseline write speed of approximately 830MBps remains adequate for most tasks.
Despite the limited buffering, the MSI DataMag 40Gbps delayed reaching its baseline write speed. Notably, it achieved an impressive queued sequential read result in CrystalDiskMark 8 prior to any slowdown.
The drive excelled in CrystalDiskMark 8's 4K benchmarks, particularly when handling multiple queues. While many applications lack queue support, such as standard Windows operations, this capability highlights its strengths.
During practical 48GB file transfers, the MSI DataMag 40Gbps showed noticeable delays. This was surprising for operations involving small files and directories, as strong 4K results in CrystalDiskMark 8 typically correlate with efficient handling of such tasks.
The 1TB capacity likely impacted the time required for a 450GB write operation, which took twice as long as comparable competitors.
The slowdown during the 450GB write test became evident after roughly 50GB, when speeds fell to about 830MBps, equivalent to USB 10Gbps performance.
A 2TB edition of the MSI DataMag 40Gbps would likely perform better in everyday transfer scenarios, according to the reviewer.
Even so, it provides a clear improvement in continuous data rates compared to the forthcoming MSI DataMag 20Gbps model, which has already been evaluated, and similar 20Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 drives.
The device's aesthetics are impressive, its capabilities satisfactory, and the magnetic feature convenient. At competitive prices, it merits consideration, though comparing with other evaluations and options is advisable.
Testing occurred on Windows 11 version 24H2, 64-bit, installed on a PCIe 4.0 Samsung 990 Pro drive within an Asus Z890-Creator WiFi motherboard supporting PCIe 4.0 and 5.0. The system included an Intel Core Ultra i5 225 processor paired with two 64GB Crucial DDR5 5600MHz modules for 128GB total RAM.
The motherboard incorporates 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 5 ports, with Intel integrated CPU and GPU graphics. For internal PCIe 5.0 drive assessments, an Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 adapter card was used in a PCIe 5.0 slot.
Benchmarking involved CrystalDiskMark 8.0.4 (and version 9), AS SSD 2.0, and ATTO 4 utilities, though only the primary results from CrystalDiskMark are detailed here to maintain brevity. Real-world evaluations included 48GB transfers and 450GB writes via Windows Explorer drag-and-drop for typical user experiences, plus faster FastCopy executions run as administrator to demonstrate maximum potential.
A 25Gbps RAID 0 array of two SSDs on the Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 card served as the destination in transfer tests. Previously, 48GB tests used a RAM disk for this role.
All evaluations were conducted on freshly formatted and TRIM-optimized NTFS volumes to ensure peak conditions. In everyday scenarios, as storage fills, speeds can decline due to diminished flash available for caching and additional variables. Modern SSDs with advanced controllers and recent NAND generations have mitigated this to some extent.
Jon Jacobi, a musician with a background in x86 and 6800 programming, and a dedicated computer hobbyist, contributes reviews on televisions, solid-state drives, dashboard cameras, remote connectivity tools, wireless audio devices, and various consumer technology products.