TEAMGROUP is a brand we"re familiar with here at Neowin, they mainly sell memory kits and SSDs, sometimes under its own sub-brand like T-Force or T-Create. T-Create is for creators and, well if you ask me, the products sort of look like the ASUS ProArt series. TEAMGROUP sent me a T-Create EXPERT P34F Find My External SSD, which is quite a mouthful of a name, so I"ll be referring to it as EXPERT P34F in my hands on.
Before we get underway TEAMGROUP provided a free sample without any editorial input or review pre-approval. Below are its specifications:
| TEAMGROUP T-Create EXPERT P34F Find My External SSD | |
|---|---|
| Model number: | TPSEGE001T0C136 |
| Interface: | USB 3.2 Gen 2 |
| Capacity: | 512GB / 1TB / 2TB |
| Dimensions: | 81.3 (L) x 43.0 (W) x 16.5 (H) mm |
| Weight: | 70 g |
| Operation Temp: | 0˚C ~ 45˚C |
| Storage Temp: | -20˚C ~ 60˚C |
| Performance: | Read up to 1,000 MB/s; Write up to 900MB/s |
| Voltage: | DC +5V |
| Battery: | CR2032 (estimated life: 1 Year) |
| Tracking: | Apple Find My (Worldwide) / Bluetooth chip |
| Color: | Silver Grey |
| Material: | Metal (73% zinc alloy) |
| Warranty: | External SSD: 3 years USB Type-C to Type-C cable: 1-year warranty |
| MSRP: | $122.99 |
Yes, the EXPERT P34F is available in three sizes, 512, 1TB, and 2TB and I have the 1TB version as denoted in bold up above. It also only comes in the one "Silver/Grey" color and that is down to the T-Create branding, which as I said sort of looks like ProArt.
What"s in the box
- EXPERT P34F External SSD
- USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable.
- CR2032 button cell battery (replacable)
Rather unhelpfully there is no user manual included in the box, nor on the product page. Instead they have opted for QR codes across the top of the inner packaging that link to the "iOS Manual" in Taiwanese, English, and Japanese.
Although I own an iPhone, it"s mainly a backup phone (iPhone SE2) with a PAYG SIM in case I lose my primary phone, the S23 Ultra. I chose it because you need an Apple device for an Apple One subscription but it has been a while since I was a regular iOS user; my last main Apple phone was when the iPhone 3S came out (2009). However I was able to find the instructions to link to Apple Find My on B&H of all places!
Design
The branding on the top of the EXPERT P34F looks quite premium, and there"s an opening on the top so you could attach a strap and wear it as a lanyard if you wanted.
There"s only one opening on the sides and that is for the Type-C connector port. Overall it looks a bit chonky, let"s remember that although this thing is smaller in height than a credit card, it is over 1.5cm thick (at 16.5mm) thanks to the addition of the coin battery.
On the bottom of the EXPERT P34F is where you will find all the regulatory safety marks, product name and what-not; but this is actually also a cap cover. The little slit on the bottom of the cap cover can be used to insert a small screwdriver or corner of a fingernail to turn clockwise in order to access the CR2032 battery compartment. Once the battery has been inserted or replaced, you can then turn it clockwise to lock the cap into position.
It has a sort of gunmetal gray look to it, and feels premium in the hand, if not, as mentioned before, a bit chonky. Nothing is said about the materials used, and that is probably because it is a plastic casing, however it is said to be crafted with 73% zinc alloy. As far as durability goes, that is something people will have to discover for themselves.
Usage
As previously mentioned, the EXPERT P34F only supports Apple My Find, nothing for Android unfortunately! Luckily I have a iPhone backup so I was able to link the External SSD through the app. Anyway, I screenshotted the whole thing:
So in order to test out this iFind feature I gave the EXPERT P34F to a friend to carry around with her until I see her again next week.
| SSD not updated yet | Location updated | Unreachable! |
|---|---|---|
I had to go into the city to run some errands, and I decided to have a look at where my friend and the EXPERT P34F were now. However, despite closing the iFind app and reopening it, the location would not update over Mobile data. When I got home I fired up the iFind app again and the current location of the EXPERT P34F finally updated, great!
Next, I tried to activate the alarm by sending a Play Sound command, but after a few tries, all I got was "Item Not Reachable", I guess that function is more intended for the audio alerts within your own home to help you find an item. Anyway the iFind option works as it was intended.
The EXPERT P34F uses a Bluetooth chip for accurate directions when close enough to it, and also enabled the Play Sound feature. The CR2032 battery is estimated to last for a year before needing replacement.
Speed
Next I did a few tests with drive speed, and manual copy/delete tests.
| AS SSD | CrystalDiskMark |
|---|---|
As you can see it pretty much maxes out the 10Gbps connection of the EXPERT P34F, even exceeding the read/write 1,000 MBps/900MBps rating.
Next I copied 77.2 GB of Epic Games, and Documents data from my personal Cloud drive, consisting of small and large files over my 10 GbE network to the EXPERT P34F. The whole process took around two minutes, peaking at a speed of around 726 MB/s.
Finally, permanently deleting that same data took around ten seconds.
What I liked:
- Delivers on speed promises
- Looks good
- Find My function if you misplace it
What I didn"t like:
- A victim of the recent storage and RAM pricing
- No tracking for Android ("Find My Device")
Where to buy
At the moment only the 1TB version is on Amazon US, but the other sizes are available through other outlets.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.