Team Group Announces Phison E28 Controller-Based T-Force Z54E PCIe 5.0 SSD in 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB Capacities
Team Group has officially introduced its latest flagship PCIe 5.0 solid-state drive, the T-Force Z54E, a high-performance mainstream SSD designed to deliver exceptional read and write speeds while maintaining outstanding power efficiency. The T-Force Z54E leverages the Phison E28 controller, built on TSMC’s 6nm process, to achieve cutting-edge storage performance on PCIe 5.0 platforms. According to Phison, the E28 controller is capable of delivering up to 14,900 MB/s sequential read speeds and 14,000 MB/s sequential write speeds, positioning it among the fastest drives currently available in the consumer SSD market.
Team Group’s announcement marks the Z54E as the company’s mainstream flagship PCIe Gen5 SSD, aimed at power users, creators, and gamers who demand ultra-high-speed storage solutions. The drive’s impressive specifications not only surpass the performance of previous PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 3.0 SSDs but also slightly edge out top-performing Gen5 models like Samsung’s 9100 Pro and Kingston’s FURY Renegade G5, both of which cap out around 14,800 MB/s in theoretical benchmarks.
However, as Team Group notes, real-world performance can vary depending on platform configuration, thermal management, and workload type. Sustaining such extreme speeds under continuous loads often depends on adequate cooling solutions and CPU platform optimization. Reports have indicated that Intel Core Ultra 200S processors may throttle PCIe 5.0 SSD performance under certain conditions, highlighting the importance of maintaining proper thermal performance.
To address this, Team Group equips the T-Force Z54E with its exclusive patented ultra-thin graphene heatsink, designed to provide effective passive cooling while preserving compact form factors compatible with modern motherboard designs. Users can also add optional active cooling solutions to further stabilize sustained performance and prevent throttling under heavy data transfer loads.
The Z54E series employs 232-layer 3D TLC NAND Flash, a key component in achieving its high data throughput. This advanced NAND configuration improves efficiency and endurance over earlier 162-layer, 112-layer, and 96-layer designs, further enhancing reliability and lifespan for demanding workloads.
The T-Force Z54E PCIe 5.0 SSD will be offered in 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB capacities. The 2 TB and 4 TB models will feature the maximum advertised speeds of 14.9 GB/s read and 14.0 GB/s write, while the 1 TB variant will deliver slightly lower write performance at 13.7 GB/s. These figures, if consistently achieved in real-world use, will make the Z54E one of the fastest PCIe Gen5 SSDs available for mainstream consumers.
With the combination of Phison’s E28 controller, advanced 3D TLC NAND, and efficient cooling design, Team Group’s latest drive demonstrates the ongoing evolution of PCIe 5.0 storage technology and sets a new benchmark for speed-focused enthusiasts.
What do you think about the rapid advancement of PCIe 5.0 SSD technology? Are such speeds necessary for everyday users, or do they primarily benefit professionals and enthusiasts? Share your thoughts below.
