Beware SSDs with missing ATA features! (Team L7 EVO)

[VirtualLarry]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313706

Read the only review for the 120GB.

No ATA Secure Erase?

No ATA Self-test?

Sounds like a drive to avoid, for now.

Makes me wonder about other Team drives.

Missing ATA Commands - This is why I took off two eggs. The drive I received does not support ATA Secure Erase, SMART Self-Test, Self-Test Logging, or Error Logging. It could be missing more but these are what I encountered. I'm surprised Team Group would release a product with an apparently unfinished firmware, but here it is. I expect these issues could be resolved with a firmware update, but until such an update is released I won't be buying any more of these drives. It's disappointing because this drive hits a reasonable price/performance point.

 

[cbn]

1GB:
AS SSD Benchmark 1.8.5636.37293
------------------------------
Name: TEAM L7 EVO SSD 120GB
Firmware: V2.4
Controller: iaStorA
Offset: 1024 K - OK
Size: 111.79 GB
Date: 6/23/2016 10:02:29 AM
------------------------------
Sequential:16MB
------------------------------
Read: 484.27 MB/s 30.27 iops
Write: 365.41 MB/s 22.84 iops
------------------------------
4K:4K
------------------------------
Read: 23.57 MB/s 6035 iops
Write: 38.06 MB/s 9743 iops
------------------------------
4K-64Threads:4K-64Threads
------------------------------
Read: 96.62 MB/s 24734 iops
Write: 50.28 MB/s 12871 iops
------------------------------
Access Times:512B
------------------------------
Read: 0.086 ms 11569 iops
Write: 0.523 ms 1913 iops
------------------------------

5GB:
------------------------------
Sequential:16MB
------------------------------
Read: 487.19 MB/s 30.45 iops
Write: 114.81 MB/s 7.18 iops
------------------------------
4K:4K
------------------------------
Read: 16.00 MB/s 4096 iops
Write: 24.54 MB/s 6282 iops
------------------------------
4K-64Threads:4K-64Threads
------------------------------
Read: 72.44 MB/s 18546 iops
Write: 41.88 MB/s 10722 iops
------------------------------
Access Times:512B
------------------------------
Read: 0.097 ms 10338 iops
Write: 2.396 ms 417 iops

Looking at the 4K-64Threads Read scores I'm thinking this SSD has the New Marvell DRAM-less controller (88NV1120).

If that is the case maybe they haven't had time to complete the firmware? (Apparently Marvell doesn't ship firmware with controllers like Phison does or Silicon Motion does with the new SM2258 controller)

 

[cbn]

Regarding factory firmware shipped with controllers, as I mentioned in the previous post Silicon Motion SM2258 has this:

http://www.siliconmotion.com/A6.1.Detail_News.php?sn=198

But I am wondering if SM2246EN now has this as well? It sounds like it may (although this is not as clearly spelled out as it is in the SM2258 press release above) according to the following announcement for 3D support:

http://www.siliconmotion.com/A6.1.Detail_News.php?sn=191

If SM2246EN does indeed come these days with out of the box firmware, does that mean SM2246XT also has this as well?

If so, that removes one source for variability in some of the lesser known brand SSDs we find for sale (eg, Hectron X1 with SM226XT controller).

 

[Elixer]

This would really be fishy, AFAIK, all SATA interfaces must support those commands, or they can't be called SATA. It is part of the spec. Though, I don't see the SATA logo anyplace...
Like this SSD (that has the logo)

They also screw this up... I would avoid this drive as well.

Naming Conventions
In order to avoid confusion between different SATA specifications, the SATAIO
has outlined some basic naming conventions that are geared to eliminate ambiguity.
Manufacturers should avoid using the terms “SATA III” and “SATA 3.0,” as it is unclear
whether “SATA 3.0” refers to the SATA Revision 3.0 specification, SATA 6Gb/s as
defined by the SATA Revision 3.0 specification, or the SATA 3Gb/s transfer rate.

 

[Hellhammer]

This would really be fishy, AFAIK, all SATA interfaces must support those commands, or they can't be called SATA. It is part of the spec. Though, I don't see the SATA logo anyplace...
Like this SSD

They also screw this up... I would avoid this drive as well.

There is a Serial ATA logo on the right hand side.

 

[Elixer]

There is a Serial ATA logo on the right hand side.

Hmm?
The Team group one doesn't have the SATA logo...

I was just showing an example of a SSD that did that that logo for comparisons.
I added a comment to make it more clear.

 

[Hellhammer]

Hmm?
The Team group one doesn't have the SATA logo...

I was just showing an example of a SSD that did that that logo for comparisons.
I added a comment to make it more clear.

Ahh, my bad then. I thought you meant the Samsung drive, hence my comment.

 

[cbn]

This would really be fishy, AFAIK, all SATA interfaces must support those commands, or they can't be called SATA. It is part of the spec. Though, I don't see the SATA logo anyplace...

I noticed the Team Group Dark L3 (Phison S8 controller which is supposed to have factory firmware) doesn't have the SATA logo as well:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313453

http://www.teamgroupinc.com/en/product/SSDSeries/Consumer SSD/Dark L3 SSD

Maybe Team Group leaves the logo out whether it fully supports SATA or not?

 

[Blastman]

120GB SSD for $35 … wow.

And it's an EVO SSD … … Yehaaaa! … … to be confused with a Samsung EVO.

Some site needs to take a bunch of these elcheapo drives and do an endurance test on them.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

@ VL: Maybe you should buy one to confirm?

I mean, maybe I'm being a curmudgeon, but customer reviews are not my source for technical info. Since, you know, most customers are doofuses.

Also, I've had plenty of TeamGroup crap. While it's generally crap (think "Gas Station Checkout" level quality electronics) it's standardized crap.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Looking at the 4K-64Threads Read scores I'm thinking this SSD has the New Marvell DRAM-less controller (88NV1120).

If that is the case maybe they haven't had time to complete the firmware? (Apparently Marvell doesn't ship firmware with controllers like Phison does or Silicon Motion does with the new SM2258 controller)

Whatever it is, it has to be DRAM-less. Even the 240GB size (which I purchased), only managed 98MB/sec 4K QD32 random reads. Same as the 120GB size.

While my SP550 120GB SSD scores nearly 300MB/sec.

 

[hojnikb]

Regarding factory firmware shipped with controllers, as I mentioned in the previous post Silicon Motion SM2258 has this:

http://www.siliconmotion.com/A6.1.Detail_News.php?sn=198

But I am wondering if SM2246EN now has this as well? It sounds like it may (although this is not as clearly spelled out as it is in the SM2258 press release above) according to the following announcement for 3D support:

http://www.siliconmotion.com/A6.1.Detail_News.php?sn=191

If SM2246EN does indeed come these days with out of the box firmware, does that mean SM2246XT also has this as well?

If so, that removes one source for variability in some of the lesser known brand SSDs we find for sale (eg, Hectron X1 with SM226XT controller).

Yes, siliconmotion provides the complete solution for ssds (controller ip, firmware and pcb) just like sandforce, phison and others.

 

[Turab]

That's true. The drive doesn't support Secure Erase even in the very bios of Asus Z170 Gene mobo.

Here, check the performans comparison of Team L7 EVO and its equivelant drives:

http://www.ssdlabs.net/incelemeler/makul-fiyatli-120gb-240gb-ssd-satin-alma-rehberi-2016/?ps=18

The article is written in Turkish though, but the graphs should work fine.