Hey everyone, I'm dealing with a frustrating issue with my Samsung T7 Shield 4TB SSD. While the read speeds are perfectly fine (400–900 MB/s), the write speeds are painfully low, only reaching about 1–2 MB/s. I've tried a bunch of troubleshooting steps and I'd like to share what I've done so far in case it helps someone else or if anyone has additional solutions before I consider sending it back for warranty. Here's the context:
- Samsung T7 Shield 4TB (exFAT by default)
- Using the original cable
- Tested on various USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports and different computers
- Running Windows 11 Pro with the latest version of Samsung Magician
Here's what I've already attempted:
1. **Firmware and Magician:** Updated everything, but it didn't change the speeds.
2. **Different machines & cables:** Even tried another certified USB-C cable, but the slow speeds persisted.
3. **Full Diagnostic Scan:** Ran a diagnostic with no errors and all SMART attributes are healthy.
4. **Write Caching:** Enabled better performance in Device Manager, no improvement.
5. **Performance Optimization:** Used the performance optimization feature; let the drive sit idle for a while, still stuck at those low write speeds.
6. **TRIM Support:** Not available with exFAT.
I'm really hesitant to format the drive since that would be my last resort before considering warranty options.
1 Answer
I had the exact same problem with my T7 on a Mac. What finally worked for me was upgrading the firmware, moving my files away, and then formatting the disk. After that, the write speeds returned to normal. If you're considering formatting, it could solve the issue for you too!
This will be the last thing I'll try before sending it back. It’s really annoying—this drive cost me $400! I’m worried I’ll have to format it every few months to keep it working right. Plus, I don’t have another drive big enough to back everything up!