This is definitely the nerdiest factor I’ve ever written, however I’m a sucker for external SSDs. Seriously. I like the concept of tiny gadgets that may retailer a large quantity of knowledge. They’re so versatile for avid gamers, permitting you to arrange transportable emulation, take your Steam library on the go, and even simply develop the storage of your consoles. That’s precisely what the SK Hynix Tube T31 gives, and to make issues even nerdier, the most recent drives are adorned with the distinctive art work from Lies of P.
It’s nearly like this product was made solely for me.
I’ve been messing round with the drives for a few week, and I’ve already discovered properties for each of them. They’re not going to provide the speeds of an NVMe SSD, however when you’re on the lookout for a conveyable resolution with a ton of capability, the Tube T31 is definitely one of many best SSDs for gaming you should purchase — and a complete lot of nerd enjoyable.
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Out of the field
I’ll get to the SSDs themselves subsequent, however let’s discuss in regards to the Lies of P branding first. SK Hynix goes out of its approach to make this really feel like a collector’s merchandise. You can solely buy these two SSDs as a package deal, and so they arrive in a big field adorned with the Lies of P brand.
Inside, you’ll discover two smaller packing containers, every sporting artwork from the sport. They’re labeled inside, representing two of the Legion Arms within the recreation — Flamberge, which spits hearth in a brief vary, and Fulminis, which fees as much as launch a big electrical shock.
As somebody who performed by means of Lies of P thrice — and is continually on the lookout for an excuse to dive again in — it’s unbelievable seeing the renditions of those two Legion Arms unfold out throughout the SSD. It’s fully unique art work, combining the design of the arm itself with a flood of the ingredient it carries. I’m a fan of the Fulminis design — that Legion Arm helped me out lots within the recreation — however each look beautiful.
I’d be happy with two 1TB SSDs that includes art work from one the most effective video games launched final yr — particularly contemplating the value — however SK Hynix went additional. Included within the field are 24 massive stickers with art work from the sport. There are some anticipated inclusions just like the Lies of P brand and the designs on the 2 SSDs, however there’s additionally some unique art work.
There’s what seems like idea artwork for the Black Rabbit Brotherhood, a seal for the town of Krat, and a cartoonish rendition of the Puppet String Legion Arm, amongst others.
It doesn’t take a lot for a corporation like SK Hynix to do a collaboration. The Tube T31 isn’t a brand new product, so all it wanted to do was work out the income break up with the writer and seize a pair items of unique art work. The packaging and stickers actually make this really feel like a particular product, although. The goodies aren’t a lot, however for somebody who’s a fan of the sport like myself, I used to be giddy as I took these two SSDs out of their field.
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Let’s discuss in regards to the SSDs
I simply gushed about this set of SSDs, nevertheless it’s not about their seems alone. If they had been horrible, this may be a a lot completely different article. The Tube T31 is already a product that exists, and this Lies of P model is identical SSD in a special shell. That means you’re nonetheless getting speeds of as much as 1,000MB/s, a three-year warrant, and compatibility with Windows, Mac, Xbox, and PlayStation.
That’s nice, nevertheless it’s actually the value that stands out. SK Hynix usually asks $100 for the Tube T31, and this set of Lies of P variations is available in at $200. Sure, you need to get two 1TB SSDs once you would possibly solely want one, however you’re nonetheless getting two 1TB SSDs. With most of these limited-edition collector’s gadgets, the sky’s the restrict relating to pricing. It’s good to see that this set is one thing that’s each a collector’s merchandise and a legitimately helpful product at an inexpensive value.
I’ve known as the Tube T31 an SSD up so far, however you’d most likely consider it extra as a flash drive. It’s a persist with a USB-A connector on one finish, typical of what you’d see with a flash drive. The distinction is that it’s a lot bigger, and SK Hynix packs a 1TB SSD inside. The Tube T31 straddles the road between an exterior onerous drive and a flash drive. The capability is sufficient to carry round your whole video games, and the scale is sufficiently small which you could slip it into your pocket and not using a second thought.
For the Fulminis one, I took benefit of the portability by making it an emulation drive. I spent hours getting transportable variations of the entire emulators I take advantage of, which might run off an exterior drive with out being put in, organized my ROMs, and downloaded the entire metadata I want on to the drive. Now, I can take a large library of emulated video games, plug it into any Windows PC, and simply begin enjoying. Even my saves come together with the drive.
The different one is plugged into my Xbox Series S; these Game Pass video games aren’t going to put in themselves. The Tube T31 works with each Xbox and PlayStation, and I examined each. The solely purpose I selected to stay with the Xbox is that the PlayStation 5 doesn’t permit you to play PS5 video games from USB storage. The Xbox can play video games from the interior storage or USB storage. Regardless of your console desire, you’ll must format the SSD earlier than putting in video games on it.
You don’t want to fret about pace right here, both. You can see that from my ends in CrystalDiskMark above. As marketed, the Tube T31 can hit as much as 1,000MB/s for each sequential reads and write speeds. That’s not NVMe SSD quick, nevertheless it’s on the extent of an exterior onerous drive just like the Samsung T7. It’s lots quick for one thing like your Steam library. You can load your whole video games up on the Tube T31 and take them between PCs.
The solely caveat to that’s the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface. This drive is solely restricted by the port you plug it into. You’ll want the total USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) to get the total pace of the drive. It’ll nonetheless work when you plug it right into a slower port — I’ve one plugged in a entrance panel USB 3 connector for emulation since pace isn’t a high concern — however you gained’t get as quick of speeds. If you need to know extra about what’s greatest for pace when selecting an SSD, make sure that to learn our SSD buying guide.
A whole lot of potentialities
The Tube T31 is principally an exterior SSD, nevertheless it is available in a novel type issue that makes it rather more transportable. I like the concept of getting one thing so small that I can throw in my backpack and nonetheless have entry to 1TB of storage. It’s a easy gadget, nevertheless it performs its function properly. As lengthy as you will have entry to a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, you’re getting speeds on the extent of a correct exterior SSD.
As for the Lies of P model, I’d have a troublesome time recommending it if it was rather more costly than a Tube T31 like I anticipated — however that’s not the case. If you’re a fan of the sport, it is a nice love letter to the world of Krat, and it is available in at a very affordable value assuming you may deal with two 1TB SSDs as a substitute of only one. If you’re within the Lies of P model, I’d suggest selecting it up quickly. SK Hynix says they solely made 1,000 items, and solely 300 of these can be found within the U.S. at Newegg.