SK Hynix Tube T31 review: Looks like a USB drive, performs like a SSD
At a glance
Expert's Rating
Pros
Fast like an external SSD
Decently affordable
Small form factor
Captive Type-A USB connector
Cons
Costs more than the common thumb drive
Our Verdict
SK Hynix’s Tube T31 looks like a standard Type-A USB thumb drive, but performs more like the external SSD it actually is. Fast, portable, universally connectable. Nice.
SK Hynix is nothing if not creative with naming. Witness the previously reviewed scarab-shaped Beetle, and now the Tube T31. The Tube T31 is, in fact, a Type-A USB stick, aka thumb/flash drive or “tube” if you will — at least in shape and design.
Internally, however the T31 features NVMe and 10Gbps USB and performs more like the cable-attached external 10Gbps USB SSDs we review — i.e., it’s fast.
Note that while we distinguish between what’s commonly referred to as a thumb drive and external SSDs, the former is in fact a type of the latter. The major difference being that a commodity thumb drive generally uses older, slower technology such as SATA and USB 5Gbps.
Further reading: See our roundup of the best external drives to learn about competing products.
What are the SK Hynix Tube T31’s features?
The Tube T31 is a Type-A USB 3.2, 10Gb/s SSD that weighs around 1.2 ounces and measures approximately 3.6-inches long, by 1.17-inches wide, by 0.54 inches thick. While SK Hynix wasn’t specific about the internals, the performance tells me the internal transport is NVMe and the NAND is likely QLC.