BIWIN Mini SSD Review: A First Look at the Future of Portable Storage

What is Mini SSD storage?

In today’s fast-paced digital world, the need for portable data is greater than ever, which is a core focus of this BIWIN Mini SSD review. We carry massive files, from 4K videos to extensive photo libraries. Consequently, traditional hard drives are too slow and fragile. Even older USB flash drives just don’t cut it for large transfers.

This is where the market for portable SSDs has exploded. However, many so-called “portable” drives are still the size of a small smartphone. BIWIN aims to change that with an incredibly compact solution. The BIWIN Mini SSD promises all the speed of a solid-state drive in a package barely larger than a thumb drive. It’s an ambitious claim, to be sure.

Therefore, we decided to put it to the test. We’ll examine every aspect of this drive in this article. Furthermore, we will analyze its benchmark speeds, real-world usability, and overall value. Does this tiny device truly deliver on its big promises? Let’s dive in.

Unboxing and First Impressions: How “Mini” Is It?

The BIWIN Mini SSD 1517 packs high-performance components into a device, not much larger than a Micro SD card, measuring only 15 x 17 x 1.4 mm in size. It utilizes the PCIe Gen4x2 interface with the NVMe 1.4 protocol, allowing for impressive theoretical sequential read and write speeds of up to 3700MB/s and 3400MB/s.

It is available in 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities, making this storage solution a viable option for a primary drive as well as a second. BIWIN has used 3D TLC flash memory, a popular choice for its balance of performance, endurance, and cost.

This DRAM-less SSD is built for longevity, with a Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) of over 1.5 million hours and a Terabytes Written (TBW) rating of up to 1500 TBW. This ensures that the drive can withstand years of heavy use, which is especially important for a gaming device where large files are frequently managed. The low power consumption of the BIWIN Mini SSD 1517, with a maximum of 2.3W during read/write operations and as low as 6mW in a low power state, makes it an ideal choice for portable devices where battery life is a major concern.

BIWIN Mini SSD Technical Specifications

INTERFACE	PCIe Gen4x2, NVMe 1.4
FLASH TYPE	3D TLC
CAPACITIES	512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
SEQUENTIAL READ SPEED	Up to 3700 MB/s
SEQUENTIAL WRITE SPEED	Up to 3400 MB/s
RANDON READ 4K	Up to 550K IOPS
RANDOM WRITE 4K	Up to 650K IOPS
DRAM CACHE	DRAM-less
MAX POWER CONSUMPTION	2.3 W (Read/Write)
IDLE POWER CONSUMPTION	60 mW
DIMENSIONS	15.00 x 17.00 x 1.40 mm
ENDURANCE (TBW)	Up to 1500 TBW
MTBF	1,500,000 hours

BIWIN Mini SSD Performance Benchmarks: Does Speed Match the Size?

For this section of our BIWIN Mini SSD review, we are testing the drive’s performance using the GPD WIN 5 handheld, the only available device with Mini SSD support. It is crucial to note that the GPD WIN 5’s hardware has a significant limitation: its Mini SSD M.2 slot is configured for a single PCIe 4.0 lane (PCIe 4×1). This hardware choice caps the drive’s bandwidth at a theoretical maximum of around 2000 MB/s, well below the drive’s full capability.

We will update this review when a device supporting PCIe 4×2 is available. With that context in mind, the BIWIN Mini SSD performed well across our suite of tests. In CrystalDiskMark, we measured peak read and write speeds of 1785 MB/s and 1744 MB/s, respectively.

This strong performance was echoed in AS SSD Benchmark, which awarded impressive scores of 1470 for read, 1632 for write, and a combined total of 3855.

ATTO Disk Benchmark further illustrated its capabilities, with speeds ranging from a low of 44.43 MB/s read and 41.50 MB/s write at a 512 Byte file size, scaling all the way up to a high of 1.66 GB/s read and 1.63 GB/s write at the 64MB file size.

While capped by the GPD WIN 5, these results show the BIWIN Mini SSD 1517 is highly efficient and provides a massive performance boost over alternatives such as Micro SD card storage. We anticipate that future devices supporting this Mini SSD format will likely implement the full PCIe 4.0 x2 interface, allowing the BIWIN Mini SSD Storage to reach its advertised higher speeds.

BIWIN Mini SSD Review: Compatibility and Use Cases

The Mini SSD format is still very new, so device support is currently limited. So far, we have seen it in the GPD WIN 5 and it has been announced for the ONEXPLAYER Super X, a hybrid laptop/tablet. As this technology becomes more widely adopted, we expect to see it in a variety of devices, from ultra-thin laptops and tablets to high-performance cameras and even smartphones. The small size and low power consumption make it a perfect fit for any device where space and battery life are at a premium.

The Final Verdict On Our Complete BIWIN Mini SSD Review

Our BIWIN Mini SSD review concludes that the drive is a potential game-changer for portable devices. It offers a significant performance boost over older storage solutions while maintaining a tiny footprint and low power consumption. While the format is still in its infancy, we are excited to see where this BIWIN Mini SSD Storage format goes from here. The potential applications for this technology are vast, and we can’t wait to see what other devices, such as high-resolution cameras and other portable electronics, will incorporate this innovative solution.

What are your thoughts on the BIWIN Mini SSD? Let us know in the comments below!