TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare
PCIe 5.0 · 12400/11800 MB/s · 1TB
XPG MARS 980 PRO
PCIe 4.0 NVMe · PassMark #12
TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare lands at 92 and XPG MARS 980 PRO at 84. That puts TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare ahead by 8 points — a decisive margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare if…
- ✓M.2 NVMe
- ✓Competitive per-GB cost
- ✓TBW scales with capacity
Pick XPG MARS 980 PRO if…
- ✓PassMark Disk Score top-20 (89,200) — sustained-write class-leading
- ✓Pro-tier controller and DRAM cache for sustained throughput
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testValue for money
TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bareSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare more score per dollar ($180 vs $200).
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare | XPG MARS 980 PRO |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 5.0 | — |
| Capacity | 1TB | — |
| Read/Write | 12400/11800 MB/s | — |
| PassMark Disk Score | — | 89,200 |
| PassMark rank | — | #12 of 100 consumer SSDs |
TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare
- +M.2 NVMe
- +Competitive per-GB cost
- +TBW scales with capacity
- −Thermals on Gen 5 drives
- −DRAM-less models slower under sustained load
- −Require heatsinks in many systems
XPG MARS 980 PRO
- +PassMark Disk Score top-20 (89,200) — sustained-write class-leading
- +Pro-tier controller and DRAM cache for sustained throughput
- −DRAM-less controllers on lower-tier variants may throttle under sustained writes
- −Pricing varies — confirm current retail before purchase
FAQ: TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare vs XPG MARS 980 PRO
Which is better, TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare or XPG MARS 980 PRO? +
TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare scores 92 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 8. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare worth the price? +
At $180, TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare delivers a Specdex score of 92 — strongest in read.
Is XPG MARS 980 PRO worth the price? +
At $200, XPG MARS 980 PRO delivers a Specdex score of 84 — strongest in passmark_disk.
Does TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare or XPG MARS 980 PRO last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.
Which is the better value, TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare or XPG MARS 980 PRO? +
TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Z540 1TB · bare — more score per dollar ($180 vs $200). Specdex score per dollar at MSRP.