# Team Group Cardea Zero Z340 1TB Review (2026)

The Team Group Cardea Zero Z340 1TB pushes close to the PCIe 3.0 performance ceiling with the proven Phison E12 controller, making it one of the fastest Gen3 NVMe drives available.

Quick answer: The Team Group Cardea Zero Z340 1TB is a strong premium PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive that delivers near-maximum Gen3 performance at a competitive price. The Phison E12 platform is proven, the 3,400/3,000 MB/s speeds are at the PCIe 3.0 ceiling, and the 1GB DRAM cache ensures consistent random I/O. Buy it if you want top-tier PCIe 3.0 performance and value without paying the Samsung brand premium.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 1 TB |
| Interface | M.2 3.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Phison PS5012-E12 |
| Memory type | 3D TLC |
| DRAM cache | 1GB DDR4 |
| Sequential read | 3400 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 3000 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 450000 |
| Random write IOPS | 400000 |
| Endurance | 1237 TBW |
| MTBF | 2 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

The Team Group Cardea Zero Z340 1TB is rated at 3,400 MB/s sequential reads and 3,000 MB/s sequential writes, placing it near the PCIe 3.0 x4 theoretical ceiling. These speeds match the Samsung 970 EVO Plus and WD Black SN750, confirming the Phison E12 platform as one of the fastest Gen3 designs. Random performance is rated at 450,000 IOPS reads and 400,000 IOPS writes, strong numbers enabled by the 1GB DDR4 DRAM cache and mature firmware.

In real-world use, the Z340 1TB delivers consistent performance across workloads. The 1TB capacity provides enough NAND die for effective parallelization, and the pseudo-SLC cache is generous enough to handle typical consumer write bursts. For sustained writes beyond the SLC cache, the drive transitions to native TLC speeds around 1,500-2,000 MB/s depending on how full the drive is. Independent reviews at Guru3D and Overclockers confirmed that the Z340 matches its rated specs in benchmarks.

For gaming, the Z340 loads titles at speeds indistinguishable from other premium PCIe 3.0 drives. The DRAM cache ensures stable random 4K performance for mixed workloads. Versus SATA SSDs, the Z340 offers roughly 6x faster sequential throughput, making large file transfers dramatically quicker.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Team Group backs the Cardea Zero Z340 with a 5-year warranty. The 1TB model is rated at 1,237 TBW endurance, which is competitive with the Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB (1,200 TBW) and WD Black SN750 1TB (600 TBW). Writing 50 GB per day would take over 67 years to reach 1,237 TBW, making endurance a non-issue for any consumer workload.

The 5-year warranty matches the industry standard for premium consumer NVMe drives. Team Group handles warranty claims through its regional service network. The drive includes S.M.A.R.T. monitoring, wear-leveling, and over-provisioning to maintain consistent performance and reliability throughout its lifespan.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- 3,400/3,000 MB/s near the PCIe 3.0 ceiling
- Phison E12 — proven, mature controller platform
- 1GB DDR4 DRAM cache for consistent random I/O
- 1,237 TBW endurance competitive with Samsung
- 5-year warranty
**Cons:**

- PCIe 3.0 limited — no Gen4 future-proofing
- No factory heatsink (Z340 variant is bare drive)
- Brand recognition trails Samsung and WD
- No dedicated SSD management software


## Verdict

The Team Group Cardea Zero Z340 1TB is a strong premium PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive that delivers near-maximum Gen3 performance at a competitive price. The Phison E12 platform is proven, the 3,400/3,000 MB/s speeds are at the PCIe 3.0 ceiling, and the 1GB DRAM cache ensures consistent random I/O. Buy it if you want top-tier PCIe 3.0 performance and value without paying the Samsung brand premium.

Skip it if your system supports PCIe 4.0 and you want to future-proof with a Gen4 drive like the Samsung 980 Pro or WD Black SN850X. The Z340 1TB is an excellent choice for users who want proven performance at a reasonable price, particularly for gaming builds and content creation workstations that do not need PCIe 4.0 bandwidth.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the Team Group Cardea Zero Z340 1TB good for gaming?

Yes, it is excellent for gaming. The 3,400 MB/s sequential reads and 450,000 random read IOPS provide fast game loading and asset streaming. The 1GB DRAM cache ensures consistent random 4K performance, which matters for open-world games with many small file accesses. The 1TB capacity holds Windows plus 8-10 modern AAA titles. Game load times are within a fraction of a second of other premium PCIe 3.0 drives like the Samsung 970 EVO Plus. The Z340 1TB is a strong choice for gaming builds.

### Does the Cardea Zero Z340 1TB have DRAM?

Yes. The Z340 1TB includes a full 1GB DDR4 DRAM cache. This is a dedicated DRAM module on the PCB that stores the flash translation layer mapping tables. This is distinct from DRAM-less drives that use the Host Memory Buffer (HMB) to borrow system RAM. Full DRAM provides more consistent random I/O performance, especially as the drive fills up and under heavy multitasking. The 1GB capacity scales with the 1TB storage size, providing adequate mapping table space for the full capacity.

### What is the difference between Cardea Zero Z340 and the standard Cardea?

The Cardea Zero Z340 is a completely different drive than the original Cardea. The Z340 uses the Phison E12 controller with 3D TLC NAND and reaches 3,400/3,000 MB/s. The original Cardea uses the older Phison E7 with MLC NAND and peaks at 2,650/1,450 MB/s. The Zero designation means no factory heatsink. The Z340 is a modern, high-performance PCIe 3.0 drive, while the original Cardea is an older MLC design from 2017. The Z340 outperforms the Cardea in every metric except sustained write consistency where MLC has an inherent advantage.

### Is the Cardea Zero Z340 1TB compatible with PS5?

Physically it fits the PS5 M.2 slot and will function, but it is not optimal for PS5 use. Sony recommends PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives with 5,500+ MB/s read speeds for the best PS5 experience. The Z340 is a PCIe 3.0 drive capped at 3,400 MB/s. Games will load and play fine, but load times may be slightly longer than with a recommended PCIe 4.0 drive. If you already own a Z340, it works as a PS5 upgrade. If buying new for PS5, choose a PCIe 4.0 drive instead.

### How does the Cardea Zero Z340 compare to the Samsung 970 EVO Plus?

Both are premium PCIe 3.0 drives with very similar performance. The Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB is rated at 3,500/3,300 MB/s versus the Z340 at 3,400/3,000 MB/s, giving Samsung a slight edge on paper. In real-world benchmarks, the gap is small and varies by workload. Samsung advantages include the Magician software suite and broader brand recognition. The Z340 often prices lower while using the same proven Phison E12 platform found in many popular drives. Both are excellent choices with 5-year warranties and strong endurance ratings.

### Does the Cardea Zero Z340 1TB need a heatsink?

Not for typical desktop and gaming use. The Phison E12 controller is efficient and does not run excessively hot under normal workloads. For gaming, which is predominantly read-heavy, the bare drive stays within safe temperatures in most systems. However, under sustained write workloads like large file transfers or video editing, the controller can run warm. If your motherboard includes an M.2 thermal shield, use it. If not, an aftermarket M.2 heatsink is a low-cost insurance policy for sustained write scenarios.

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Last updated: 2026-05-17. Source: https://ssdrive.net/team-group-cardea-zero-z340-1-tb