SK Hynix Tube T31: Looks like a USB drive, performs like an SSD

SK Hynix’s Tube T31 looks like a standard thumb drive, but performs more like the external SSD it actually is.

- JON JACOBI

SK Hynix is nothing if not creative with naming. Witness the previously reviewed scarab-shaped Beetle (fave.co/3PmVIRV), and now the Tube T31. The Tube T31 is, in fact, a Type-A USB stick, aka a thumb or flash drive or “tube” if you will—atleast in shape and design. Internally, the T31 features NVMe and 10Gbps USB and performs more like the cable-attached external 10Gbps USB SSDs we review—that is, it’s fast.

Note that while we distinguish between what’s referred to as a thumb drive and external SSDs, the former is in fact a type of the latter. The major distinction is that a commodity thumb drive generally uses older, slower technology such as SATA and USB 5Gbps.

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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.

As you can see from the images, the Tube T31 is black, with the only styling flourishes being the silver of the logo and, when the cap is removed, the Type-A connector.

SK Hynix warranties the T31 for three years. The warranty is limited, as all warranties are, so overuse (writing too much data) and physical abuse will give the company the option to ignore a claim.