TerraMaster D1 SSD Pro Review

The TerraMaster D1 SSD Pro clearly isn’t messing around with its no-nonsense aluminum exterior and capable internals boasting support for Thunderbolt 5. This product’s target market is clear: people looking for top-tier speed with consistent performance and low noise operation. This is for the professional or bleeding-edge enthusiast who doesn’t want to be held back by hardware. After putting the D1 SSD Pro through its paces, it’s time for my review.

Thunderbolt 5 is fast, duh!

Needless to say, the D1 SSD Pro’s headline feature is support for 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5. I feel like I’m only just getting over the power of Thunderbolt 4, and now the sequel is here to push things even further. TerraMaster touts read speeds of up to 7061 MB/s and write speeds up to 6816 MB/s. Using a Samsung 990 PRO drive inside the D1 SSD Pro enclosure, plugging into my Thunderbolt 5-equipped Alienware 18 Area-51 laptop, I confirmed speeds within this range. 

Moving from SSD benchmarking apps to actual real-world scenarios like transferring large high-bitrate video libraries, it’s frankly outrageous just how fast drives are when using Thunderbolt 5. The D1 SSD Pro’s passive cooling is also worth highlighting here. Despite having no active cooling fan, the enclosure’s aluminum casing provides enough passive cooling to keep temps under control. 

Passive cooling works well

I always like the idea of passive cooling, as it means no noise and one less moving part to worry about. However, passive cooling often disappoints by not being effective. With the D1 SSD Pro and its generous aluminum build, that hasn’t been an issue. Additionally, the drive itself doesn’t get too hot to the touch. At worst, it is warm, which is reassuring. 

While Thunderbolt 5 is the main attraction here, the D1 SSD Pro does also support Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, USB 3.2, USB 3.1, and USB 3.0. It supports an M.2 2280 NVMe drive and is recognized across Windows, macOS, and Linux. 

Easy to get going

Despite being a pro product, the D1 SSD Pro doesn’t overdo it with complex setup. Sure, sometimes fine-tuning settings for hours is required for pro-grade equipment, but not necessarily for an SSD enclosure. TerraMaster delivers great hardware that does what it says on the box and that simplicity is appreciated. 

Of course, backup options are available for Windows users, and macOS users can rely on Time Machine.

The downsides

When it comes to weaknesses, the TerraMaster D1 SSD Pro doesn’t give me much to complain about. I suppose, given its size and build, it isn’t the slimmest option out there, but devices putting performance first rarely are. 

The price is higher than your typical enclosure, of course, but the D1 SSD Pro boasts premium materials that have a practical as well as aesthetic benefit, and the future-proofing potential of Thunderbolt 5 comes with a cost, particularly now during its early adoption. 

Disclosure: Review sample provided by TerraMaster.