The world of handheld gaming is constantly evolving, and with the advent of the GPD WIN 5, users can now take advantage of the latest in storage technology: the Mini SSD. This new, smaller form factor for solid-state drives is designed to deliver high performance in a compact package, making it a perfect match for portable devices. This guide will walk you through the specifics of the Mini SSD and how to get the most out of it with your GPD WIN 5, ensuring you have all the information you need to make an informed upgrade.
This guide will specifically cover the technical details of the Mini SSD and what you can expect when using it with your GPD WIN 5. By the end of this guide, you will have a clear understanding of how to install and setup a Mini SSD on the WIN 5 GPD handheld PC for gaming.
The Mini SSD #
The Mini SSD utilises a PCIe Gen4 x2 interface with the NVMe 1.4 protocol, promising impressive sequential read and write speeds of up to 3700MB/s and 3400MB/s, respectively. Available in capacities of 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB, this DRAM-less drive uses 3D TLC flash memory to provide a balance of performance and 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, the Mini SSD is built to last.
However, it’s important to note how the GPD WIN 5’s hardware interacts with this powerful new drive. The GPD WIN 5 features a PCIe 4.0 x1 slot for its SSD. This means that while the Mini SSD is capable of much higher speeds, it will be limited by the single PCIe lane to a theoretical maximum of around 2000MB/s, with real-world speeds closer to 1700MB/s for both read and write operations. While this is a limitation, it is still a significant improvement over older storage solutions such as a Micro SD card, and provides more than enough speed for a seamless gaming experience on the GPD WIN 5.
Installing the Mini SSD #
The GPD WIN 5 comes with a SIM tool that can be used to open the Mini SSD holder. You can find the tool in the envelope containing the user manual.
Firstly, switch off the GPD WIN 5. The Mini SSD slot is located on the bottom right side of the GPD WIN 5. Locate the small hole on the right side of the slot and insert the SIM tool and gently push it. The Mini SSD holder will be slightly pushed out. You can now fully remove the Mini SSD holder from the GPD WIN 5.
The Mini SSD can only be correctly inserted into the holder one way. Locate the small notch on the top left corner of the Mini SSD and the holder. The SSD will fit correctly into it as shown in the image below.
Insert the Mini SSD holder back into the GPD WIN 5. It can only go in one way so do not force it.
Ensure that the Mini SSD holder is fully inserted and flush with the GPD WIN 5
You can now switch on and boot up the GPD WIN 5.
Formatting the Mini SSD #
In Windows search, type in Disk Management into the search bar. Choose the Create and format hard disk partitions option.
You need to locate the Mini SSD disk from the available volumes. In most cases the drive will be Unallocated and the size will be a good indication. Remember the actual size vs advertised space is different i.e. 1TB = 953.85GB in the below example.
Once you are sure it is the correct disk. Right Click anywhere on the disks entry and select New Simple Volume
Follow the prompts and settings, most of them can be left at their suggested values. The Volume size settings should generally be the maximum size you can choose. You can change the Drive Letter to any available in the drop down menu.
For the File system, you can choose between NTFS or EXFAT. We recommend EXFAT for portable storage as it is compatible with a variety of operating systems. You can give the disk a name by renaming the Volume Label.
Once the formatting is complete, the Disk management software will refresh and show the newly formatted drive.
Your Mini SSD is now ready to use.