Portable gaming systems and ultra-compact computers continue to become smaller, but conventional M.2 SSDs still require a relatively large amount of internal space. The BIWIN CL100 Mini SSD is designed to address that limitation by delivering NVMe solid-state storage in a removable drive measuring just 15 x 17 x 1.4 mm—roughly the size of a microSD card. Despite weighing no more than one gram, the CL100 uses a PCIe 4.0 x2 interface and the NVMe 1.4 protocol to provide sequential read speeds of up to 3700 MB/s and write speeds of up to 3400 MB/s.
BIWIN offers the CL100 in 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities for compatible handheld gaming systems, laptops, mini PCs, and other compact devices. The Mini SSD also features IP68-rated protection against water and dust, resistance to drops from heights of up to three meters, dynamic SLC caching, Host Memory Buffer support, intelligent thermal throttling, and a three-year limited warranty. It can also be paired with BIWIN’s optional RD510 Mini SSD Reader, allowing the drive to function as portable high-speed storage across compatible computers and mobile devices. Can this tiny removable SSD deliver the speed, durability, and convenience needed to become a practical alternative to microSD cards and conventional M.2 storage? Let’s take a closer look at the BIWIN CL100 Mini SSD and find out!
Special thanks to BIWIN for providing us with the CL100 Mini SSD to review.
BIWIN CL100 Mini SSD Specifications
| Specification | 512GB | 1TB | 2TB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series | BIWIN Mainstream | ||
| Model | BIWIN CL100 | ||
| Category | Solid-State Drive | ||
| Form Factor | Mini SSD | ||
| Interface | PCIe Gen4x2, NVMe 1.4 | ||
| DRAM Cache | DRAM-less | ||
| Capacity | 512GB | 1TB | 2TB |
| Sequential Read | Up to 3,700 MB/s | Up to 3,700 MB/s | Up to 3,700 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | Up to 2,400 MB/s | Up to 3,400 MB/s | Up to 3,400 MB/s |
| Random Read | Up to 450K IOPS | Up to 550K IOPS | Up to 550K IOPS |
| Random Write | Up to 550K IOPS | Up to 650K IOPS | Up to 650K IOPS |
| Dimensions | 15.00 × 17.00 × 1.40 mm | ||
| Weight | ≤1 g | ||
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to +70°C | ||
| Storage Temperature | -40°C to +85°C | ||
| MTBF | 1,500,000 hours | ||
| Endurance | 375 TBW | 750 TBW | 1,500 TBW |
| Warranty | 3 years or the applicable TBW limit, whichever comes first | ||
| Certifications | RoHS, FCC, CE, CB, KCC, BSMI, VCCI, RCM and UKCA | ||
BIWIN CL100 Mini SSD Packaging
BIWIN was nice enough to not only send over their CL100 Mini SSD, but also the RD510 Mini SSD Reader. Both of these came in their normal retail packaging. So for the CL100 with have a pretty standard blister pack. The RD510 has a very similar retail box with a picture of the reader on the front.
While all you’ll get with the CL100 is just the drive itself, the GD510 comes with the reader itself, a USB 4.0 Type-C cable, and an ejector tool.
