Corsair MP600 Pro XT
Corsair once again declines its flagship SSD series and offers with the MP600 Pro XT a model with extreme performance, approaching the theoretical limits of the PCIe 4 interface used.
Presentation
Corsair continues to expand its MP600 SSD family. The MP600 Pro XT series is now in its fourth iteration and is positioned as the ultimate solution for SSDs operating on a PCIe 4 interface. Of course, we still use a M.2 2280 module format with, on the 2TB edition tested here, a distribution of chips on both sides of the SSD.
The MP600 Pro XT stands out from the other MP600s because of its heat sink. Gone is the metal slat model of the other iterations and in its place is a much denser and stronger heatsink. Heavier, this heatsink is more likely to ensure a stable dissipation over time. On the other hand, its 19mm height makes it de facto incompatible with the Sony PS5. However, it is possible to remove this heat sink quite easily, as it is composed of two parts that are clipped together.
On the components side, Corsair renews the use of a Phison PS5018-E18 controller, as it is already the case on the MP600 Pro non XT. This high-end controller embeds three Cortex-R5 cores engraved in 12 nm (TSMC) and capable of managing a maximum of eight channels. It is accompanied by 2 GB of cache memory.
The memory itself is evolving. If we still see the presence of 3D NAND TLC chips from Micron, Corsair has this time set its sights on 176-layer variants (the cells are stacked). In the end, we find ourselves with a configuration identical to that found on the Seagate FireCuda 530, the difference being the optimization brought to the firmware of these SSDs.
The Corsair MP600 Pro XT 2Tb is guaranteed for five years or 1400Tb of written data, whichever comes first. The write endurance is enormous and corresponds to 767 GB of data daily for five years. This endurance will never be put to the test by the user, except in the case of use in a server - an area for which this SSD is not necessarily intended.
Corsair SSD Toolbox
Corsair as always makes its SSD Toolbox utility available to owners of its SSDs. The current version of this software (v1.2) takes us back 15 to 20 years in terms of presentation. All the expected features for such a software are there: health management, secure erasing, over-provisioning management or SSD cloning. The problem lies mainly in the lack of care given to the interface, worthy of a third technology option project. For example, it is necessary to click on the small green and white line at the bottom right of the software (see picture above) to launch the verification and, if necessary, the installation of a new firmware. Astonishing!
SLC cache management
As is often the case with Phison E18 controllers, the manufacturer has opted for a dynamic SLC cache system. This means that write jobs are accelerated to one third of the free space. This is a system that allows large amounts of data to be copied before falling outside this comfort zone. Out of cache, the throughput is still very high though, with an average of 1 GB/s.
Thermal management
Not too surprisingly, the huge heatsink does its part to help manage the thermal performance of this SSD. Configured to reduce throughput once it reaches 89°C, the MP600 Pro XT did not exceed 58°C in our extensive testing - the SSD is housed in a closed enclosure with average ventilation, ensuring optimal performance over time, regardless of the type of task at hand.
Performances
Flirting with the limits of its memory controller and PCIe 4 interface, the 2TB MP600 Pro XT is given a sequential throughput of 7.1GB/s read and 6.8GB/s write. Under benchmark, these values are exceeded with an average of 7.4 GB/s read and 6.9 GB/s write. The Seagate FireCuda 530 is matched, if not surpassed, by a very small margin of error.
Random accesses are given at 1.2 MIOPS read and 1 MIOPS write. Here, the benchmark results are significantly lower with 887 KIOPS read and 767 KIOPS write. They are again slightly higher than those of the FireCuda 530 (equipped with the same components), which tends to prove that the firmware developed by Corsair is significantly better optimized than that of Seagate.
Finally, the manual copy delivers equally good results, the SSD having reached 2.1 GB/s in reading and 1.7 GB/s in writing. That's simply excellent.
Conclusion
The 2TB Corsair MP600 Pro XT makes a strong impression by delivering extremely high speeds for a PCIe 4 SSD, and this without oscillation, the heat sink fulfilling its role perfectly. Benefiting from a nice guarantee both on duration and endurance, this model will suffer the only reproach of its overweight, a detail that prohibits it from staying in the PS5 of Sony. A negligible point for all those who are not equipped with this console.
