Our Verdict
84%
A speedy SSD that doesn’t require a third-party heatsink to get the most out of it.
Both the Corsair MP600 Pro and Gigabyte Aorus Gen4 7000s use the latest version of Phison’s SSD controller – the E18. This is uprated over the original E16 controller used in first-generation PCI-E 4 SSDs, which were launched in conjunction with AMD’s X570 chipset a few years ago.
Now, though, these Phison-based drives have some competition, not only from the Samsung Elpis controller, but also from WD with its WD Black G2 controller, and ADATA with its InnoGrit IG5236. Under the hood, of course, the SSD is near identical to other SSDs based on the Phison E18, although Corsair has added some extra swagger with a large heatsink, as well as the option of a water block-equipped version, complete with its own inlet and outlet using G1/4in ports.
The heatsink alone proved to be very effective on our 1TB sample, though, solving the throttling issue that plagues some top-tier SSDs. We recorded a peak temperature of just 51°C, and the base of the SSD is also thermally attached to the heatsink. You can, of course, remove the heatsink and use one that comes with your motherboard, but what’s here is more than up to the task of keeping the MP600 Pro cool enough.
The 2TB version costs $369, while our 1TB sample will set you back $185. This is similar to the near-identical Gigabyte Aorus Gen4 7000s, which sports a slightly smaller, less-effective heatsink. However, both the WD Black SN850 and ADATA XPG S70 Blade offer similar speeds for cheaper prices, although these drives also rely on you using a third-party heatsink to deal with the heat.
Depending on conditions and its remaining storage space, the MP600 Pro offers around 100GB of SLC write cache in addition to a much smaller DDR4 cache. The SLC cache total isn’t as big as on the likes of the ADATA XPG S70, so if you’ll be shunting more than 100GB around regularly, this isn’t the SSD for you. Thankfully, the need to do so is likely to be rare – for most of us it will simply never happen. However, the ADATA also trumps the Corsair with its endurance rating, which stands at 740TBW as opposed to 600TBW.
Corsair MP600 Pro performance
As it’s a part of the latest PCI-E 4 generation, we unsurprisingly saw some epic sequential speeds from the Corsair drive, recording 7,009MB/sec read and 5,439MB/sec write speeds in CrystalDiskMark’s sequential tests. That said, both the Phison E18 SSDs suffered from surprisingly low 4K random read speeds, as did the ADATA XPG S70 Blade.
Only the WD SN850 was able to push through here, managing a speed of 2,172MB/sec compared to just 1,428MB/sec for the MP600 Pro. The 4K random write speed of 1,829MB/sec was back on par, though, and also noticeably faster than the ADATA XPG S70 Blade. The Corsair traded blows with the Gigabyte Aorus Gen4 7000s in AS-SSD, which was slightly ahead in most tests, while the ADATA XPG S70 Blade was either similar or slower, being significantly so in the 4K random read test.
Corsair MP600 Pro pros and cons
Pros
- Excellent sequential performance
- Good 4K random write speeds
- Effective heatsink
Cons
- Smaller than average SLC cache
- Not much of an improvement over previous generation
- Heatsink-less WD SN850 is cheaper
Corsair MP600 Pro specs
The Corsair MP600 Pro specs list is:
| Interface | PCI-E 4 |
| Max capacity | 1TB |
| Formatted capacity | 951GB |
| Controller | Phison PS5018-E18 |
| Endurance rating | 600TBW (2TB) |
| Warranty | Five years |
| NAND | TLC |
Corsair MP600 Pro price
The Corsair MP600 Pro is a competitively priced PCI-E 4 SSD, though given the higher price of such drives that still means it’s not the cheapest storage option going.
Price: Expect to pay $369 for 2TB, $285 for 1TB
Corsair MP600 Pro review conclusion
We’d pick the Corsair MP600 Pro over the Gigabyte Aorus Gen4 7000s, thanks to its slightly lower temperatures, but there’s not much between them. For an SSD that can keep itself cool, the Corsair MP600 Pro is a good buy, as long as you’re aware of its average-size write cache. However, if your motherboard has a heatsink, then the better PCI-E 4 SSD to buy is the WD SN850 – it’s a little quicker in some tests and it’s cheaper too.
Looking for more storage upgrade options? Check out our guide to the best gaming SSD where we recommend options for every budget, with 1TB drives starting from just $55.