Corsair MP600 ELITE 1000GB

The Corsair MP600 ELITE 1000GB utilizes the Phison PS5027-E27T controller, representing a shift toward high-performance DRAM-less architectures within the PCIe 4.0 ecosystem. Unlike previous MP600 Pro iterations that used the 8-channel Phison E18, the ELITE pairs this 4-channel controller with Kioxia 162-layer BiCS6 3D TLC NAND. By leveraging Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology rather than onboard DRAM, the drive manages logical-to-physical mapping via system memory, allowing it to saturate the PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth limits efficiently. The transition to the 12nm manufacturing process for the E27T controller has resulted in notable power efficiency gains compared to older E18-based drives, translating to lower idle and load temperatures. Thermal analysis suggests the drive is less prone to thermal throttling in standard desktop airflow environments, even without the optional heatsink, though the provided aluminum heatspreader is recommended for sustained write-heavy workloads. While DRAM-less, the drive meets the stringent sequential read requirements for Sony PlayStation 5 expansion.

Key Specifications

• Interface: PCIe 4.0 x4 (NVMe 2.0)
• Controller: Phison PS5027-E27T (4-channel, ARM Cortex-R5)
• NAND Flash: Kioxia 162-Layer BiCS6 3D TLC
• DRAM Cache: N/A (Supports HMB - Host Memory Buffer)
• Sequential Read/Write: 7,000 MB/s / 6,200 MB/s
• Endurance: 600 TBW
• PCB Layout: Single-sided M.2 2280
• Encryption: AES 256-bit support

Hardware Alternatives

• Sabrent Rocket 1000GB: Shares the same E27T controller and performance profile, serving as a direct hardware relative.
• Lexar NM790 1000GB: A primary competitor utilizing the Maxio MAP1602 controller; it offers similar sequential throughput and DRAM-less architecture.
• WD Black SN770 1000GB: Competes in the same DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 segment using a proprietary SanDisk controller, though the MP600 ELITE generally offers higher peak sequential speeds.