Corsair MP600 ELITE 4000GB

The Corsair MP600 ELITE 4000GB utilizes the Phison PS5027-E27T controller, representing a shift toward high-efficiency, DRAM-less architectures within the upper tier of the PCIe 4.0 landscape. Unlike the enthusiast-grade MP600 Pro series which utilizes the 8-channel Phison E18 with dedicated DRAM, the ELITE relies on Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology to manage logical-to-physical mapping tables via the system RAM. This 4-channel controller is paired with high-density 3D TLC NAND—typically Kioxia BiCS6 (162-layer)—allowing the drive to saturate the PCIe 4.0 interface. The architecture prioritizes thermal efficiency and single-sided density while delivering burst performance metrics that rival older high-end drives containing DRAM.

The integration of the Phison E27T controller overcomes the capacity limitations of previous DRAM-less generations (such as the E21T), enabling this 4TB density without the need for a multi-chip package that would necessitate a double-sided PCB. Consequently, this drive is frequently cited for its compatibility with laptops and consoles where vertical clearance is limited. While the drive performs exceptionally in burst workloads, technical analysis suggests that sustained write performance over extended periods (once the pseudo-SLC cache is exhausted) is lower than E18-based alternatives, a typical characteristic of the HMB architecture.

Key Specifications

• Interface: PCIe 4.0 x4 (NVMe 1.4)
• Sequential Speeds: 7,000 MB/s Read / 6,200 MB/s Write
• Controller: Phison PS5027-E27T (4-channel, 12nm process)
• NAND Flash: 3D TLC (Kioxia BiCS6 162-Layer)
• DRAM Cache: None (Host Memory Buffer / HMB supported)
• Endurance: 2400 TBW (Total Bytes Written)
• Physical Layout: Single-sided PCB M.2 2280
• Encryption: AES 256-bit support

Hardware Alternatives

• Corsair MP600 PRO LPX 4000GB: uses the 8-channel Phison E18 with dedicated DRAM, offering higher sustained write performance than HMB-based designs
• Lexar NM790 4000GB: utilizes the Maxio MAP1602 controller and 232-layer YMTC NAND to achieve similar saturation of the PCIe 4.0 bus
• Samsung 990 EVO 4000GB: a hybrid/DRAM-less competitor, though the MP600 ELITE generally posts higher sequential read/write figures due to the aggressive clock speeds of the E27T controller