MSI SPATIUM M450 1000GB

The MSI SPATIUM M450 uses the Phison PS5019-E19T controller in a DRAM-less design that relies on Host Memory Buffer (HMB) for mapping tables. It pairs the controller with Micron 176-layer 3D TLC NAND. Marketed as a Gen 4 drive, its performance tends to saturate the bandwidth typical of the previous generation, trading raw throughput for power efficiency and better thermal behavior. In practice it sees frequent use in OEM thin-and-light laptop configurations for its low power draw and minimal thermal output. The drive uses a dynamic pseudo-SLC cache, and sustained large-file writes will see speeds drop to native TLC rates once that cache is exhausted. While physically compatible with PS5 expansion, its sequential read performance is below Sony’s recommended threshold.

Key Specifications

• Capacity: 1000 GB
• Interface: PCIe Gen 4.0 x4 (NVMe 1.4)
• Sequential Read/Write: 3600 MB/s / 3000 MB/s
• Controller: Phison PS5019-E19T
• NAND Flash: Micron 176-layer 3D TLC
• DRAM Cache: No (Support for HMB)
• Endurance (TBW): 600 TBW
• Physical Layout: Single-sided PCB (Optimal for thin-and-light laptops)
• Encryption: Supports TCG Pyrite

Hardware Alternatives

• Silicon Power UD90 1000GB: Shares the Phison E19T architecture and similar NAND configurations as a hardware relative.
• WD Black SN770 1000GB: Direct competitor in the DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 segment with comparable burst characteristics.
• Samsung 980 1000GB: A PCIe 3.0 HMB-based drive that matches similar real-world transfer speeds, representing a comparable performance tier.