Corsair MP600 Mini 2024 Edition 1TB SSD Review - Fastest Tiny Drive on the Planet

TweakTown's Rating: 99%

The Bottom Line

It's currently the best-performing 2230 SSD on the planet.

Pros

• + Gaming
• + Throughput
• + User experience
• + Cool running

Cons

• - None

Should you buy it?

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Buy at Amazon

Buy at Newegg

Introduction & Drive Details

Phison's E27T DRAMless controller is positioned to become one of the world's most prolific SSD controllers.

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E27T-controlled SSDs need only 4-channels, half the power, and do not need expensive onboard DRAM to deliver real-world performance that is substantially superior to its 8-channel E18-controlled predecessors overall.

We got our first taste of E27T goodness via Corsair's best-ever PCIe Gen4 SSD, the MP600 Elite. Next, we got another taste via Sabrent's refreshed Rocket 4, which also proved to be its best-ever PCIe Gen4 SSD for the very same reasons.

With performance and efficiency like that, it's easy to see why Phison's E27T controller is set for massive proliferation across the globe. That brings us to what we have on the test bench today: a new Corsair MP600 Mini. This 2230 SSD is a refresh for 2024. The refreshed version is powered by Phison's PS5027-E27T DRAMless 4-channel controller. Sitting behind its E27T controller, we have a Kioxia BiCS6 2,400MT flash array. This is the same hardware configuration found on Corsair's MP600 Elite, so we know this tiny SSD will be something special indeed.

As we understand it, Corsair's MP600 Mini 1TB 2024 Edition, or MP600 Mini R2 as we will refer to it going forward, is currently circulating within retail channels, with a 2TB model slated for retail channel consumption coming soon. When we looked, the older version was still being sold, so to avoid confusion and to be sure you are getting the R2 version, we suggest you verify the part number (CSSD-F1000GBMP600MNR2) as having R2 at the end of the string.

We are excited to see what this tiny powerhouse can deliver on the PC front, but also excited to see how it will fare as PS5 storage expansion, as it is the first 2230 SSD capable of meeting and exceeding Sony's recommended minimum 5,500 MB/s sequential read speed. And being that this is a 2230 SSD, it is designed to run cooler than other sizes as its intended to be used in handheld PC gaming devices and various other mobile computing platforms.

With up to 7,400 MB/s throughput, power efficiency, mild thermals, and a tiny 2230 form factor - this will be good.

Drive Details

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Like all CORSAIR SSDs, the MP600 Mini R2 is supported by free CORSAIR SSD Toolbox software, enabling convenient features such as secure erase and firmware updates directly from your desktop. Get it HERE.

Jon's Test System Specifications

Intel Test System

• Motherboard: GIGABYTE AORUS Z790 Xtreme X
• CPU: Intel Core i9-14900KS - Buy from Amazon
• Cooler: Alphacool Eissturm Hurricane Copper 45 - Buy from Amazon
• RAM: Patriot Viper Xtreme 5 8000 48GB - Buy from Amazon
• Graphics Card: MSI SUPRIM X RTX 3080 12GB - Buy from Amazon
• Case: PrimoChill's Praxis Wetbench - Buy from Amazon
• Power Supply: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 1200W - Buy from Amazon
• OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit - Buy from Amazon

AMD Test System

• Motherboard: GIGABYTE X670E AORUS Master
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X - Buy from Amazon
• Cooler: Alphacool Eissturm Hurricane Copper 45 - Buy from Amazon
• RAM: Sabrent Rocket DDR5 32GB - Buy from Amazon
• Graphics Card: MSI SUPRIM X RTX 3080 12GB - Buy from Amazon
• Case: PrimoChill's Praxis Wetbench - Buy from Amazon
• Power Supply: be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 1200W - Buy from Amazon
• OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro 64-bit - Buy from Amazon

Because we at TweakTown like to be first at everything whenever we can, we will present our storage performance results for the test subject on both 14th Gen Intel and 7000 Series AMD platforms going forward for the foreseeable future. Because Intel still delivers the best real-world storage performance, (Look Here), our running chart will continue to be Intel-based until AMD can deliver better real-world storage performance than its rival.

Corsair MP600 Mini 2024 Edition 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD

	Today	Yesterday	7 days ago	30 days ago
	$89.99	$89.99	$89.99	-	Buy
	$89.99	$89.99	$89.99	-	Buy
* Prices last scanned on 5/18/2024 at 11:08 pm CDT - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission.

Sony PlayStation 5 - M.2 Storage Expansion

PS5 Read Performance

With Sony's wildly popular PlayStation 5 console now enabled for M.2 NVMe SSDs to be used as fast storage expansion, we include results for PS5 compatible SSDs we test as a part of our reviews going forward.

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For SSDs that don't have an adequately sized PS5 compatible heatsink or other SSDs where the heatsink provided doesn't fit right and can be removed, we both use and recommend Sabrent's unparalleled PS5 heatsink available HERE.

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We only chart SSDs that can deliver a minimum of 5,500 MB/s read, which is Sony's original recommendation.

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As expected, Corsair's MP600 Mini R2 is the first of its kind (2230) to offer a legit PS5 storage expansion possibility. What we did not expect was for the micro-drive to dish out 6,540 MB/s, which is among the best we've ever recorded. Amazing.

Synthetic Benchmarks: CDM, Anvil, ATTO

CrystalDiskMark

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We employ CDM as our standard measurement for both sequential throughput and Q1T1 random read. Here, we find our test subject delivering the highest read throughput we've recorded to date for a flash-based DRAMless SSD. Additionally, the MP600 Mini R2 1TB delivers a head turning 103 MB/s at Q1T1, giving us a strong synthetic indication that it can deliver exceptional real-world performance.

Anvil's Storage Utilities

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A read score of 10,281 is 450 points lower than its similarly configured full-sized predecessor, the MP600 Elite. This is as expected for a single flash package arrayed SSD.

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We employ Anvil's random read test as our standard for measuring max random read IOPS. This test is very accurate as it at its core is Iometer skinned over. We test at QD128. At 838K IOPS, our test subject is surprisingly delivering a bit more than the MP600 Elite 2TB. Interesting.

ATTO

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ATTO gives us a clear picture of what transfer sizes a particular SSD favors in terms of sequential throughput. We chart 128K transfers. At a queue depth of four, the 1TB MP600 Mini R2 favors sequential transfers of 64K or larger when serving data to the host (reading) and 32K or larger when programming (writing) data. The smaller the file size at peak throughput, the better we like it, so this is fantastic.

Real-World Testing: Transfers, 3DMark SSD Gaming Test, PCM10 Storage

Transfer Rates

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Our 100GB data transfer test is not your ordinary 100GB of data, ours is a crushing mix composed of more than 62K files. Write performance random or sequential, is an infrequent operation and such, we do not consider it to be an important performance metric in the consumer space. An example being how many times is a game installed vs. how many times it's played. The transfer rate here is pretty much as expected for a single flash package 2230 SSD. Good enough.

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Unlike programming (writing) data, serving data to the host (reading) is always an important performance metric as it relates to the consumer space. It is not bad, but it still suffers from less interleaving inherent to single-package SSDs. Still plenty good enough for our liking.

3DMark SSD Gaming Test

UL's newest 3DMark SSD Gaming Test is the most comprehensive SSD gaming test ever devised. We consider it superior to testing against games themselves because, as a trace, it is much more consistent than variations that will occur between runs on the actual game itself. This test is the same as running the actual game, just without the inconsistencies inherent to application testing. In short, we believe that this is the world's best way to test an SSDs gaming prowess and accurately compare it against competing SSDs. The 3DMark SSD Gaming Test measures and scores the following:

• Loading Battlefield V from launch to the main menu.
• Loading Call of Duty Black Ops 4 from launch to the main menu.
• Loading Overwatch from launch to the main menu.
• Recording a 1080p gameplay video at 60 FPS with OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) while playing Overwatch.
• Installing The Outer Worlds from the Epic Games Launcher.
• Saving game progress in The Outer Worlds.
• Copying the Steam folder for Counter-Strike Global Offensive from an external SSD to the system drive.

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Gaming is a performance metric that matters to most DIY consumers, especially for the enthusiast crowd that TweakTown caters to. With a score of 4,480, Corsair's MP600 Mini R2 1TB delivers a new and higher level of gaming performance for 2230 class SSDs. Outstanding. Additionally, and worthy of mention here is the fact that E27T controlled SSDs come with Phison's exclusive I/O+ DirectStorage optimized technology baked right in. With it, a properly equipped PC can load up to 60% more gaming data with 99% less CPU utilization. Amazing.

PCM10 Storage Tests

PCMark 10 Storage Test is the most advanced and most accurate real-world consumer storage test ever made. There are four different tests you can choose from; we run two of them. The Full System Drive Benchmark and the Quick System Drive Benchmark. The Full System Drive Benchmark writes 204 GB of data over the duration of the test. These tests directly correlate with mainstream user experience.

PCMark 10 Full System Drive Benchmark

This test writes 204GB data and covers a broad range of common consumer tasks, including booting Windows 10, file transfers, Adobe and Office applications, and startup times for games including Battlefield V, COD Black Ops 4, and Overwatch. Unlike synthetic numbers, this is comprehensive real-world data which is why we use it to rank SSDs in terms of user experience.

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Although a bit slower than its full-sized siblings, this is still quite remarkable for a tiny SSD.

PCMark 10 Quick System Drive Benchmark

The Quick System Drive Benchmark writes 23 GB of data over the duration of the test.

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We consider 5K+ here a milestone of sorts, especially for a PCIe Gen4 SSD. Of all the tests we run, we consider this one to be the best reflection of a typical consumer user experience. This is an absolute stunner as we see it. Here, where we value performance most overall, our tiny MP600 Mini R2 1TB can soundly defeat all but one DRAMless SSD we've ever tested. Incredible.

Final Thoughts

We figured it would be the best-performing 2230 SSD we've encountered to date, but we found ourselves a bit surprised at the level of performance Corsair can deliver with its newest tiny SSD. Not only is it the best-performing 2230 in the world, but it's also overall the best-performing Phison E27T-controlled SSD we've tested to date, including the MP600 Elite and Rocket 4.

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We rank SSDs in terms of overall user experience (performance where it matters most) as expressed by PCMark 10 storage and 3DMark gaming storage tests. We considered a user experience score of 15K or more to verify an SSD as a TweakTown Elite performer. As shown here, Corsair's MP600 Mini R2 1TB is the overall highest-performing of the 7,000 MB/s capable flash-based DRAMless SSDs we've tested to date. Impressive.

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It's the world's highest-performing consumer 2230 SSD, PS5 legit, and well deserving of an Editor's Choice award.