Corsair MP600 Core Mini Gen4 NVMe SSD Review

Hello esteemed enthusiast. Courtesy of the fine folks at Corsair, we present to you the MP600 Core Mini M.2 2230 SSD. As the name states, the MP600 Core Mini SSD features the M.2. 2230 form-factor. This SSD form-factor is designed to work in thin and light laptops and the rapidly growing PC gaming handheld market.

Up until a few years ago, it was a rarity to find a 2230 SSD drive not developed for an OEM manufacturer. While the 2230 SSD market now has many options, it is uncommon to see storage capacities above 1TB. Corsair is answering the call for larger storage sizes for this physically limiting form-factor. Using 3D QLC NAND, Corsair has introduced a 2TB 2230 SSD to satisfy our ever growing storage appetite. Read on to see if this QLC based SSD is right for you.

Corsair MP600 Core Mini Features/Specifications:

• Ultra Compact Form Factor – Add speedy high-capacity SSD storage to your handheld gaming PC and small form factor devices.
• High-Speed PCIe Gen4 x4 NVME 1.4 M.2 Interface – The MP600 MINI provides impressive storage space and performance for PCIe Gen4-compatible systems.
• Wide Compatibility – Easily upgrade your handheld gaming device, tablet, or other thin and light devices.
• High-Density 3D QLC NAND Technology – Provides the ideal mix of capacity, performance, and value.

Tech Specifications:

Source

The MP600 Core MINI SSD is available in 1TB and 2TB sizes. Moreover both SSD’s are one-sided, which offers broad compatibility.

Unboxing

(click any of the above thumbnails to enlarge for viewing – click outside of image border to return to this page)

The MP600 Core MINI SSD’s packaging is iconic Corsair, yellow hue and all. The SSD is well protected in its clear one size fits all internal plastic casing. Additionally, you are supplied with a QR installation instruction code and Safety and Compliance Information packet.

Corsair SSD ToolBox

The Corsair SSD ToolBox is a free utility. The software allows users to update Corsair SSDs with the latest firmware, check its SMART Status and even clone the drive. It is very much a function over style based utility app. You would be forgiven if you thought the app was developed in the late 90’s. Ultimately the look doesn’t matter, as the app serves its purpose of providing update/maintenance functionality for Corsair SSDs.

Download

Performance Testing

To give a balanced view I tested the Corsair MP600 Core MINI SSD in a desktop test system and gaming handheld. Testing is done in Windows and Linux (SteamOS) across various benchmarks.

Windows Test System

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X – PBO Enabled.
Motherboard: MSI MEG X670E ACE – Ver. 7D69v19 BIOS
RAM: Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB DDR5 6200MT (x2)
GPU: EVGA 3060 Ti FTW3 Ultra
Heatsink: Motherboard’s built-in heatspeader.
Case: Lian Li 216 – System fans set to 1275RPM (Balanced)
OS Version: Windows 10 Pro 22H2 – 19045.3693
Ambient Temp: 45F (Winter)

The MP600 was tested as a secondary drive (non-OS) in my windows test system. Benchmark tests were used with default settings, unless otherwise noted.

Linux Test System

SteamDeck LCD (512GB version)
OS Version: SteamOS 3.5.5

CrystalDiskMark 8.0.4 x64

The Corsair MP600 Core MINI SSD performs well for its miniature size in sequential reads and writes. Start filling up the drive and you will notice the inconsistencies.

Download

AS SSD Benchmark 2.0.7316

The AS SSD benchmark results show strong sequential read and write performance. This positive is hampered by the increased read access time. For gaming and light productivity workloads, this won’t be a huge issue.

Download

ATTO Disk Benchmark 4.01.0f1

Download

Windows Test System SSD Temp

The MP600 SSD ran extremely cool during testing in the Windows test system.

KDiskMark

The original SteamDeck 512GB SSD was tested at 80%, thus the comparison is not apples to apples. However the SteamDeck only has a PCIe 3.0×4 M.2 interface. The interface limited the Corsair MP600 Core MINI SSD’s potential.

Download

Conclusion

Corsair positions the MP600 Core MINI SSD as one that provides the ideal mix of capacity, performance, and value. The use of 3D QLC NAND allows Corsair to hit the capacity marker but there are quirks that come with it. The low TBW rating can be anxiety inducing, depending on your device and usage. Additionally, as you fill the MP600 with data, read and write performance is inconsistent.

There is good news. The MP600’s dynamic pSLC cache helps overcome some of the quirks associated with QLC. I had no issues while gaming on my SteamDeck with this SSD installed and games loaded fast. The drive was quick to recover read and write performance after I subjected it to massive file transfers. The SSD temperatures during testing were impressive, never going over 40C in my Windows test system.  Lastly, there is the five year warranty that beats almost all of the competing drives’ warranties.

Currently the MP600 Core MINI SSD 1TB is priced at $94.99 and 2TB at $199.99. A bit of a premium. If Corsair can lower the prices, these drives will be highly competitive with their TLC counterparts. Ultimately, if you are looking to expand your device’s storage with the highest available capacity and the MP600 Core MINI SSD is on sale, it should be on your short list. As a SteamDeck owner, this drive is perfect for my storage needs and thus it earns my recommendation.

Want to discuss this product or give your views and feedback from your own usage? Leave your comments and discuss HERE, on the ExtremeHW Forums (No Sign Up Required)

Like our content? Please consider Donating to help us to continue our writing.