The MP600 Mini is the most compact M.2 SSD yet by CORSAIR, delivering high-performance storage in a small form factor of M.2 2230. The drive measures only 22mm-by-30mm. This tiny device is suitable for portable gaming systems such as the Valve Steam Deck, as well as slim and lightweight devices such as the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 and 9, where space is limited.
The MP600 Mini from Corsair employs Phison’s E21T controller and 3D TLC NAND memory. It boasts impressive sequential read/write speeds of up to 4,800 MB/s and up to 850K/1.1M random read/write IOPS. The SSD consumes an average of 4.3W and features a simple graphene heat spreader, making it compatible with most systems.
The MP600 Mini’s PCIe 4.0 x4 interface ensures it excels in the majority of modern laptops and hybrid PCs. However, it’s worth noting that the Valve Steam Deck uses a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface, limiting the SSD’s throughput potential in that context.
It was a breeze to install the MP600 Mini drive into the Steam Deck or the Surface, taking just a few minutes from start to finish. On the surface, lift the kickstand and you will see the M.2 2230 SSD slot. Use a SIM ejector tool to open the slot and then carefully unscrew the already installed SSD from the slot. Replace it with the Corsair MP600 Mini, screw it in place, and close the slot.
On the Steam Deck, before installing the new drive, you have the option of either cloning your existing installation or starting fresh from a flash drive. You can use a pair of M.2 USB Type-C enclosures and balenaEtcher to clone the drives using a laptop, which is the most efficient way to begin.
Cloning replicates all the games, cache files, and boots, making them readily available to play following the swap. In case you don’t have a pair of enclosures or a machine with an available M.2 slot, you can simply insert the new drive and follow Valve’s instructions for a clean install.
In terms of benchmarks, we used CrystalDiskMark 8.0.4 and AS SSD Benchmark 2.0. On the CrystalDiskMark, we were able to clock a read speed of 4625 MB/s and a write speed of 4632 MB/s. On the AS SSD Benchmark, we were able to note 4101 MB/s of read speed and 4368 MB/s of write speed.
The SSD’s performance, as promised, will reach 4800 MB/s for both sequential read and write speeds, with generated IOPS of 866K for read and 1,130K for random write. However, these numbers may change slightly due to throttling when the SSD reaches its maximum temperature.
The Corsair MP600 Mini’s standout feature is the use of the 2230 format, making it suitable for ultra-thin devices such as laptops, tablets, and the Steam Deck console that use M.2 2230 SSDs. Its PCIe 4.0 interface enables it to be used in high-performance next-generation equipment, powered by the Phison E21T controller, with sequential read and write speeds of 4800 MB/s.
The Corsair MP600 Mini is thus, highly recommended.
Price: $109.99
Corsair MP600 Mini PCIe Gen4 X4 NVMe M.2 2230 SSD (1TB) $109.99
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Final Rating
Summary
The SSD’s performance, as promised, will reach 4800 MB/s for both sequential read and write speeds, with generated IOPS of 866K for read and 1,130K for random write. However, these numbers may change slightly due to throttling when the SSD reaches its maximum temperature.
