Verdict
The Corsair MP700 Pro is an impressive showcase of PCIe 5.0’s potential, offering blazing-fast speeds that make it one of the fastest consumer SSDs on the market. Its DirectStorage capabilities and raw performance make it a dream for gamers and professionals alike. However, the high price and cooling requirements mean it’s not for everyone. If you’re an enthusiast pushing the boundaries of storage performance, this drive is a fantastic investment. We are awarding the Corsair MP700 Pro our Editors’ Choice Award for delivering cutting-edge performance and future-proofing your storage.
Pros
- Blazing-fast sequential speeds
- Phison E26 controller and 232-layer TLC NAND for top-tier performance
- Full support for Microsoft DirectStorage
- Great for high-end gaming and professional workloads
- 5-year warranty
Cons
- Requires a dedicated heatsink for optimal performance
- High price compared to PCIe 4.0 SSDs
- Benefits are limited unless paired with a PCIe 5.0-compatible system
Introduction
PCIe 5.0 SSDs are finally here, promising blistering speeds that make even the fastest PCIe 4.0 drives look pedestrian. Corsair’s MP700 Pro is among the first of its kind, delivering insane sequential read and write speeds upto 12,000 MB/s. But as with any cutting-edge tech, real-world performance, cooling requirements, and overall value matter just as much as raw numbers. So, does the MP700 Pro live up to the hype? Let’s find out.
PCIe 5.0: The Next Generation of Storage
The Corsair MP700 Pro is a PCIe 5.0 drive. The PCIe 5.0 standard was introduced alongside Intel’s 12th-gen Alder Lake processors in late 2021 and AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series in 2022. Unlike PCIe 4.0, which debuted in mainstream consumer hardware with AMD’s Ryzen 3000 series, PCIe 5.0 effectively doubles the bandwidth to 16 GT/s per lane. This increase allows theoretical speeds of up to 16,000 MB/s, paving the way for faster storage, GPUs, and other high-bandwidth peripherals.
Compared to Gen 4 drives, PCIe 5.0 SSDs like the MP700 Pro benefit from higher IOPS, improved efficiency, and better latency. However, they also come with additional heat output, requiring active or passive cooling solutions for stable performance. While the advantages are clear, the real question is: do these benefits translate into everyday improvements for gamers, professionals, and general users? We will find out in this review.
Corsair MP700 Pro Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe Gen5 x4 NVMe 2.0 M.2 |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 |
| Controller | Phison PS5026-E26 |
| NAND Type | High-Density 3D TLC NAND |
| DRAM Cache | 2GB LPDDR4 |
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 11,700 MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 9,600 MB/s |
| Random Read IOPS | Up to 1,400,000 IOPS |
| Random Write IOPS | Up to 1,500,000 IOPS |
| Endurance (TBW) | 700 TBW (1TB), 1,400 TBW (2TB) |
| Warranty | 5 Years |
| Encryption | AES 256-bit Encryption |
| Power Consumption | Active: 11.5W Average |
| MTBF | 1.6 Million Hours |
| Compatibility | Backward compatible with PCIe Gen4 and Gen3 systems |
| Features | Supports Microsoft DirectStorage for faster game load times |
Under the Hood: The Tech Powering the MP700 Pro
At the heart of the MP700 Pro is the Phison E26 controller, one of the first consumer-grade PCIe 5.0 controllers. Combined with Micron 232-layer 3D TLC NAND and a dedicated LPDDR4 DRAM cache, the drive is built for high-speed operations without compromising on endurance. The PCIe 5.0 x4 interface ensures double the bandwidth of PCIe 4.0 drives, theoretically pushing up to 16 GT/s per lane—but, of course, real-world usage varies.
Corsair has also implemented high-quality NAND flash to ensure longevity and stability, making the MP700 Pro a solid choice for intensive workloads. The drive supports NVMe 2.0, bringing optimizations for better efficiency and sustained performance under heavy loads.
The Role of DirectStorage in PCIe 5.0 SSDs
One of the key selling points of high-speed PCIe 5.0 SSDs is their ability to leverage Microsoft’s DirectStorage technology. Originally developed for the Xbox Series X|S, DirectStorage enables faster data transfers between storage and the GPU, reducing CPU overhead and improving load times in supported games. By allowing textures and assets to be loaded directly into video memory, it minimizes bottlenecks and enhances in-game performance.
With DirectStorage, open-world games can stream assets faster, reducing pop-in and stutter. The technology is particularly beneficial in games optimized for it, such as:
- Forspoken – Drastically reduced load times compared to traditional storage methods.
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Near-instant level transitions.
- Cyberpunk 2077 (Upcoming Update) – Faster world streaming.
- Microsoft Flight Simulator – Improved texture and asset loading.
- Hogwarts Legacy – Expected to benefit from future patches.
- Call of Duty: MW3 – Likely to see DirectStorage improvements in future updates.
While PCIe 4.0 SSDs can still take advantage of DirectStorage, PCIe 5.0 drives like the MP700 Pro push performance even further by delivering higher bandwidth and lower latency.
Performance Breakdown: Beyond the Numbers
Test System
Here are the specifications of our test setup:
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
RAM: HyperX Fury DDR5 @7200Mhz 24GBx2
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master
CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Atmos 360mm AIO
GPU: GeForce RTX 4080 Founders Edition
SSD Setup: Corsair MP700 Pro 1TB connected to PCIe 4 Gen 5 M2_CPU slot. Heatsink provided with motherboard was used.
SSD capacity utilized: 90%
Windows Version: Windows 11 24H2
CrystalDiskMark
Windows Boot Time
The time it takes for Windows and all startup apps to load from a cold start is the Windows Boot Time. No matter how complex benchmark tests for storage devices get, this is the one test that can single handedly give you a clear snapshot of the performance of a respective drive. Our test system’s starting apps are Steam, Logitech G Hub, Nvidia Control Panel, OneDrive, FURY CTRL and Last.fm.
- MP700 Pro (PCIe 5.0) – 8.2 seconds
- Samsung 990 Pro (PCIe 4.0) – 10.1 seconds
- WD Black SN850X (PCIe 4.0) – 10.5 seconds
The MP700 Pro shaves off a couple of seconds compared to PCIe 4.0 drives, which, while not game-changing, makes a noticeable difference (around 20%) in day-to-day usability. Twenty percent faster to load Windows fully isn’t insignificant either. An 8 second Windows boot is still an incredibly fast time to fire up Windows and will impress anyone who witnesses this bootup.
Game Load Times (Seconds)
SSDs significantly impact loading times for games. That is the only direct impact SSDs have on gaming. Gaming performance (fps) is dependent on CPU, GPU and RAM. Once the game is loaded, the involvement of a storage drive in live rendering the game is minimal at best. Here are our gaming load times test results:
| Game | MP700 Pro (PCIe 5.0) | Samsung 990 Pro (PCIe 4.0) | WD Black SN850X (PCIe 4.0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forspoken (DirectStorage) | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | 5.1 | 6.4 | 6.7 |
| Elden Ring | 6.2 | 7.5 | 7.8 |
| Call of Duty: MW3 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 5.8 |
Across all tested games, DirectStorage enabled titles like Forspoken benefit significantly from MP700 Pro, cutting load times almost in half compared to Gen 4 titles. Cyberpunk will be getting DirectStorage support soon too, it would be interesting to see how it performs in this test. In non-DirectStorage titles, we see a speed benefit of around 20% again, in line with our Windows Boot Time test.
Productivity Benchmarks
| Test | MP700 Pro | Samsung 990 Pro | WD Black SN850X |
| Adobe Premiere Pro 4K Export | 7m 32s | 8m 45s | 9m 10s |
| Blender Render | 4m 50s | 5m 40s | 5m 55s |
| Photoshop Large File Save | 3.2s | 4.1s | 4.5s |
| AutoCAD Project Load | 2.5s | 3.0s | 3.2s |
In our productivity benchmarks, we clearly see a trend where the Corsair MP700 Pro surpasses the performance of even the best PCIe 4 drives. The performance benefits sits at around 20%, which is a really good generational gain especially when we draw a parallel with gen-on-gen gains for say, GPUs and CPUs. The RTX 5000 series seems a less than 10% performance benefit when compared to the RTX 4000 GPUs. Intel’s Core Ultra CPUs are nowhere near to offering 20% gain over the previous generation, in some cases they actually perform worse. Hence proven that the Gen 5 PCIe SSD platform offer better gain than other components.
Temperature Analysis
Corsair explicitly states that a heatsink is mandatory for the MP700 Pro. Without one, temperatures can exceed 80°C under sustained workloads. With a heatsink, temperatures stay in the 55-65°C range, making active cooling unnecessary for most users.
Longevity & Endurance
The MP700 Pro has a rated endurance of 700 TBW (for the 1TB model) and 1,400 TBW (for the 2TB model), meaning it can handle years of heavy workloads before potential wear-out. Given Corsair’s track record, the drive should last well beyond its warranty period of 5 years, making it a solid long-term investment.
Should You Upgrade to the Corsair MP700 Pro from a Gen 4 Drive?
If you’re upgrading from a PCIe 4.0 SSD, the benefits of PCIe 5.0 are primarily noticeable in workloads that require extreme bandwidth, such as 8K video editing or large-scale game development. If somehow PCIe 4.0 feels slow to you, you are guaranteed around 20% performance boost in Windows Loads times, app load times and game load times. Gamers may see some additional benefit with DirectStorage-enabled titles, but for general use, PCIe 4.0 still holds up well. If cost per GB is a concern, Gen 4 drives offer better value without major compromises.
In the end, it really comes down to cost per GB for PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 drives, and whether the difference warrants an upgrade. Just make sure your motherboard has a PCIe 5.0 supporting M.2 slot. Most motherboards launched post-2023 have this feature. If you need cutting-edge speed and want to future-proof your system, the MP700 Pro is a worthy contender. However, for budget-conscious users, a high-end PCIe 4.0 drive may still be the smarter buy. Below is a chart showing the cost per GB for the Corsair MP700 Pro versus leading Gen 4 SSDs.
| Drive | Capacity | Price | Cost per GB |
| Corsair MP700 Pro | 2TB | ₹28,000 | ₹13.67 |
| Samsung 990 Pro | 2TB | ₹17,000 | ₹8.3 |
| WD Black SN850X | 2TB | ₹16,000 | ₹7.8 |
It is clear that PCIe Gen 5 SSDs’ cost per GB is significantly higher than Gen 4 SSDs, almost 60% more expensive. Do you want to pay 60% more to gain 20% speed? That is a question only you can answer.
Final Thoughts
The Corsair MP700 Pro is a powerhouse SSD that showcases what PCIe 5.0 can do. But unless you’re ready to embrace the Gen 5 ecosystem—and pay the premium—most users will find PCIe 4.0 drives to be more cost-effective without significant performance sacrifices.
Disclaimer: The product featured in this review was provided to us by the respective brand on returnable basis for testing and evaluation purposes. We did not pay for the product, nor were we compensated in any way for this review. All opinions expressed are solely our own and reflect our genuine assessment of the product’s features and performance.
