Plextor M9Pe 512GB M2 NVMe SSD review - Introduction

Plextor M9Pe M.2 SSD gets tested
Super fast up-to 3200 MB/s for reads and 2000 MB/sec (512GB) for writes

Plextor is back, this round with a blazingly fast M9Pe 512GB Series M.2 SSDs. These new M.2 units use the Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVME) protocol combined with a fast controller and the new BiCS 64-layer Toshiba NAND flash memory. Yeah, that means storage technology at terrific speeds while offering a competitive price.  Will Plextor be able to deliver a unit that manages to impress?

M2 is interesting stuff, these smaller form factors storage units are evolving from being "just as fast" as a regular SSD towards double, tripling, heck... even quadrupling that performance. It comes in a different package, M.2. The M.2 interface is so much more capable as it can deal with way more bandwidth using PCI-Express lanes. As such, M.2 solutions are intended for enthusiast class motherboards. The M9Pe series M.2 SSDs are a stunningly fast series of storage technology as they offer enthusiast class performance yet remain reasonable in pricing. Though prices still need to go online, we already spotted our tested 512GB M9Pe for 225 EURO, which would mean 44 cents per GB. Keep in mind you are looking at a product that reads well over 3GB/sec and writes over 2 GB/sec. These new M.2 units use the NVMe protocol and that means storage technology at millennium falcon hyper-fast speeds while remaining competitive in pricing. 

The 512 GB model we test today is rated of up-to 3200 MB/s for reads and 2000 MB/sec (512GB) for writes.  The SSD is Plextor’s second consumer-ready Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) M.2 form factor SSD, it has been fitted with new Vertically stacked NAND (64-layer BiCS)  TLC (Toggle) Toshiba NAND (15nm). The performance numbers a good SATA3 SSD offers these days are simply excellent, but with NVMe you can triple maybe even quadruple performance, which offers serious numbers. Plextor’s M9P series M.2 product line is powered by a Marvell NAND controller. The unit follows a smaller M.2 2280 form factor (8cm) so it will fit on most ATX motherboards capable of M.2 just fine. IOPS numbers are now reaching the 340K for read and 280K for writes marker (depends on volume size). At just one-tenth the weight of a traditional 2.5-inch SSD, the M.2 SSDs are ideal for users looking to upgrade their desktop or ultra-thin PCs with high-capacity, high-performance storage. You do need a modern motherboard with capable NVMe supported M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4 connected) interface though, please do check out your motherboard manufacturer for that. But ever since Z97/Z170/X270/X299 and AMD X370 and X399 chipsets have been released, the mainstream to high-end class motherboards mostly all support it very well. Yeah, have a peek, and then let's head onwards into this review.

Plextor M9Pe  Series M2 SSD with Marvell controller and MLC written Toshiba NAND Flash