Introduction
MSI is well known for its motherboards and graphics cards, offering some of the best hardware for gamers and enthusiasts. MSI is now getting in on the storage game, with a new launch of SSDs. These aren’t just your basic SSDs either, MSI is stepping in with custom designs, high enthusiast specifications, and custom cooling. More competition is welcomed in the storage space, and MSI brings with it a history of great component offerings.
In August of 2021 MSI launched its SPATIUM SSD series. SPATIUM sounds like an odd name, but it actually has meaning. SPATIUM is Latin for Space of Distance. The meaning of space is quite perfect for the SPATIUM SSDs as they are the space in which we keep all of our data, and hard drives are measured by space or capacity. The meaning works in multiple ways, and that is quite clever.
MSI SPATIUM SSDs
There are three models of SPATIUM SSDs, M370, M470, and M480 (with and without a custom heatsink). All models have different capacities offered, and different specifications based on those capacities. Today we are going to focus on the MSI SPATIUM M470 model. The unit we have for review today is the MSI SPATIUM M470 1TB SSD.
Under the MSI SPATIUM M470 are two capacities offered, a 1TB version and a 2TB version. The 1TB version has an MSRP of $179.99, 1GB of DDR4, a 1600 TBW rating, and a lower maximum operating power and lower idle power. The 2TB version has an MSRP of $319.99, 2GB of DDR4, a 3300 TBW rating, and higher power usage. Both provide the same sequential read speeds of up to 5000MB/s and the same sequential write speeds of up to 4400MB/s. All other specifications are the same.
MSI SPATIUM M470 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 1TB
The MSI SPATIUM M470 1TB PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD is a PCIe Gen4x4 M.2 2280 TLC SSD. It runs the NVMe 1.3 protocol over the PCI-Express 4.0 Gen4 interface at x4 link speed and fits the standard M.2 2280 form factor size. It is compatible with Gen3, Gen2, and Gen1 and will work in desktops and laptops. It uses 3D NAND flash and is TLC.
The rated sequential read speed is up to 5000MB/s (5GB/s), and the rated sequential write speed is up to 4400MB/s (4.4GB/s). The rated random read 4KB speed is up to 600,000 IOPS, rated random write 4KB speed is up to 600,000 IOPS. For our 1TB model, we are reviewing, the TBW (Terabytes Written) is rated at 1600. The MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) is rated at up to 1,700,000 hours. MSI offers a full 5-year coverage up to the maximum TBW.
Key features, this drive supports TRIM for performance optimization, S.M.A.R.T., LDPC ECC which is Low-Density Parity-Check, End to End Data Path Protection, APST which is Autonomous Power State Transition and TCG OPAL2.0/Pyrite for Encryption and Data Security.
SSD Pictures and Components
The MSI SPATIUM M470 1TB PCIe 4.0 Gen4 NVMe SSD is packaged well in a slim box, with appropriate speeds quoted clearly on it. There is a 5-year warranty notice, and the box matches the aesthetics of the sticker on the SSD. Inside it is packaged in a plastic shell. This model does not come with a heatsink, we recommend you use your motherboard’s M.2 slot heatsink.
The SSD measures 80mm length, 22mm width, and 2.15mm height. It is a double-sided SSD, so keep this in mind when installing into laptops, make sure you have clearance. The controller, two NAND chips, and one DRAM chip are on the top side, while two NAND chips and one DRAM chip are on the bottom. MSI has stickers on both sides, be warned that removing them voids the warranty, but you can remove them if you wish to have better contact with thermal material and don’t care about the warranty.
The MSI SPATIUM M470 1TB PCIe 4.0 Gen4 NVMe SSD is based on the PHISON E16 controller. It reads PHISON PS5016-E16-32 CE2107C TBXH02 001AA. The PHISON PS5016-E16 is a common, and popular, PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe IC based on TSMCs 28nm node. It is based on the NVMe 1.3 protocol. It has a maximum potential of 5GB/s read and 4.4GB/s write, and that is exactly the specs of the MSI SPATIUM M470. It is optimized to handle 96-layer 3D TLC NAND flash in an 8-channel configuration at 800 MT/s per channel and supports DDR4. It supports a dynamic SLC cache.
It runs a 32-bit ARM Cortex R5 with CoXProcessor Technology. The interface supports GPIO, UART, ICE, I2C, SPI, and SMBus. It supports 4th generation LDPC SmartECC and integrated end-to-end data path protection. In hardware it supports AES 128/256 bit, SHA 160/256/512, RSA 2048, and in the firmware it supports TCG & Opal 2.0, Pyrite, Sanitize, and Crypto Erase.
The MSI SPATIUM M470 1TB PCIe 4.0 Gen4 NVMe SSD uses Toshiba/Kioxia BiCS4 96-layer 3D TLC NAND Flash TABBG65AWV. Each module supports a capacity of 256GB and there are 4 modules, two on one side and two on the other. There are two SK Hynix H5AN4G8NBJR DRAM chips on board, each one with a capacity of 512GB, one on each side providing 1GB of DRAM. This is DDR4-2400MHz at 1.2V DRAM.