Corsair MP700 Elite 2 TB NVMe SSD review

Our VerdictCorsair’s PCIe 5.0 MP700 Elite delivers some impressively cool performance. Not only is it remarkably power-efficient, but it also drives some of the best random 4K numbers we’ve seen to date. Capacities are limited, but if budget is a concern, it’s a solid pick for a mid-range build.

Our Verdict

Corsair’s PCIe 5.0 MP700 Elite delivers some impressively cool performance. Not only is it remarkably power-efficient, but it also drives some of the best random 4K numbers we’ve seen to date. Capacities are limited, but if budget is a concern, it’s a solid pick for a mid-range build.

ForPhenomenally cool under loadTop-tier random 4K performanceStrong value optionAgainstSlow sequentials relativelyCheaper, faster drives availableOnly 1 TB and 2 TB solutions

ForPhenomenally cool under loadTop-tier random 4K performanceStrong value option

AgainstSlow sequentials relativelyCheaper, faster drives availableOnly 1 TB and 2 TB solutions

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Categorically, what is the biggest problem with PCIe 5.0 drives? It’s the heat. At launch, and even now, those early 5.0 units complete with the Phison E26 controller and Micron 232-layer TLC run seriously hot. To the point it was almost impossible to run one without some form of active cooling baked into it. Corsair wasn’t immune to this either, despite its street cred as a storage manufacturer first and foremost, and its MP700 line initially featured the reference Phison cooler, complete with in-built fan, and a touch of yellow branding to try and separate it from the crowd.

A lot’s changed since then, and we’ve seen a whole host of non-fan-cooled PCIe 5.0 solutions arrive with us. However, heat has still always been a major concern.

That is what the MP700 Elite looks to rectify in its bold and brave quest to become one of thebest SSDsout there today. In short, this is an exceptionally cool PCIe 5.0 drive that not only delivers relatively comfortable performance on the sequential front but does so with both a low power draw and radically lower temperatures as a result. I’m not saying you can run this without a dedicated heatsink just yet, but we’re getting close. That does however come with some drawbacks.

As for the hardware, Corsair’s built the MP700 Elite around Kioxia’s latest 218-layer BiCS8 TLC NAND, combined with Phison’s E321T controller. That does mean it comes without any DRAM cache or buffers, but honestly, that’s not a huge concern given the raw throughput that Kioxia’s NAND can deliver.

MP700 Elite specs(Image credit: Future)Capacity:2 TBInterface: PCIe 5.0 x4Memory controller:Phison E321TFlash memory:Kioxia 218-Layer BiCS8 TLC NANDRated performance:10,000 MB/s sustained read, 8,500 MB/s sustained writeEndurance:1,200 TBWWarranty:Five yearsPrice:$260 | £235

MP700 Elite specs

(Image credit: Future)Capacity:2 TBInterface: PCIe 5.0 x4Memory controller:Phison E321TFlash memory:Kioxia 218-Layer BiCS8 TLC NANDRated performance:10,000 MB/s sustained read, 8,500 MB/s sustained writeEndurance:1,200 TBWWarranty:Five yearsPrice:$260 | £235

(Image credit: Future)

Corsair MP700 Elite SSD with its packaging on a desk.

Capacity:2 TBInterface: PCIe 5.0 x4Memory controller:Phison E321TFlash memory:Kioxia 218-Layer BiCS8 TLC NANDRated performance:10,000 MB/s sustained read, 8,500 MB/s sustained writeEndurance:1,200 TBWWarranty:Five yearsPrice:$260 | £235

It’s also worth mentioning that this is a single-sided M.2-2280 design, making it pretty ideal for laptops and other consoles, although if you do get the heatsink variant, please do note that it’s too large to fit into something like a PS5 Pro (although you can easily disassemble it if you do).

On launch, it’s a somewhat limited choice for capacity, sadly. You can grab one of these either as a 1 TB or a 2 TB configuration, and that’s it. For this specific 2 TB model I’ve got on test here, it retails relatively respectable at $260 ($265 with the heatsink), or £235 in the UK (£240 with heatsink). Unfortunately, no AUD availability just yet.

Right, the big thing I need to cover first is temperatures, because boy, is this quite literally a cool drive. At least compared to other PCIe 5.0 offerings. To be clear, almost always, I try to test all of the SSDs I get in for review underneath the exact same heatsink with the same thermal pads. That’s done on anAsusROG Strix X870E-E motherboard. If the drive comes with a heatsink, if possible, I strip it off and chuck it in the board for the full testing suite.

(Image credit: Future)

Corsair MP700 Elite SSD with its packaging on a desk.

So, for comparison, the Seagate FireCuda 540, a relatively early PCIe 5.0 drive, during its benchmark run, topped out at 83 C. The Crucial T700, which did use its own integrated heatsink, landed at 87°C. The MP700 Elite? 55°C. Ambient room temperature at the time of those tests was 24°C across all three SSDs. That is just a staggering drop in overall heat, and if we’re generous and compare it only to the FireCuda 540, there’s a 33.7% difference between them.

As for the numbers game, general sequential speeds are about what we saw with the initial PCIe 5.0 launch, albeit with one exception. Crystal Disk manages 10,197 MB/s, respectively, on the read, but 8,608 on the write (the latter quite a bit slower than theFireCuda 540and Crucial’s T700).

Where the MP700 Elite picks its head up, however, is in the random 4Ks. It dominates that field, with 88 MB/s on the read and a whopping 336 MB/s on the write, pipping both of our other PCIe 5.0 drives to the post. As for in-game performance, it basically sat in the middle of the pack, landing a load time of 7.426 seconds in Final Fantasy’s Shadowbringers benchmark.

PC Gamer test benchCPU:AMD Ryzen9 9900X | RAM: 64 GB (2x32GB) Team Group T-Create Expert DDR5 @ 6000 C34 | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super | Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi | CPU Cooler: Asus ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme | PSU: 1200W NZXT C1200 (2024) 80+ Gold | Chassis: Geometric Future Model 5

The real kicker is the price. There’s a lot of tech and hardware featured here that’s relatively new to the playing field. Whether that’s Phison’s E31T controller, which landed with us in September 2024, or Kioxia’s latest 218-layer BiCS8 NAND, it all costs money up front to bring this together to the table, and despite this drive being pitched as sort of a “mid-range” entry-level option, it’s got some tough competition from older hardware that right now, just kind of works.

Image1of2(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

Corsair MP700 Elite SSD with its packaging on a desk.

(Image credit: Future)

Corsair MP700 Elite SSD with its packaging on a desk.

Buy if…✅ Random 4K performance and cooling are everything:The MP700 Elite delivers impressively potent random 4K performance, along with some phenomenally low temperatures due to improved power efficiency. That should translate well in game.

Buy if…

✅ Random 4K performance and cooling are everything:The MP700 Elite delivers impressively potent random 4K performance, along with some phenomenally low temperatures due to improved power efficiency. That should translate well in game.

Don’t buy if…❌ You’re looking for the fastest sequential drive around:With 8 GB/s on the write and 10 GB/s on the write, it lacks the sequential grunt of other older, and cheaper PCIe 5.0 drives.

Don’t buy if…

❌ You’re looking for the fastest sequential drive around:With 8 GB/s on the write and 10 GB/s on the write, it lacks the sequential grunt of other older, and cheaper PCIe 5.0 drives.

Crucial’s T700 is a fine example of this (and it’s not alone either). If you go for the non-heatsinked variant, at time of writing, you can pick up 2 TB for just $210, and it’s consistently been that price for the last four months (even lower during Black Friday). Corsair’s MP700 Elite, on offer right now, is still slightly more expensive, despite dropping in price to $215. And to be fair, you can only grab that deal directly from its webstore. Admittedly, you can get the MP700 Elite with a heatsink for just $5 extra versus the $50 investment needed for the T700 heatsinked, but, in reality, most folk buying this are likely just going to chuck it behind a motherboard M.2 heatsink anyway, negating the issue.

Still, the MP700 Elite is a solid all-round performer. If you’re looking for something a little cheaper and budget is a factor, if you can get this thing on offer, it’ll deliver on its promise, and then some, all without breaking the bank.

The Verdict83Read our review policyCorsair MP700 EliteCorsair’s PCIe 5.0 MP700 Elite delivers some impressively cool performance. Not only is it remarkably power-efficient, but it also drives some of the best random 4K numbers we’ve seen to date. Capacities are limited, but if budget is a concern, it’s a solid pick for a mid-range build.

The Verdict

83Read our review policyCorsair MP700 EliteCorsair’s PCIe 5.0 MP700 Elite delivers some impressively cool performance. Not only is it remarkably power-efficient, but it also drives some of the best random 4K numbers we’ve seen to date. Capacities are limited, but if budget is a concern, it’s a solid pick for a mid-range build.

83Read our review policy

Corsair MP700 EliteCorsair’s PCIe 5.0 MP700 Elite delivers some impressively cool performance. Not only is it remarkably power-efficient, but it also drives some of the best random 4K numbers we’ve seen to date. Capacities are limited, but if budget is a concern, it’s a solid pick for a mid-range build.

Corsair MP700 Elite

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