MSI SPATIUM M450 500GB

The MSI SPATIUM M450 uses the Phison PS5019-E19T controller in a DRAM-less design with Host Memory Buffer (HMB) support and is paired with 176-layer 3D TLC NAND. The configuration emphasizes power efficiency and moderate throughput on the PCIe Gen4 x4 interface, with low thermal output that makes it suitable for confined chassis (such as ultrabooks) and typically avoids the need for a dedicated heatsink. While it advertises PCIe 4.0, its sequential read performance (3600 MB/s) only modestly exceeds PCIe 3.0-era limits, with the main performance gains coming from improved random I/O latency.

Key Specifications

• Interface: PCIe Gen4 x4 (NVMe 1.4)
• Controller: Phison PS5019-E19T (DRAM-less)
• NAND Flash: 3D TLC (Micron 176-layer B47R is standard for this revision)
• Sequential Read/Write: 3600 MB/s / 2300 MB/s
• Endurance: 300 TBW
• Caching Technology: SLC Caching + Host Memory Buffer (HMB)
• PCB Layout: Single-sided (optimal for thin laptops)

Hardware Alternatives

• WD Black SN770 500GB: Represents the primary functional competitor in the DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 segment and generally offers higher sustained write speeds.
• Silicon Power UD90 500GB: A close hardware relative; early revisions used the same Phison E19T reference design, though later batches may have migrated to the Phison E21T.
• Crucial P3 Plus 500GB: A comparable DRAM-less Gen4 drive that uses the newer Phison E21T controller and QLC NAND, resulting in lower endurance ratings compared to the TLC NAND in the M450.