Plextor M8Se 512GB M.2 2280 NVMe Solid State Drive Review

Final Thoughts

Pricing

The Plextor M8Se is only just launching. Hence we only have the MSRP price at the time of writing. Furthermore, we find launch prices are almost always slightly lower so keep that in mind when reading.

The M8SeGN model that I’ve tested today will be available for $77.10, $130.10, $240.80, and $423.40 for the 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models. The M8SeG M.2 module with heat sink costs a little more with its $99.20, $136.60, $247.30, and $423.40 price tags. While the M8SeY PCIe version with a large heat sink will set you back $116.10, $169.10, $279.90, and $462.50 respectively. All prices are without taxes/VAT.

Overview

Plextor has impressed me with their M8Pe series. That true even with the budget-oriented M8Se. The drive uses the latest generation NVMe protocol, with a great processor, and quality NAND to deliver great performance; and it does so at a relatively low price. However, the asking price is about a third lower than it was for the M8Pe when we reviewed that drive. Overall, that is a substantial saving without sacrificing too much of the performance. Overall, it seems like a great trade-off if you ask me.

Plextor equipped the M8Se with a Marvell 88SS1093 controller and Toshiba 15nm 3D TLC NAND. That combination looks like it is working, and that is something that we can see clearly in our benchmarks. The drive kicks some serious butt with a sequential performance up to 2500MB/s reading and up to 1000MB/s writing. The random performance is equally excellent with up to 240K IOPS reading and up to 100K IOPS writing 4KB; figures normally associated with drives that sport a budget label. This really shows why NVMe is the future. That’s no doubt also thanks to the 1GB DDR3 cache memory.

The model I tested today doesn’t come with a heatsink like the two other versions do. As a result, I can only judge that by photos. Of course, it does look quite nice with the black and blue curved design. Although, which model you pick is up to you and the look you want in your build.

Pros

• Excellent performance of 2500/1000MB/s
• Low asking price of just $0.47 per GB
• Three different models: M.2, M.2 with heat sink, PCIe with heat sink
• Up to 1TB capacity

Cons

• None

“Plextor’s M8Se is a clear winner in my book. A lot of performance, a lot of model choices, and a low asking price.”

Plextor M8Se 512GB M.2 2280 NVMe Solid State Drive Review

We would like to thank Plextor for providing us with this sample.