Plextor M8Pe 512GB NVMe SSD Review
The Plextor M8Pe 512GB is the capacity AnandTech reviewed — a Toshiba MLC NVMe drive with 512 MB DRAM, 2,300/1,300 MB/s speeds, and a generous 768 TBW endurance rating.
The M8Pe 512GB uses the Marvell 88SS1093 "Eldora" eight-channel NVMe controller paired with Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND and 512 MB of LPDDR3 DRAM. Plextor (Lite-On's retail brand) wrote custom firmware for the Marvell controller, which historically differentiates their drives from those using reference firmware implementations.
The 512GB is the capacity that received the most attention from reviewers. AnandTech tested both the bare M.2 module (M8PeGN) and the PCIe add-in card version (M8PeY), finding that the large AIC heatsink helped slightly with thermal throttling but added cost and power draw from the LED lighting and voltage conversion. The M8PeG with its thin heatspreader hits the practical sweet spot between cooling and compatibility.
The MLC NAND gives the M8Pe a genuine endurance advantage over TLC drives. The 768 TBW rating for the 512GB model is significantly higher than typical TLC endurance at this capacity. Competitors include the Samsung 950 Pro 512GB and Toshiba OCZ RD400 512GB.
✅ Storage Comparisons:
🚀 Performance and benchmarks
Plextor rates the M8Pe 512GB at up to 2,300 MB/s sequential reads and 1,300 MB/s sequential writes, with 260,000 read IOPS and 250,000 write IOPS. AnandTech's comprehensive benchmark suite found the M8Pe 512GB performing competitively with the Samsung 950 Pro and Toshiba OCZ RD400 in sequential workloads.
Plextor M8Pe 512 GB vs M.2 or PCIe 3.0 x 4 peers
Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 or PCIe 3.0 x 4 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.
- Kingston KC2000 1 TB: 3,200 MB/s read, 2,200 MB/s write
- Kingston KC2000 2 TB: 3,200 MB/s read, 2,200 MB/s write
- Plextor M9Pe Series 512 GB: 3,200 MB/s read, 2,000 MB/s write
- Plextor M9Pe Series 1 TB: 3,200 MB/s read, 2,100 MB/s write
- Plextor M8Pe 512 GB (this drive): 2,300 MB/s read, 1,300 MB/s write
The Samsung 950 Pro maintained an edge in random IO and power efficiency, benefiting from Samsung's vertically integrated controller-and-NAND design. The M8Pe held its own in sequential transfers and offered consistent performance without dramatic drops during sustained writes — a benefit of the MLC NAND and DRAM cache combination. Power consumption was higher than the Samsung, particularly in the M8PeY AIC variant which draws additional power for its LEDs and adapter circuitry.
🖥️ Endurance and warranty
The M8Pe 512GB carries a 768 TBW endurance rating backed by a five-year limited warranty. At 20 to 50 GB of writes per day, the drive would take roughly 42 to 105 years to exhaust its endurance — an exceptionally long lifespan enabled by the MLC NAND. The 2.4 million hour MTBF is above average. The five-year warranty was generous for the 2016 NVMe market and remains competitive.
📊 Specs
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity [?] | 512 GB |
| Interface [?] | M.2 or PCIe 3.0 x 4 |
| Controller [?] | Marvell 88SS1093 |
| Memory type [?] | Toshiba MLC |
| DRAM [?] | 512MB LPDDR3 |
| Read speed (MB/s) [?] | 2300 |
| Write speed (MB/s) [?] | 1300 |
| Read IOPS [?] | 260000 |
| Write IOPS [?] | 250000 |
| Endurance (TBW) [?] | 768 |
| MTBF (million hours) [?] | 2.4 |
| Warranty (years) [?] | 5 |
Conclusion
The Plextor M8Pe 512GB is a well-rounded NVMe SSD with genuine MLC NAND, a hardware DRAM cache, and 768 TBW of endurance — specifications that are rare in this TLC-dominated market. Its performance is competitive with the Samsung 950 Pro and Toshiba OCZ RD400, though Samsung edges ahead in efficiency and random IO. Buyers who value MLC endurance and a five-year warranty will find the M8Pe 512GB a durable choice. Those seeking maximum performance per dollar should consider newer PCIe 3.0 or 4.0 TLC drives, which outperform this 2016 design in raw speed.
+ Pros
- 2,300 MB/s reads, 1,300 MB/s writes on PCIe 3.0
- 512 MB LPDDR3 DRAM cache
- 768 TBW endurance with MLC NAND
- Five-year warranty
- Consistent sustained write performance from MLC
- Cons
- Trails Samsung 950 Pro in random IO and efficiency
- M8PeY AIC version wastes power on LEDs
- 15nm planar MLC — older NAND generation
- No included software toolbox
🛒 Buy this or similar SSD Storage:
✨ Video Review
Plextor M8Pe 512GB NVMe SSD vs SAMSUNG 950 PRO VS INTEL 750 / BENCHMARK PERFORMANCE TEST REVIEW /
