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expired Posted by Eragorn | Staff • Nov 13, 2024
expired Posted by Eragorn | Staff • Nov 13, 2024

2TB MSI SPATIUM M482 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe Solid State Drive

+ Free Shipping

$90

$120

25% off
MSI
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Deal Details
MSI has 2TB MSI SPATIUM M482 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe Solid State Drive on sale for $89.99. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Deal Hunter Eragorn for finding this deal.

About this Item:
  • PHISON E27T Controller
  • TLC 3D NAND Flash Memory
  • No DRAM Cache
  • Speeds:
    • Sequential Read: up to 7300MB/s
    • Sequential Write: up to 6400MB/s
    • Random Read (4KB): 1,000,000 IOPS
    • Random Write (4KB): 950,000 IOPS
  • 5-Year or 1200 TBW (Terabytes Written) Warranty

Editor's Notes

Written by Corwin | Staff
  • About this Deal:
    • This is now $10 less than the previous +38 Frontpage Deal in August.
    • Rated 4.8/5 stars overall from 52 Amazon customers.
    • Please see the original post for additional details and refer to the comments below for discussion.
  • About this Store:
    • The MSI return policy is here.

Original Post

Written by Eragorn | Staff
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
MSI has 2TB MSI SPATIUM M482 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe Solid State Drive on sale for $89.99. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Deal Hunter Eragorn for finding this deal.

About this Item:
  • PHISON E27T Controller
  • TLC 3D NAND Flash Memory
  • No DRAM Cache
  • Speeds:
    • Sequential Read: up to 7300MB/s
    • Sequential Write: up to 6400MB/s
    • Random Read (4KB): 1,000,000 IOPS
    • Random Write (4KB): 950,000 IOPS
  • 5-Year or 1200 TBW (Terabytes Written) Warranty

Editor's Notes

Written by Corwin | Staff
  • About this Deal:
    • This is now $10 less than the previous +38 Frontpage Deal in August.
    • Rated 4.8/5 stars overall from 52 Amazon customers.
    • Please see the original post for additional details and refer to the comments below for discussion.
  • About this Store:
    • The MSI return policy is here.

Original Post

Written by Eragorn | Staff

Community Voting

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+116
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Top Comments

This seems like a decent deal if you need a decent 2tb ssd in the short term. This exact drive was $90 direct from msi for a single day a couple of weeks ago, and went frontpage at $100 ($10 more expensive than this deal) a couple of months ago: https://slickdeals.net/f/17724999-msi-2tb-spatium-m482-pcie-4-0-nvme-m-2-ssd-for-99-99-f-s

The msi 482 is a dram-less drive using the PHISON E27T controller and Kioxia BiCS6 162-layer tlc nand. While there aren't any professional reviews for this exact model, it has the exact same hardware configuration (assuming no unreported silent revisions have occurred) as the Corsair MP600 Elite.
Reviews for the mp600 elite (sharing the same hardware, so performance should be relatively comparable):
https://www.techpowerup.com/revie...lite-2-tb/
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-c...ssd-review

While the lack of dram means this drive falls somewhat behind true top tier gen 4 drives in real world performance (the heavily marketed peak sequential speeds are essentially meaningless in the vast majority of actual use cases), host memory buffer (hmb) mitigates the majority of the issues from a lack of dram. Its performance is overall good for most common use cases, and should be sufficient for use as a boot drive if you're on a tighter budget. This drive should not be used in an external enclosure, as hmb only works when the drive is directly connected to the computer through the m.2 slot. Likewise, the ps5 doesn't support hmb, so I generally recommend drives with dram for use in a playstation. If msi chose a similar slc cache configuration as corsair, then this drive will likely be somewhat slower than expected for enormous (50gb+) write operations. This drive supports hardware encryption, and should work with hardware bitlocker (using software bitlocker can drastically reduce drive performance). The endurance rating of this ssd is 1200tbw, which is fairly standard for a modern 2tb tlc drive, and comes with a 5 year warranty which is also industry standard.

Overall, while this drive at $90 doesn't match the truly incredible deals (such as the $90 2tb sn850x) from back when the ssd market was much better a year ago, it's a pretty good value considering the current market. It is worth noting that Black Friday / Cyber Monday are coming up very soon, and it's entirely possible there'll be better deals then, so it might not be a bad idea to wait if you don't have an urgent need for a ssd.
Before anyone asks, no, it doesn't have a DRAM cache. What do you expect for 90 bucks?

This article [ign.com] claims that it's PS5 compatible, but it doesn't appear that they actually tested it.
You appear to have a major misconception about the amount of system ram hmb utilizes. In most cases dram exists at a ratio of 1GB per 1TB capacity, which allows storage of mapping tables for the entire drive in addition to additional space for various caching functions. Hmb, on the other hand, typically utilizes less than 100MB of system memory as a substitute for dram. For example, the msi spatium m482 2tb (the drive in this deal) has a hmb cache size of 64MB, which is fairly negligible even on systems with only 8gb of ram: https://www.techpowerup.com/ssd-s...2-tb.d2199
Even though the hmb cache size is small, mapping tables for the vast majority of commonly accessed areas of the drive can be stored in system memory, therefore getting most of the primary benefits of dram without the increased costs. Performance will suffer in workloads involving many random access's for extremely large datasets, and overall performance will be lower due to additional overhead and reduced caching, but ultimately for most normal use cases hmb drives don't perform egregiously worse than drives with dram.

Also, regarding your statement about manufacturers "saving a few dimes", the cost reduction of foregoing dram is actually quite significant. Not only is dram (dynamic random access memory) many times more expensive per GB than nand flash, but it also generally requires a higher end and more expensive controller to go along with it, and adds additional complexity to the manufacturing process.

In conclusion, utilizing hmb with the drive in this deal will reduce available system ram by 64MB, not the 2GB you erroneously claimed. Please edit your original post to rectify your false claims and avoid spreading misinformation. In the future, please do some research before posting.

66 Comments

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Nov 13, 2024
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Nov 13, 2024
swechsler
Nov 13, 2024
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Before anyone asks, no, it doesn't have a DRAM cache. What do you expect for 90 bucks?

This article [ign.com] claims that it's PS5 compatible, but it doesn't appear that they actually tested it.
Last edited by swechsler November 12, 2024 at 05:36 PM.
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Deal Hunter
Nov 13, 2024
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Nov 13, 2024
Eragorn
Nov 13, 2024
Original Poster
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Quote from swechsler :
Before anyone asks, no, it doesn't have a DRAM cache. What do you expect for 90 bucks?

This article [ign.com] claims that it's PS5 compatible, but it doesn't appear that they actually tested it.
TY - knew I forgot something lol
1
1
Nov 13, 2024
532 Posts
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Nov 13, 2024
PinoyRukus
Nov 13, 2024
532 Posts
If I buy this . What's a good free OS cloning software?
Nov 13, 2024
378 Posts
Joined May 2014
Nov 13, 2024
JackOfOwls
Nov 13, 2024
378 Posts
Quote from PinoyRukus :
If I buy this . What's a good free OS cloning software?
I used Partition Wizard with great success cloning a partition or two several years ago, but it wasn't something I did regularly, and I don't know if their free option has the Clone Drive feature.
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Nov 13, 2024
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Nov 13, 2024
rockdd
Nov 13, 2024
64 Posts

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Quote from PinoyRukus :
If I buy this . What's a good free OS cloning software?
I've used Rescuezilla (a GUI for Clonezilla, which is also open source) for cloning & imaging disks & partitions for many years. You can download it as a bootable ISO that's Ubuntu Linux-based. It's relatively easy IF you are familiar with the way Linux names devices. If not, or you just don't want to risk it, there are paid products like Acronis True Image or Macrium Reflect.
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Nov 13, 2024
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TheoNerd
Nov 13, 2024
112 Posts
How is returns? And do they have extended return period like other stores?
Original Poster
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Eragorn
Nov 13, 2024
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Quote from TheoNerd :
How is returns? And do they have extended return period like other stores?
Return Policy
Items returned must be accompanied by the original packaging and the Return Packing Slip, and MUST be originally sold by MSI-US Official Online Store
Upon receiving the item and preferring a return, conditions will apply: Item(s) must be shipped back the original condition. While we understand that some items are being returned because they may not work the way a customer expects it to, we do expect all items to be put back in its place. The item must be unassembled and include all accessories and hardware parts. Any alterations to the original item will automatically negate the warranty. All returns must be accompanied by all original packaging that came with the product. The original packaging is designed to keep the product safe during shipping and alterations to this or changes to it can result in damages. The Buyer is responsible for all costs associated with the return which will be deducted from the Buyer's final return refund. This includes orders from a free shipping listing.
Returned item(s) are subject to inspection upon arrival. Any missing or damaged components will result in an assessment and reduction to the final refund amount. We do not accept returns after 30 days of the purchase date under any circumstances.
Any alterations to the original item will automatically negate the warranty.
https://us-store.msi.com/Return-Policy

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Nov 13, 2024
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Nov 13, 2024
BeigeRoad455
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Nov 13, 2024
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This seems like a decent deal if you need a decent 2tb ssd in the short term. This exact drive was $90 direct from msi for a single day a couple of weeks ago, and went frontpage at $100 ($10 more expensive than this deal) a couple of months ago: https://slickdeals.net/f/17724999-msi-2tb-spatium-m482-pcie-4-0-nvme-m-2-ssd-for-99-99-f-s

The msi 482 is a dram-less drive using the PHISON E27T controller and Kioxia BiCS6 162-layer tlc nand. While there aren't any professional reviews for this exact model, it has the exact same hardware configuration (assuming no unreported silent revisions have occurred) as the Corsair MP600 Elite.
Reviews for the mp600 elite (sharing the same hardware, so performance should be relatively comparable):
https://www.techpowerup.com/revie...lite-2-tb/
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-c...ssd-review

While the lack of dram means this drive falls somewhat behind true top tier gen 4 drives in real world performance (the heavily marketed peak sequential speeds are essentially meaningless in the vast majority of actual use cases), host memory buffer (hmb) mitigates the majority of the issues from a lack of dram. Its performance is overall good for most common use cases, and should be sufficient for use as a boot drive if you're on a tighter budget. This drive should not be used in an external enclosure, as hmb only works when the drive is directly connected to the computer through the m.2 slot. Likewise, the ps5 doesn't support hmb, so I generally recommend drives with dram for use in a playstation. If msi chose a similar slc cache configuration as corsair, then this drive will likely be somewhat slower than expected for enormous (50gb+) write operations. This drive supports hardware encryption, and should work with hardware bitlocker (using software bitlocker can drastically reduce drive performance). The endurance rating of this ssd is 1200tbw, which is fairly standard for a modern 2tb tlc drive, and comes with a 5 year warranty which is also industry standard.

Overall, while this drive at $90 doesn't match the truly incredible deals (such as the $90 2tb sn850x) from back when the ssd market was much better a year ago, it's a pretty good value considering the current market. It is worth noting that Black Friday / Cyber Monday are coming up very soon, and it's entirely possible there'll be better deals then, so it might not be a bad idea to wait if you don't have an urgent need for a ssd.
28
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Nov 13, 2024
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Nov 13, 2024
Brathod1
Nov 13, 2024
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Quote from PinoyRukus :
If I buy this . What's a good free OS cloning software?
I have used Macrium Reflect with great success. That used to have a free licence for personal use. But now they have free 30 days trial. https://www.macrium.com/products/home
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Nov 13, 2024
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AquaRock3341
Nov 13, 2024
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Quote from PinoyRukus :
If I buy this . What's a good free OS cloning software?
The last drive I bought had a downloadable clone software that was serial locked to their brand. Might be worth a check.
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Nov 13, 2024
841 Posts
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WatsYourDeal
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Nov 13, 2024
841 Posts
Quote from BeigeRoad455 :
This seems like a decent deal if you need a decent 2tb ssd in the short term. This exact drive was $90 direct from msi for a single day a couple of weeks ago, and went frontpage at $100 ($10 more expensive than this deal) a couple of months ago: https://slickdeals.net/f/17724999-msi-2tb-spatium-m482-pcie-4-0-nvme-m-2-ssd-for-99-99-f-s

The msi 482 is a dram-less drive using the PHISON E27T controller and Kioxia BiCS6 162-layer tlc nand. While there aren't any professional reviews for this exact model, it has the exact same hardware configuration (assuming no unreported silent revisions have occurred) as the Corsair MP600 Elite.
Reviews for the mp600 elite (sharing the same hardware, so performance should be relatively comparable):
https://www.techpowerup.com/revie...lite-2-tb/
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-c...ssd-review

While the lack of dram means this drive falls somewhat behind true top tier gen 4 drives in real world performance (the heavily marketed peak sequential speeds are essentially meaningless in the vast majority of actual use cases), host memory buffer (hmb) mitigates the majority of the issues from a lack of dram. Its performance is overall good for most common use cases, and should be sufficient for use as a boot drive if you're on a tighter budget. This drive should not be used in an external enclosure, as hmb only works when the drive is directly connected to the computer through the m.2 slot. Likewise, the ps5 doesn't support hmb, so I generally recommend drives with dram for use in a playstation. If msi chose a similar slc cache configuration as corsair, then this drive will likely be somewhat slower than expected for enormous (50gb+) write operations. This drive supports hardware encryption, and should work with hardware bitlocker (using software bitlocker can drastically reduce drive performance). The endurance rating of this ssd is 1200tbw, which is fairly standard for a modern 2tb tlc drive, and comes with a 5 year warranty which is also industry standard.

Overall, while this drive at $90 doesn't match the truly incredible deals (such as the $90 2tb sn850x) from back when the ssd market was much better a year ago, it's a pretty good value considering the current market. It is worth noting that Black Friday / Cyber Monday are coming up very soon, and it's entirely possible there'll be better deals then, so it might not be a bad idea to wait if you don't have an urgent need for a ssd.
Amazing explanation and answered most of the questions I had.

I'm looking to buy an SSD for use as an external storage expansion for a Mac Mini M4. I was considering the current gen Satechi hub with support for M2 + NVMe SSD (don't mind the size mismatch, there aren't any docks in the market for M4 Mac Mini yet), but noticed it's USB-C (up to 10 Gbps) and doesn't support Thunderbolt 3 even (up to 40 Gbps).

Your comment that HMB won't work with enclosures (or hub in this case) seems to recommend against buying this SSD for my use-case. But, is the 10Gbps USB-C in this hub a more significant bottleneck that the lack of HMB support won't matter?

Or would you rather recommend not using this USB-C hub for storage expansion at all, and rather spend a bit more on an additional enclosure supporting TB3 and a better SSD with DRAM, since HMB won't help anyway?
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Nov 13, 2024
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paliknight
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Quote from WatsYourDeal :
Amazing explanation and answered most of the questions I had.

I'm looking to buy an SSD for use as an external storage expansion for a Mac Mini M4. I was considering the current gen Satechi hub with support for M2 + NVMe SSD (don't mind the size mismatch, there aren't any docks in the market for M4 Mac Mini yet), but noticed it's USB-C (up to 10 Gbps) and doesn't support Thunderbolt 3 even (up to 40 Gbps).

Your comment that HMB won't work with enclosures (or hub in this case) seems to recommend against buying this SSD for my use-case. But, is the 10Gbps USB-C in this hub a more significant bottleneck that the lack of HMB support won't matter?

Or would you rather recommend not using this USB-C hub for storage expansion at all, and rather spend a bit more on an additional enclosure supporting TB3 and a better SSD with DRAM, since HMB won't help anyway?
If it's just a backup drive, you'll be fine. If you're consistently transferring large files back and forth, and time is money, then the configuration you mentioned is not recommended.
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Nov 13, 2024
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Nov 13, 2024
Luigis3rdcousin
Nov 13, 2024
5,007 Posts
I hope we see the solidigm 2TB 65$ ssd price again

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Nov 13, 2024
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Nov 13, 2024
megablank
Nov 13, 2024
6,257 Posts
Quote from WatsYourDeal :
Amazing explanation and answered most of the questions I had.

I'm looking to buy an SSD for use as an external storage expansion for a Mac Mini M4. I was considering the current gen Satechi hub with support for M2 + NVMe SSD (don't mind the size mismatch, there aren't any docks in the market for M4 Mac Mini yet), but noticed it's USB-C (up to 10 Gbps) and doesn't support Thunderbolt 3 even (up to 40 Gbps).

Your comment that HMB won't work with enclosures (or hub in this case) seems to recommend against buying this SSD for my use-case. But, is the 10Gbps USB-C in this hub a more significant bottleneck that the lack of HMB support won't matter?

Or would you rather recommend not using this USB-C hub for storage expansion at all, and rather spend a bit more on an additional enclosure supporting TB3 and a better SSD with DRAM, since HMB won't help anyway?
10Gbps isn't a bottleneck on drives without dram that likely choke out on long sustained writes, usually they choke below 5Gbps.

Unfortunately reviews don't test these things with hmb disabled
Last edited by megablank November 13, 2024 at 06:33 AM.

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