CORSAIR MP700 PRO XT and MICRO SSDs Push PCIe 5.0 to Its Limits

CORSAIR has officially launched its flagship PCIe 5.0 SSD lineup, introducing the MP700 PRO XT and the more compact MP700 MICRO, both aimed squarely at performance enthusiasts and professionals who want the fastest storage available today. After Team Group’s earlier claim of 14,900 MB/s read speeds, CORSAIR now joins and even surpasses expectations by pushing the same ceiling – but with an edge in write performance, efficiency, and thermal design.

The star of the show, the MP700 PRO XT, delivers up to 14,900 MB/s sequential read and an impressive 14,500 MB/s sequential write speed.

That’s not just marketing fluff – these numbers make it one of the fastest consumer SSDs on the market. Powered by the Phison E28 controller, the drive achieves both incredible speed and remarkable efficiency, keeping heat and power consumption under control even under heavy workloads. It’s fully compatible with Microsoft DirectStorage, meaning gamers can expect drastically reduced load times, near-instant texture streaming, and an overall smoother gameplay experience.

To make management simpler, CORSAIR includes the SSD Toolbox software, offering functions like firmware updates, secure wipes, and drive cloning, letting users easily handle their drive without third-party tools. The MP700 PRO XT will come in 1 TB ($159), 2 TB ($240), and 4 TB ($459) configurations, all backed by a 5-year warranty. CORSAIR has also teased larger capacities arriving in early 2026 – a direct response to community demands for more than just raw speed.

The second addition, the MP700 MICRO SSD, takes PCIe 5.0 power into a compact M.2 2242 form factor – a perfect fit for ultrabooks, mini-PCs, and handheld gaming devices. It reaches up to 10,000 MB/s read and 8,000 MB/s write speeds in its top configuration, offering a significant upgrade for portable users who can’t fit a full-sized M.2 2280 drive. However, user testing shows that speed may vary slightly: the 2 TB variant can reach up to 10,000 MB/s read and 8,500 MB/s write, while the 4 TB model trades a bit of performance for density, achieving around 9,400 MB/s read and 8,100 MB/s write. It uses high-density 3D TLC NAND and is available in both 2 TB and 4 TB options.

While the MP700 PRO XT targets desktop builders who want peak PCIe 5.0 performance, the MICRO SSD brings that same technology to smaller systems – an impressive engineering feat considering the heat and power limitations of such compact setups. Both are now available through CORSAIR’s official distributors and retailers worldwide.

With the PCIe 5.0 era in full swing, this release shows how far SSDs have evolved in just a few years – and with PCIe Gen6 already on the horizon, it’s only a matter of time before these jaw-dropping speeds become the new standard for everyday computing.