We have tested the MSI Spatium series from the M470 to the M450 – both offering price and performance geared towards the mainstream bracket. Now what we have here is the MSI Spatium M390 – a PCIe 3.0 SSD bordering in-between the lower and mainstream markets.
The MSI Spatium M390 comes in 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB models so it is a broader line compared to the already tested offerings. Ours being the 250 GB variant, comes with a 3000 MB/s read and a decent 1200 MB/s write speeds – respectively.
Disclosure: MSI sent the Spatium M390 for the purpose of this review. As usual, the company did not ask me to say anything particular about it.
- Product page: MSI SPATIUM M390 NVMe M.2
- Price: ₱2,290 PHP (MSRP)
- Release Date: Q4 2021
Technical Specifications
| Storage | |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 250 GB (500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB models also available) |
| Cache | — |
| Flash Controller | Phison E15T |
| Flash Memory | 3D NAND |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| Sequential Read | 3000 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 1200 MB/s |
| Random 4 KB Read | 150,000 IOPS |
| Random 4 KB Write | 300,000 IOPS |
| Endurance | |
| MTBF | 1,500,000 Hours |
| TBW | 150 |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 80 mm |
| Width | 22 mm |
| Height | 2.15 mm |
| Weight | 9.7 grams |
Packaging and Accessories
The MSI Spatium M390 sports a simple color box similar to the SSDs that came before it.
The packaging comes with the following items inside:
- MSI Spatium M390 250 GB
- Installation manual
Nothing really changed here compared to the previous Spatium products.
Design, Build and Connectivity
The Spatium M390 isn’t much different compared to rest of the line-up. It is still a 2280 format M.2 NVMe SSD with a styling and PCB color similar to the M450.
The Spatium M390 250 GB comes with a single sided module design. This should fit some really confined M.2 2280 slots such as those found on notebooks and other similar devices. Looks really similar to the Spatium M450 down to the PCB layout.
Nothing major to complain here. Let us move on to the measurements.
Test Setup and Methodology
Our test setup relies on the measurements taken from industry standard benchmark tools and real-world applications. It is important to note that we are testing the review sample after burn-in, with at least 24-hours of uptime. This is done so to negate the FOTB (fresh out the box) state of the DUT (device under test), yielding better benchmarking consistency.
| Test System Specifications | |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3600 |
| Motherboard | BIOSTAR B550M-SILVER |
| Cooler | Noctua NH-U12S Redux |
| Memory | ADATA Premier DDR4-2666 16 GB |
| GPU | GALAX RTX 2060 EX White 6 GB |
| Storage | MSI Spatium M390 250 GB |
| Case | Mechanical Library JXK-K3 |
| PSU | Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 650 W |
| Display | LG UF680T |
| OS | Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64-bit |
The DUT is tested with the following configuration from our test system:
- UEFI configuration: Default
- Windows Power Plan: Balanced
Note: I tested this device with what MSI supplied but for the sake of fair comparison with the rest of the benchmarked storage devices, I retested the drive using my standard test system.
Throughput
Throughput is measured in Megabytes per second (MB/s) at read and write. This is done via Crystal Disk Mark and its sequential benchmark.
Throughput is measured in Megabytes per second (MB/s) at read and write. This is done via AS SSD and its sequential benchmark.
Excellent throughput performance we got here. The Spatium M390 actually breached its rated speeds.
Operations per Second
Operations per Second is measured in Input/Output Operations per Second (IOPS) at read and write. This is done via Crystal Disk Mark and its 4K benchmark.
Operations per Second is measured in Input/Output Operations per Second (IOPS) at read and write. This is done via AS SSD and its 4K benchmark.
Performance output here is also excellent.
Access and Loading Time
Access time is measured in Milliseconds (ms). This is done via AS SSD and its Access Time benchmark.
Loading time is measured in Seconds (s). This is done via Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker and its official benchmark.
Proper performance we got here from the Spatium M390. Actually impressive considering its price.
File Copy
File copy performance is measured in Seconds (s). This is done via AS SSD and its File Copy benchmark.
File copy performance is measured in Seconds (s). This is done via TeraCopy and 16 GB worth of files.
File copy performance is excellent – as is with the higher end models of the Spatium series.
Thermals
Temperature is measured in degree Celcius (ºC) at system idle and load. This is done via AIDA64 Extreme and its System Stability Test.
Thermal performance is actually the best among its peers. No surprise here but it could still do better at load.
Features
Aside from its innate TRIM, SMART and MSI Command Center support – the M390 comes with a 5 year warranty. Same with the rest but it comes with lower TBW at 150 TB. Warranty will lapse once the drive went past it regardless of age.
While I think a heatsink is not required for the majority of desktop setups with enough airflow to keep the heat at bay, the M390 could still use some for peace of mind.
Final Thoughts
The Spatium M390 ends our adventure with MSI’s solid state storage devices – at least for this quarter. That said, I felt like we touched the most important product segments for the budget conscious individuals looking for capable M.2 SSDs for their builds.
Performance wise, the M390 did well on most tests. Most, since load temperature is still high compared to lets say the T-Force Cardea Z44L. This requires you to invest on a cooler or have a motherboard with proper M.2 cooling solution already waiting to get used.
In closing, the MSI M390 might not be a trail blazer with its PCIe 3.0 interface but it is no slouch either. With a price point of ₱2,290 PHP, this is an excellent introduction to the world of NVMe SSDs – without breaking the bank.
MSI Spatium M390 PCIe 3.0 SSD
Summary
In closing, the MSI M390 might not be a trail blazer with its PCIe 3.0 interface but it is no slouch either. With a price point of ₱2,290 PHP, this is an excellent introduction to the world of NVMe SSDs – without breaking the bank.
