
MSI
MSI SPATIUM M450 PCIE 4.0 NVME M.2 2TB SSD
★★★★★
2TB SSDPCIe Gen4
PCIe Gen4 sequential reads of 3600MB/s make the MSI SPATIUM M450 2TB a genuine throughput upgrade for gaming rigs and content workstations bottlenecked on storage bandwidth.
$129.99*
Check availability
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jul 14, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.
Affiliate Disclosure: Studio Supplies may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you. This helps support our editorial team.
Notice a mistake? Let Us Know
Overview
Key Features
PCIe Gen4 interface and complies with the NVMe 1.4 standard
Sequential Read speeds up to 3600MB/s and Write speeds up to 3000MB/s
Up to 3300 TBW
Built-in data security and error-correction capabilities
up to 450MB/s Write speed
Specifications
Brand
MSI
Model
SPATIUM M450
Capacity
2TB
Interface
PCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 1.4
Form Factor
M.2 2280
Sequential Read
Up to 3600MB/s
Sequential Write
Up to 3000MB/s
Endurance (TBW)
Up to 3300 TBW
Data Security
Built-in error correction
Heatsink Included
No
Pros & Cons
👍 Pros
- 3600MB/s sequential read via PCIe Gen4 saturates the available interface bandwidth on Gen4-capable platforms, eliminating the storage layer as a throughput bottleneck for sequential operations
- 2TB capacity on a single M.2 2280 module consolidates storage without occupying additional drive bays or M.2 slots in the build
- 3300 TBW endurance rating across the 2TB model effectively removes write endurance as a planning concern for consumer and professional workloads
- NVMe 1.4 compliance enables host-controlled thermal management, improving sustained performance efficiency over NVMe 1.3 drives under extended workloads
- Built-in error correction reduces uncorrectable read error risk during sustained high-throughput sequential operations
👎 Cons
- No heatsink included — sustained sequential workloads in thermally constrained M.2 slot environments risk thermal throttling without passive or active cooling
- PCIe Gen4 rated speeds require a Gen4 M.2 slot — Gen3 systems operate the drive at Gen3 bandwidth limits, diminishing the performance premium of the Gen4 specification
- 3000MB/s sequential write speed, while competitive, is asymmetric to the read speed — write-heavy workloads such as direct video capture will see lower throughput than sequential reads suggest
- No bundled drive cloning or migration software — transitioning from an existing drive requires a third-party utility, adding a setup step for system migration use cases
- Heatsink absence in the retail package means builders who lack a motherboard-integrated M.2 solution must source an aftermarket heatsink separately to operate at consistent rated speeds
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the SPATIUM M450 backward compatible with PCIe Gen3 M.2 slots?
Yes — PCIe Gen4 NVMe drives are backward compatible with Gen3 M.2 slots. However, the drive is limited to Gen3 bandwidth in that configuration, reaching approximately 3500MB/s sequential read rather than the rated 3600MB/s. To fully utilize the M450's specified Gen4 throughput, the host M.2 slot must support PCIe Gen4.
What does NVMe 1.4 compliance actually deliver over NVMe 1.3?
NVMe 1.4 introduces host-controlled thermal management and enhanced power management states. For end-users, this means more efficient power draw and better thermal behavior under sustained sequential workloads compared to NVMe 1.3 drives — reducing the likelihood of thermal throttling during extended high-throughput operations.
How does 3600MB/s sequential read speed translate to real-world tasks?
Sequential read speed governs large file operations — loading open-world game levels, importing multi-gigabyte video project files, and transferring large archives. For OS boot time and application launch responsiveness, 4K random I/O metrics are the more relevant benchmark, where the M450 also performs competitively. The 3600MB/s figure matters most in production and creative workflows involving large file movement.
What does the 3300 TBW endurance rating mean for the 2TB model?
TBW (Terabytes Written) measures cumulative write capacity before reliability concerns emerge. At 3300 TBW, a user writing 50GB per day would reach the rated endurance limit in approximately 180 years. For consumer and prosumer workloads, drive endurance is not a practical concern — the 3300 TBW rating is well above any realistic use-case ceiling.
Does the M450 include a heatsink, and is one needed?
No heatsink is included in the retail package. Under sustained sequential workloads in warm M.2 slot environments, a heatsink reduces thermal throttling risk. Most current motherboards include an integrated M.2 heatsink that fits the M450 — check your board's specifications. Aftermarket M.2 heatsinks are widely available if the motherboard solution is absent or insufficient.