Introduction

Plextor is a world-leading manufacturer of SSDs and optical drives. The company's SSD lineup includes several models ranging from value to high-end drives. Today, we are reviewing Plextor's current flagship SSD based on a Marvell controller, the Plextor M5 Pro.

The Plextor M5 Pro is available in capacities of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB. We are reviewing the 256 GB variant because its size makes it the most interesting drive for nearly any consumer.

Packaging

The Drive

The drive conforms to the dimensions set forth by the 2.5" form factor. It is made of metal, which improves its durability. Its height is only 7 mm, which makes it compatible with Intel's Ultrabook specification.


Like most recent SSDs, the Plextor M5 Pro uses the SATA 6 Gbps interface. It is compatible with any older SATA standard, but will in such a case work at reduced performance.


You will find the SSD controller and eight flash chips on the PCB. Two DRAM chips next to the flash controller provide operating memory for the controller.


Plextor uses a Marvell 88S9187-BLD2 controller, which we've seen in other products by Crucial, for example.


The eight flash chips are produced by Toshiba on a 19 nanometer process.


Two DDR2 memory chips are also installed on the PCB to provide RAM for the SSD controller.