Introduction

Unlike the Plextor M5S we reviewed just a few weeks ago, the Plextor M5 Pro is an entirely new SSD with zero ties to previously released products.

To start things out the M5 Pro is the first SSD we've seen with a Marvell 88SS9187-BLD2, at least with a Marvell label on it anyway. This third generation Marvell NAND flash controller uses a dual-core design and is capable of handling 200MB/s flash across eight channels. Another first for the Plextor M5 Pro is 19nm Toshiba Toggle Mode flash.

Till this morning we'd only seen Toshy 19 on engineering samples that only tip up from darkened labs for large events. Both of these new technologies pieced together means this is the first truly new, next-generation SSD we've seen since the OCZ Vertex 4.

As with all new technology, we need time to unravel all of the ins and outs, but we are not going to have time to do that today. Our sample arrived less than 24 hours before this article went live, which is not an idea situation for a brand new controller paired with brand new flash. We're going to push through the lack of test time and bring you everything we have so far.

Let's take a look at the specs and move on from there.