Retailer photo of MSI SPATIUM M461 2TB. View this offer in Where to buy
MSI · SSD · PCIe 4.0
MSI SPATIUM M461 2TB
Works well for: System Drive, Game & File Storage, Heavy Creative Work
Trade-offs: you want strong value with Balanced priorities specifically
- Capacity
- 2 TB
- Interface
- M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
- Sequential read
- 5000 MB/s
- Sequential write
- 4200 MB/s
- Endurance
- 1200 TBW
- Form factor
- M.2-2280
Move a slider and the page re-scores this product against the same market frame.
Is this a good buy today?
Market confidence: LowAt $320 the MSI SPATIUM M461 2TB is priced in line with its $320 representative market level. Only one retailer currently backs that price, so the level is a single data point rather than a market.
Limited market: only one retailer currently has a verified offer, so treat this price as a single data point.
Prices & availability
Where to buy the MSI SPATIUM M461 2TB
Compare the offers we track for this model, across variants and retailers.
1 tracked offers · 1 retailers
| Variant | Store | Condition | Price (snapshot) | Value · Balanced | Checked | Offer link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSI SPATIUM M461 2TB | Newegg | New | $320 | 56 | 2026-09-30 | View offer → |
| MSI SPATIUM M461 2TBMultiple variants available | Amazon Affiliate | Varies | Find on Amazon | Not tracked | No price snapshot | Find on Amazon → |
Prices are dated snapshots, not live quotes — confirm the final price at the store. New, refurbished and used offers are listed separately; used offers carry warranty and seller risk.
Where it stands in the field
Two different questions, side by side. Performance compares what the hardware can do; Value compares what that capability costs at today’s price. A product can rank high on one and low on the other — that gap is the point.
Performance Balanced
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#129 of 371 graded solid state drives
- #126 TeamGroupTeamGroup NV5000 2TB 34
- #127 TeamGroupTeamGroup MP44S 2TB 34
- #128 CrucialCrucial P3 Plus 2TB 34
- #129 MSIMSI SPATIUM M461 2TB 34
- #130 TeamGroupTeamGroup FORCE G50 2TB 34
- #131 GigabyteGigabyte AORUS 2TB 34
- #132 SamsungSamsung 990 EVO 2TB 34
Value Balanced
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#97 of 371 currently priced solid state drives
- #94 Silicon PowerSilicon Power UD90 2TB 56
- #95 CorsairCorsair MP600 CORE 2TB 56
- #96 TeamGroupTeamGroup Cardea A440 1TB 56
- #97 MSIMSI SPATIUM M461 2TB 56
- #98 TeamGroupTeamGroup MP44S 2TB 56
- #99 CorsairCorsair MP600 ELITE PS5 2TB 55
- #100 Silicon PowerSilicon Power US75 2TB 55
Performance System Drive
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#129 of 371 graded solid state drives
- #126 TeamGroupTeamGroup NV5000 2TB 34
- #127 TeamGroupTeamGroup MP44S 2TB 34
- #128 CrucialCrucial P3 Plus 2TB 34
- #129 MSIMSI SPATIUM M461 2TB 34
- #130 TeamGroupTeamGroup FORCE G50 2TB 34
- #131 GigabyteGigabyte AORUS 2TB 34
- #132 SamsungSamsung 990 EVO 2TB 34
Value System Drive
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#131 of 371 currently priced solid state drives
- #128 Western DigitalWestern Digital WD Green SN3000 1TB 17
- #129 PNYPNY CS2241 2TB 17
- #130 Western DigitalWestern Digital SN770M 2TB 17
- #131 MSIMSI SPATIUM M461 2TB 17
- #132 PatriotPatriot VP4000 Mini 1TB 17
- #133 CrucialCrucial 1TB 16
- #134 PatriotPatriot VP4000 Mini 2TB 16
Performance Game
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#99 of 371 graded solid state drives
- #96 TeamGroupTeamGroup NV5000 2TB 25
- #97 TeamGroupTeamGroup MP44S 2TB 25
- #98 CrucialCrucial P3 Plus 2TB 25
- #99 MSIMSI SPATIUM M461 2TB 25
- #100 TeamGroupTeamGroup FORCE G50 2TB 25
- #101 GigabyteGigabyte AORUS 2TB 25
- #102 SamsungSamsung 990 EVO 2TB 25
Value Game
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#65 of 371 currently priced solid state drives
- #62 CrucialCrucial T700 2TB 69
- #63 Western DigitalWestern Digital Black SN850X 2TB 69
- #64 Western DigitalWestern Digital Black SN850 2TB 69
- #65 MSIMSI SPATIUM M461 2TB 69
- #66 SamsungSamsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB 69
- #67 TeamGroupTeamGroup FORCE G50 2TB 69
- #68 TeamGroupTeamGroup Cardea A440 2TB 69
Performance Heavy Creative Work
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#128 of 371 graded solid state drives
- #125 PNYPNY XLR8 CS3040 1TB 31
- #126 PNYPNY CS2241 1TB 31
- #127 CrucialCrucial P3 Plus 2TB 30
- #128 MSIMSI SPATIUM M461 2TB 30
- #129 SamsungSamsung 990 EVO 2TB 30
- #130 SamsungSamsung 990 EVO 1TB 30
- #131 CrucialCrucial P3 Plus 4TB 29
Value Heavy Creative Work
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#118 of 371 currently priced solid state drives
- #115 PNYPNY CS2241 2TB 13
- #116 Silicon PowerSilicon Power UD90 4TB 13
- #117 Silicon PowerSilicon Power US75 4TB 13
- #118 MSIMSI SPATIUM M461 2TB 13
- #119 Western DigitalWestern Digital SN770M 2TB 13
- #120 TeamGroupTeamGroup NV5000 1TB 12
- #121 PatriotPatriot VP4000 Mini 2TB 12
These ladders follow the preset scenario shown above. Your own weights re-score this product, not the whole field.
What it is good for
| Scenario | this productCapability grade · Value at current price | Higher capability | Higher Value with current priorities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced (all-round)Weighted all-round view | GradeNo grade Value56 | Higher capability Crucial T710 1TB 91 +198% capability · -31% price | Higher Value with current priorities Crucial T705 2TB 100 +190% capability · +9% price |
| System DriveScenario capability | GradeA Value17 | Higher capability Higher capability · Higher Value with current priorities Crucial T710 1TB S 100 +198% capability · -31% price | |
| Game & File StorageScenario capability | GradeA Value69 | Higher capability Higher capability · Higher Value with current priorities TeamGroup Force Vulcan 4TB S 86 +100% capability · +6% price | |
| Heavy Creative WorkScenario capability | GradeA Value13 | Higher capability Crucial T710 1TB S 75 +226% capability · -31% price | Higher Value with current priorities Crucial T705 2TB S 86 +202% capability · +9% price |
Balanced has no letter: it is a weighting preset, not a capability rubric. A grade answers “how well does this handle that job?” — price is never part of it. Relative Value puts the current market price back in.
Trade-offs
Works well if
- System Drive is your main prioritygraded A for System Drive on the same rubric as the tier list
Consider other options if
- You want strong value with Balanced priorities specificallyat today's market no realistic price for this model reaches strong value with Balanced priorities — the calculation only gets there near $190, against a cheapest tracked $320
Works well if
- System Drive is your main prioritygraded A for System Drive on the same rubric as the tier list
Consider other options if
- You want strong value for System Drive specificallycompeting products deliver so much more for System Drive per dollar that no price this model realistically trades at reaches the strong-value mark for this job
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelCrucial T710 1TB holds Relative Value 100 against its 17 for System Drive, at $220
Works well if
- Game is your main prioritygraded A for Game on the same rubric as the tier list
- Strong-value threshold: ~$255$255 is where Relative Value reaches 80 for Game, in the 2026-09-30 offer frame
Consider other options if
- Current price sits $65 above the strong-value threshold (~$255)cheapest tracked $320 against a $255 calculated threshold for Game
Works well if
- Heavy Creative Work is your main prioritygraded A for Heavy Creative Work on the same rubric as the tier list
Consider other options if
- You want strong value for Heavy Creative Work specificallycompeting products deliver so much more for Heavy Creative Work per dollar that no price this model realistically trades at reaches the strong-value mark for this job
Every line states the fact it was derived from, for the scenario selected above. Thresholds are calculated points on our value curve — information about where the maths turns, not instructions about what to pay.
Similar options to the MSI SPATIUM M461 2TB
Chosen for Balanced
Chosen for System Drive
Chosen for Game
Chosen for Heavy Creative Work
Alternatives stay near this product’s price range. Step-up options may exceed the standard budget envelope when the capability gain is meaningful.
Upgrade planner
Judge the change in the active scenario, then make the cash gap explicit.
Using page scenarioWhat are you upgrading from? These are the axes we compare on, and where this product stands in the current market.
Capability differences are expressed as tiers and index points, not as benchmark percentages we did not measure.
Specifications & compatibility
What this product is, and what to check before it goes into your build.
Performance
- Sequential read
- 5000 MB/s
- Sequential write
- 4200 MB/s
- Random read
- 0 IOPS
- Random write
- 0 IOPS
- Controller
- Phison PS5021-E21T
Media
- Capacity
- 2 TB
- NAND type
- 3D QLC
- DRAM cache
- None (DRAM-less)
Power / Interface
- Interface
- M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
- Form factor
- M.2-2280
Physical / Outputs
- Heatsink included
- No
Show all specifications
Endurance & warranty
- Endurance
- 1200 TBW
- Warranty
- 3 years
- Manufacturer part number
- SM461N2TB
Hover any value to see where it came from: a manufacturer specification, or a figure The Comparator calculated.
Sources: Comparator offer frame 2026-09-30
What to check in your build
M.2-2280
The slot must take M.2-2280
M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot for full speed
PCIe 4.0 — runs in older slots at their speed
Fits under an M.2 shroud
Bare drive — it fits under a motherboard M.2 shroud
Below Sony's PS5 speed guidance
Sony asks for PCIe 4.0 and 5500 MB/s read; this drive reads 5000 MB/s over M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
Found an error? Report this specification Email the field, corrected value and an optional source.
Compatibility guidance is practical help, not a score. Missing data is shown as unknown, never invented.
Summary
MSI SPATIUM M461 2TB offers a balanced view across an all-round mix of priorities. It ranks #129 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 5000.
MSI SPATIUM M461 2TB offers A-grade capability for System Drive. It ranks #129 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 5000.
MSI SPATIUM M461 2TB offers A-grade capability for Game. It ranks #99 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 5000. Western Digital Blue SN5100 2TB currently clears the same practical bar with stronger Relative Value.
MSI SPATIUM M461 2TB offers A-grade capability for Heavy Creative Work. It ranks #128 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 5000.
FAQ
Why does Relative Value change when I choose another scenario?
Each scenario changes the weights applied to capability, price and the other published factors. The hardware facts stay fixed, but the value question changes, so its score and rank can change too.
Why can Amazon appear without a tracked price?
Amazon is shown as a discovery link when we do not have a permitted verified price snapshot. It is excluded from price comparisons, rankings and Relative Value until a compliant tracked price exists.
Useful links & sources
offer frame 2026-09-30 · formula ssd-value-v1.5 · facts facts-2026-09-30 · Relative Value is an estimate from our current dataset, the selected weights and dated market prices — not an official product rating and not a price forecast. Target prices are calculation thresholds, not predictions. Methodology We are not a shop. Affiliate links may earn us a commission; they never change the calculations or the ranking.