Crucial MX500 SSD Review (1TB) – The Best Value In SATA

HDTUNE

HD Tune is a Hard Disk Utility with many functions from error checking, health testing (S.M.A.R.T.), and of course benchmarking. To build upon our real world write test we also looked to see where the write speeds leveled off to by using HD Tune Pro. If SLC caching is being utilized, this test will typically show it.

Finally, taking a look at how it performs under HDTune’s full write test, we can see that there is essentially no write degradation and the dynamic write acceleration is doing its job. This is much better than the MX300, which would drop off to about 360MB/s. So, it is a welcomed improvement.

REPORT ANALYSIS AND FINAL THOUGHTS

Performance, features, accessories,  price, and warranty? Where do we begin? The Crucial MX500 has a superb mix of all of these. Performance has improved a from the previous model. All capacities of the MX500 series are rated at 560MB/s read and 510MB/s write as well as for up to 95K/90K IOPS read/write. During our testing today, these kinds of numbers were seen and even exceeded numerous times. In our standard run of PCMark 8, the MX500 averaged 296MB/s, ranking above many other mainstream SSDs and essentially tying it with the WD Blue 3D SSD and SanDisk Ultra 3D we recently reviewed.  Then during the extended run, the MX500 proved to be a great improvement over the MX300 by delivering a strong performance with just 1/3rd the latency and more than double the throughput.

Next, we just have to reiterate all of its fancy features. Of course, it boasts all the standard stuff like TRIM, SMART support, ECC, DevSleep, and adaptive thermal throttling, but what really sets it off is the enterprise features like RAIN, Exclusive Data Defense, full hardware encryption, and the latest power loss immunity. Oh, and of course there is Crucial’s Storage Executive to enable momentum cache and unlock other features as well as monitor the SSD.

In addition to that, let’s not forget about the accessories. Acronis True Image is included for free for migrating your current OS/disk to your new MX500 or you can use it for disk backup. Crucial also includes a little 7mm to 9.5mm spacer for those of you who want to install one of these drives into your laptop and keep it secure.

Oh, have you seen the prices and warranty? After seeing prices go up over the past year and a half, it is nice to see MSRPs that are going down! At an MSRP of $259.99, the 1TB Crucial MX500 is priced to sell and if that wasn’t enough, you can be confident in your purchase because it features a 5-year warranty too! To not buy one of these over something else this holiday season would be crazy! If you are in search of a 1TB SATA SSD and love getting the most value for your dollar, look no further. The Crucial MX500 is where the deal is at. Because of all of this, the MX500 has earned our Top Value award!

Check Out the Crucial MX500 at Amazon Now!