The Crucial MX500 is known as the next generation
SATA SSD produced by the consumer division of Micron. And since this is the
newest drive from the MX series, the device is categorised as a mainstream
drive with great, solid performance but without having much of a premium over
the entry-level SSD’s. Since the company has not yet released the consumer
version for the NVMe SSD, their Crucial MX500 will serve as Micron’s flagship
consumer product, plus the showcase for the company’s sixty-four layer 3D-NAND
flash memory.
Micron is one of the few manufacturers around to
introduce the sixty-four layer 3D-NAND flash this year; they are quite late to
release this product since other flash manufacturers have already begun
shipping their own 64-L 3D TLC’s around six months ago. But with this release,
Micron definitely has not missed out on their chance.
To prepare and even be better from their
competitors, the Crucial MX500 from Micron brings an important hardware change
to the previously slow-evolving product line that goes all the way back to the
very first 6 Gbps SATA-SSD. The strategy of launching and advertising the MX500
is very similar to what they did with the MX300; prior to this, the product was
only available for a 1 terabyte capacity, but after this, the entire lineup was
eventually released.
To begin, let’s check out what’s included in the
box with the Crucial MX-500 from Micron.
Crucial MX500 1TB SSD Review – Whats in the
Box?
For this specific release, the packaging of the
Crucial MX500 has been refreshed and changed slightly to catch the attention or
intrigue the people. On the front portion of the container, you will see an
image of the Crucial MX500, plus its name in bold text, together with its form
factor; behind the package, you will see the overview of what is included, as
well as its compliance. This includes the data transfer software, the SSD
itself, and the 7mm – 9.5mm spacer.
Right at the back portion of the PCB, there are
four NAND IC’s present. It is quite a small PCB which is different compared to
the MX200 and MX300 which are all capacitors that are ceramic which prevent
data corruption during power loss. Also, Crucial repaired and tweaked its flash
program sequencing for the NAND flash which resulted in the same function; this
only means it should readily survive a power loss.
The MX500 series is all about value for money and
it definitely does not compromise on performance. The device utilises the TLC
NAND from Micron, the brand new sixty-four layer vertically-stacked version
that features a bit of the DRAM cache. Generally, it is competitively priced
compared to the mainstream and high-end SATA-3 devices that are available
today.
The Crucial MX500 series incorporates
Triple-Level-Cell or TLC written NAND flash memory from Crucial as well. The
presence of this allows the SSD to provide you with a huge storage volume with
a much lower price point. For the MX series, the MX500 completely steered clear
from the planar to the 3D Micron NAND; this should provide a good boost in the
device’s performance especially when it is being compared to the BX-200 series.
The 3D-NAND is vertical, physical NAND
cell-stacking which shouldn’t be confused with the chip stacking in multiple
chip packages; in the 3D-NAND, the NAND layers are all stacked in one IC; what
is great about this is the continuous reduction of cost, more volume per NAND
chips, as well as smaller die sizes. Additionally, NAND tool sets that are
installed can be reused which basically extends the life of the fab equipment.
All of the NAND’s IC’s function due to the Silicon Motion SM-2258 controller,
the DRAM cache, as well as a small division That will be SLC-written to keep its
writing performance excellent.
Has a Compelling Write-Acceleration
Technology
With this feature, you can easily start your
system in a snap, accelerate even the most demanding applications, as well as
load files instantly with the MX500. Its effective dynamic technology makes use
of a versatile pool of single-level cell, high-speed flash memory to achieve
great speed.
Allows you to Save up to 1 Terabyte
of Data
The MX500 will allow you to save a ton of music,
videos, and photos securely and comfortably. You will be able to easily and
instantly access all your media, designs, as well as creations that can be
shared with others with excellent speed.
Excellent Upgrade
With long, numerous hours of pre-release
certification, a legacy of award-winning & highly-notable SSD’s, and
a ton of qualification tests for the device, the Crucial MX500 has thoroughly
and surely been tried, tested, and proven. With the MX500, you can ensure that
all of your vital data are secure on a drive with confirmed dependability, plus
the advanced and great features that the MX series is well-known for.
Effectiveness of the Next Generation
Micron 3D-NAND
The innovative components of the device are
engineered to perfection to achieve great efficiency, and as a result, the
MX500 utilizes just a small amount of power yet is still able to deliver an
increased price to price to performance ratio without requiring any financing
plan to actually pay for it. With this feature, you can readily experience a
more silent, faster, and cooler computer right in your business or home; since
this is the case, you will most probably wonder how and why you even put up
with the classic hard drives.
Confident Installations
For a lot of individuals, turning on a PC and
transferring important files may appear like a terrifying task; this is the
reason why Micron made things simpler with their step by step Installation
Guide for the Crucial SSD. We suggest that you check it out first before
purchasing so you can easily setup your own SSD with ease, with everything
transferred hassle-free and successfully.
Micron Quality – Heightened
Reliability
Since the Crucial MX500 is under the brand Micron
– known as one of the biggest manufacturers of flash storage globally – the
device is backed up by the same engineering and quality innovation that has
created some of the most advanced and high-quality storage and memory
technology for over thirty-five years. With decades-long legacy, snappy speed,
as well as long-lasting reliability, upgrading the MX500 will provide you with
the most outstanding combination of security, quality, and performance. This,
we can say, is a product that is definitely worth it.
Product Specifications
Brand
Form
Factor
Total Capacity
Warranty
Specs
- 1TB
2.5-inch internal SSD
- SATA
6.0Gb/s
- 560
MB/s Read
- 510
MB/s Write
Series
Product
Line
Interface
Device
Type
- Internal
Solid State Drive
Unit
Height
Form
Factor
How it Performs
In this day and age, any SSD is definitely
enjoyable; if you set a drive such as this into a SATA-3-compatible laptop or
SATA-2-compatible PC, you will simply be amazed at the performance especially
when comparing this to an HDD. We can’t deny that we really enjoyed the
sustained performance of the MX500 but make no mistake since changing a HDD
with the SSD in a laptop or PC eliminates the random lagging of the HDD’s head;
it’ll no longer be mechanical.
This together with the maxed-out performance that
the SATA-3 offers is simply a very huge difference, as well as the best and
most effective upgrade that can be made to one’s computer today. So basically,
utilising the MX500 will increase the performance of your PC, and with its
highly notable features, we can definitely say that it is worth purchasing and
recommending.
How to Use
When it comes to the Crucial MX500, installing
this SSD drive is nothing different compared to installing any other device
that is similar to this. You just have to connect the power cable and the SATA
then you’re basically good to go.
When you power on the PC that is connected to the
device, the very first thing that you will notice is the absence of noise which
is quite interesting and actually good compared to the classic spinning of
HDD’s. So because of that, you won’t have to hear any of the resonating,
purring, and other strange noises when starting up the PC.
For an additional boost in performance, the best
thing to do is to enable the AHCI mode – a mode that can greatly and
efficiently help out in the SSD’s performance.
Software
Crucial is continuously updating and improving
its Storage Executive Software to adequately support the MX500. The software
will let you monitor the SSD while also providing a couple of regular tools
such as secure erase, as well as a tool to boost over-provisioning – these
tools are necessary for drive maintenance.
The Momentum Cache from Crucial makes use of a
small number of system memory to cache write data even before it reaches the
SSD. As for the random write data, it flows right to the DRAM system at high
speed then flushes into the SSD as a less-harmful sequential data. We have also
measured the explosive-write performance via the Momentum Cache; however, it
also boosts the power consumption of the device. What’s more, Crucial also
includes the ATI HD software (Acronis True Image HD) that is necessary for
cloning drives.
Just keep in mind that the company also provides
ATI HD software for cloning the drives but it does not include the software in
the box. Once you purchase the Crucial MX500, you will need to download the
software from the company’s official website.
Conclusion
The brand new MX500 will definitely be the best
device when you are searching for a product that provides effectiveness and
performance. It may not really be along the same price range as the other SSD’s
around, but it definitely offers you a solid and effective performance
simultaneously with adequate levels of endurance. Another great thing about the
MX500 is that it doesn’t really slow down when the cache runs out; plus, the
presence of the 16-NAND chips and 64 layers of V-NAND makes the Crucial MX500
have a better write performance. The device is also incorporated into the Silicon
Motion SM-2258 controller, as well as dual caches which is a very good
combination for its said price.
Today, everything is mostly based on a product’s
performance and efficiency, so for that reason, the biggest move in the
industry of storage devices is aiming to have adequate endurance and more
capacity for the SATA-6 6GBit/S storage unit. A lot of people require SSD’s
with multiple terabytes since most would want to steer clear of the classic
mechanical head-based HDD’s that have pivoting platters. Not only that, but the
Crucial MX500 comes with a good five-year warranty so everything about the
product is definitely something worth noting.
With that said, we have to admit that this is
definitely a great SSD: you will get to receive high-quality performance for a
SATA-3 SSD that is right in the value division that is linked with proper
levels of endurance and an excellent price. Since the price of the device is
appropriate for its performance and excellence, the MX500 will definitely
become even more popular and will surely become a highly recommended SSD
series.
Where to Buy
If you would like to boost your computers
performance with a totally kick ass and affordable SSD you can get the Crucial
MX500 1TB SSD for only $259USD over at the official
Crucial store.
