Crucial Starts Selling MX500 2.5-inch SSD Models

[btarunr]

Crucial started selling all four models of its premium SATA SSD, the MX500. The drive was launched earlier this month. It comes in 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB variants; and in the 2.5-inch form-factor, with SATA 6 Gbps interface. M.2-2280 variants with SATA interface, which were shown off at the 2018 International CES, could launch a little later this year. The 250 GB variant is priced (MSRP) at USD $79.99 ($0.31 per GB), the 500 GB variant at $139.99 ($0.27 per GB), the 1 TB variant $259.99 ($0.25 per GB), and the range-topping 2 TB variant $499.99 ($0.24 per GB). All four models come with 5-year warranties.

Crucial MX500 combines Micron's 2nd generation 64-layer 3D TLC NAND flash memory with a Silicon Motion SM2258 controller, and a custom firmware by Crucial. The NAND flash chips by design offer the same levels of power-loss protection as drives that need capacitor banks to do so. Among its features are Dynamic Write Acceleration (SLC-cached writes), and Redundant Array of Independent NAND (RAIN). All four variants offer sequential transfer rates of up to 560 MB/s with up to 510 MB/s writes, and 4K random access performance ratings of up to 95,000/91,000 IOPS (reads/writes).



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[Chaitanya]

I thought they have been available for last few weeks. Also I dont understand Crucials reluctance to release a NVME drive.

 

[RejZoR]

The 2TB at $500 is a nice value. Reason why Crucial is sticking with SATA is because it's still the biggest market.

 

[seronx]

I thought they have been available for last few weeks. Also I dont understand Crucials reluctance to release a NVME drive.

NVMe-compatibility isn't mainstream yet.

So, maybe in MX600 or MX700.

 

[NC37]

I thought they have been available for last few weeks. Also I dont understand Crucials reluctance to release a NVME drive.

The 1TB model has been available. I have one here. It's working good.

The other models were not available yet.

 

[TheDeeGee]

Man, we've come such a long way.

I remember paying €360 for my OCZ Vertex 120 GB (Indilinx) back in 2009, which my dad still uses.

Now for roughly the same price you get almost 1,5 TB.

 

[Tomorrow]

Also I dont understand Crucials reluctance to release a NVME drive.

They problably know they can't compete with Samsung or Intel. Then again that has not stopped them from competing in SATA segment so maybe that's not the reason afterall.

NVMe-compatibility isn't mainstream yet.

Compatability is. Prices are not.

 

[bug]

I thought they have been available for last few weeks. Also I dont understand Crucials reluctance to release a NVME drive.

Probably their business revolves more around selling the chips rather than selling full-fledged products. Plus, a cost effective AHCI drive makes sense, because it saves you money. But a cost effective NVMe drive can probably be safely replaced by any of the better performing AHCI drives anyway (i.e. the market for NVMe is trickier atm).

 

[Vayra86]

Probably their business revolves more around selling the chips rather than selling full-fledged products. Plus, a cost effective AHCI drive makes sense, because it saves you money. But a cost effective NVMe drive can probably be safely replaced by any of the better performing AHCI drives anyway (i.e. the market for NVMe is trickier atm).

This. Crucial knows it can get much better results from a budget oriented line of products that still saturates SATA. Simply because its same perf at lower price, while in NVME they won't have any unique selling point unless they kill their own margins.

 

[Baum]

when do they sell the m.2 drives? i want mine now!

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

They problably know they can't compete with Samsung or Intel. Then again that has not stopped them from competing in SATA segment so maybe that's not the reason afterall.

Compatability is. Prices are not.

Depends on the system you have. Newer enthusiast systems? Absolutely. But things like servers, office machines, and non high end laptops still come with SATA only, and often 5400RPM drives to boot.

NVMe isnt widespread enough to create demand for crucial. Even the samsung NVMe drives dont sell nearly as well as their SATA versions, if the number of reviews is to be believed.

 

[bug]

Depends on the system you have. Newer enthusiast systems? Absolutely. But things like servers, office machines, and non high end laptops still come with SATA only, and often 5400RPM drives to boot.

NVMe isnt widespread enough to create demand for crucial. Even the samsung NVMe drives dont sell nearly as well as their SATA versions, if the number of reviews is to be believed.

It doesn't help that motherboard typically ship with 1-2 M.2 ports. Even if you could get cheap drives, you wouldn't have where to insert them
At the same time, getting less than half a dozen SATA ports is rare.

 

[Vayra86]

Lets face it, for the vast majority of users there is no purpose at all for faster storage than an SSD.