Crucial has been in the SSD market for a while now, and has constantly been a key player, not only due to good performance but also competitive pricing. The new Crucial M500 SSD is no different. It is based on a slightly evolved, rock-solid Marvell flash controller that has been paired with Micron's own flash chips, which are now built on a 128 Gbit die for improved price/performance.
In our testing, we see good results that are on par with modern SandForce drives from the M500; also matching the Corsair Neutron GTX. Drives with more recent controllers, like the Samsung 840 Pro, OCZ Vector and Toshiba THNSNH, end up being up to 8% faster, which is measurable but barely noticeable in real-life.
Thanks to its low height of 7 mm, the drive will fit into any Ultrabook, and the included 9.5 mm adapter ensures it also fits all other notebooks and desktop PCs. With a price of $395 at this time, the Crucial M500 480 GB is extremely affordable, reaching the second best performance-per-dollar score by placing just behind the Samsung 840 that is about 5% slower, though. When looking at cost per GB, it also reaches a very good result, making the M500 a great all-around drive that'll be an excellent choice for any user who's looking for fast SSD storage without breaking the bank.