![]() In general, the higher capacity the drive, the higher its endurance, so the fact that these ratings are all for drives with roughly the same capacity makes the Samsung SSD's sky-high TBW rating that much more impressive. ![]() The 512GB version of the Samsung SSD 860 Pro, in contrast, is rated for a whopping 600TBW. In absolute terms, that's a relatively low figure, although it's slightly better than the 160TBW that the 525GB version of the Crucial MX300 (the MX500's predecessor) could sustain. Crucial estimates that the 500GB model can sustain up to 180 terabytes written (TBW) before its cells begin to wear out. In the MX500's case, that compromise comes in the form of a lesser endurance rating, or how long the drive is estimated to last before its memory cells start to degrade. (Opens in a new window) Read Our PNY CS1311 (240GB) ReviewĪffordability does mean compromise, however. These make the MX500 look downright affordable by comparison. High-performance PCIe NVMe drives tend to circle around 40 cents per gigabyte, and elite-level SATA drives like the Samsung SSD 860 Pro ($550.00 at Amazon) (Opens in a new window) can push 50 cents per gigabyte. SSD prices change frequently, but none of the MX500's capacity iterations costs more than 30 cents per gigabyte at this writing, aggressive pricing by mainstream SSD standards. In between is a 1TB model, in addition to the 500GB capacity of the review unit here. Crucial offers the MX500 in a wide range of them, from 250GB up to 2TB. Once you've selected the MX500's form factor, you'll need to decide which capacity you need. ( Check out our SSD explainer for more on interfaces, bus types, speeds, and other terms you need to know when buying an SSD.) Maximum NVMe speeds are roughly six times greater than those that SATA will allow, but the difference isn't readily apparent in everyday computing tasks. This drive uses the SATA bus, the same as any modern consumer hard drive, instead of PCI Express in concert with the NVMe protocol. No matter which version you choose, performance should mostly be the same, assuming that you're comparing MX500 models of equal capacity. Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. You can also opt for the much smaller M.2 version, which resembles a stick of gum and attaches directly to the motherboard (assuming the motherboard is recent enough to have an M.2 connector see our guide to the best M.2 SSDs). Our 500GB review unit is in the 2.5-inch drive form factor, which means it fits in a standard laptop drive bay (for notebooks that still use full-size drives), or in most any desktop chassis. The MX500 is available in both M.2 and 2.5-inch varieties, so one type or the other is installable in pretty much any modern PC. As a result, it is one of the best-value SATA drives available for upgrading the storage in a mainstream PC, and it earns our Editors' Choice award. Not only is this drive cheaper than prestige Serial ATA (SATA) SSDs like the Samsung SSD 860 Pro, but its throughput speeds are hardly slower. (CPU upgrades often don't make sense without a larger system teardown, and RAM is pricey these days.) That's especially true of the Crucial MX500 ($110 for 500GB, as tested). Not only is an upgrade to a solid state drive (SSD) one of the most effective ways to speed up your aging desktop or laptop, but depending on the capacity and the interface of the drive you select, it can be cheaper than replacing other components. Endurance rating low for usage cases involving heavy data writes.How to Set Up Two-Factor Authentication.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad. ![]()
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