Crucial MX500 500GB
Score: 79/100
Fanxiang S101
Score: 62/100Rankings
The Crucial MX500 500 GB is a 2.5-inch SATA SSD that delivers near-maximum SATA-III speeds, includes a 256 MB DRAM cache and AES-256 hardware encryption, and offers 180 TBW endurance with a 5-year warranty. Its drawbacks are the inherent speed ceiling of SATA and occasional write-performance throttling under heavy mixed loads. It is best suited for budget-conscious desktop or notebook upgrades seeking reliable, secure storage.
The Fanxiang S101 1TB SATA SSD offers an affordable upgrade path for older laptops and desktops, delivering up to 550 MB/s read speeds with reliable TLC NAND. Its limitations include the SATA III bandwidth ceiling and lack of advanced features such as DRAM cache or hardware encryption. It is best suited for budget-conscious users needing a simple storage boost on legacy systems.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
500 GB | 1,000 GBbest | |
560 MB/sbest | 550 MB/s | |
510 MB/sbest | — | |
95,000 IOPSbest | — | |
90,000 IOPSbest | — | |
180 TBbest | — | |
1,800,000 hoursbest | — | |
256 MBbest | — |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Performance(2) | ||
Sequential Read Speed (MB/s) | 560 MB/s | 550 MB/s |
Sequential Write Speed (MB/s) | 510 MB/s | 470-520 MB/s |
Storage(1) | ||
Storage Capacity (GB) | 500 GB | 1000 GB |
Design & Build(3) | ||
Form Factor | 2.5-inch | 2.5" |
Weight (g) | 39 g | 45.4 g |
Dimensions (L×W×H) (mm) | 70×7.1×103 mm mm | 100×69×7 mm mm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers consider the MX500 an ideal HDD replacement, praising its efficient SM2258 controller, strong sequential and random performance, and robust security features. However, they note that its mixed-workload write speeds and 4K random read numbers fall short of some competitors, and the SATA interface limits its appeal for high-performance scenarios.
Everyday users overwhelmingly praise the MX500 for its noticeable boost in boot speed, system responsiveness, and ease of installation, especially valuing the included cloning software.
Professional reviewers consider the S101 a solid, low-cost option for users who need a simple SATA upgrade. While it delivers the expected speed gains over HDDs, its SATA III bandwidth and lack of premium features make it unsuitable for performance-critical workloads, and external use via USB shows markedly lower speeds.
