Crucial MX500 500GB
Score: 79/100
PNY CS900
Score: 67/100Rankings
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 PNY CS900 1TB is a budget-friendly 2.5-inch SATA III SSD delivering solid sequential speeds and low power draw. Its main trade-offs are limited SATA bandwidth, lack of endurance data and advanced features. Best suited for users upgrading older laptops or desktops where cost and basic performance matter.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
500 GB | 1,000 GBbest | |
560 MB/sbest | 535 MB/s | |
510 MB/s | 515 MB/sbest | |
95,000 IOPSbest | — | |
90,000 IOPSbest | — | |
180 TBbest | — | |
1,800,000 hours | 2,000,000 hoursbest | |
256 MBbest | — |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Connectivity(1) | ||
Interface | SATA III | SATA-III |
Performance(2) | ||
Sequential Read Speed (MB/s) | 560 MB/s | 535 MB/s |
Sequential Write Speed (MB/s) | 510 MB/s | 515 MB/s |
Storage(2) | ||
Storage Capacity (GB) | 500 GB | 1000 GB |
NAND Type | TLC | 3D TLC |
General(1) | ||
Warranty (years) | 5 years | 3 years |
Reliability(1) | ||
Mean Time Between Failures (hours) | 1800000 hours | 2000000 hours |
Design & Build(2) | ||
Weight (g) | 39 g | 45 g |
Dimensions (L×W×H) (mm) | 70×7.1×103 mm mm | 100x70x7 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 and editors are scarce for this model; vendor and spec-sheet commentary positions the CS900 as a reliable, value-oriented HDD replacement, emphasizing its solid sequential performance and low power draw while noting the lack of advanced features found in higher-end SSDs.
Everyday users appreciate the noticeable speed boost over HDDs, especially faster boot and application launch times, and the quiet, low-heat operation. However, the limited amount of user feedback and absence of detailed endurance specs generate some uncertainty about long-term durability.
