Product features
- LIGHTNING SPEEDS: Get incredible performance with sequential reads/writes up to 7,400/7,000MB/s and random read/writes up to 1.18M/1.44M IOPs
- COMPATIBLE: Ready for performance with your laptop, desktop or workstation, the T500 installs easily in your M.2 SSD slot
- ULTIMATE GAMING: Load games up to 16% faster and get faster texture renders and less CPU utilization with Microsoft DirectStorage
- CONTENT CREATION: Get up to 42% faster performance in content creation apps, run heavy workloads, and render photos or videos faster
- TECHNOLOGY: Gen4 engineering with the world’s first 232-layer NAND engineered by Micron
Crucial T500 2TB SSD Review
The Crucial T500 2TB SSD is a high-performance, PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 internal gaming SSD designed for both laptops and desktops. It boasts impressive speeds of up to 7,400 MB/s for sequential reads and 7,000 MB/s for sequential writes, making it an excellent choice for gamers, content creators, and professionals who require fast storage solutions.
Performance
The T500 leverages Phison's E25 controller, which is known for its power efficiency and performance. The drive is equipped with 232-layer 3D TLC NAND flash, ensuring high storage capacity and reliability. It supports Microsoft DirectStorage, which enhances the gaming experience by reducing CPU utilization and improving render times.
Installation and Compatibility
The T500 is designed to be easy to install and compatible with a wide range of devices, including laptops, desktops, and gaming consoles. Its compact M.2 form factor makes it a versatile option for various system configurations.
Power Efficiency
One of the standout features of the T500 is its power efficiency. It operates with half the channels of typical 8-channel SSDs, which not only reduces power consumption but also keeps the drive running cooler. This design ensures that the T500 maintains high performance while being more affordable than many of its competitors.
Pros
- High Performance: The T500 delivers exceptional read and write speeds, making it ideal for demanding applications like gaming and video editing.
- Power Efficiency: The 4-channel design reduces power consumption and heat generation, ensuring the drive runs cool and efficient.
- Ease of Installation: The drive is easy to install and comes with a heatsink option for added thermal protection.
- Microsoft DirectStorage Support: Enhances the gaming experience by reducing CPU utilization and improving render times.
- Wide Compatibility: Compatible with laptops, desktops, and gaming consoles, making it a versatile storage solution.
Cons
- Price: While the T500 is considered a budget-friendly option, it may still be more expensive than some other SSDs on the market.
- Dual-Sided Design: The 4TB model is dual-sided, which can lead to some physical layout changes that might affect performance slightly.
- Sustained Performance: Some users have noted that the sustained performance might not be as high as the peak speeds, although this is generally not significant in everyday use.
Verdict
The Crucial T500 2TB SSD is an excellent choice for anyone seeking high-performance storage. Its power efficiency, ease of installation, and support for Microsoft DirectStorage make it a compelling option for both gamers and content creators. While it may have some minor drawbacks, the T500's overall performance and compatibility make it a top-notch SSD in its class.
Features Table
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Digital Storage Capacity | 2 TB |
| Hard Disk Interface | NVMe |
| Connectivity Technology | NVMe |
| Brand | Crucial |
| Special Feature | Compact |
| Hard Disk Description | Solid State Drive |
| Compatible Devices | Laptop, Gaming Console, Desktop |
| Installation Type | Internal Hard Drive |
| Color | Black |
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 7,400 MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 7,000 MB/s |
| Controller | Phison E25 |
| NAND Flash | 232-layer 3D TLC |
| Microsoft DirectStorage Support | Yes |
| Heatsink Option | Yes |
| Warranty | Five years, up to 2,400 TB writes |
| TCG Opal 2.01 Support | Yes |