Crucial T500 1TB SSD Review – The Best PCIe Gen 4 SSD I’ve Tested
It's been a while since I've done a review of SSDs, but today I have the opportunity to evaluate the Crucial T500 1TB, a unit with interface PCIe Gen4 which had been on my radar for quite some time. This model was launched several months ago, and over time, its price has dropped considerably. In fact, I purchased the with heatsink by 81 dollars, a lower price than its version without heatsinkToday we'll see how this unit performs against others I've tested on my test bench in various metrics.
Table of Contents
Crucial T500 SSD 1TB - Specifications
Originally released on on October 31, 2023 with an initial price of 160 dollars, the Crucial T500 1TB It is a solid state drive in format M.2 2280 with interface PCIe Gen4.0. It is mainly intended for demanding usersboth in content creation as in Gaming.
This model represents Crucial's first PCIe Gen 4 SSD aimed directly at this audience, entering the Gen 4 interface's lifecycle somewhat late compared to the competition. Let's not forget that Crucial is a brand of Micron, one of the manufacturers of NAND Flash Most important in the world.
Key features include:
- Support native for DirectStorage
- Dedicated DRAM for cache
Since its launch, the price of this unit has dropped considerably, following the general market trend. At the time of purchase, it was around 81 USD, although SSD prices remain uncertain. Some analysts anticipate an increase, especially with the new tariffs imposed by the US government. Donald Trump, which could affect products manufactured in China or that pass through that country in their logistics chain.
- Sequential Read Speed: 6800 MB / s
- Sequential Write Speed: 7300 MB / s
- Random Read (IOPS): 1150K
- Random Write (IOPS): 1440K
Controller and NAND Flash (Phison E25 and 232 Micron NAND Flash
El controller that Crucial chose for its top-of-the-range model with PCIe Gen 4 interface is the Phison E25, a component I had not yet had the opportunity to test in depth on my test bench. This version has been optimized directly by Crucial to offer the highest possible performance.
Some details of the controller:
- Usa 4 channels communication with the NAND
- Transfer speed 2400 MT / s per channel
- Sustained performance above 7 GB / s in reading
According to Phison, this controller with only four channels can offer performance similar to solutions with eight channels, but at a lower cost. This detail makes it very interesting for users looking for Excellent performance without paying the premium price of ultra-high-end models.
El NAND Flash used in the Crucial T500 It is an old acquaintance that I have already seen implemented in other SSD units: it is the 232-layer Micron TLC (B58R). This version represents a direct improvement over the previous generation, the 47-ply B176R, not only in density but also in performance. The density per matrix is increased from four to six planes, which allows to increase the internal bandwidth and, consequently, the peak performance, reaching transfer speeds of up to 2400 MT / s.
Price and guarantee
Although I acquired the unit at US$ 81 en Amazon (heatsink version), at the time of publishing this review, the price of the version without heatsink is US$ 95, while the version with heatsink is in US$ 99. Regrettably, Crucial has withdrawn from the Peruvian market and no longer sells products locally. This means that the only practical way to get this SSD in Peru is importing it, usually through Amazon or other similar platforms. As a result, there is no local warranty, and coverage is limited, in most cases, to one month through the reseller.
For users in countries where Crucial does have an official presence, the unit has five year warranty o 600 TBW (Total Bytes Written).
Photos - Crucial T500 1TB SSD
Benchmarks - Storage
Contrary to popular belief, Most storage benchmarks are based on synthetic tests, which means they do not always accurately capture performance in actual conditions of use, since each user may have different usage patterns.
While there is no single test capable of fully simulate daily use, these tests provide a reference on the potential performance of a device in controlled environments.
Of all the options, PCMark 10 Storage Benchmark It is the one that most closely approximates performance in everyday situations, and that is why we use it as a basis for evaluate day-to-day performance, although it cannot cover all possible circumstances.
For average user who prioritizes video games, this test best reflects typical usage.
In our SSD test suite, we have added and updated several benchmarks, such as the FFXIV Dawntrail demo loading time and Latest version of CDM 8, among others.
Below is the Full list of benchmarks that we will use:
-CrystalDiskMark8
-ATTO Disk Benchmark
-AS SSD Benchmark
-Anvil Storage Utilities
-HAHA VIDEO
-Black Magic Disk Tester
-FFXIV Dawnbreaker Demo- Loading Time <— new
-PCMark10 Storage Benchmark
-3DMark Storage Benchmark
Benchmark (for storage reviews)
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D (https://amzn.to/4h5d7eR)
Board: ROG STRIX B650E-E GAMING WIFI (BIOS 3207) (https://amzn.to/4abMKAY)
RAM: CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 RAM 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz CL30 AMD EXPO Intel XMP (https://amzn.to/404P6gk)
T.video: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition (Link: https://amzn.to/3Pe4Vx6)
Operating system: Windows 11 Home Edition 24H2 – VBS OFF
Liquid refrigeration: DeepCool Mystique 360
SSD: FN970 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe 1.4 (https://amzn.to/3PuXPn8)
SSD under test: Crucial T500 1TB SSD PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe 2.0 (https://amzn.to/4jqAUGH)
Driver: NVIDIA GeForce GameReady 572.80
Power supply: NZXT C1200 ATX 3.1 (https://amzn.to/3ChugT4)
CrystalDisk Mark 8
The tool CrystalDiskMark has been significantly updated and has reached its version 8. As is often the case with each new edition, the results are not always comparable with those of previous versions. In this latest version, in addition to the standard tests, new ones have been added new assessment profiles specially designed for NVMe SSD drivesIn our performance tests, we decided to use one of these new profiles to get more accurate data.
ACT Disk Benchmark
ACT Disk Benchmark It is a tool to measure the performance of Reading and writing in storage units. Evaluate different block sizes, providing a quick reference of performance under various loads. Is popular for its simplicity and precision in results.
AS SSD benchmark
AS SSD benchmark It is a tool designed to evaluate the performance of the SSD, measuring the read and write speed sequential and random. It also offers access and compression testing, providing accurate insight into disk behavior without relying on system cache.
Anvil Storage Utilities
Anvil Storage Utilities is a benchmarking tool that measures the performance of storage devices, such as hard drives and SSDs. Performs read, write, and latency speed tests, providing a detailed assessment of storage system performance.
AHA VIDEO
AJA Video Benchmark, developed by AJA Video Systems, is a tool that measures the read and write speed in storage systems. Used in multimedia environments, it helps verify that performance meets storage requirements. video resolutions y file formats, allowing configurations to be optimized and bottlenecks to be avoided.
Black Magic Disk Tester
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test It is a tool that measures how fast a drive can read and write data. This application is useful for testing the speed of Hard drives, SSDs and external drives and shows the results immediately. It is ideal for content creators that handle large files, such as videos, as it helps to know if the disk is fast enough to work with them without problems. It also indicates whether the storage is suitable for video formats in 4K or 8K, making it easier to performance evaluation of the disk.
FFXIV Dawnbreaker Demo- Loading Time
FFXIV Dawntrail Benchmark is a tool designed to evaluate game performance on different hardware configurations. This benchmark allows users to measure their systems' ability to handle the graphics and processing demands of the game, providing a objective evaluation of the gaming experience. At the end of the test, a score is generated that helps players determine if their equipment can offer a smooth experience.
We used the total loading time of the different scenes used during the test.
PCMark10 (Storage Benchmark)
PCMark10 it is the closest test to what an average user can do in real life. PCMark 10 Full Storage has several traces of different types of usage, such as OS loads, Adobe loads, games, file copying, and more. We will be looking at each of these results in more detail.
It also offers a final score, bandwidth (MB/s) y latency (µs). This quiz takes about an hour and I will do three strokes per activity (23 categories, 69 quizzes total).
3DMark Storage Benchmark
3DMark Storage Benchmark, developed by UL Benchmarks, is a tool that evaluates the performance of storage units in real-world tasks, such as loading games and transferring files. The software uses data from Popular apps and games to simulate these activities and provide accurate scoring. This scoring allows Compare the performance of SSDs, NVMe drives, and other storage devices in common situations, providing a clear reference for determining which units offer the best performance in specific tasks.
Temperatures
The stress test we use to evaluate the temperatures It consists of an extreme evaluation using CrystalDisk Mark 8 for an extended period. We then recorded the highest temperature reached during the evaluation and also checked the ambient temperature.
TeamGroup MP44L 1TB SSD (YTMC 128L) | |
| (Maximum temperature) Degrees Celsius | |
| With M.2 motherboard heatsink (without active cooling) | Controller – 67 NAND Flash – 60 NAND Flash – 60 |
During the Stress test performed with CrystalDiskMark 8 (CDM8), we did not detect any evidence of thermal throttling on the controller or the NAND Flash. This confirms that the drive is not facing any temperature-related issues. This result is logical, considering that this is a no-hassle solution. DRAM (using HMB), characteristics that are generally associated with low energy consumption y moderate temperatures.
However, during testing, a problem arose curious bug and HWInfo64. According to the screenshot, the controller showed erroneous readings, indicating temperatures that ranged between 0 ° C as a minimum and an unlikely maximum of 103 ° C. This clearly points to a software bug, probably related to HWInfo64.
For the moment, we have communicated this anomaly to the brand, but It is not a cause for concern, as the overall behavior of the unit shows no loss of performance or evidence of real temperature problems.
Final Analysis – A very good recommended SSD, especially when it's on sale
It's been quite a while since I've had an SSD. impressed really in terms of performance, and the Crucial T500 has proven to be at the height in all tests performed. The only type of unit that currently passes it are the PCIe Gen 5 SSDs, but these usually have a considerably higher price and generate more heat, what translates into higher energy consumption and high temperatures.
This is the first time I've tried an SSD with the Phison E25 controller, and I must say it seems to be a great improvement versus Phison E18, which has been through my test bench. The combination of this controller with the Micron's 232-layer NAND Flash offers excellent performance, similar to what I have seen previously with YTMC NAND Flash of comparable architecture.
An important detail: Always remember to update the firmware SSD. The drive I received didn't come with the latest version, and these updates not only improve performance but also address potential security vulnerabilities or other issues.
In summary, the Crucial T500 es my first recommendation within PCIe Gen 4 SSDs, as long as their price remains competitive. 1TB version for US$81 represents an excellent option, and it only remains to wait for external factors, such as the duty, do not negatively impact the price of this type of units in the market.
