Crucial MX500 SSDs hit the scene

Crucial starts shipping its MX500, a new SSD that features the second-generation Micron 64-layer 3D NAND memory. The 2.5" SATA 6Gbps 7mm thick SSD ships in capacities of up to 2TB, while a M.2 Type 2280 edition will follow later this quarter in sizes of up to 1TB. These disks promise read speeds of up to 560MB/S, write speeds of up to 510MB/s and random reads/writes up to 95K/90K IOPS.

A five year warranty is offered. Crucial sells 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB SSDs via its webshop for $79.99, $139.99, $259.99, and $499.99, respectively.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today announced the availability of the Crucial MX500 SSD. The new drive features second generation Micron 3D NAND technology and is 45 times more energy efficient than a typical hard drive. Available in capacities up to 2TB in the 2.5-inch form factor and up to 1TB in the M.2 form factor, the MX500 has sequential reads/writes up to 560/510 MB/s and random reads/writes up to 95K/90K IOPS.

"This next generation MX500 SSD features a stackable 64-layer, 256-gigabit component. Micron's floating gate NAND is designed with CMOS Under the Array (CUA), which allows us to minimize the footprint of the die. At 59 square millimeters, it's among the world's smallest 256-gigabit die," said Jon Tanguy, Crucial Senior SSD Product Engineer. "Our engineering team has incorporated this leading-edge NAND technology in an SSD that includes all the advanced features Crucial customers have come to expect to keep their data safe."

Crucial also directly addresses two of the scariest issues for first-time SSD buyers: moving files and installation. Upgrading from a traditional hard drive is easy with the MX500 thanks to the data migration and cloning software included with each drive. And the Crucial SSD Install Guide helps new installers with directions for every step of the process.

"We're excited about our next generation of SSD drives and the near-instant performance and lasting reliability that comes with them," said Jonathan Weech, Crucial Senior SSD Product Manager. "Users can rest assured that their data, family videos, travel photos, music, and other important documents are stored safely on the MX500."

The MX500 advanced features include:

Dynamic Write Acceleration for faster saves and file transfers.

Hardware-based encryption to keep personal files and confidential data secure.

Integrated Power Loss Immunity to avoid unintended data loss when the power unexpectedly goes out.

Exclusive Data Defense to prevent files from becoming corrupted and unusable.

Redundant Array of Independent NAND to protect data at the component level.