PlextorPX-256M5M
CrucialCT256MX100SSD1
$116

Controller: Marvell 88SS9187-BLD2. Flash Memory: Toshiba 19nm Toggle Mode MLC. Release date: Q2 2013.

 $116 

Controller: Marvell 88SS9189. Flash Memory: Micron 16nm MLC. Release date: Q2 2014.

Real World Speed
Performance profile from 56,184 user samples
416 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 96% 474GB free
Worst Bench: 59% 116GB free (System drive)
Poor: 59% Great: 96%
SPEED RANK: 497th / 1072
55,768 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 97% 123GB free
Worst Bench: 65% 74GB free
Poor: 65% Great: 97%
SPEED RANK: 443rd / 1072
Effective Speed
Effective SSD Speed
79.1 % 82.8 % +5%
Read
Avg. Sequential Read Speed
455 MB/s Slightly faster read speed.
+9%
417 MB/s
Write
Avg. Sequential Write Speed
363 MB/s Faster write speed.
+14%
318 MB/s
4K Read
Avg. 4K Random Read Speed
23.8 MB/s 26.7 MB/s Faster random read.
+12%
4K Write
Avg. 4K Random Write Speed
48.7 MB/s 88.7 MB/s Hugely faster random write.
+82%
Mixed
Avg. Sequential Mixed IO Speed
336 MB/s Faster mixed IO speed.
+16%
289 MB/s
4K Mixed
Avg. 4K Random Mixed IO Speed
25.3 MB/s 37.4 MB/s Much faster random mixed IO.
+48%
SusWrite
Avg. Sustained Write Speed
338 MB/s Much faster sustained write speed.
+46%
231 MB/s
Read
Peak Sequential Read Speed
499 MB/s Slightly faster peak read speed.
+10%
455 MB/s
Write
Peak Sequential Write Speed
410 MB/s Faster peak write speed.
+24%
331 MB/s
4K Read
Peak 4K Random Read Speed
31.4 MB/s +3% 30.5 MB/s
4K Write
Peak 4K Random Write Speed
74.3 MB/s 118 MB/s Much faster peak random write.
+59%
Mixed
Peak Sequential Mixed IO Speed
445 MB/s Much faster peak mixed IO speed.
+41%
316 MB/s
4K Mixed
Peak 4K Random Mixed IO Speed
37.7 MB/s 44.2 MB/s Faster peak random mixed IO.
+17%
SusWrite
Peak Sequential Sustained Write 60s Average
376 MB/s Faster peak sustained write speed.
+14%
329 MB/s
Market Share
Based on 75,654,218 SSDs tested
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days)
0 % 0.03 % Insanely higher market share.
+∞%
Value
Value For Money
5.4 % 9.75 % Hugely better value.
+81%
User Rating
UBM User Rating
52 % 54 % +4%
Price
Price (score)
$240 $116 Much cheaper.
+52%
Age
Newest
132 Months 118 Months More recent.
+11%
DQ Read
Peak 4K-64Thread Read Speed
306 MB/s Much faster peak deep queue read.
+34%
229 MB/s
DQ Write
Peak 4K-64Thread Write Speed
301 MB/s 312 MB/s +4%
AS-SSD Total
AS-SSD Total Score
1,008 Pts Slightly stronger server IO.
+8%
930 Pts
DQ Mixed
Peak 4K-64Thread Mixed IO Speed
220 MB/s Faster peak deep queue mixed IO.
+21%
182 MB/s
ADQ Read
Avg. 4K-64Thread Read Speed
219 MB/s Faster deep queue read.
+20%
182 MB/s
ADQ Write
Avg. 4K-64Thread Write Speed
222 MB/s 280 MB/s Faster deep queue write.
+26%
ADQ Mixed
Avg. 4K-64Thread Mixed IO Speed
126 MB/s 144 MB/s Faster deep queue mixed IO.
+14%
Capacity
Capacity
256GB 256GB
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The Plextor M5M is the most recent mSATA SSD I have looked at. It has both the same controller and NAND flash (albeit with fewer channels) as its regular SATA sibling, the excellent M5 Pro. The performance figures for the M5M lag the top nine SATA group leaders by around 30% on average. The weakest area of core performance is shallow queue 4K write speed which clocks in at 57 MBps on the M5M vs a group average of 118 MBps. In terms of server orientated performance, the M5M takes 13th place out of 29 with an AS SSD total score of 946. That said it's only fair to look at the M5M within the context of other mSATA SSDs. It's not a clear cut performance win between the M5M and the Intel 525 Series but the M5M is retailing for 23% less. Unless shallow queue random writes are a top priority for your use case the M5M is the clear value winner, and my top mSATA pick for 2013. [Oct '13 SSDrivePro]

MORE DETAILS

The Crucial MX100 is the first 16nm SSD to date. Aside from NAND, the MX100 shares the same hardware as its more expensive sibling, the M550. Comparing the MX100 and M550 shows that the two drives have similar read speeds but that the MX100 lags by nearly 50% at writing. The newer 16nm NAND reduces costs and accordingly the MX100 is the cheapest SSD (per GB) to date. In terms of performance the MX100 is a compromise which may or may not be worth making depending on individual circumstances. For typical desktop use including email, office documents and web browsing the MX100 is a great choice but power users should look elsewhere. Comparing the 250GB 840 EVO and 256GB MX100 shows that for a marginal premium, the Evo offers better write speeds. (Note: at 500GB they are more evenly matched) [Jun '14 SSDrivePro]

MORE DETAILS

Solid State Drive Rankings (Price vs Performance) April 2024 SSD Rankings

Welcome to our 2.5" and M.2 SSD comparison. We calculate effective speed for both SATA and NVMe drives based on real world performance then adjust by current prices per GB to yield a value for money rating. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top SSDs. [SSDrivePro]

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Group Test Results

  • Best user rated - User sentiment trumps benchmarks for this comparison.
  • Best value for money - Value for money is based on real world performance.
  • Fastest real world speed - Real World Speed measures performance for typical consumers.
How Fast Is Your SSD? (Bench your build) Size up your PC in less than a minute

Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.

UserBenchmark of the month

How it works

  • - Download and run UserBenchmark
  • - CPU tests include: integer, floating and string
  • - GPU tests include: six 3D game simulations
  • - Drive tests include: read, write, sustained write and mixed IO
  • - RAM tests include: single/multi core bandwidth and latency
  • - SkillBench (space shooter) tests user input accuracy
  • - Reports are generated and presented on userbenchmark.com
  • - Identify the strongest components in your PC
  • - See speed test results from other users
  • - Compare your components to the current market leaders
  • - Explore your best upgrade options with a virtual PC build
  • - Compare your in-game FPS to other users with your hardware

 Frequently Asked Questions

 Best User Rated

The Best.
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-13600K $279Nvidia RTX 4060 $300Crucial MX500 250GB $40
Intel Core i5-12400F $134Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $385Samsung 850 Evo 120GB $80
Intel Core i5-12600K $184Nvidia RTX 4070 $409Samsung 860 Evo 250GB $46
HDDRAMUSB
Seagate Barracuda 1TB (2016) $39Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200 C16 2x8GB $40SanDisk Extreme 64GB $72
WD Blue 1TB (2012) $35Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000 C15 2x8GB $43SanDisk Extreme 32GB $28
Seagate Barracuda 2TB (2016) $51G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 3200 C14 4x16GB $351SanDisk Ultra Fit 32GB $16
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