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IntelSSDMCEAC240B301
CrucialCT256M550SSD1
$152
▲ 51669 ▼

Controller: LSI SandForce SF2281VB1-SDC. Memory: Intel Synchronous 25nm MLC. Release date: Q1 2013.

VS
▲ 527,484 ▼
 $152 

Controller: Marvell 88SS9189. Flash Memory: Micron Synchronous 20nm MLC. Release date: Q1 2014.

Effective Speed 
+24%
Real World Speed
Performance profile from 8,452 user samples
Benchmark your SSD here
119 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 95% 109GB free (System drive)
Worst Bench: 54% 99GB free
Poor: 54% Great: 95%
SPEED RANK: 617th / 1072
8,333 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 113% 106GB free
Worst Bench: 60% 231GB free
Poor: 60% Great: 113%
SPEED RANK: 320th / 1072
Effective Speed
Effective SSD Speed 		72.8 % 90.5 % Faster effective speed.
+24%
Average Score 
+29%
Read
Avg. Sequential Read Speed 		416 MB/s 418 MB/s +0%
Write
Avg. Sequential Write Speed 		243 MB/s 416 MB/s Much faster write speed.
+71%
4K Read
Avg. 4K Random Read Speed 		27.5 MB/s +1% 27.1 MB/s
4K Write
Avg. 4K Random Write Speed 		70.5 MB/s 85 MB/s Faster random write.
+21%
Mixed
Avg. Sequential Mixed IO Speed 		282 MB/s 299 MB/s Slightly faster mixed IO speed.
+6%
4K Mixed
Avg. 4K Random Mixed IO Speed 		26.3 MB/s 37.9 MB/s Much faster random mixed IO.
+44%
SusWrite
Avg. Sustained Write Speed 		190 MB/s 311 MB/s Much faster sustained write speed.
+64%
Peak Score 
+19%
Read
Peak Sequential Read Speed 		505 MB/s Slightly faster peak read speed.
+8% 		466 MB/s
Write
Peak Sequential Write Speed 		284 MB/s 470 MB/s Much faster peak write speed.
+65%
4K Read
Peak 4K Random Read Speed 		38.5 MB/s Faster peak random read.
+21% 		31.9 MB/s
4K Write
Peak 4K Random Write Speed 		108 MB/s 118 MB/s Slightly faster peak random write.
+9%
Mixed
Peak Sequential Mixed IO Speed 		334 MB/s +0% 333 MB/s
4K Mixed
Peak 4K Random Mixed IO Speed 		46 MB/s 46.4 MB/s +1%
SusWrite
Peak Sequential Sustained Write 60s Average 		248 MB/s 459 MB/s Hugely faster peak sustained write speed.
+85%
Value & Sentiment 
�%
Market Share
Based on 75,802,563 SSDs tested
See market share leaders
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days) 		0 % 0 %
Value
Value For Money 		6.73 % 8.68 % Better value.
+29%
User Rating
UBM User Rating 		51 % 52 % +2%
Price
Price (score) 		$150 +2% $152
Nice To Haves 
+27%
Age
Newest 		136 Months 121 Months More recent.
+11%
DQ Read
Peak 4K-64Thread Read Speed 		296 MB/s 387 MB/s Much faster peak deep queue read.
+31%
DQ Write
Peak 4K-64Thread Write Speed 		255 MB/s 361 MB/s Much faster peak deep queue write.
+42%
AS-SSD Total
AS-SSD Total Score 		977 Pts 1,240 Pts Stronger server IO.
+27%
DQ Mixed
Peak 4K-64Thread Mixed IO Speed 		260 MB/s Slightly faster peak deep queue mixed IO.
+8% 		240 MB/s
ADQ Read
Avg. 4K-64Thread Read Speed 		219 MB/s 311 MB/s Much faster deep queue read.
+42%
ADQ Write
Avg. 4K-64Thread Write Speed 		202 MB/s 282 MB/s Much faster deep queue write.
+40%
ADQ Mixed
Avg. 4K-64Thread Mixed IO Speed 		153 MB/s 201 MB/s Much faster deep queue mixed IO.
+31%
Specifications 
Capacity
Capacity 		240GB 256GB
Conclusion 
Average Bench 72.8%
Average Bench 90.5%
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In terms of hardware there is nothing new here, the combination of SandForce SF2281VB1-SDC controller coupled with 25NM Intel flash memory is the tried and tested solution of yesterday. This drive of course has the same characteristics we have already seen with this combination of hardware: relatively weak incompressible data throughputs, fantastic compressible data write speeds, average real world (424.5 MB/s) and average server workload performance (AS-SSD Total 836). The thing that is unique about this drive is its mSATA form factor which is approx one eighth of the size of a regular 2.5 inch drive. If you are looking for an mSATA SSD, this is one of your only and therefore best options. If you are not then there is far better performance and value for money offered by the newer generation of controllers. [Apr '13 SSDrivePro]

MORE DETAILS

The 256GB Crucial M550 is a welcome improvement over the 240GB M500. The new Marvel 88SS9189 controller has addressed our primary concern with the M500 which was poor sequential write speed. With sequential read/write speeds of 510/478 MB/s the M550 has a healthy core performance profile. Comparing the M550 and M500 shows that the new M550 leads on nearly every single performance metric. Unfortunately the M550 is priced significantly higher than the M500 but prices will likely drop as retailers build up stocks of the new M550. A key comparable for the M550 is the similarly priced market leading Samsung Evo. Comparing the Evo and M550 shows that the Evo is around 11% slower in terms of effective speed. [Mar '14 SSDrivePro]

MORE DETAILS

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Solid State Drive Rankings (Price vs Performance) May 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.

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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

Storage Devices FAQ
What is sustained sequential write speed?
What’s the difference between SLC, MLC and TLC?
What is 3D XPoint and how fast is it?
What’s the difference between SATA, PCIe and NVMe?
What’s the difference between NAND and V-NAND?
What is sequential write speed?
What is sequential read speed?
What is incompressible data?
What is queue depth?
Solid State Drives
What is the SSD value for money rating?
What is 4K 64 thread write speed?
Can CPU power saving states (C1,C2,C3) impact SSD speed?
What is the effective SSD speed index?
How is the AS SSD write score calculated?
How is the AS SSD read score calculated?
How is the AS SSD total score calculated?
ALL FAQs »

 Best User Rated
The Best.
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-13600K $254Nvidia RTX 4060 $300Crucial MX500 250GB $39
Intel Core i5-12400F $133Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $385Samsung 850 Evo 120GB $80
Intel Core i5-12600K $163Nvidia RTX 4070 $539Samsung 860 Evo 250GB $52
HDDRAMUSB
Seagate Barracuda 1TB (2016) $39Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200 C16 2x8GB $40SanDisk Extreme 64GB $72
WD Blue 1TB (2012) $31Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3000 C15 2x8GB $37SanDisk Extreme 32GB $28
Seagate Barracuda 2TB (2016) $51G.SKILL Trident Z DDR4 3200 C14 4x16GB $351SanDisk Ultra Fit 32GB $16
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