Which wins: Crucial vs. Samsung SSDs? There are countless SSD manufacturers on the market, but none with quite as much goodwill to their name as Samsung. For years, if you were looking for a reliable SATA SSD, then Samsung was the only choice.
Now, time and technology have progressed, so the differences might not be quite as pronounced. With that in mind, how exactly does Crucial compare?
Crucial offers many similar products on the market, with NVMe and SATA SSDs being among its specialties. Before you go purchasing an SSD, maybe take a gander and see which one is the best choice for you.
Crucial vs. Samsung SSDs: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Crucial | Samsung | |
|---|---|---|
| SSDs Offered | SATA, NVMe, and External | SATA, NVMe, and External |
| Best SATA SSD | MX500 | 870 EVO |
| Best NVMe SSD | T700 | 990 Pro |
| Pricing | Generally more affordable; some models start as low as $29.99 | Higher-end, on average; you can expect to pay $50 for 250GB NVMe drives |
| SATA Performance | MX500 tops out at 560MB/s read speed, 510MB/s write speed | 560 MB/s read speed and 530 MB/s write speed on the 870 EVO series of SATA drives |
| NVMe Performance | Can reach read speeds of 12,400 MB/s, write speeds of 11,800 MB/s | Sequential read speed of 7,518 MB/s and sequential write speed of 6,850 MB/s on the 990 Pro |
| External SSD Performance | X10 Pro can reach up to 2,150MB/s read and write speeds | Sequential read and write speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s on the Samsung T7 |
Just looking at raw specs, it is easy to assume that Crucial might carry this shootout on its own. However, SSDs aren’t made equal, and there are quite a few determining factors when it comes to picking out the one that performs the best.
Crucial vs. Samsung SSDs: What’s the Difference?
Crucial and Samsung both turn out fairly stellar SSDs across the spectrum of possible configurations. However, there are some noted differences that the figures above don’t really illuminate.
Performance
SATA drives have a hard theoretical limit they can reach in terms of throughput. As such, it’s really just splitting hairs as to which SSD you’d prefer. On average, something like the Crucial MX500 is going to run for much cheaper than a comparable drive from Samsung.
The NVMe drives are where things get really interesting. PCI-Express has theoretical limits itself, but they are vastly higher than the SATA throughput. As such, you can get some astounding speeds from both the Crucial T700 and Samsung 990 Pro.
- 560 MB per second data transfer rate
- 500 GB digital storage capacity
- SATA 6.0 Gb/s interface
On paper, the Crucial T700 is the faster NVMe drive, but there are some caveats to keep in mind. If you’re transferring large files to the T700, it might actually slow down to a rate that makes it pale in comparison to the Samsung 990 Pro.
Part of this is down to the chips that are used in the construction of NVMes. The Crucial T700 does great for smaller file transfers but slows down considerably when initiating larger file transfers. Samsung’s 990 Pro might start slower, but it stays more consistent regardless of the size of the file being written.
Form Factor
Samsung and Crucial both offer the same trio of offerings when it comes to drives. For SATA SSDs, you’re restricted to the common 2.5-inch size factor. This is compatible with both desktop and laptop computers, provided you have a compatible SATA interface and power supply. As such, both the 870 EVO and MX500 make great choices if you’re looking for a speed boost in your computer.
- Storage: 1TB
- Sequential reads up to 1050 Mbps
- Sequential writes up to 1000 Mbps
NVMe drives are mostly the same as well, with both using the PCI-E interface. NVMe drives are compact by default but are best served on desktop computers. While there are certainly NVMe drives on the market for laptops, it is a bit of a rarity for most business-grade laptops.
External SSDs from both companies are equally compact. If you’re looking for a smaller external SSD, then Crucial might be the best overall choice. You’re still benefiting from USB 3.0 read and write speeds but in a far more easily carried SSD.
Understanding NVMe Performance
Something that is deserving of its own section is actual NVMe performance. Now, the table in the side-by-side comparison paints a fairly clear picture in terms of numbers. You can successfully infer that the Crucial T700 has greater throughput right off the bat.
Where Samsung has the edge in NVMe drives is in the components used to actually assemble the drives. There are three tiers of chips used with NVMe drives, with the fastest being SLC memory. SLC memory is low density, but quite fast.
It is also quite expensive, so you aren’t going to be building a drive entirely out of SLC memory. Crucial opts for the cheaper QLC chips, which are considerably slower than SLC and have higher density. High-density data means the drive is going to have to work harder to retrieve or write data in the first place.
Samsung opts instead to use TLC memory, which is slower than SLC memory, but considerably faster than QLC. TLC memory is higher density, but it is less dense compared to QLC memory. As such, the Samsung NVMe drives might be slower on paper but are considerably faster in actual use.
Longevity
Perhaps one of the vital statistics to keep in mind with any SSD is the overall lifespan of the drive itself. Samsung has come under fire with its top-of-the-line 990 Pro NVMe drives for the rapid degradation of the SSD just under normal use.
- 12400 MB per second data transfer rate
- 2 TB digital storage capacity
- Hardware platform: PC, Mac, Linux
SSDs typically have a TBW rating or terabytes written, which dictates the overall lifespan you can expect from a drive. This is averaged with the assumption that you’ll be writing 40GB or so of data daily on the drive, so you can typically expect decades from the most reputable SSDs.
Crucial’s T700 is highly durable, with a 2TB drive rating of 1,200 TBW before the end of life. The higher the capacity of the drive, the more likely it is to endure for an extended duration. SSDs still haven’t quite caught up to mechanical drives in terms of overall longevity.
That said, if you’re looking for long lifespans out of your SSDs, then Crucial is the way to go.
Crucial vs. Samsung SSDs: 6 Must-Know Facts
- Crucial makes affordable and durable SSDs.
- The Crucial T700 is a great choice for users looking for an NVMe drive.
- Lower-end Crucial NVMe drives use lower-grade QLC memory, making them slower.
- Samsung’s 870 EVO is one of the best SATA SSDs you can purchase.
- The 990 Pro isn’t the best choice for an NVMe drive due to the rapid degradation of the unit.
- Samsung’s T7 is a fantastic choice for external SSDs and is a gold standard for USB 3.0 SSDs.
Crucial vs. Samsung SSDs: Which One Is Better? Which One Should You Choose?
So, which of these SSDs should you choose? Honestly, if you’re opting for an NVMe drive, then Crucial is the way to go. The T700 series of SSDs are affordable and have plenty of longevity when looking at the hard facts. They might be slower than the 990 Pro, but they won’t degrade nearly as fast.
Samsung has the edge when it comes to SATA and external SSDs. The 870 EVO is a continued favorite for users looking for a dependable SATA drive. The Samsung T7 is one of the best choices you can make for adding some additional storage to the likes of a laptop.
- 560 MB per second data transfer rate
- 1 TB digital storage capacity
- Hardware platform: PC, Mac, Linux
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