Best 500GB SATA Crucial DRAM SSDs
There are 10 500GB SATA Crucial DRAM SSDs compared here. The fastest is the Crucial MX500 at 560 MB/s read at 500GB. Sequential reads across the group span 500–560 MB/s at 500GB.
Why this configuration
A 500GB SATA Crucial DRAM SSD is a budget and compatibility choice. SATA won't win benchmarks, but it's the cheapest way to add solid-state speed and fits essentially any PC or laptop with a 2.5-inch bay. Crucial specifically tends to be chosen here for its firmware track record and warranty support.
500GB is a sensible OS-plus-a-few-games size.
Usually chosen for: reviving older machines, cheap capacity upgrades and second drives.
Good fit: workstation and creative loads that hammer random I/O; budget upgrades, older PCs and second drives.
Look elsewhere for: large-file creative work where NVMe pulls ahead.
Ranked list
Speeds on this page are the manufacturer's 500GB ratings where published (5 of 10 drives), not the family headline figure. Rated writes at 500GB run 450–510 MB/s.
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 500GB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Crucial MX200 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | High-end | Marvell 88SS9189 | 550 | 320 | Find on Amazon |
| 2 |  Crucial MX200 M.2 250GB, 500GB | High-end | Marvell 88SS9189 | 550 | 160 | Find on Amazon |
| 3 |  Crucial M500 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 960GB | High-end | Marvell 88SS9187 | 500* | 72 | Find on Amazon |
| 4 |  Crucial MX500 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258H (1-Core, 4- | 560 | 700 | Check price on Amazon |
| 5 |  Crucial MX500 M.2 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258H (1-Core, 4- | 560 | 360 | Find on Amazon |
| 6 |  Crucial BX300 128GB, 250GB, 500GB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258 | 555* | 160 | Find on Amazon |
| 7 |  Crucial M550 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Marvell 88SS9189 | 550* | 72 | Find on Amazon |
| 8 |  Crucial M550 mSATA 128GB, 250GB, 500GB | Mid-range | Marvell 88SS9189 | 550* | 72 | Find on Amazon |
| 9 |  Crucial BX200 250GB, 500GB, 960GB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2256G | 540* | 72 | Find on Amazon |
| 10 |  Crucial BX100 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2246EN | 535 | 72 | Find on Amazon |
* family rating — the manufacturer does not publish a 500GB figure for this drive.
The parts, explained
500GB is a comfortable OS-and-games starting point.
SATA III tops out around 550 MB/s, but it is the cheapest interface and fits any 2.5-inch bay or older laptop.
An onboard DRAM cache keeps the flash mapping table on the drive, holding random performance steady under sustained load.
Staying with Crucial means consistent firmware, tooling and warranty handling across the range.
Common questions
Is SATA fast enough in 2026?
For an OS, apps and most games you won't notice the difference versus NVMe in daily use. NVMe pulls ahead mainly on large file transfers and load-heavy creative work.