Crucial announced that its new MX300 product line is shipping in more capacities. The 275GB, 525GB and 1TB SSDs join the existing Limited Edition 750GB MX300. Crucial also disclosed to Tom's Hardware that the MX300 will ship in the M.2 (over SATA) form factor in August. We can also expect a new 2TB MX200 in 2.5-inch around the same time.
The odd capacities come from Micron's new 384-bit 3D NAND flash. Micron's 3D ships in 256Gbit with 2-bit-per-cell MLC, but to gain an advantage over competing technology, Micron released its 3D TLC in 384Gbit, which is the highest density die available today from any NAND manufacturer. Even with the odd capacities, users get a healthy dose of spare area reserved for background activity that increases the user experience.
Specifications And Pricing
| Product | MX300 275GB | MX300 525GB | MX300 1TB | MX300 2TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $69.99 | $129.99 | $259.99 | Not Available |
| Form Factor | 2.5-InchM.2 2280 | 2.5-InchM.2 2280 | 2.5-InchM.2 2280 | 2.5-Inch |
| NAND Capacity | 288GB | 576GB | 1,152GB | 2,304GB |
| User Capacity | 275GB | 525GB | 1TB | 2TB |
| Sequential Read | 530 MB/s | 530 MB/s | 530 MB/s | 530 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 500 MB/s | 510 MB/s | 510 MB/s | 510 MB/s |
| Random Read | 55,000 IOPS | 92,000 IOPS | 92,000 IOPS | 92,000 IOPS |
| Random Write | 83,000 IOPS | 83,000 IOPS | 83,000 IOPS | 83,000 IOPS |
| Endurance | 80 TBW | 160 TBW | 360 TBW | 400 TBW |
| Warranty | 3-Years | 3-Years | 3-Years | 3-Years |
The fresh MX300 products deliver consistent performance across the product line. The only exception is the 275GB capacity model. It experiences a slight sequential write reduction from 510 MB/s to 500 MB/s. The random read performance also drops to 55,000 IOPS from 92,000 IOPS.
The other capacities provide the same performance as the Limited Edition 750 GB MX300 we tested last month.
The MX300 2TB will not ship until August, but is only the fourth consumer SSD to break the 2TB barrier. It will initially ship in a 2.5-inch form factor according to Crucial's newly released documents, but it would not be difficult for Micron to release a double-sided M.2 with four packages to reach the same capacity.
