After getting a lot of requests from the readers of SSD Sphere, I am finally doing a brief yet very interesting comparison of two popular SATA 2.5″ SSDs in the market. It’s interesting because the results are not what you were expecting.
The ADATA Ultimate SU800 is a budget SATA SSD but with competitive features. But, the Crucial MX500 is a performance SATA SSD and is one of the most popular SSDs ever launched by Crucial. Crucial is much more popular as compared to the SU800 but that’s doesn’t deny the fact the SU800 is not worth your money.
I know the source of this confusion. Both ADATA Ultimate SU800 and MX500 have the same 3D TLC NAND along with identical DRAM configurations. Also, the controllers used in both are the same (SMI SM2258) with exact similar configurations.
But, just like always, I have tried my best to do this comparison and give you the exact details. We are going to compare not only the theoretical specs, but also benchmark scores, practical applications, and price.
So, if you want to make a decision between these SSDs, I am here to give my insights on them. So, without any further delays, let’s get started.
Note: All the features and specifications of both the ADATA SU800 and SX850 are the same. So, you can consider this comparison between Crucial MX500 and ADATA SX850 as well.
Crucial MX500 vs ADATA SU800: Which one to choose and why?
We are going to compare both these SSDs by taking five different parameters into considerations. We will see the results one by one. So, let’s start.
1. Theoretical Specifications (Comparison)
Let’s compare the theoretical specifications of both these SSDs and see which one has better features to offer.
| Specifications | Crucial MX500 | ADATA SU800 |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 560MB/s | Up to 560MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 510MB/s | Up to 520MB/s |
| Random Read IOPS | 95K | 85K |
| Random Write IOPS | 90K | 85K |
| Capacity | 250GB-2TB | 128GB-1TB |
| Available Form Factors | 2.5″ and M.2 2280 | 2.5″ SATA |
| TBW | 360 | 800 |
| NAND Type | Micron’s 3D TLC | Micron’s 3D TLC |
| DRAM | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | Limited 5-Years | Limited 3-Years |
| Availability | Check Amazon | Check Amazon |
Results: In terms of the Warranty Period, the MX500 is surely a winner with its 5-Years limited warranty period. However, the TBW ratings are higher in SU800. The sequential read speeds are the same in both but the SU800 has 10 MB/s more in write with its 1TB variant. But, overall, the MX500 is winning because of its high random speeds, warranty, and M.2 Form Factor availability.
Check Crucial MX500 Product Flyer
2. Synthetic Benchmark Scores (Comparison)
As I do in other comparisons on this website, I tried testing both these SSDs using CrystalDiskMark 8 on my Intel i5 8th Gen PC. I have a lot of software installed on this system. The total RAM is 8GB (3200MHz). No graphics card is there. The OS is Windows 10 Home. I installed a new Windows OS on both these SSDs and then tried running the synthetic benchmark tests. The average results are as follows.
| Parameter | Crucial MX500 2.5″ (1TB) | ADATA SU800 2.5″ (1TB) |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential Read | 486 MB/s | 481 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 434 MB/s | 419 MB/s |
| Random 4K Read | 39.6 MB/s | 36.7 MB/s |
| Random 4K Write | 93.9 MB/s | 92.3 MB/s |
| Deep Queue 4K Read | 367.1 MB/s | 315.2 MB/s |
| Deep Queue 4K Write | 311.1 MB/s | 287.6MB/s |
Results: Interestingly, I found that the SU800 was offering almost similar results in terms of sequential operations. But, it was a little bit slower in random tasks. MX500 was doing great even after reading or writing huge files whether they include random or sequential data. I was not expecting these impressive results from SU800 but is actually offering great results until now.
3. OS and Software Loading Times
Now, with the same setup that I talked you about in the above section, I tried running several software using these SSDs. I also tried opening my Windows 10 Home several times and the results are as follows.
| Software/OS | Crucial MX500 1TB | ADATA SU800 1TB |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 Home (Ready to use) | In 25 Seconds | In 30 Seconds |
| Fortnite (Chapter 2) | 45 Seconds | 55 Seconds |
| Adobe Photoshop CC | 19 Seconds | 15 Seconds |
| Adobe Premiere Pro | 31 Seconds | 36 Seconds |
| Google Chrome | Within 5 Seconds | Within 5 Seconds |
| Blender (Animation Software) | 36 Seconds | 39 Seconds |
Results: As compared to the Hard Drives, any SSD will reduce your software loading times drastically. But, here, we can see that the ADATA SU800 is a little bit slower as compared to the MX500. I tried to confirm the speed by firing up all the software twice or thrice. But, I found a difference of around 5 seconds. I don’t know why Adobe Photoshop was opening a little bit faster with SU800 but slower with MX500. This could be an issue with my PC as well. But, overall, the MX500 was a winner by just a couple of seconds in all the tests.
4. Endurance
Both the companies have highlighted their TBW limits on the official website. You can check them as well. Let’s compare them as well to see which one is much more reliable.
| Version (Capacity) | Crucial MX500 (TBW) | ADATA SU800 (TBW) |
|---|---|---|
| 128GB | Version not available | 100 |
| 250/256GB | 100 | 200 |
| 500/512GB | 180 | 400 |
| 1TB | 360 | 800 |
| 2TB | 700 | 1600 |
| 4TB | Version not available | Version Not Available |
Result: I am impressed with the TBW ratings of ADATA SU800. It has much higher TBW limits as compared to the MX500. Especially, the 1600 TBW of the 2TB version. Let’s have a look at the MTBF as well.
Crucial MX500 MTBF: 1.8 Million Hours
ADATA SU800 MTBF: 2 Million Hours
The MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) is again higher in ADATA SU800.
However, the main concern is of the warranty period. The ADATA SU800 has just a 3-years warranty which is two years less than that of the MX500.
5. NAND, Cache, and Controller
Even if you do not have any technical knowledge about the SSDs, it is good to know which one has better internal configurations. I have compared these specs below and highlighted the better ones.
| Specifications | Crucial MX500 | ADATA SU800 |
|---|---|---|
| NAND Type | Micron’s TLC 3D | Micron’s TLC 3D |
| NAND Layers | 64/96 | 32/64 |
| Cache Type | DRAM Cache | SLC/DRAM |
| Controller | SMI SM2258 | SMI SM2258 |
| Controller Configurations | Single-Core, 4-Channels | Single-Core, 4-Channels |
Results: As you can see, there are only two differences. The ADATA SU800 is using its intelligent SLC and DRAM caching technology. However, the MX500 was able to offer good sequential and random read/write speeds because of its more NAND layers.
6. Price
If we talk about 1TB and 2TB variants of both the SSDs, the price difference can be bigger. I mean to say that the ADATA Ultimate SU800 is going to be a little bit expensive as compared to the MX500 on any platform you buy it. But, the prices keep changing so it is hard to tell the actual difference between the prices.
My final verdict on ADATA Ultimate SU800 vs Crucial MX500
I would suggest you go for Crucial MX500 if you are looking for a 5-year Warranty as compared to SU800’s 3-year warranty. However, if you want performance, both of them are good when it comes to tough practical applications.
So, it is tough to make a perfect final decision. But, in terms of reliability, the Crucial MX500 is surely a better option.
Thanks for reading!