Both Crucial P1 and Crucial P2 are nearly similar to each other in all aspects. But, is there any difference in both? Is there anything that you should keep in mind before buying any of these? Honestly, there are a lot of differences between these devices?
If we look closely at the features, you will see that the P1 beats the P2 in most of the terms. But, just because the P2 seems to be the latest product, it is not ahead of its predecessor i.e. P1. In this article, we are going to uncover some of the main differences between these both.
We will compare the theoretical specs as well as the benchmark scores. So, keep reading until the end.
Also Read: 6 Reasons to buy NVMe SSDs
1. Theoretical Specifications
Before proceeding further, it is worth knowing the basic offerings of these SSDs promised by the manufacturer. This would help us have a basic idea of both the products.
| Specifications | Crucial P1 (1TB) | Crucial P2 (1TB) |
|---|---|---|
| Read Speed (Seq.) | 2000 MB/s | 2400 MB/s |
| Write Speed (Seq.) | 1700 MB/s | 1900 MB/s |
| Random 4kB Read | 170,000 IOPS | 295,000 IOPS |
| Random 4kB Write | 240,000 IOPS | 430,000 IOPS |
| Capacities | 250GB-2TB | 500GB-2TB |
| Form Factor/Interface | M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe Gen 3 | M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe Gen 3 |
| Endurance | 200 Terabyte Written | 300 Terabyte Written |
| Warranty Period | Limited 5-Year | Limited 5-Year |
As per these specs, you can see that the Crucial P2 is capable of offering a better sequential read/write speed. But, would it win in the actual benchmark tests too? That is the main question.
2. Benchmark Scores
The benchmarks are done using CrystalDisk software. The system was using an Intel i5 8th Gen processor along with a 3200Mhz RAM. The results may vary depending on your system configurations and the overall space occupied.
| Speed | Crucial P1 1TB (100% Empty) | Crucial P2 1TB (100% Empty) |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential Read (Avg.) | 1578 MB/s | 1975 MB/s |
| Sequential Write (Avg.) | 1269 MB/s | 1793 MB/s |
| 4kB Random Read (Avg.) | 78.2 MB/s | 54.1 MB/s |
| 4kB Random Write (Avg.) | 174.4 MB/s | 132.8 MB/s |
With these results, you can clearly see that the Crucial P2 is winning when it comes to sequential data reading and writing. This might be happening because of more layers of 3D QLC NAND. But, if we talk about the random operations, the P1 is winning the game clearly because of its faster DRAM cache.
4. Endurance
Let’s see what the company has to say about the endurance of these products.
| Product | TBW (Terabytes Written) | Warranty | MTTF (Mean Time To Failure) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crucial P1 | Up to 400 TBW | 5-Years | 1.8 Million Hours |
| Crucial P2 | Up to 600 TBW | 5-Years | 1.5 Million Hours |
With this, you can say that the P1 can give you better results in the longer run. However, for larger data reading and writing operations, the P2 is a good choice.
5. NAND, DRAM, and Controller
| Specifications | Crucial P1 | Crucial P2 |
|---|---|---|
| NAND Type | 3D QLC NAND | 3D TLC/QLC NAND |
| NAND Layers | 64 | 96 |
| DRAM | Yes (DRAM Buffer) | Not Available |
| Controller | SMI SM2263 | Phison E13T |
| Controller Configurations | Dual-Core, 4 Channels | Single-Core, 4 Channels |
Crucial P2 has slightly better features if we talk about raw storage. However, the P1 is great in terms of cache handling.
6. Price
When we compare the prices of both these SSDs, you would see that the P1 would be priced around 10-20% higher than the P2. You can check the current prices below.
Final Verdict on Crucial P2 vs Crucial P1
In my opinion, both the SSDs are good but in their own specific terms.
In other words, the Crucial P2 is a perfect option for those who generally move large files from one place to another inside their systems. The sequential read and write speed is comparatively the best in P2.
But, the Crucial P1 will beat the P2 when it comes to the random read/write operations. For example, if you launch any software, the P1 is always capable of opening it at a faster pace. The same goes with the system rebooting.
So, if you just want an SSD to enhance the performance of your system and reduce the software/OS loading times drastically, just go for the P1. But, if you just want to increase the read/write speed of huge files, P2 is suitable for you.
Thanks for being here!