If you ever search for a SATA SSD, you will surely get to see the Samsung 870 QVO and Crucial MX500. Both SSDs come equipped with a SATA III interface and a 2.5-inch form factor, promising compatibility with a wide array of systems.
The 870 QVO leverages QLC NAND technology, offering substantial storage capacities up to a staggering 8TB, making it a frontrunner for heavy storage needs. On the flip side, the MX500 utilizes TLC NAND technology, which, although caps at a 2TB storage capacity, promises faster performance and greater longevity.
Moreover, when we bring the lens to their performance metrics, the 870 QVO shines with sequential read speeds of up to 560 MB/s and write speeds reaching 530 MB/s. In contrast, the MX500 doesn’t lag far behind, presenting impressive read and write speeds as well, thereby ensuring a smooth and responsive computing experience.
In this article, I will delve deeper into the individual specifications, performance benchmarks, and features of each, providing a comprehensive view to assist you in pinpointing the SSD that aligns perfectly with your requirements. Let’s dissect each aspect to understand which drive holds a competitive edge.
Trying to decide which one to buy between the two can be strenuous. That is why I have mustered the specifications, benchmarks, and prices along with a few other facts that you need to know about the different variants of the two SSDs in order to make an informed purchase decision.
2. Theoretical Specifications Comparison
| Specification | Samsung 870 QVO | Crucial MX500 |
|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | 2.5-inch | 2.5-inch |
| Interface | SATA III (6Gb/s) | SATA III (6Gb/s) |
| NAND Technology | QLC (Quad-Level Cell) | TLC (Triple-Level Cell) |
| Storage Capacities | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 560 MB/s | Up to 560 MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 530 MB/s | Up to 510 MB/s |
| Random Read Speed | 98K IOPS | 95K IOPS |
| Random Write Speed | 88K IOPS | 95K IOPS |
| Warranty | 3 years | 5 years |
| MTBF | 1.5 million hours | 1.8 million hours |
| Endurance (TBW) | Up to 2,880 TBW (for 8TB model) | Up to 700 TBW (for 2TB model) |
3. Synthetic Benchmark scores comparison
These benchmarks are for the 1TB variants of both.
Benchmarking reveals the true potential of SSDs and that is why you must consider these scores in order to make a choice.
Sequential Read/Write Benchmark Scores
Random Read/Write Benchmark Scores
PCMark 10 Full Drive Benchmark
Anvil Storage Utilities Benchmark
Benchmarks Observations: It is evident that the Samsung 870 QVO slightly edges out the Crucial MX500 in both sequential and random read/write performances. While the margin is not substantial, it nonetheless offers a superior performance profile compared to the MX500.
You can surely expect good performance in day-to-day performance with the Samsung 860 QVO. However, don’t make your decision your decision yet. The 870 QVO comes with some drawbacks which we are going to cover.
4. Technical Specifications
| Specifications | Samsung 870 QVO | Crucial MX500 |
|---|---|---|
| NAND Type | Samsung’s QLC NAND | Micron’s TLC 3D |
| NAND Layers | 9x | 64/96 |
| DRAM | DRAM-Less | 250GB: 256MB DDR3 500GB: 512MB DDR3 1TB: 1GB DDR3 2TB: 2GB DDR3 |
| Controller | Samsung MKX | SMI SM2258 |
| Controller Configurations | Tri-Core, 8-Channels | Single-Core, 4-Channels |
The MX500 is clearly equipped with better tech and that’s the reason it is much more reliable and suitable for hardcore tasks. The controller is much better with the 870 QVO to handle those heavy wear-leveling and management tasks in the QLC NAND. On the other hand, the MX500 is perfectly find with a single core controller because of its TLC NAND.
4. Endurance, MTBF, and Warranty
The endurance of SSDs is fairly difficult to determine practically. The usage and environment heavily impact an SSD’s life. Nonetheless, these are the figures that are furnished by the companies.
| Parameter | Samsung 870 QVO | Crucial MX500 |
|---|---|---|
| TBW (Total Bytes Written) | 1TB: 360 TBW 2TB: 720 TBW 4TB: 1,440 TBW 8TB: 2,880 TBW | 250GB: 100 TBW 500GB: 180 TBW 1TB: 360 TBW 2TB: 700 TBW |
| Warranty | 3-Years Limited Warranty | 5-Years Limited Warranty |
| MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) | 1.50 Million Hours | 1.80 Million Hours |
The endurance level of the 1TB variants of both SSDs is identical. The 2TB variant of the Samsung 870 QVO has more durability. So by comparing the data provided by the companies, the 870 QVO comes out to be on top.
I found those big TBW numbers with the 4TB and 8TB variants quite impressive with the Samsung 870 QVO. With the option to buy a large storage drive, the MX500 allows you to receive a good amount of endurance.
The warranty period could be an issue for a lot of us. Crucial is coming with 2 years more of warranty which is a good thing to consider while buying your SSD.
You can learn more about TBW and SSD Endurance here.
5. Price Difference
As you are now aware of the performance and durability of both SSDs, it is time to compare them in terms of their prices.
Note: The prices of any product vary depending on the time of your purchase and your location among other factors. The prices are sourced from official websites on the date of the writing of this article.
Prices
There are only two storage capacities that are mutual for both SSDs i.e. 1TB and 2TB. The prices of both are almost similar. When comparing their prices overall, the 1TB Crucial MX500 is cheaper than the 1TB Samsung 870 QVO. Whereas, the prices of the 2TB variants of the two SSDs are identical.
Verdict: Which one should you choose?
Even though the Samsung 870 QVO is a great SSD, the Crucial comes out to be on top when pitted against it. The reason why I say this is because the Crucial MX500 comes with a TLC NAND Flash while the Samsung 870 QVO has the QLC NAND.
I am not denying the fact that the 870 QVO is a great SSD. But, when it comes to reliability, the TLC NAND Flash is clearly better than the QLC NAND Flash. The 870 QVO is a DRAM-Less SSD which is another big drawback.
Another reason to go for the MX500 is its 5-year warranty period as compared to the 3-Years of the Samsung 870 QVO.
However, there is a great application of 870 QVO which is to store a large amount of data in a single drive. There are very few 8TB drives available in the market. So, the 870 QVO sits perfectly with that requirement if you have one.
I hope that this article has cleared your doubts and made it easy for you to make a decision. You can get in touch if you have any queries.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Samsung 870 QVO utilizes QLC (Quad-Level Cell) NAND technology, which allows for higher storage capacities but potentially offers slightly lower performance and endurance compared to the TLC (Triple-Level Cell) NAND technology used in the Crucial MX500.
If high storage capacity is a priority, the Samsung 870 QVO would be the better choice, offering options up to 8TB, which is significantly higher than the maximum 2TB offered by the Crucial MX500.
Yes, both the Samsung 870 QVO and the Crucial MX500 offer hardware encryption support, enhancing the security of your data.
Yes, both the Samsung 870 QVO and the Crucial MX500 are backward compatible with SATA II and SATA I interfaces, although the maximum data transfer rate will be limited to the peak speeds of these older interfaces.
Yes, both Samsung and Crucial offer proprietary software solutions for their SSDs. Samsung provides the Samsung Magician software, while Crucial offers the Storage Executive Tool and Acronis True Image for Crucial for efficient drive management and data migration.
Thanks for reading!
This is misleading. Samsung is using QLC which will die faster than what they put in their endurance spec than TLC. Never trust manufacturer specs.
Hi, max! I have clearly mentioned that the Samsung 870 QVO has QLC SSD.
This is the reason why I have recommended the MX500 instead of the Samsung 870 QVO.
They are identical on 1TB and on 2TB Samsung wins buy 20 TBW an increase of 2.8% whereas none of these TBWs from either manufacturer will be reached even as a heavy user at 2.7 TBs per week
Hi Corey!
Actually, I have updated the article and recommended the MX500 because I know it has TLC NAND Flash which is better than the 870 QVO’s QLC NAND.
I really wanna ask will a regular user /developer like me who doesn’t code that much but work more online which of this is good i bought the Samsung but i am having second thoughts after reading reviews should i buy Evo from samsung and return the qvo
Actually, I can’t really suggest a single SSD specifically to you. This is a comparison where I have discussed only two SSDs. A good SSD will always be picked after looking at your system specs. You can always contact me regarding this.
However, I would like to tell you that Samsung the Samsung 870 EVO comes with the TLC NAND which is better than the 870 QVO’s QLC NAND. So, it is a good reason to pick the EVO over QVO.
I hope this will help.