Introduction
The dust hasn’t had time to settle on our Crucial MX200 review before we have a look at the Crucial BX200 480Gb SSD. We explored the RAID and chipset performance differences previously, we are not going to this time, but remember this as we test on our standard X99 platform. The BX200 replaces the BX100 which we reviewed here and liked, receiving a 4.3 out of 5 scoring. So what’s the main differences and why upgrade to a Crucial BX200 480Gb SSD?
Solid state drives are very different from the legacy HDD’s, but not just in a technology sense. HDD’s had pretty much hit their development peak when SSD’s started to take off. They have since seen a rebirth with much larger capacities and new technologies keeping them well ahead of the SSD variety of storage. This was more about capacity than anything else, whereas SSD’s have the untapped development edge to their name and having non storage manufacturers developing the technology.
What does this mean? It really means you are going to be replacing your SSD with your graphics cards, every eight to 12 months for the lucky few. Each generation is getting faster, more efficient, larger capacities and cheaper. The BX200 fits right into this evolution, with specifications slightly better, faster and by all accounts, it should be cheaper too. Let’s find out if all that’s true.
| BX200 480Gb | BX100 500Gb | |
| Form Factor | 2.5-inch internal SSD | 2.5-inch internal SSD |
| Controller | Silicon Motion SM2256 w/ Custom Firmware | Silicon Motion SM2246EN |
| Sequential Read | 540 MB/s | 535 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 490 MB/s | 450 MB/s |
| Encryption | NA | NA |
| NAND | Micron 16nm 128Gbit TLC | Micron 16nm 128Gbit MLC |
| NAND Packages | 8/64GB | 8/64GB |
| Onboard DDR3 Cache | 512MB | 512MB |
| Active Power Consumption | 150mW | 150mW |
| Capacity | 240GB/480GB/960GB | 120GB/250GB/500GB/1TB |
| Interface | SATA 6Gb/s, compatible with all older SATA interfaces | SATA 6Gb/s, compatible with all older SATA interfaces |
| Warranty | 3 Years | 3 Years |
Product Gallery
Crucial have slightly updated their branding and it is slightly fresher and brighter looking. We are not here to review this, but it is worth a mention.
Also included, a 7mm to 9.5mm spacer and an Acronis True Image HD software certificate for free data transfer. The Acronis certificate wasn’t included in the BX100 so you are already getting more for your money.
The BX200 480Gb without the casing is a familiar sight, well, possibly not. 8/64GB Micron 16nm 128Gbit TLC NANDs for the BX200, whereas the BX100 utilised Micron 16nm 128Gbit MLC NANDs. The BX200 is Crucial’s first TLC NAND SSD and generally using three bit-per-cell TLC NAND will give a capacity/cost boost to the baseline capability of anyone’s SSD range.
Crucial BX200 480Gb SSD Storage Review
Package - 8.5
Performance - 7.5
Price - 7.5
Consumer Experience - 7.5
7.8
We test a number of SSD storage drives on a daily basis. Some for official reviews and others for test to manage and understand the technology, where it's going and if there are any performances or set-ups that may make the difference to the end user. The Crucial BX200 480Gb isn't a trailblazer in anyway, the BX200 is Crucial's first TLC NAND SSD so it's an important drive for Crucial, but not in the performance stakes.