With both Samsung and Toshiba releasing their specific implementation of 3D NAND earlier this year it was only a matter of time before Micron joined them, and in the long term these developments should prove to be a boon for consumers as they offer better value and long-term durability. The question is if Micron's debut 3D NAND product can live up to the performance expectations of the MX brand.
The picture on the performance front is decidedly mixed. Throughout we saw Random and Sequential Read scores substantially below par compared with competing 2.5" SSDs - including Crucial's own value-oriented BX200 drive - and yet Random and Sequential Writes were generally ahead of the curve. This is most clear in our AIDA64 results, but also makes an appearance in other synthetic benchmarks. Only PCMark 8 bucks the trend, indicating exemplary performance in 'real-world' situations that the tool has been built to emulate.
It's no secret that Crucial delayed the launch of the MX300 after early indications of poor performance ahead of an expected launch last month, and we wouldn't be surprised to see post-launch firmware updates for the MX300 to address this relatively inexplicable weakness.
The other part of the equation for storage is value for money, and it's here where the MX300 sees a large boost to its profile. Coming in at an MSRP of $199.99, and available for a touch less than £165 inc. V.A.T. in the UK, it's by far one of the more affordable high-capacity SSDs currently on the market. Despite the introduction of new 3D NAND technology from Micron it achieves its chief aim of making this storage more affordable, and whets the appetite ahead of an anticipated 2TB version later this year. Presupposing improved write durability in the transition to 3D NAND, something that's beyond a launch review test lineup, the MX300 is well placed in the market.
Crucial's MX300 is a good value proposition with great write speed for a SATA III SSD, but poor read speeds. Crucial's record for firmware updates is a good one and so we would expect lingering problems to be addressed, but at this time we can only commend the drive based on solid value for money on a GB/£ basis.
Pros:
- Ubiquitous form factor
- Good Sequential & Random Write scores
- Good value for money for capacious SSD storage
- Micron 3D NAND should offer better long-term write durability
- Promising technology for still higher capacity SSDs
Cons
- Poor Random & Sequential Read scores
- Ubiquitous form factor
- Good Sequential & Random Write scores
- Good value for money for capacious SSD storage
- Micron 3D NAND should offer better long-term write durability
- Promising technology for still higher capacity SSDs
Cons
- Poor Random & Sequential Read scores
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
