Performance: 37 out of 40.
Due to the SATA AHCI bottleneck this drive is very, very fast in and out of RAID but obviously will never hold a candle to what NVMe or even AHCI’PCIe’ based models can do. With that for its class the performance of the MX300 1050GB is still outstanding and sure to please average consumers and PC gaming enthusiasts alike.
Technological Innovation: 18 out of 20
The only thing that would have made this a perfect 20 out of 20 is if Crucial had opted for a NVMe controller instead of Marvell’s SATA AHCI controller. Besides this ‘issue’, the MX300 is packed to the rafters with Innovation – so much so it makes most SATA SSD’s look downright backwards in comparison.
Build Quality & Warranty: 19 out of 20
Like all Crucial models the MX300 is built to exceedingly high standards – right down to including physical data loos protection abilities. On the warranty front a three year warranty is a touch disappointing as Toshiba, Intel, and even newcomers like PNY now offer longer warranties. However, Crucial has a stellar reputation for making the RMA experience as painless as possible.
Value: 19 out of 20
When you combine good performance with down right cavernous capacity the end result is a drive that is packed with as much value as it is technological innovation. Now if Crucial would only release a NVMe model and do for the enthusiast class what they have done – with the MX300 – for the mainstream consumer!
Final Score: 93 out of 100
A combination of excellent capacity, equally great durability, and good performance is a winning one. In other words: performance, value, and capacity… what more could you ask for?!
