Performance: 35 out of 40.
On the one hand there is a rather noticeable performance penalty by opting for the small MX300 275GB over larger capacity version. On the other hand the same amount of money can net you one potent RAID array ‘drive’. Thus performance will vary greatly on how you setup and use this version.
Technological Innovation: 18 out of 20
As with all the other MX300’s before it, 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.
Build Quality & Warranty: 19 out of 20
Like all Crucial MX300’s the 275GB is built to exceedingly high standards – right down to including physical data lose 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 so what it lacks in length it more than makes up for in quality.
Value: 18 out of 20
When you combine decent performance with a rock bottom price the possibilities and the value really is darn near limitless. 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: 90 out of 100
With its combination of excellent value, amazing flexibility and good performance the MX300 275GB really is a good choice for those on a tight budget.
