Performance: 35 out of 40
Are you looking for the best NVMe drive available today? Then look no further… than the 2TB capacity variant of the T705 series. Make no mistake. This 1TB capacity version is fast. Faster than a 1TB’er has any right being. It is so fast it basically catches up and sometimes surpasses last years 2TB T700. That is indeed “fast”. It just is not the fastest. For that one has to step up to the 2TB capacity and its higher MSRP.
Technological Innovation: 18 out of 20
Cutting edge NAND that makes Crucial’s last generation seem pokey and slow by comparison? Check. Insane amounts of RAM cache so that an outdated controller can somewhat handle the stress said NAND places on it? Check! Removing the screws and replacing it with press fitment for the heatsink? Sadly also check. Because of that “improvement” we have dinged the T705 two points as not every innovation is a good thing. Sometimes engineers get so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should and this is a failure of management to rein their enthusiasm in a smidge.
Build Quality & Warranty: 18 out of 20
Crucial have always been known for three things: their conservativism, their commitment to customer service, and their build quality. All of which have garnered them an enviable reputation. The T705 proves the old (meatloaf) adage that ‘two out of three ain’t bad” is indeed true. That sometimes even the best can occasionally make a misstep or two. Thankfully, even with the cost cutting Crucial inflicted upon the T705 heastink version, it still is a robust SSD that is backstopped one of the Titans of the industry.
Value: 18 out of 20
Typically, ‘enthusiast’ and ‘value’ go together like oil and water… and this is where we would have to go and place everything in its proper perspective. The 1TB capacity version of the T705 just proves that there are indeed exceptions to this rule. Put bluntly, the 1TB T705 represents a good overall value and an excellent value by the enthusiast marketplace standards. Color us impressed… even if they had to sacrifice tenths of a cent screws to hit their MSRP.
Final Score:89 out of 100
The Crucial Pro T705 1TB NVMe may not be perfect, in the OEM heatsink edition at least, but what it is… is a great value for enthusiasts who do not want to comprise performance in order to save their ‘inflation adjusted’ budget from ballooning (further) out of control. To be concise, it is as fast as last year’s T700 two Terabyte capacity model and offers enough power that most will be more than happy with what it has to offer. For those who want even more, the 2TB T705 will be a more optimal showcase for what Microns fully unleashed B58R Replacement Gate TLC NAND has to offer.
