Crucial MX500 500GB 3D NAND SATA 2.5 Inch Internal SSD
- Internal Solid State Drive
- 500 GB
- Standard Packaging
- 1
- Better rated than 63%
- More reviewed than 95%
A dependable 500GB SATA SSD for reviving an old machine or building a budget desktop; not the pick if your board supports NVMe and you want top speed.
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How it ranks among the 19 internal solid state drives we track
4.8★ across 55,500 Amazon ratings, Bayesian-smoothed toward the category average.
55,500 Amazon ratings, weighted on a log scale so huge counts don't drown everything.
100+ bought on Amazon last month.
Brand identity, imagery, description and spec coverage.
The ProductDome score is separate from the Amazon rating shown above: it combines the Bayesian-smoothed Amazon rating with evidence volume, tracked demand, and data quality across the 19 internal solid state drives we track - how the scorecard works · full internal solid state drives data report. Confidence: high - strong rating volume and complete data.Updated 6 days ago. Data-computed, not a hands-on test. Compiled by the ProductDome Research Team.
Overview
The Crucial MX500 is a 500GB 2.5 inch SATA solid state drive built to replace an aging mechanical hard drive in a laptop or desktop. It suits anyone whose boot times have crept past a minute and wants a straightforward upgrade path.
SATA SSDs like this one have become a commodity upgrade, but the reviews here show why the MX500 specifically keeps getting picked: it drops into machines as old as a 2014 MacBook Pro or a launch era desktop build without drama. The caveat is that SATA itself caps throughput well below NVMe, so anyone chasing benchmark numbers on a modern PCIe motherboard should look elsewhere. This drive earns its reputation on compatibility and longevity, not raw speed.
- 500GB of 3D NAND storage in a 2.5 inch SATA form factor
- Fits standard laptop and desktop drive bays without an adapter
- Backed by Crucial's own support and service
- Widely used for console hard drive replacements, including the PS3
Who it's for
Well suited to anyone reviving an old laptop, desktop or even a game console with a 2.5 inch SATA bay, and to first time SSD installers who want a drive with a long track record. Not the choice for someone building a new NVMe capable system who wants maximum sequential speed.
What buyers say
From Amazon customer reviews.
Reviewers who installed the MX500 in aging laptops and desktops consistently reported dramatic boot time drops, in one case a Dell G3 notebook and in another a 2014 MacBook Pro going from a slow grinding startup to booting in well under fifteen seconds. Several used it as a straightforward hard drive replacement in gaming desktops and even a PlayStation 3 with no reported failures. The one recurring friction point was around cloning software: one reviewer's larger source drive would not clone down to 500GB with Acronis, and another mentioned disliking Crucial's own bundled backup tool.
Strengths and trade-offs
Drawn from this product's published specifications.
- Drops into laptops, desktops and older consoles alike
- Reported to revive machines as old as a 2014 MacBook Pro
- Priced below several same tier competitors at time of purchase
- Straightforward install even for first timers with instructions
- SATA interface caps speed well below NVMe drives
- Cloning a larger source drive down to 500GB can be fiddly
- Bundled backup and cloning software gets mixed reception
Specifications
| Brand | Crucial |
|---|---|
| Model | CT500MX500SSD1 |
| Dimensions & fit | |
| Item Weight | 1.4 ounces |
| Item Dimensions L x W x Thickness | 5.1 × 3.9 × 0.4 inches |
| Cache Memory Installed Size | 256 |
| HardDrive Size | 500 GB |
| Capacity & performance | |
| Digital Storage Capacity | 500 GB |
| Media Speed | 510 MB |
| Read Speed | 560 megabytes_per_second |
| Construction & materials | |
| Enclosure Material | Information Not Available |
| Compatibility & installation | |
| Compatible Devices | Desktop, Laptop |
| Connectivity Technology | SATA |
| Hard Disk Interface | SATA 6 GB/s |
| Hardware Connectivity | SATA 6.0 Gb/s |
| Included components | |
| Customer Package Type | Standard Packaging |
| Unit Count | 1 |
| Warranty & support | |
| Warranty Description | 5 years |
| Other details | |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Additional Features | Data Recovery Service |
| BuiltIn Media | 7mm to 9.5mm Spacer, Acronis True Image for Crucial Cloning Software and Installation, MX500 2.5-inch Solid State Drive |
| Specific Uses For Product | personal, gaming, business |
| Mfr Part Number | CT500MX500SSD1 |
| Data Transfer Rate | 6 gigabits_per_second |
| Form Factor | 2.5-inch |
| Hard Disk Description | Dynamic Write Acceleration Redundant Array of Independent NAND (RAIN) Multistep Data Integrity Algorithm Adaptive Thermal Protection Integrated Power Loss Immunity Active Garbage Collection TRIM Support Self-Monitoring and Reporting Technology (SMART) Error Correction Code (ECC) Device Sleep Support |
| Hardware Platform | PC; Mac |
| Item Type Name | Solid State Drive |
Other Crucial internal solid state drives
How it compares
This product against the closest alternatives we track in internal solid state drives.
| Product | Amazon rating | Ratings | ProductDome score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crucial MX500 500GB 3D NAND SATA 2.5 Inch Internal SSDThis product | 4.8 / 5 | 55,500 | 4.6 / 5 |
| Kingston NV3 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSDKingston | 4.7 / 5 | 13,800 | 4.8 / 5 |
| WD_Black SN7100 1TB NVMe SSDWD_Black | 4.8 / 5 | 6,400 | 4.8 / 5 |
| Samsung SSD 870 EVO SATA III 2.5” 1TBSamsung | 4.8 / 5 | 45,500 | 4.7 / 5 |
| PNY CS900 250GB 2.5" SATA III Internal SSDPNY | 4.7 / 5 | 5,400 | 4.7 / 5 |
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Questions about the Crucial CT500MX500SSD1
Common buyer questions answered straight from the product spec data - no fluff, no "it depends".
Will the Crucial MX500 fit a standard laptop drive bay?
Yes, it uses the standard 2.5 inch SATA form factor that fits the vast majority of laptop and desktop drive bays without an adapter.
Is the Crucial MX500 500GB fast enough for a modern build?
It runs on the SATA III interface, so it is a solid upgrade over a mechanical hard drive but will not match the speed of an NVMe drive on a board that supports one.
Can the Crucial MX500 be used to upgrade a game console?
Reviewers report using the 500GB MX500 as a replacement drive in consoles such as the PlayStation 3 that accept a 2.5 inch SATA drive.