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Crucial BX200 960GB SSD Review – A Budget Friendly SSD

Price and Availability

The Crucial BX200 SSD series is now available in the US, replacing the first generation BX100. At the time I published this review the following are the respective retail prices: $64.99 for 240GB, $129.99 for 480GB, and $299.99 for the 960GB capacity. The BX200 is backed with a limited 3-year warranty from the manufacturer. You can order one directly from B&H Photo Video here. For UK visitors, it’s available at Amazon UK here. Visit the respective links for updated pricing and availability.

Crucial BX200 960GB SSD Review

Crucial BX200 960GB SSD Review: Conclusion

Crucial’s goal with the BX series was to make an affordable SSD that offers significant performance improvement compared to a hard disk drive so that people can make that decision to ditch their mechanical hard drive and jump into the fast lane.

When I first learned that the next generation Crucial BX200 SSD series was based on a TLC NAND Flash instead of the usual MLC that we are used to, I had mixed feelings about it. Primarily because MLC NAND flash has better overall performance compared to TLC, not to mention MLCs have better endurance compared to TLCs. The only advantage I see with TLCs is that they are cheaper and are supposed to help lower the cost of an SSD and make SSDs with larger capacities become more affordable.

First, let me discuss some of my concerns with the next generation BX200 SSD. The read performance of the drive was generally good and performed as expect. I got as high as 557MB/s sequential read speeds in ATTO, or just below 500MB/s in other tests. With those numbers, it’s surely faster (in terms of read speed) than any hard drives currently on the market. However, the write performance was somehow disappointing. It’s still generally fast specially compared to a hard drive, reaching write speed of up to 491MB/s in my tests, near its advertised speed. But I got significant drops with its write performance specially on prolonged write operations, as observed in HD Tune’s write test. Also on my ATTO disk benchmark results, its read performance was steady and consistent, however the write performance was erratic and somewhat akin to a roller coaster ride. So for those who are heavy on write operations, better consider a better performing SSD, like the MX200. Also, I feel that the $299.99 retail price for the 960GB capacity is a little bit high for its performance. Other 960GB SSD from competition who is offering similar (or probably better) performance are currently priced lower.

Other than its write performance and tad higher price for the 960GB capacity, the Crucial BX200 SSD series is generally a good SSD. In terms of physical appearance, it’s simple, clean and very much likeable. It comes with a decent 72TB of total byte written endurance or equivalent to 40GB per day for 5 years. It’s somewhat lower compared to other SSDs, specially MLC-based and high performance SSDs, but most users who are not heavy on write operations shouldn’t be worried about this. The BX200 also comes with features like SMART, TRIM, Active Garbage Collection, Multistep Data Integrity Algorithm, Thermal Monitoring, SLC Write Acceleration, Data Path Protection, Error Correction Code (ECC), Device Sleep Extreme Low Power Mode (DEVSLP) and user upgradeable firmware. Aside from its built-in features, you also get 3 year limited warranty; a free copy of Acronis True Image software for data migration; and you can use Crucial’s Storage Executive utility. In terms of price, the BX200 is cheaper compared to the BX100 when it was first released.

Overall, the Crucial BX200 SSD is a good option specially for those who are looking to boost their laptop’s or desktop’s storage performance at an affordable price. It’s not really intended to please the enthusiasts or the pro-consumers, but it’s for users who are still using a hard disk drive. HDD users will surely feel the difference once they made the jump to an SSD. Boot up, shut down and wake up time will decrease (assuming that there’s nothing wrong with the OS); applications will load faster; general desktop operation feels faster and smoother, and for gamers games will load faster than before. Despite some hiccups on its write performance, I think the Crucial Bx200 960GB is still worth considering, specially when its price drops.

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Peter Paul
Peter is a PC enthusiast and avid gamer with several years of hands-on experience in testing and reviewing PC components, audio equipment, and various tech devices. He offers a genuine, no-nonsense perspective, helping consumers make informed choices in the ever-changing world of technology.

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