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Crucial MX200 500GB SSD Review – Built for Speed, Capacity and Endurance

Crucial Storage Executive Software

The Crucial MX200 didn’t come with any driver or utility CD. But Crucial has the Storage Executive software which can be downloaded here.

The Crucial Storage Executive V3.20 comes with the following features:

  • Enable the Momentum Cache feature to enhance burst performance by up to 10x*
  • Update your drive to the latest firmware
  • See how much storage you’ve used
  • Monitor your drive’s operating temperature and overall health
  • Reset the drive’s encryption password
  • Verify your SSD’s model number and more

Benefits of the Momentum Cache feature:

  • Increase drive burst performance up to 10x*
  • Extend drive life by reducing redundant writes
  • Enable using the Crucial Storage Executive

The Crucial Storage Executive works with the Crucial MX-series, BX-series, M550, M500 SSDs and is compatible with Windows 7 or newer versions. Below are screenshots of the software:

Crucial Storage Executive with MX200 SSD-01

Remember, this is Storage Executive V 3.20. The previous version has only 6 main menus, now it has 7, the last one is for the Momentum Cache. When I took the screenshots, the Crucial MX200 was installed on my Asus Vivobook as its OS drive. I’ve also included some benchmarks below including speeds when Momentum Cache is enabled.

Crucial Storage Executive with MX200 SSD-02 Crucial Storage Executive with MX200 SSD-03

The Storage Executive looks nice and simple, and it’s very easy to navigate. The only thing that I didn’t like about this utility is that it is a web browser-based utility, meaning it will run using your system’s default web browser. Also, the installation file is a huge 130MB+, and that’s a pretty large file compared to other utility software.

Crucial Storage Executive with MX200 SSD-04 Crucial Storage Executive with MX200 SSD-05

Using the tool, you can update your SSD’s firmware or “Sanitize” it, making sure that it’s running at its optimal speed. Just be careful when sanitizing your drive as it will erase ALL data on the drive.

Crucial Storage Executive with MX200 SSD-06 Crucial Storage Executive with MX200 SSD-07

Finally, here we have the option for the Momentum Cache. When you enable Momentum Cache, it will ask you to restart the system. Momentum Cache is very similar with Samsung’s Rapid Mode or Plextor’s FlexTurbo. It’s using the system’s memory to read and write data first, instead of directly writing the data on the SSD itself. As a result you see a significant increase in the sequential read/write speeds.

Below are some benchmarks I run comparing the speeds when Momentum Cache is disabled and when enabled. Remember, the Crucial MX200 500GB SSD was installed on my Asus Vivobook Ultrabook, with an 8GB DDR3-1333MHz memory.

Crucial Storage Executive with MX200 SSD-09 Crucial Storage Executive with MX200 SSD-11

The screenshot on the left shows the rated sequential read/write speeds of the Crucial MX200 500GB. Meanwhile, on the right hand side screenshot, you see the read/write jumped to 3.4GB/s and 3.3GB/s respectively.

Crucial Storage Executive with MX200 SSD-08

Above is a screenshot of CrystalDiskMark both 32bit and 64bit tests. Again, these are the expected sequential read/write speeds of a MX200 500GB SSD.

Crucial Storage Executive with MX200 SSD-10

When Momentum Cache is enabled, the sequential read/write speeds significantly increased to 2.5GB/s read and 2.0GB/s write. Remember, you may get a different result depending on the settings or speed of the memory installed.

Proceed to the next page and let’s see how the MX200 performs on our test bench.

Check latest pricing and availability of the Crucial MX200 SSD here:
For US visitors, visit B&H Photo Video here
For UK visitors, its available at Amazon UK here.
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Author
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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