Crucial MX500 2 TB
SATA · 560 MB/s · TLC
XPG MARS 980 PRO
PCIe 4.0 NVMe · PassMark #12
Dead heat — it comes down to priorities.
In our weighted Specdex score, Crucial MX500 2 TB lands at 84 and XPG MARS 980 PRO at 84. With scores tied, the decision hinges on which sub-scores matter most to you.
Pick Crucial MX500 2 TB if…
- ✓Cheapest reliable 2 TB SATA SSD
- ✓5-year warranty
- ✓Good for older laptops + secondary storage
Pick XPG MARS 980 PRO if…
- ✓PassMark Disk Score top-20 (89,200) — sustained-write class-leading
- ✓Pro-tier controller and DRAM cache for sustained throughput
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testValue for money
Crucial MX500 2 TBSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
Crucial MX500 2 TB more score per dollar ($119 vs $200).
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Crucial MX500 2 TB | XPG MARS 980 PRO |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 500 GB / 1 / 2 / 4 TB | — |
| Interface | SATA III 6 Gb/s | — |
| Sequential read | 560 MB/s | — |
| Sequential write | 510 MB/s | — |
| NAND | Micron 3D TLC | — |
| Endurance | 700 TBW (2TB) | — |
| Warranty | 5 years | — |
| PassMark Disk Score | — | 89,200 |
| PassMark rank | — | #12 of 100 consumer SSDs |
Crucial MX500 2 TB
- +Cheapest reliable 2 TB SATA SSD
- +5-year warranty
- +Good for older laptops + secondary storage
- −SATA bottleneck (560 MB/s ceiling)
- −TLC NAND
- −No NVMe option
XPG MARS 980 PRO
- +PassMark Disk Score top-20 (89,200) — sustained-write class-leading
- +Pro-tier controller and DRAM cache for sustained throughput
- −DRAM-less controllers on lower-tier variants may throttle under sustained writes
- −Pricing varies — confirm current retail before purchase
FAQ: Crucial MX500 2 TB vs XPG MARS 980 PRO
Which is better, Crucial MX500 2 TB or XPG MARS 980 PRO? +
Both score 84 on our weighted rubric — tied. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Crucial MX500 2 TB worth the price? +
At $119, Crucial MX500 2 TB delivers a Specdex score of 84 — strongest in value.
Is XPG MARS 980 PRO worth the price? +
At $200, XPG MARS 980 PRO delivers a Specdex score of 84 — strongest in passmark_disk.
Does Crucial MX500 2 TB or XPG MARS 980 PRO last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.
Which is the better value, Crucial MX500 2 TB or XPG MARS 980 PRO? +
Crucial MX500 2 TB — more score per dollar ($119 vs $200). Specdex score per dollar at MSRP.