The Crucial MX500 was the benchmark 2.5-inch SATA SSD for over a decade. Reliable, fast (for SATA), and affordable — it became the default upgrade for anyone with an older laptop or desktop. But with Crucial discontinuing consumer storage by June 2026, finding an MX500 is getting harder and prices are rising. Here’s what you should buy instead, with performance specs and real comparisons.
The Crucial MX500: What Made It Special
The MX500 was the performance tier of Crucial’s SATA lineup. It hit 560 MB/s sequential read speed (the maximum SATA can achieve), offered 2.5-inch 7mm form factor for any laptop, came in 250GB to 2TB capacities, and backed it with a 5-year warranty. It wasn’t the fastest drive ever made, but it was the best value SATA option for the price. Millions were sold.
The core appeal was simple: MX500 was reliable, cheap, and would resurrect any laptop with a worn-out hard drive. A 10-second boot on an old HDD became instant with MX500. That reliability is still relevant today — SATA SSDs haven’t changed in over 5 years. The only issue is Crucial is exiting, so you need a replacement.
Direct Replacements for the MX500
Best Replacement: Samsung 870 EVO
Samsung 870 EVO is the obvious successor. Same 2.5-inch form factor, same 550-560 MB/s speed limit (it’s a SATA hard limit), same capacities (250GB-4TB), same reliability, same price range. If you want a direct replacement that requires zero research, buy the 870 EVO. It’s what Crucial MX500 owners upgraded to when the MX500 went out of stock.
Specs: 560 MB/s read, 520 MB/s write, 5-year warranty, available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB. Buy Samsung 870 EVO 1TB on Amazon UK.
Budget Alternative: WD Blue SA510
WD Blue SA510 is cheaper than the 870 EVO but matches it on speed. Western Digital’s consumer SATA drive hits the same 550 MB/s limit. It’s slightly cheaper (£55-65 for 1TB) and just as reliable. Good choice if you want to save £5-10.
Specs: 550 MB/s read, 525 MB/s write, 3-year warranty, 240GB-2TB. Buy WD Blue SA510 on Amazon UK.
Kingston KC600: Premium SATA Option
If you want something above the budget tier but still SATA, Kingston KC600 adds encryption, Redundant Array of Independent NAND (RAIN), and improved power efficiency. Speeds are identical to MX500 (550 MB/s), but it’s marketed as a “professional” upgrade. More expensive than 870 EVO (£80-100 for 1TB) but overkill for most laptops unless security is critical.
Skip this unless: You need hardware encryption or are upgrading a business machine.
MX500 Performance Comparison: What You’re Getting
| Drive | Read Speed | Write Speed | Price (1TB) | Form Factor | Warranty | Best For |
| Crucial MX500 | 560 MB/s | 510 MB/s | £70-80* | 2.5″ SATA | 5 years | Existing stock (rare) |
| Samsung 870 EVO | 560 MB/s | 530 MB/s | £65-75 | 2.5″ SATA | 5 years | Direct replacement |
| WD Blue SA510 | 550 MB/s | 525 MB/s | £55-65 | 2.5″ SATA | 3 years | Budget option |
| Kingston KC600 | 550 MB/s | 500 MB/s | £80-100 | 2.5″ SATA | 5 years | Encrypted/business |
*Crucial MX500 prices are inflated if you find any — last remaining stock is being sold at premium. Buy Samsung 870 EVO instead at standard retail prices.
Should You Upgrade to NVMe Instead?
If your laptop has an M.2 slot, you should buy NVMe instead of SATA. Why? Because NVMe is 10x faster and costs the same as SATA. A Kingston NV2 1TB (4,800 MB/s) costs £40-50 — same price as budget SATA drives and infinitely faster.
Check your laptop’s storage: If it has an M.2 slot (most laptops do now), skip SATA entirely and go NVMe. Use our Laptop Upgrade Compatibility Checker to confirm what your system has.
You should buy SATA only if: Your laptop is 2015 or older and doesn’t have M.2, or you’re replacing an existing SATA drive and want to reuse the 2.5-inch slot.
Real-World Performance: MX500 vs Alternatives
All SATA drives hit the same theoretical speed limit: 550-560 MB/s. You’ll see no performance difference between an MX500, Samsung 870 EVO, or WD Blue SA510 in real-world use. Boot times are identical. Game loading is identical. File transfers are identical.
Why the speed is the same: SATA’s interface maxes out at 550 MB/s. Every manufacturer has reached that limit. It’s hardware physics, not engineering skill. An MX500 and Samsung 870 EVO in benchmark tests show identical speeds because they’ve both hit the physical limit of the interface.
In real work — upgrading a 10-year-old laptop from a hard drive to any SATA SSD — you’ll see identical transformation. 30-second boot times become 5 seconds. That’s the real-world performance leap, and it applies equally to Crucial, Samsung, and WD.
Installation: MX500 to 870 EVO (Laptop)
Installing the Samsung 870 EVO in place of your MX500 takes 5 minutes. Same steps, same form factor. Power off, remove battery, unscrew bottom panel, pop out the old 2.5-inch drive, insert the new one, screw it back in. No special tools, no setup required.
The MX500 and 870 EVO use identical mounting brackets and connectors. Drop-in replacement. See our SSD installation guide for detailed steps with photos.
Capacity Recommendations
Upgrading from an HDD: Buy 1TB minimum. Your old hard drive was probably 250GB or 500GB. Go with 1TB and you’ll have years of room for programs, files, and photos. Samsung 870 EVO 1TB costs £65-75.
For gaming laptops: Consider 2TB. Video games average 100GB each. If you want to install 10+ games, 2TB is better value than constantly deleting games. Samsung 870 EVO 2TB costs £110-140.
Warranty and Reliability
The Samsung 870 EVO has a 5-year warranty (same as MX500). Mean Time Between Failures is over 1 million hours — you’re not taking a reliability risk. Samsung makes the memory in their own SSDs, so they’re invested in quality. If it fails, Samsung replaces it.
Crucial MX500 warranties will still be honoured by Micron through their full terms, even though the company is exiting consumer products. But new warranty support will become harder to access as the company winds down operations. Samsung warranty support is guaranteed to remain strong.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Samsung 870 EVO the same speed as Crucial MX500?
Yes. Both hit 560 MB/s read speed — that’s the SATA speed limit. There is no performance difference between them. They perform identically in real-world use.
Should I pay extra for remaining Crucial MX500 stock?
No. Samsung 870 EVO is identical in performance and cheaper. Don’t overpay for discontinued stock. Buy the 870 EVO at standard retail price (£65-75 for 1TB).
Can I put a Samsung 870 EVO in my laptop that had an MX500?
Yes, it’s a direct physical replacement. Same 2.5-inch form factor, same mounting, same power connector. Takes 5 minutes to swap.
Is WD Blue SA510 good enough?
Yes. It’s slightly cheaper (£55-65) and matches MX500 on speed (550 MB/s). 3-year warranty instead of 5 years, but equally reliable. Good budget choice.
Should I switch to NVMe instead of buying SATA?
Yes, if your laptop has an M.2 slot. NVMe is 10x faster and costs the same. Check your laptop’s storage type and if you see “M.2”, buy Kingston NV2 instead of SATA.
Our Recommendation
If you’re replacing a Crucial MX500, buy Samsung 870 EVO 1TB. Identical performance, better availability, proven reliability, £65-75. Installation takes 5 minutes and your laptop will feel like new.
If you find NVMe is compatible with your laptop, buy Kingston NV2 1TB instead — 10x faster and the same price.
Next Steps
Use our Laptop Upgrade Compatibility Checker to confirm your system’s storage form factor (SATA 2.5-inch vs NVMe M.2). Then pick your replacement from the options above. Installation is straightforward — follow our SSD installation guide for step-by-step photos and troubleshooting.
Shop SATA SSD Replacements at PCHub.UK
Prices updated automatically from PCHub.UK — click to view full specs and buy
Prices from PCHub.UK via ComputersDeal. As an affiliate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Prices updated 2026-04-10 13:15:58.
