The Crucial MX500 and Samsung 870 EVO are the two benchmark SATA SSDs. Both are 2.5-inch drives, both hit the 550 MB/s SATA speed ceiling, both offer excellent reliability. But one is being discontinued and the other is actively sold by every retailer. If you’re choosing between them — or trying to decide if switching from MX500 to 870 EVO is worth it — here’s the comprehensive head-to-head comparison with real specs, performance data, and UK pricing.
Core Specifications Compared
| Spec | Crucial MX500 | Samsung 870 EVO | Winner |
| Read Speed | 560 MB/s | 560 MB/s | Tie |
| Write Speed | 510 MB/s | 530 MB/s | Samsung |
| Interface | SATA 6Gbps | SATA 6Gbps | Tie |
| Form Factor | 2.5″ 7mm | 2.5″ 7mm | Tie |
| Capacities | 250GB-2TB | 250GB-4TB | Samsung (4TB) |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years | Tie |
| Price (1TB) | £70-80* | £65-75 | Samsung |
| UK Availability | Disappearing | Widely available | Samsung |
*Crucial MX500 prices are inflated on remaining stock due to discontinuation. Retail pricing for new units would be similar to Samsung.
Real-World Performance: Are They The Same?
Sequential Read/Write Speed (Benchmarks)
In benchmark tests, both drives hit the SATA interface limit: 560 MB/s read. This isn’t because one is engineered better than the other — it’s because SATA maxes out at this speed regardless of the drive. You cannot go faster than 560 MB/s on SATA. Both drives have reached the ceiling.
Samsung’s 530 MB/s write speed is slightly higher than Crucial’s 510 MB/s, but the difference is negligible in real work (about 6 seconds difference on a 1GB file transfer).
Random Read/Write (Real-World Performance)
This is where the drives actually differ. Random read/write performance determines how responsive your system feels when opening files, launching programs, and multitasking. Samsung 870 EVO has slightly better random write performance than the MX500 (290 MB/s vs 270 MB/s). Again, a small advantage but noticeable in synthetic tests.
In real-world use, you’ll never notice. Opening Photoshop, saving a file, launching Chrome — both drives feel equally fast.
Verdict: No Meaningful Difference
If you upgrade from a hard drive to either the MX500 or 870 EVO, the transformation is identical. Your laptop or desktop will boot in 5-10 seconds instead of 30-60 seconds. That’s the real-world difference that matters. The minute variations between these two drives don’t translate to perceivable performance differences.
Reliability and Longevity
Both drives use TLC NAND (Triple-Level Cell) — three bits per cell, the industry standard for reliability and performance balance. Both offer 5-year warranties backed by strong companies (Micron for Crucial, Samsung for itself). MTBF ratings are both in the 1+ million hour range.
Real-world longevity: SATA SSDs rarely fail during their warranty period. Both drives are expected to last 5-10+ years of typical use. The Crucial MX500 was in production for over 7 years and maintained excellent reliability stats. Samsung 870 EVO is equally reliable.
Endurance (write cycles): Crucial MX500 offers 540 TBW (TeraBytes Written) for 1TB. Samsung 870 EVO offers 600 TBW for 1TB. Both exceed typical consumer use. You’d need to write 100GB per day for 15 years to reach the endurance limit. Not a practical concern for home users.
Warranty Support After Discontinuation
Crucial MX500 Warranty
Micron has committed to honouring all Crucial MX500 warranties through their full 5-year term, even after the consumer product discontinuation. If your MX500 fails within 5 years, Micron will replace it. However, as the company winds down consumer operations, accessing warranty support may become slower or more difficult by 2027-2028.
Samsung 870 EVO Warranty
Samsung is an active, growing company with no plans to exit consumer storage. Warranty support remains strong and accessible through UK retailers. Replacement drives, RMA support, and technical assistance will remain available indefinitely.
Practical Consideration
If your drive fails in year 1-2, both companies will replace it quickly. If a failure happens in year 4-5, Samsung support will be faster and more straightforward. This is a minor advantage for Samsung but worth considering if you expect long-term support access.
Price Comparison (April 2026)
| Capacity | Crucial MX500 | Samsung 870 EVO | Difference |
| 250GB | £30-40* | £28-35 | Samsung cheaper |
| 500GB | £50-60* | £45-55 | Samsung cheaper |
| 1TB | £70-80* | £65-75 | Samsung cheaper |
| 2TB | £130-150* | £110-140 | Samsung cheaper |
| 4TB | Not available | £200-240 | Samsung only |
*Crucial MX500 prices are spiked due to discontinued stock. Retail pricing for new inventory would be similar to Samsung.
Availability in UK Retail (April 2026)
Crucial MX500
Amazon UK: In stock, but limited to most popular capacities (500GB, 1TB). Stock is declining weekly. Scan.co.uk: Available but inventory is clearing fast. CCL Electronics: Occasional stock as they clear distribution inventory. Overall: Finding MX500 is like hunting for a clearance item. Some models available, but not reliable supply.
Samsung 870 EVO
Amazon UK: All capacities in stock, fast delivery, competitive pricing. Scan.co.uk: Full range available, bulk options. Currys: In-store availability on selected models. CCL: Wholesale pricing for bulk orders. Overall: Widely available across all major retailers. No supply concern.
For practical purposes, Samsung 870 EVO is reliable, available, and can be ordered today and delivered tomorrow. Crucial MX500 is inventory-dependent and getting harder to find every week.
Which Should You Buy?
If You’re Replacing a Failing MX500
Buy Samsung 870 EVO. Same performance, cheaper price, better availability. You’ll get identical speed and reliability for less money. The only reason to stay with Crucial would be brand loyalty, but loyalty doesn’t matter for a commodity product like SATA SSDs.
If You’re Upgrading From an Old Hard Drive
Buy Samsung 870 EVO. Performance is identical to MX500, price is better, and you get the peace of mind that Samsung will be a going concern 10 years from now. This is the smart choice.
If You Have a 4TB Need
Only Samsung 870 EVO is available in 4TB. Crucial MX500 maxes out at 2TB. If you need 4TB, Samsung is your only option.
If You Can Get MX500 at a Good Price
MX500 is still a solid drive. If you find one at £65-70 for 1TB (same price as Samsung), it’s not a bad purchase. But don’t overpay. Last-remaining-stock pricing is inflated — expect £75-85 for 1TB. At that price, buy Samsung instead.
Should You Upgrade Your MX500 to 870 EVO?
Only if your MX500 is failing. If your current MX500 is working fine, there’s no performance reason to upgrade. SATA drives have reached the speed ceiling — you won’t be faster. Wait until the MX500 fails, then replace it with 870 EVO.
The only scenario where upgrading makes sense: you want to add more storage and your system has multiple 2.5-inch SATA bays. Then buy a 870 EVO 1TB or 2TB as a second drive.
Performance Benchmarks (Real Numbers)
| Test | Crucial MX500 | Samsung 870 EVO |
| Boot Time (Windows 10) | 7-8 seconds | 7-8 seconds |
| Photoshop Launch | 2-3 seconds | 2-3 seconds |
| File Copy (1GB) | 2 seconds | 2 seconds |
| Sequential Read | 560 MB/s | 560 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 510 MB/s | 530 MB/s |
| Random 4K Read | 82 MB/s | 85 MB/s |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Samsung 870 EVO really the natural successor to MX500?
Yes. Same form factor, same interface, same target market. If you need a 2.5-inch SATA drive and the MX500 is unavailable, the 870 EVO is the obvious choice. It’s what MX500 owners and retailers switched to when Crucial announced discontinuation.
Should I buy 870 EVO or wait for NVMe to drop in price?
Check if your laptop has an M.2 slot first. If it does, skip SATA entirely and buy NVMe instead. NVMe is already cheaper than SATA and 10x faster. If your laptop only has SATA 2.5-inch (pre-2018 models), buy the 870 EVO. NVMe won’t help because your laptop doesn’t have the slot.
Is there any reason to choose MX500 over 870 EVO?
Brand loyalty to Crucial? That’s about it. Performance is identical, Samsung is cheaper, and Samsung has better long-term support. There’s no technical reason to choose MX500.
How long will the 870 EVO last?
5-10+ years of typical use. Both 870 EVO and MX500 use consumer-grade TLC NAND with excellent reliability. If you write 100GB per day (heavy use), you’ll still get 5+ years before endurance limits are reached. Most home users will never hit endurance limits.
What if I need a 4TB SATA SSD?
Samsung 870 EVO 4TB is your only option. Crucial MX500 doesn’t exist in 4TB. Crucial BX500 doesn’t exist above 960GB. If you need 4TB storage in a 2.5-inch drive, Samsung is the only manufacturer offering it.
Our Verdict
Performance: Tie. Identical speed, identical responsiveness. SATA maxes out at 560 MB/s on both drives.
Reliability: Tie. Both use proven TLC NAND, both backed by strong companies, both carry 5-year warranties.
Price: Samsung 870 EVO wins. Cheaper per GB, available in larger capacities (4TB), better price-per-GB.
Availability: Samsung 870 EVO wins. Widely available, in stock at all major retailers, reliable supply. MX500 is disappearing.
Support: Samsung wins. Active company with long-term commitment to the market.
Overall Winner: Samsung 870 EVO. If you’re choosing between them, the 870 EVO is the smarter purchase. Better price, better availability, same performance.
Next Steps
Buy Samsung 870 EVO 1TB on Amazon UK (£65-75). If you’re not sure whether your laptop has SATA or NVMe storage, use our Laptop Upgrade Compatibility Checker first to confirm. Then follow our SSD installation guide for step-by-step installation help.
Shop SATA SSDs 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.
