CONCLUSION

   Just like the 750GB limited edition model the 525GB variant of the MX300 line of SSDs performed very well and although it couldn’t keep up with its higher capacity brother (we will also test one of the even higher models to check and see how those do) we really have no complaints. Of course just like with the 750GB model the 525GB lags behind its main competition the 850 EVO by Samsung but again these drives are so similar in terms of features (although once again the MX300 comes with a higher write endurance number of 160TBW compared to the 150TBW of the EVO) that the differences they have in read/write performance should not be enough to discourage potential buyers. Also just like the 750GB model we need to take into account that the MX300 is faster than many TLC based models out there and that we should also see some performance gains with new firmware updates especially now that different capacity models have been released into the market.

   Crucial had set a balanced price tag for the 750GB limited edition model so naturally we were expecting the same for the 525GB variant as well and we weren’t disappointed. To be more precise the MX300 525GB model currently retails for just USD129.95 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 137Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag that puts it roughly 25% beneath the Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD. We’re obviously not talking about huge price differences but unless you are a really demanding user both the lower price and higher capacity (525GB vs 500GB) should be enough for you to opt for the MX300 by Crucial. Once again these things come down to personal preference but since we think that the MX300 525GB hits an sweeter spot than the 750GB model we can’t really deny giving it our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality / Durability (160TB TBW)
- Very Good Overall Performance
- Features (Dynamic Write Acceleration / DevSleep / eDrive Support)
- Crucial Storage Executive Software
- 3 Year Warranty
- Available in 275/525/750/1TB/2TB Capacities
- Price

CONS

- Not As Fast As The 850 EVO (For Some)