Crucial T500 Review 2026
A fast, reliable Gen4 drive with excellent value and a heatsink option.
What We Like
- 7,300 MB/s reads at a lower price
- Strong endurance ratings
- Heatsink version available for PS5
- Reliable Micron TLC NAND
What We Don't
- Slightly behind 990 Pro in peak speed
- Less brand recognition than Samsung/WD
Quick Specs
| Form factor | M.2 2280 |
|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 2.0 |
| Capacities | 500GB / 1TB / 2TB / 4TB |
| Sequential read | Up to 7,300 MB/s |
| Sequential write | Up to 6,800 MB/s |
| Random read (4K) | Up to 1,150,000 IOPS |
| Random write (4K) | Up to 1,050,000 IOPS |
| NAND flash | 3D TLC |
| DRAM cache | Yes |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Review
The Crucial T500 is the value pick among flagship PCIe 4.0 drives. It posts 7,300 MB/s reads and 6,800 MB/s writes — effectively tying the category leaders — while typically undercutting them on price.
Built on Micron's in-house 3D TLC NAND, it benefits from vertical integration that keeps reliability high and costs down. The 4TB option and heatsink variant give it flexibility the budget-tier drives don't have.
It's a few percentage points off the absolute peak speed of the 990 Pro, but most users will never notice the difference. If you want near-flagship performance without the flagship price, the T500 is the pick.
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