After the recent review of the Crucial M550 M.2 and the Crucial M550 2.5-inch SSD we test the third possible type of the Crucial M550 SSD today – the Crucial M550 mSATA SSD with 512 GB and the part number CT512M550SSD3. This new review will show if the tiny mSATA SSD can keep up with the excellent test results of the SATA SSD and the M.2 SSD.
Thanks for the support …
Many thanks for the support with the Crucial M550 512GB mSATA SSD by the manufacturer Crucial.
The Crucial M550 512GB mSATA 2280 SSD CT512M550SSD3 has at review date a price of approx. 195 Euro.
The Crucial M550 SSD series contains at present the following types:SATA SSD: Crucial M550 128GB CT128M550SSD1, 256GB CT256M550SSD1, 512GB CT512M550SSD1, 1TB CT1024M550SSD1mSATA SSD: Crucial M550 128GB CT128M550SSD3, 256GB CT256M550SSD3, 512GB CT512M550SSD3M.2 SSD: Crucial M550 128GB CT128M550SSD4, 256GB CT256M550SSD4 und 512GB CT512M550SSD4 According to Micron there the M550 SSDs with 64 GB capacity (MTFDDAK064MAY, MTFDDAT064MAY und MTFDDAV064MAY).
The performance of most SSDs alters depending on the capacity. A higher capacity of the Crucial M550 SSD has a higher write performance, whereby already the 256 GB M550 has the high 550 MB/s read performance and the 500 MB/s write performance.
Here you can buy the Crucial M550 SSD. *Ad
The supply of the Crucial M550 512GB mSATA SSD …
In this plastic packaging comes the tiny Crucial M550 mSATA PCB:
The box can be opened easily by pressing the back part backwards. This blister packaging is exemplary build and can be closed again without any problems:
That is contained in the delivery …
The Crucial M550 mSATA SSD CT512M550SSD3 is delivered with two additional screws for the installation.
The following image shows the front of the Crucial mSATA M550 512 GB SSD with some technical data, like the voltage of 3.3V, maximum power and the pre-installed firmware version MU01. On the right side you can see the mSATA contacts. Below the label are two Micron NAND modules, the 512 MB LPDDR2 cache module and the new Marwell 88SS9189 controller IC, which we already know from the Crucial M550 M.2 and the M550 SATA SSD. The mATA SSD offers like the large 2.5-inch SSD also a Microsoft eDrive compatible, built-in 256-bit AES encryption (TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE 1667), which allows a hardware encryption with an appropriate UEFI hardware equipment and Microsoft Windows 8 or Microsoft Windows Server 2012 with BitLocker enabled:
On the back you can see among the other the remaining two 20nm Micron NAND modules:
This Crucial M550 512 GB CT512M550SSD3 mSATA SSD works like the Crucial M550 512 GB M.2 SSD and the Crucial M550 512 GB 2.5″ SSD with the SATA 6 Gb/s standard what brings benefits such as no additional boot BIOS and it is very compatible, but the disadvantage is, that it is limited to the 6 Gb/s. To compare the benchmark values of the mSATA SSD with the previously tested M.2 SSD, we have installed the mSATA SSD to a commercially available SATA to mSATA adapter on the Intel Z97 motherboard. The Delock 61881 converter SATA 22-PIN to mSATA full size costs approx. 15 EUR and can be ordered for example here *Ad.
Here you can see the additionally ordered adapter board, which has a voltage regulator to offer the required voltage of 3.3V and connects the data lines of the SATA interface with the mSATA board.
This is how the assembled optional mSATA to SATA3 board looks.
Here you can see the tiny mSATA Board in the 104-pin mSATA socket of the optional adapter board.
