Let us continue with the benchmark results. M.2 modules are tested with an ASRock Z97 Extreme6 motherboard. At present, Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition is used as the operating system.
The SSD drive speed was examined and compared with the following benchmark software:
AS SSD Benchmark 1.4.3704.27281 – Download
ATTO Disk Benchmark v2.46 – Download
CrystalDiskMark 3.00 – Download
HD Tach 3.040 – Download
SiSoftware Sandra 2011 – Download
The SSD benchmark values offers a very good reference point of the maximal possible reading and writing performance, the speed with smaller files and the respective access time. The 512GB Crucial drive achieved an extremely high sequential read and write speed in the AHCI.
Although you should operate the SSD in AHCI mode, you could also run the M.2 board in IDE mode. We have spared no effort to run benchmarks additionally in IDE mode. The total score reached in IDE mode (indicated by “pciide”) still very good 410 points (M550 512GB 2.5″ reached 368 points). However, it would be pearls for swine, if one would operate this SSD not in AHCI mode, because the score in IDE mode was more than 50% below the AHCI mode.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the AS SSD benchmark results (M.2 SATA3 IDE):
In AHCI mode also another result beneath the read performance was much higher than in the IDE mode and that is the important value “4K-64Thrd”. 4K means that small 4K blocks are read and/or written and with the 4K 64Thrd this is distributed on 64 Threads at the same time. Thus the benchmark program simulate for example a typical program start.
Because the weighting of this value in the AS SSD benchmark tool is very high, the total score in the AHCI mode is with 1091 points more than twice as high. The Crucial M550 512 GB SSD reached 907 points in AHCI mode on the 2.5″ SATA3 AMD test system. At the Crucial M550 512 GB 2.5″ SSD the values are in AHCI 516.18 MB/s read and 447.28 MB/s write performance. The Crucial M550 512 GB M.2 SSD achieved in AHCI mode 521.38 MB/s read and 447.47 MB/s write performance, which is approximately the same transfer rate. Also the usable capacity of the 512 GB M550 is 476.94 GB – so also identical to the 2.5″ pendant.
Hint:
Who think now about changing its SATA port in the BIOS from native IDE and/or legacy IDE to AHCI, should change first for example (if possible) only one part of the SATA port, where the drive with the operating system is not installed. Because if one like to save the new Windows installation, one must install the hard disk controller driver before changing SATA mode from IDE to AHCI – alternatively there are also Registry entries for it. If you like to upgrade from HDD to SSD, you should not copy the content 1:1 only with a tool like Norton Ghost or Acronis Backup. It is better to install a fresh Windows 7 or Windows 8 or adjust at least the SSD Alignment. We help you with questions to this topic or all other PC related questions at any time 24/7 in our PC Forum.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the AS SSD benchmark results (M.2 SATA3 AHCI):
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the AS SSD iops results to measure the input/output speed (M.2 SATA3 AHCI):
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the AS SSD copy benchmark values (M.2 SATA3 AHCI):
The comparison of the AS SSD benchmark results is extended with each new HDD/SSD test. Here you see already some SSDs in comparison to the Crucial M550 512GB M.2 SSD in IDE and in AHCI mode, whereby the SSD benchmark chart is updated with new SSDs. Currently, the highest AS SSD total score is reached by the Plextor M6e 256 GB M.2 PCIe SSD, closely followed by the Crucial M550 512 GB M.2 SATA SSD and the Crucial M550 512 GB 2.5″ SATA SSD.
Here is a comparison of the AS SSD benchmark values, which are getting updated with soon coming drives:
The ATTO disk benchmark values gives a very good overview about the write and read rate on different file sizes. These values are maximum ratings, which are different to the previously continuous transfer rate benchmarks, since this benchmark may even reach a higher overall performance with slower SSDs.
With the Crucial M550 512 GB M.2 SSD is the read speed (green) already at a transfer size of about 64 KB on the write speed (red) and reaches the maximum read results of 562997 KB at a transfer size of 256 KB.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the ATTO Disk benchmark values (M.2 SATA3 AHCI):
The ATTO disk benchmark values are compared with a small transfer size of 32KB and a large transfer size of 8192KB. The bar chart already includes a comparison to some SSDs and HDDs, where the Crucial M550 cannot reach the top of all ATTO results, by the numerous RAID0 SSD tests.
Here is a comparison of the ATTO disk benchmark values, which are getting updated with new drives:
With CrystalDiskMark one receives a balanced measurement of the performance with different transfer sizes.
As seen in the previous 4K-64Threads results, mainly the read and write 4K QD32 values are very good and the sequential read measurement reached an very high 511,8 MB/s value and a write value of 496,2 MB/s (the M550 512 GB 2.5″ on the AMD test system reached a sequential read of 499.2 MB/s and a sequential write performance of 467.7 MB/s).
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the CrystalDiskMark values (M.2 SATA3 AHCI):
The following diagram shows the CrystalDiskMark results once again compared with other SSDs and platter drives, which are extended step by step. In the CrystalDiskMark comparison one can see significant differences between the to-date tested of the Solid State Drives and Hard Disk Drives, whereby the tested Crucial M550 512GB M.2 SATA SSD performance is not in front of the M.2 PCIe SSD.
Here is a comparison of the CrystalDiskMark values, which are getting updated with soon coming drives:
With HD Tach one can measure the gradient of the performance, but the SSD transfer is not comparable with a conventional HDD. New logical NAND cell access of the SSD controller results like some other equal designed SSDs in strong varying values with the latest HD Tach Version 3.0.4.0 version, which is written for hard disk drives. HD Tach measured with the Crucial M550 512 GB SSD in AHCI mode during write operations uniform peaks and a constant read rate with the lowest access time display of approx. 0.0ms.
To compare these results you can move the mouse over the following drives to see their respective benchmark results:Crucial M550 512GB M.2 SSD at SATA3 AHCI, ADATA S511 120GB SSD at SATA3 AHCI, ADATA S511 120GB SSD at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial MX100 512GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial M500 480GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial M550 512GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA3 AHCI, 2x Crucial m4 128GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA3 RAID, Crucial m4 128GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial m4 128GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA3, Crucial m4 256GB 2.5″ SSD FW 000F at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial m4 256GB 2.5″ SSD FW 0309 at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial m4 256GB 2.5″ SSD FW 0002 at SATA3 AHCI, Crucial m4 256GB SSD FW 0309 at SATA3 IDE, Crucial m4 256GB 2.5″ SSD FW 0002 at SATA3, Crucial C300 64GB 1,8″ SSD at SATA3, Crucial RealSSD C300 256GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA3, Crucial RealSSD C300 256GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA2, Hitachi 7K1000.C 1TB HDD, MX-DS Fusion 60GB SSD SATA3 IDE, MX-DS Fusion 60GB SSD SATA3 IDE, MX-DS Turbo 120GB SSD at SATA3 AHCI, OCZ Agility 128GB SSD, Plextor M6e 256GB M.2 SSD PCIe AHCI, 2x Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme 256GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA3 RAID0, Plextor M5 Pro Xtreme 256GB 2.5″ SSD at SATA3 AHCI, Plextor M5M 128GB mSATA SSD at SATA3 AHCI, Samsung Series470 128GB SSD AHCI, Samsung Series470 128GB SSD Legacy IDE, Seagate Constellation.2 1TB 2.5″ HDD at SATA3, Toshiba MK8007GAH 1.8″ hard disk drive.
Here is a Snipping screenhot of the HD Tach benchmark values:
The HD Tach benchmark result comparison shows the enormously high speed of the Crucial M550 512 GB M.2 SATA SSD, which is up to now in HD Tach only beaten by the RAID0 with 2x Crucial m4 128 GB SSDs and the Plextor M6e 256GB M.2 PCIe SSD.
Here is an impressive comparison of the HD Tach benchmark values, which are getting updated with soon coming drives:
SiSoftware Sandra benchmark result
Of course, SiSoftware Sandra benchmark should not be missing in this test series. SiSoftware offers with their SiSoft Sandra program a very comprehensive tool, which contains a lot of tools to get very reliable test results of all hardware components.
The average access time of the Crucial M550 512GB SSD is in SiSoftware Sandra at 736us and the drive index reached very high 536.09 MB/s.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the SiSoftware Sandra benchmark read values (M.2 SATA3 AHCI):
In the write performance measurement, the average access time of the Crucial M550 512 GB SSD in SiSoftware Sandra is at 145us and the drive index reached a very high value of 481.9 MB/s.
Here is a Snipping screenshot of the SiSoftware Sandra benchmark write values (M.2 SATA3 AHCI):
Here is a comparison of the SiSoftware Sandra benchmark values, which are getting updated with soon coming drives:
