After seven successful years in the consumer storage market, the popular Crucial MX500 SATA SSD is being discontinued. The company confirmed it is ceasing production of the well-regarded drive to make way for next-generation storage products.
"The MX500 was certainly a great drive. We are making room in the line for new products and are looking forward to sharing what's next with you soon," a company representative told Computerbase, a German tech news outlet.
The MX500's departure marks the end of an era in consumer SSDs. The drive earned widespread acclaim for using reliable TLC NAND flash memory instead of the cheaper QLC chips found in budget alternatives. Combined with competitive pricing and a generous five-year warranty, the MX500 became a go-to choice for users seeking dependable SATA storage.
While the drive maintained a nearly flawless reliability record through its lifespan, it did face one notable issue with a Buffer Overflow Attack vulnerability in its M3CR046 firmware several months ago.
Existing MX500 owners seeking warranty claims may now receive alternative products like the Crucial P3 NVMe drive as replacements. The company notes that exact model, capacity, and interface matches cannot be guaranteed for future warranty fulfillment.
The discontinuation reflects broader market shifts toward NVMe storage, as modern motherboards increasingly feature multiple M.2 slots. However, SATA SSDs remain relevant for budget builds and secondary storage roles due to their lower costs.
While the manufacturer hints at upcoming new products, it remains unclear whether future SATA-based drives will join their lineup. For now, the MX500 remains available through various retailers while supplies last.
The 2.5-inch SATA storage segment is expected to maintain its niche in the market, serving specific budget and compatibility needs even as NVMe drives dominate high-performance storage applications.