Crucial m4 256GB mSATA SSD: Conclusion

Conclusion

While my primary objective of installing a higher capacity SSD was to increase the storage capacity in the computer, a secondary benefit has been to give a significant boost to the overall performance because, in this case, Samsung had opted to supply a class-trailing SSD in my NP900X4C ultrabook.

The mSATA SSD next to a notebook memory module (top)

The Crucial m4 mSATA SSD provides excellent value for money. The performance may not be class-leading but it's not far behind and pricing is set at an affordable level. I had expected higher pricing than for the equivalent 2.5" SSD, but Crucial have acknowledged that less material should mean less cost so the pricing is very competitive. Micron's announcement of its mSATA SSD range included a 512GB part. A capacity of 256GB means that I need to keep external storage close by so I can't wait for the higher capacity SSD to arrive. How can they pack so much data into so little space?

Pros:

• Good performance, high capacity and relatively low price.
• A good option for boosting the capacity of your Ultrabook.
• An effective solution for boosting the performance and storage of notebooks that have an mSATA slot.
• Essentially the same as Crucial's proven 2.5" m4 SSD.

Cons:

• Faster mSATA SSDs exist (but are more expensive).

Individual Ratings: *

Performance 
Features 
Price/Value Rating 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score