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In 2014, the clearest choice depended on whether you wanted a premium SATA SSD or a lower-cost drive: contemporary coverage positioned Samsung’s SSD 850 PRO as a high-end option and Crucial’s MX100 as a budget-oriented value pick. These are historical recommendations, not current buying advice; today’s condition, availability, price and warranty status for either model are not established here.
Which SSD should you have chosen in 2014?
For a premium drive, the Samsung SSD 850 PRO was the standout option in the available period coverage. For a budget-conscious build, the Crucial MX100 was the more value-oriented choice. Ars Technica’s August 2014 system guide named the MX100 its Budget Box choice and described the 850 PRO as high-end; TechSpot’s June 2014 MX100 review characterized that drive as fast and affordable. Those labels describe how editors positioned the drives at the time, not a present-day ranking.
How the Samsung SSD 850 PRO was positioned
Launch capacities and interface
Samsung announced the 850 PRO on July 1, 2014, highlighting its 3D V-NAND technology and saying global availability would begin that month in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities. The drive uses a 2.5-inch form factor and a SATA 6Gb/s interface, with backward compatibility for SATA 3Gb/s and SATA 1.5Gb/s connections. Check the host device’s physical bay, connector access and supported interface before choosing a drive; the specification alone does not confirm fit in a particular computer. Samsung’s July 2014 announcement and its January 2017 data sheet revision provide the cited launch and specification details.
Manufacturer-rated speed
Samsung listed sequential read speeds of up to 550MB/s. Its maximum sequential write rating was up to 520MB/s for the 256GB, 512GB and 1TB models; the 128GB model was rated up to 470MB/s. These are manufacturer specifications, not guaranteed results in every computer or workload. Samsung’s later data sheet notes that performance can vary with firmware and system configuration.
#1 Best Overall
- THE SSD ALL-STAR: The latest 870 EVO has indisputable performance, reliability and compatibility built upon Samsung's pioneering technology.Computer Platform:PC.Encryption : Class 0 (AES 256) TCG/Opal v2.0, MS eDrive (IEEE1667), Environmental Specs - Shock : 1,500 G & 0.5 ms (Half sine).
- EXCELLENCE IN PERFORMANCE: Enjoy professional level SSD performance with 870 EVO, which maximizes the SATA interface limit to 560/530 MB/s sequential speeds, Accelerates write speeds and maintains long term high performance with a larger variable buffer
- INDUSTRY DEFINING RELIABILITY: Meet the demands of every task from everyday computing to 8K video processing, with up to 2,400 TBW
- MORE COMPATIBLE THAN EVER: 870 EVO has been compatibility tested for major host systems and applications, including chipsets, motherboards, NAS, and video recording devices. Interface- SATA 6GB/s, compatible with SATA 3GB/s and SATA 1.5GB/s interfaces
What made the Crucial MX100 the value pick?
The MX100’s appeal in contemporary coverage was its budget-oriented position alongside performance reviewers considered competitive for the category. TechSpot reviewed the 256GB and 512GB models in June 2014, using real-world application tests as well as multiple synthetic benchmark sections. Ars Technica’s August system guide selected the MX100 for its Budget Box. The cited coverage supports its place as a period value choice, but does not establish a current price or a direct, controlled head-to-head result against every 850 PRO capacity.
How to compare the drives fairly
- Match capacity: compare drives with similar usable capacity and cost context rather than treating differently sized models as interchangeable.
- Check interface and physical fit: confirm that the computer accepts a 2.5-inch SATA drive and offers an accessible SATA connection.
- Separate tier from speed: the 850 PRO was presented as premium, while the MX100 was positioned as budget/value. That editorial distinction does not by itself prove which drive is faster for a particular task.
- Read performance figures in context: manufacturer sequential-speed maxima are not the same thing as independent benchmark results. Review results depend on test systems, workloads and methods, so compare results from the same reviewer and comparable conditions rather than combining scores from separate labs.
Tom’s Hardware’s 2014 850 PRO review also included Intel SSD 730 and Crucial M550 among comparison drives. The cited material identifies them as contemporaries but does not provide enough model-specific findings here to rank them against the two primary choices.
Rank #2
- THE SSD ALL-STAR: The latest 870 EVO has indisputable performance, reliability and compatibility built upon Samsung's pioneering technology. S.M.A.R.T. Support: Yes
- EXCELLENCE IN PERFORMANCE: Enjoy professional level SSD performance which maximizes the SATA interface limit to 560 530 MB/s sequential speeds,* accelerates write speeds and maintains long term high performance with a larger variable buffer, Designed for gamers and professionals to handle heavy workloads of high-end PCs, workstations and NAS
- INDUSTRY-DEFINING RELIABILITY: Meet the demands of every task — from everyday computing to 8K video processing, with up to 600 TBW** under a 5-year limited warranty***
- MORE COMPATIBLE THAN EVER: The 870 EVO has been compatibility tested**** for major host systems and applications, including chipsets, motherboards, NAS, and video recording devices
- UPGRADE WITH EASE: Using the 870 EVO SSD is as simple as plugging it into the standard 2.5 inch SATA form factor on your desktop PC or laptop; The renewed migration software takes care of the rest
What to consider if buying one now
A 2014-era recommendation cannot establish whether a particular used drive is healthy, fairly priced, available from a reliable seller or still covered by warranty. Treat any listing as a condition-sensitive purchase and verify those details for the individual unit before buying. A July 2026 Tom’s Hardware article recounts one MX100 sample that was no longer recognized after years unused and an 850 PRO sample the author tested externally. Those are individual anecdotes, not evidence of either model’s failure rate or the current condition of another drive. Tom’s Hardware’s 2026 retrospective describes those specific samples.
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- Exceptional performance offering up to 550MB/s seq. Read and 500MB/s seq. Write speeds
- Superior performance as compared to traditional hard drives (HDD)
- Ultra-low power consumption
- Backwards compatible with SATA II 3GB/sec
Rank #3
- Upgrade your laptop or desktop computer and feel the difference with super-fast OS boot times and application loads
- Exceptional performance offering up to 535MB/s seq. Read and 500MB/s seq. Write speeds
- Superior performance as compared to traditional hard drives (HDD)
- Ultra-low power consumption
- Backwards compatible with SATA II 3GB/sec
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
