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Acer FA100 vs Crucial P5 Plus: Comparison
Acer FA100 vs Crucial P5 Plus: the sequential read difference
The gap that matters here is sequential read: Acer FA100 3300 MB/s against Crucial P5 Plus 6600 MB/s, which puts Crucial P5 Plus 50% ahead. Measured rather than claimed: in Speed Score the Crucial P5 Plus returns 8.1 against 6.4, a 21% lead. Add sequential write to that, 2700 MB/s on the Acer FA100 versus 5000 MB/s on the Crucial P5 Plus, and the pattern holds. Bus interface is not the same on both, PCIe 3.0 x4 on the Acer FA100 versus PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe on the Crucial P5 Plus. They differ on nand type too, TLC on the Acer FA100 versus Micron TLC with DRAM Cache on the Crucial P5 Plus. Dram cache is not the same on both, DRAM-less on the Acer FA100 versus DRAM on the Crucial P5 Plus.
Who each one is for
Buy the Acer FA100 for everyday laptops and desktops with a PCIe 3.0 M.2 slot. It also earns its place with budget upgrades needing 2000 GB of NVMe storage in a standard M.2 2280 slot. Avoid it for anyone wanting PCIe 4.0 speeds, since this drive tops out at 3300 MB/s reads. The Crucial P5 Plus is the one to take for mid-range gaming builds and PS5 storage expansion, though it is not the pick for extreme workstation workloads and buyers wanting the cheapest possible QLC option. Our rating of the Crucial P5 Plus (8.1/10): A capable mainstream PCIe 4.0 performer, positioned sensibly below flagship-tier drives like the Samsung 990 PRO.
Where the two are identical
The common ground is wider than the gap: form factor, drive type and nand vendor are identical here.
Specs and benchmarks
Speed Score
- Acer FA100
- 6.4/10-21%
- Crucial P5 Plus
- 8.1/10Best
How fast this drive is, rated from its read and write speeds, cache and NAND type. 10 is the fastest.
Brand
- Acer FA100
- Acer
- Crucial P5 Plus
- Crucial (Micron)
Model Number
- Acer FA100
- Acer FA100 (Micron B27B)
- Crucial P5 Plus
- P5 Plus
Series
- Acer FA100
- FA100
- Crucial P5 Plus
- P5 Plus
Drive Type
- Acer FA100
- Internal
- Crucial P5 Plus
- Internal
Bus Interface
- Acer FA100
- PCIe 3.0 x4
- Crucial P5 Plus
- PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe
Form Factor
- Acer FA100
- M.2 2280
- Crucial P5 Plus
- M.2 2280
Sequential Read
- Acer FA100
- 3300 MB/s-50%
- Crucial P5 Plus
- 6600 MB/s
Sequential Write
- Acer FA100
- 2700 MB/s-46%
- Crucial P5 Plus
- 5000 MB/s
DRAM Cache
- Acer FA100
- DRAM-less (HMB)
- Crucial P5 Plus
- DRAM
NAND Type
- Acer FA100
- TLC
- Crucial P5 Plus
- Micron TLC with DRAM Cache
NAND Vendor
- Acer FA100
- Micron
- Crucial P5 Plus
- Micron
Which one should you pick?
Choose Acer FA100 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose Crucial P5 Plus if you want the higher speed score (8.1 vs 6.4), the higher sequential read (6600 MB/s vs 3300 MB/s) and the higher sequential write (5000 MB/s vs 2700 MB/s).
Price comparison
| Retailer | Acer FA100 | Crucial P5 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | |
| Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
Crucial P5 Plus
8.1 / 10 Expert Rating
A capable mainstream PCIe 4.0 performer, positioned sensibly below flagship-tier drives like the Samsung 990 PRO.