Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
Acer FA100 vs Crucial T500: Comparison
What is the difference between Acer FA100 and Crucial T500?
Start with sequential write, because it is the widest measured gap between them: Acer FA100 2700 MB/s against Crucial T500 7000 MB/s, 61% in favour of Crucial T500. Measured rather than claimed: in Speed Score the Crucial T500 returns 8.4 against 6.4, a 24% lead. Add sequential read to that, 3300 MB/s on the Acer FA100 versus 7400 MB/s on the Crucial T500, and the pattern holds. Add nand layers to that, 64 on the Acer FA100 versus 232 on the Crucial T500, 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 T500. They differ on nand type too, TLC on the Acer FA100 versus Micron 232-Layer TLC with DRAM Cache on the Crucial T500. Dram cache is not the same on both, DRAM-less on the Acer FA100 versus DRAM on the Crucial T500.
Which should you buy, Acer FA100 or Crucial T500?
The Acer FA100 suits 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. It is the wrong buy for anyone wanting PCIe 4.0 speeds, since this drive tops out at 3300 MB/s reads. The Crucial T500 is the one to take for high-end gaming rigs and PS5 upgrades (heatsink model), though it is the wrong buy for budget-focused builds and PCIe 3.0-only systems. Our rating of the Crucial T500 (8.8/10): Crucial's PCIe 4.0 flagship, trading blows with the Samsung 990 PRO at the top of the performance tier.
What Acer FA100 and Crucial T500 have in common
Where they agree, they agree completely, form factor, drive type and nand vendor included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Specs and benchmarks
Speed Score
- Acer FA100
- 6.4/10-24%
- Crucial T500
- 8.4/10Best
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 T500
- Crucial (Micron)
Model Number
- Acer FA100
- Acer FA100 (Micron B27B)
- Crucial T500
- T500
Series
- Acer FA100
- FA100
- Crucial T500
- T500
Drive Type
- Acer FA100
- Internal
- Crucial T500
- Internal
Bus Interface
- Acer FA100
- PCIe 3.0 x4
- Crucial T500
- PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe
Form Factor
- Acer FA100
- M.2 2280
- Crucial T500
- M.2 2280
Sequential Read
- Acer FA100
- 3300 MB/s-55%
- Crucial T500
- 7400 MB/s
Sequential Write
- Acer FA100
- 2700 MB/s-61%
- Crucial T500
- 7000 MB/s
DRAM Cache
- Acer FA100
- DRAM-less (HMB)
- Crucial T500
- DRAM
NAND Type
- Acer FA100
- TLC
- Crucial T500
- Micron 232-Layer TLC with DRAM Cache
NAND Vendor
- Acer FA100
- Micron
- Crucial T500
- Micron
NAND Layers
- Acer FA100
- 64-72%
- Crucial T500
- 232
Which one should you pick?
Choose Acer FA100 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose Crucial T500 if you want the higher speed score (8.4 vs 6.4), the higher sequential read (7400 MB/s vs 3300 MB/s) and the higher sequential write (7000 MB/s vs 2700 MB/s).
Price comparison
| Retailer | Acer FA100 | Crucial T500 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 T500
8.8 / 10 Expert Rating
Crucial's PCIe 4.0 flagship, trading blows with the Samsung 990 PRO at the top of the performance tier.