ADATA Ultimate SU650 120GB vs Crucial BX500 120GB
The site holds no current price for at least one of these, so what follows compares specifications alone.
| Specification | ADATAUltimate SU650 120GB | CrucialBX500 120GB |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity (GB) | 120 | 120 |
| Sequential read (MB/s) | 520 | 540better |
| Sequential write (MB/s) | 320 | 500better |
| Current best price | — | 97,28 €at Amazon.de · captured 2026-09-02 |
| Price per TB | — | 810,67 € |
| Endurance (TBW) | 70 | 720better |
| Warranty (years) | 3 | 3 |
| DRAM cache | — | No |
| NAND type | — | tlc |
| Controller | — | Silicon Motion SM2259XT |
How these two compare
Sequential throughput
ADATA Ultimate SU650 120GB is rated 520 MB/s read and 320 MB/s write; Crucial BX500 120GB, 540 MB/s read and 500 MB/s write. The SATA link tops out around 550 MB/s each way, and both work against that ceiling; the more telling differences between SATA drives are how each holds up under sustained load, whether it carries a DRAM cache, and how much writing it is rated to take.
Endurance
The makers warrant 70 TBW on ADATA Ultimate SU650 120GB and 720 TBW on Crucial BX500 120GB — how much writing each is rated to take before the endurance clause lapses. Most desktop workloads never come close, so read the two against each other rather than as a limit you are likely to reach.
DRAM cache
the catalog does not state whether ADATA Ultimate SU650 120GB carries a DRAM cache; Crucial BX500 120GB is DRAM-less. A DRAM cache holds the drive's mapping table — the index of where each block physically sits — so the controller places and finds data without an extra flash lookup. A DRAM-less drive borrows a little system memory (HMB) or a slice of its own flash instead, and is likelier to slow once a long run of random writes outlasts its fast cache.
NAND, controller and warranty
NAND: ADATA Ultimate SU650 120GB's NAND is not stated and Crucial BX500 120GB uses TLC. The tier is bits per cell — SLC, MLC, TLC and QLC from one to four — trading density against endurance and sustained-write speed: QLC is cheapest per gigabyte, TLC the mainstream balance, and the denser the cell the sooner sustained writes taper. On the controller: ADATA Ultimate SU650 120GB's controller is not stated, and Crucial BX500 120GB uses the Silicon Motion SM2259XT. It is the chip handling error correction, wear-levelling and where each write lands — much of how a drive holds up under load — even if the part number on its own tells you little. On the cover: ADATA Ultimate SU650 120GB carries a 3-year warranty, Crucial BX500 120GB carries a 3-year warranty. The length is the maker's own vote of confidence, and on an SSD it tends to track the endurance rating — a longer warranty usually meaning more rated writes.
Which to buy
With a price missing for at least one side, there is no cost verdict to give. What separates two otherwise-similar drives is up in the sections above — sustained and random behaviour, whether there is a DRAM cache, the flash tier and the warranty — so weigh those against what your build needs.
Common questions about this pair
- Which is faster, ADATA Ultimate SU650 120GB or Crucial BX500 120GB?
- ADATA Ultimate SU650 120GB is rated 520 MB/s read and 320 MB/s write; Crucial BX500 120GB, 540 MB/s read and 500 MB/s write. The SATA link tops out around 550 MB/s each way, and both work against that ceiling; the more telling differences between SATA drives are how each holds up under sustained load, whether it carries a DRAM cache, and how much writing it is rated to take.
- Should you buy ADATA Ultimate SU650 120GB or Crucial BX500 120GB?
- With a price missing for at least one side, there is no cost verdict to give. What separates two otherwise-similar drives is up in the sections above — sustained and random behaviour, whether there is a DRAM cache, the flash tier and the warranty — so weigh those against what your build needs.