Crucial

Crucial CT1000T500SSD8 1TB T500 Gen4 NVMe SSD

4.8 (4715 reviews)
PCIe Gen4

PCIe 4.0 speeds up to 7,300MB/s turn storage into a non-bottleneck for gaming and creative workloads.

$275.50*
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*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jul 21, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.

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Overview

The Crucial T500 1TB operates at the high-performance edge of consumer PCIe 4.0 NVMe storage. Its 7,300MB/s sequential read and 6,800MB/s sequential write figures represent near-theoretical saturation of a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, and the random performance numbers — 1.15M read IOPS and 1.44M write IOPS — matter more than sequential speeds for the mixed workloads most users actually run. In practical terms, this means the T500 keeps the CPU and GPU fed with data fast enough that storage is no longer the pacing constraint during game loads, scene renders, or large asset compilations. At 1TB, the drive balances capacity with cost efficiency for a primary system drive.

This drive is built for two audiences: gamers on a PCIe 4.0 platform (Ryzen 5000/7000 or Intel 12th gen and newer) who want the fastest storage their motherboard supports, and content creators who need fast scratch disk performance for video editing and 3D rendering workflows. The included Acronis True Image cloning software makes it a drop-in upgrade for existing systems — connect the new drive, clone, swap, done. The Adobe Creative Cloud trial is a bonus for new subscribers. One architectural note: like all consumer TLC drives, the T500 uses an SLC write cache for burst performance. Very large file transfers that exceed the cache will fall back to native TLC speeds, which is a normal trade-off at this price point and not a defect to be concerned about in typical use.

Key Features

PCIe 4.0 Performance: Up to 7,300MB/s read and 6,800MB/s write with up to 1.15M/1.44M IOPS for faster loads and multitasking

Spacious 1TB Capacity: Store creative projects, games, and apps with Gen4 NVMe speed in a compact M.2 form factor

Broad Compatibility: Installs easily in desktops, laptops, and workstations with PCIe Gen4 M.2 slots

Ultimate Gaming & Content Creation: Load games up to 16% faster with Microsoft DirectStorage and boost creative apps by up to 42% for faster rendering and multitasking

Trusted Micron Quality: Engineered for content creators and everyday gamers, with one month of free Adobe Creative Cloud access

Acronis True Image and Adobe Software Bundle Included: Comes with Acronis cloning software for easy data recovery and transfers, plus a one-month Adobe Creative Cloud All-Apps subscription for creative photo, video, 3D projects and more

Specifications

Brand
Crucial
Model
CT1000T500SSD8
Series
T500
Capacity
1TB
Interface
PCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe
Form Factor
M.2 2280
Sequential Read
Up to 7,300 MB/s
Sequential Write
Up to 6,800 MB/s
Random Read IOPS
Up to 1,150,000
Random Write IOPS
Up to 1,440,000
NAND Type
TLC (Micron)
Included Software
Acronis True Image, 1-month Adobe Creative Cloud All-Apps

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Frequently Asked Questions

It will physically install in a Gen3 M.2 slot, but it will be limited to Gen3 speeds — roughly 3,500MB/s reads. You only unlock the full 7,300MB/s read and 6,800MB/s write performance in a PCIe 4.0 slot. If your platform is Gen3, a Gen3-optimized drive may offer better value.
No, the T500 1TB ships without a heatsink. Most mid-range and enthusiast motherboards include an M.2 heatsink bracket, which is sufficient for sustained loads. In a laptop or a chassis with poor airflow, thermal throttling under prolonged sequential writes is a realistic scenario without supplemental cooling.
DirectStorage allows the GPU to load game assets directly from the NVMe drive, bypassing the CPU. On a Gen4 drive like the T500 with low-latency NAND, Crucial cites up to 16% faster load times versus Gen3 in DirectStorage-enabled titles. The difference is most noticeable in open-world games with large streaming asset pools.
The T500 uses a SLC write cache to accelerate burst writes. Once the cache is saturated on large sequential transfers, write speeds will drop to the native TLC speeds of the underlying NAND. For typical gaming installs and video exports under ~50GB, the cache handles the load well. For heavy daily content creation workloads moving hundreds of gigabytes, consider the 2TB variant for more cache headroom.
The T500 bundles Acronis True Image for disk cloning — genuinely useful for migrating from an existing drive without a clean OS reinstall. The one-month Adobe Creative Cloud All-Apps subscription adds value for new Creative Cloud users but is a one-time trial, not ongoing.