When it comes to storage upgrades, Crucial remains one of the most recognized brands in the SSD market. Their 1 TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD lineup covers everything from budget-friendly everyday drives to top-tier gaming and professional options.
In this guide, we’ll walk through every current Crucial 1 TB Gen 4 NVMe SSD in the M.2 2280 form factor, including their launch dates, endurance (TBW), technology highlights, and what professional reviewers and everyday users are saying.
Crucial E100 (1 TB)
- Launch: Late 2024 / early 2025
- Performance: ~5,000 MB/s read, ~4,500 MB/s write
- Endurance (TBW): ~100 TBW
- Technology: QLC NAND, 3-year warranty, designed as a cost-efficient Gen 4 SSD
Professional reviews: Tech reviewers describe the E100 as an “affordable Gen 4 boost”, delivering decent speeds without unnecessary extras. Perfect for users upgrading from SATA SSDs or HDDs.
User feedback: Everyday buyers highlight it as fast enough for office, school, and gaming setups, with price being its strongest selling point.
Crucial P3 Plus (1 TB)
- Launch: Mid-2022
- Performance: 5,000 MB/s read, 4,200 MB/s write
- Endurance (TBW): 220 TBW
- Technology: QLC NAND, 5-year warranty, balanced budget drive
Professional reviews:
- Tom’s Hardware praised its value and capacity options, but flagged lower endurance compared to TLC-based competitors.
- ServeTheHome bluntly called its endurance “very poor” for professional workloads.
User feedback:
On Reddit, several users counter this, noting that 220 TBW is far more than typical home or office users will ever reach, making it perfectly fine for mainstream use.
Crucial P5 Plus (1 TB)
- Launch: August 2021
- Performance: Up to 6,600 MB/s read (on supported systems); ~5,000 MB/s read and ~4,000 MB/s write typical for 1 TB
- Endurance (TBW): 600 TBW
- Technology: TLC NAND, hardware encryption, dynamic write acceleration, adaptive thermal protection; 5-year warranty
Professional reviews:
- Tom’s Hardware found it to be a “mainstream powerhouse with endurance to match”, especially strong at its launch price.
- StorageReview reported endurance scaling to 1,200 TBW on the 2 TB variant, confirming its durability.
User feedback:
Buyers consistently mention snappy OS boot times and gaming load speeds, calling it a long-term reliable drive compared to QLC models.
Crucial T500 (1 TB)
- Launch: October 2023
- Performance: Up to 7,400 MB/s read, 7,000 MB/s write
- Endurance (TBW): 600 TBW
- Technology: 232-layer TLC NAND, integrated heatsink, PlayStation 5 certification, 5-year warranty
Professional reviews:
- StoreDBits consistently ranks the T500 above competitors like the WD Black SN850X for price-to-performance.
- It’s praised for thermal stability, even under gaming loads.
User feedback:
Gamers on Reddit report excellent frame loading and cool operation, making it a favorite for PS5 storage expansion and high-end PC builds.
Crucial P310 (1 TB, 2280)
- Launch: September 2024 (2280 variant; a 2230 version was released earlier that year)
- Performance: 7,100 MB/s read, 6,000 MB/s write
- Endurance (TBW): 220 TBW
- Technology: Phison E27T controller, advanced 3D QLC NAND, available in compact 2280 form factor
Professional reviews:
- Tom’s Hardware called it “the best QLC-based SSD yet”, pushing sequential speeds into TLC territory.
- TheSSDReview benchmarked it at ~6.56 GB/s read and ~5.95 GB/s write, confirming excellent throughput for a QLC design.
User feedback:
Users praise its speed-to-price ratio, though some caution that its endurance (220 TBW) makes it less suited for heavy write workloads like video editing.
Comparison Table
| Model | Launch Date | Read / Write (MB/s) | TBW | Technology Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E100 | 2024 / 2025 | ~5,000 / ~4,500 | 100 TBW | Budget QLC Gen 4, 3-year warranty |
| P3 Plus | 2022 | 5,000 / 4,200 | 220 TBW | QLC NAND, value option, 5-year warranty |
| P5 Plus | 2021 | ~6,600 / ~4,000 | 600 TBW | TLC NAND, encryption, thermal protection |
| T500 | 2023 | 7,400 / 7,000 | 600 TBW | 232L TLC NAND, heatsink, PS5 certified |
| P310 | 2024 | 7,100 / 6,000 | 220 TBW | QLC NAND, Phison E27T, compact high-speed option |
Which Crucial 1 TB Gen 4 SSD Should You Pick?
- Best for budget everyday upgrades: E100 – Cheap, fast, and good enough for most general use.
- Best balance of price and mainstream use: P3 Plus – Affordable, with endurance sufficient for typical users.
- Best for gamers & creators: P5 Plus – TLC NAND, 600 TBW endurance, and thermal protection.
- Best for high-end gaming and PS5: T500 – Top speeds, built-in heatsink, high durability.
- Best for speed-hungry compact systems: P310 – Delivers TLC-level speeds on QLC, though endurance is modest.
Final Thoughts
Crucial has positioned its 1 TB Gen 4 NVMe lineup to cover the full market: from budget QLC drives like the E100 and P3 Plus, to feature-rich TLC models like the P5 Plus and T500, and finally the speed-pushing P310.
If you’re after maximum longevity, TLC-based drives like the P5 Plus or T500 are the clear winners. But if your priority is speed at the lowest possible cost, the E100 and P310 are compelling choices for 2025.