Crucial M4 256GB or Samsung 840 250GB

erik8ant

Member
Mar 2, 2013
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I checked most reviews recommend Crucial M4 256GB over Samsung 840 250GB because of flash chip type. Should I buy Crucial one?
 

Hellhammer

AnandTech Emeritus
Apr 25, 2011
701
4
81
Which one is cheaper? The difference between the two is not substantial and the endurance of the SSD 840 is more than fine for consumer usage, so I'd just pick the cheaper option.
 

Eug

Lifer
Mar 11, 2000
23,807
1,385
126
I chose the 840 (120 GB model) because of the lower idle power (as demonstrated in the AT review), but that was for a laptop.

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And yes, it was cheaper too. :)
 

blastingcap

Diamond Member
Sep 16, 2010
6,654
5
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I checked most reviews recommend Crucial M4 256GB over Samsung 840 250GB because of flash chip type. Should I buy Crucial one?

Not just flash type, but also reliability. The m4 is a proven workhorse and very reliable. The 840 has been out for several months, but not for the YEARS that the m4 has been out for. So unless the 840 were much cheaper, I'd go with the m4. But if you don't care about reliability then get whichever is cheaper.
 

daveybrat

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Jan 31, 2000
5,754
958
126
I bought the Samsung 840 because i'll never come close to using up the write cycles on that drive for the things i do.

Seriously, just buy whichever drive has the best price, you really can't go wrong.
 

jiffylube1024

Diamond Member
Feb 17, 2002
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I've built several computers with both. The 840 (non-pro) is actually a little bit faster and boots a second or two faster. Theoretically, the NAND on the m4 should last a bit longer since it's MLC not TLC. m4 has had several issues (5000 hour bug, etc.) but has had quite a few firmware updates and seems to be rock solid stable. I've had nothing but stability with the 840 series.

If you write hundreds of GB to your SSD per day, go with the m4, otherwise, go with whatever is cheaper as recommended.
 

Hellhammer

AnandTech Emeritus
Apr 25, 2011
701
4
81
Not just flash type, but also reliability. The m4 is a proven workhorse and very reliable. The 840 has been out for several months, but not for the YEARS that the m4 has been out for. So unless the 840 were much cheaper, I'd go with the m4. But if you don't care about reliability then get whichever is cheaper.

The M4's track record isn't exactly clean. There's been several firmware updates fixing various bugs of which some have been serious (e.g. the 5000-hour bug). Right now it seems to be stable though.

I would understand your concern about SSD 840's reliability if it had been released a month ago, but it's been out for more than 6 months without any major issues. Samsung's prior reliability record is also flawless. I see no reason why the M4 would rank higher in reliability than the SSD 840.

Can GA-Z77M-D3H detects and fits Samsung 840 Pro very well?

Yes, any SATA SSD will work.
 

birthdaymonkey

Golden Member
Oct 4, 2010
1,176
3
81
I've got an 840 240GB and two m4s (128 and 256). They've all been fine. I can't notice any performance difference, but then I'm a pretty light disk user.
 

holden j caufield

Diamond Member
Dec 30, 1999
6,324
10
81
I don't know what firmwares people use but 000f for a pc user seems to be very stable. I hear macs might have some problems but for a pc user stick to 000f imo. Maybe not the fastest but I'd rather have stability.