Crucial M4 128GB vs 256GB (speed differences)

On some forums people say the speed maxes out with the M4 128GB model and above. Yet others say there is a noticeable difference in speed between the 64GB/128GB (4k pages) and 256GB/512GB (8k pages).

So my question, does anyone know if there is a speed difference between the 128GB and 256GB model?

As of right now the only reason for me to purchase the 256GB over the 128GB is for more storage. But if there is a difference in performance as well, than it might sway my decision into getting the 256GB.

*Please note my current laptop supports SATA II

 

The 256 and up are maxed out on speed. Just like the manufacturer pages state. The difference comes in on write speeds, for read they are effectively the same (500MB/s sequential).

Even on SATA 2 you will see a difference, at least in benchmarks. It ought to do better in "feel" as well. You just won't see the top sequential speeds.

 

Thanks for you're input.

 

The 256GB version of the same drive is typically faster, sometimes significantly so. I reviewed both the 128GB and 256GB versions of the M4, and the 256GB version has better write latency and the write speeds are up to 27% better. Read speeds are about the same.

Either way, make sure the drive has the new 0009 firmware applied, you can see gains 13-18% or more vs. 0001

 

I will probably purchase the 256GB than. Thanks for you're help!

See, I own a Dell XPS M1530, which has been a great laptop and I still very much enjoy! But I'm not yet ready to purchase a new laptop and figured this will give it a new life for maybe another year or two.

When I originally purchased this laptop it came with a Hitachi 320GB 5400RPM. This was fine, but a bit slow and from time to time I would hear this clicking noise. This gave me a good excuse and reason to purchase a better HDD which I wanted to do anyways.

About year ago, I purchased the Seagate Momentus XT Hybrid 500GB. The boot up time was great! But other than that, the thing was a major disappointment and didn't meet my expectations. At times It actually felt quite slow, almost comparable to my 5400RPM Hitachi. It would also get very hot. A couple a months ago I kept receiving SMART warning (backed up all my data), then a few weeks later It was completely dead! I should have purchased a WD Black Scorpio or SSD.

So as of right now I'm back to using my old Hitachi 5400RPM. I decided to wait until Black Friday at the latest and hope for a good deal on a Crucial SSD. If at that time the prices are still pretty much the same as they are now, then I'll just go ahead and purchase it.