Every manufacturer has ideas about how to deliver better performance. Some use file compression schemes, but those don't help video, audio, or graphic files that are already compressed. Some steal system memory to improve a slow drive. The Crucial M550 treats all files the same, regardless of whether they're compressed or uncompressed, so the specs we advertise are the same ones you'll see in real world use: true 550 MB/s sequential reads across all file types.

Our engineers are relentless and passionate about the products they create. To deliver consistently fast write performance, they developed a more efficient and dependable way to write data called Native Write Acceleration. This technology spreads the drive's workload across several elements, and links the controller, custom firmware, and flash storage components together, enabling you to achieve inherently faster downloads, saves, and file transfers.

Normally, as an SSD's level of performance increases, its level of reliability decreases. Not so with the Crucial M550. With over 35 years of defining and refining some of the world's most advanced memory and storage technologies, we leveraged our expertise to create RAIN (Redundant Array of Independent NAND). This technology protects your data at the component level, similar to the way RAID is used with multiple drives.

Run your system longer than ever before – and use less power. Based on published specs, a common laptop hard drive uses 2.5 watts of power on an average workload, compared to 0.15 watts on the Crucial M550 (which is up to 94% more energy efficient). In everyday terms, this means significantly more battery life and substantial savings on power costs.

If one of your videos, photos, or files happened to get corrupted, there's a good chance it would no longer be usable. That's why we've taken additional safeguards to ensure the integrity of your data. As a leading manufacturer of the flash storage components that go into SSDs, our exclusive multi-step data integrity algorithm is built into the components we use, arming them with four layers of defense against data corruption.

You probably save lots of sensitive and personal information on your computer – encrypt it and keep it safe. As a self-encrypting drive, the Crucial M550 incorporates the highest level of hardware encryption into the controller, allowing the drive to operate at full speed without the performance loss associated with software-based encryption. The Crucial M550 is one of the only drives on the market to meet the rigorous requirements of TCG Opal 2.0, IEEE-1667, and Microsoft® eDrive®.

Push your drive to the limit and avoid overheating, even in ultra-small, thermally constrained systems. The Crucial M550 includes Adaptive Thermal Protection technology, which enables the drive to dynamically adjust NAND activity based on usage demands. With this technology, the drive is able to maintain optimal operating temperatures, even when you overwork it.

Available in capacities up to 1TB, the Crucial M550 provides plenty of space to store large programs and your ever-growing collection of photos, videos, music, and work files. Available in the form factors of today (2.5-inch and mSATA), and tomorrow (M.2), the Crucial M550 is designed to go the distance.