** BRAND NEW SEALED ** Crucial M4 256GB SSD 6Gbps **

Crucial m4 Specs

• Formatted Capacity - 238.47GB
• SATA 6Gb/s interface
• Marvell 88SS9174-BLD2 processor
• 415MB/s read, 260MB/s write
• 25nm Micron MLC NAND
• 72TBW
• Comes in OEM packaging
• 2.5" form factor

Aesthetics

The 256GB Crucial m4 has a design mirroring the look of the family of drives from Crucial and Micron. The case is very simple, with a metallic gray paint covering a metal alloy body. Our review model included branding from both Micron and Crucial, with the top cover aimed at the consumer market and the bottom cover showing what OEMs would receive.

The multi-use case can be setup in both 9.5mm and 7mm heights by removing plastic shim between the top and bottom cover. With shorter screws the drive can be instantly converted to handle different mounting configurations. The 2.5-inch spec confirming body fit into all the drive sleds we had around our office, including 2.5 to 3.5-inch adapters as well as sleds inside notebooks.

The front of the Crucial m4 offers the industry-standard SATA power and data connection, with no service pins exposed for firmware flashing modes. All updates are handled through burning an ISO image to a CD or DVD (or USB stick) and flashing the firmware through low-level operating system.

Disassembly

The 256GB Crucial m4 is very easy to take apart after removing four Phillips head screws from the top of the drive. With the screws taken out, the top cover lifts off, allowing you to remove the shim and carefully lift out the circuit board. We should note that while our review model doesn't have a "Warranty Void if Removed" sticker on it, all of the retail and OEM drives will.

With the circuit board outside of the drive, we can get a good look at the new Marvell SATA 6Gb/s controller at the heart of the Crucial m4. With Micron's close partnership with Marvell, they are able to get access to controller variations not offered to other companies. The new m4 is powered by the 88SS9174-BLD2 processor, which is an update to the BJP2 model found in the older C300. Paired up with Micron-sourced 1CD22-D9LGQ DDR RAM, the m4 sports a buffer size of 128MB.

The muscle behind the m4 is Micron's own 25nm flash. The 256GB model includes sixteen 16GB Micron 29F128G08CFAAB NAND pieces, split up with eight soldered to each side of the circuit board.

Synthetic Benchmarks

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