# Which SATA SSD .. ?



## Dunshield (Mar 1, 2020)

Any ideas regarding a SATA SSD upgrade?

I need a *2TB samples drive*, and the choices that fit my budget are:

- A used Samsung 850 PRO from halfway 2016, 33TB written so far: € 235 no VAT;
- a brand new Samsung 860 EVO: € 250 ex VAT;
- or a brand new Crucial MX500: € 195 ex VAT.

I fully realize that an NVME M.2 would a better choice, but I don't have that option in my current computer. When I upgrade, this SATA SSD will become a files SSD for video and music, and I'll go for an M.2 instead for samples.

- The Crucial is clearly the cheapest of the bunch.
- The used 850 PRO still has 6+ years of warranty, so ironically that one has the longest warranty left on it.

I've done the research and all drives perform equally well, give or take a few percent.
So this question has more to do with reliability, endurance over time etc.


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## jbuhler (Mar 1, 2020)

For sample streaming from SATA usb3, I haven’t really noticed a difference and I’ve started to treat SSDs as a commodity and buy the cheapest (well, within reason). And then routinely back them up. I also mostly discount warranties because are you really going to collect on that? Will you still be using it?

System drives are different since they take a lot more writes.


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## BassClef (Mar 1, 2020)

I agree with jbuhler.... IF this will be just for samples, save money and get the Crucial. It is a proven drive, and you wouldn't even notice the difference between it and the 850Pro.


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## kitekrazy (Mar 1, 2020)

jbuhler said:


> For sample streaming from SATA usb3, I haven’t really noticed a difference and I’ve started to treat SSDs as a commodity and buy the cheapest (well, within reason). And then routinely back them up. I* also mostly discount warranties because are you really going to collect on that?* Will you still be using it?
> 
> System drives are different since they take a lot more writes.



YES! I had an Intel go bad under warrantty. I have less confidence in SSD than HDD. Considering the price of them warranty is the top priority and who offers it.


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## Hadrondrift (Mar 1, 2020)

I use a Crucial MX500 2TB as sample storage / streaming drive, performs its duties entirely satisfactorily. I still prefer Samsung SSDs (_not_ the QVO series) as system drives, though.


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## jbuhler (Mar 1, 2020)

kitekrazy said:


> YES! I had an Intel go bad under warrantty. I have less confidence in SSD than HDD. Considering the price of them warranty is the top priority and who offers it.


I don't know. Is it worth your time to do all the leg work to get back $200? Early on perhaps, but after 5 years? 10 years? Will you even be able to find the paperwork at that time?

I have lots of SSDs, upwards of a dozen at least with my family's allotment, and so far haven't had an issue with any of them. (Knock on silicone.) I started getting SSDs about 6 years ago. In that same time, the family has lost 4 spinning hard drives.


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## JT3_Jon (Mar 1, 2020)

Random read scores for the MX500 are very good, which for sample streaming is the most important ssd stat, I would think (would love an expert opinion though)


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## Technostica (Mar 1, 2020)

Dunshield said:


> - A used Samsung 850 PRO from halfway 2016, 33TB written so far: € 235 no VAT;
> - The used 850 PRO still has 6+ years of warranty



Are you able to access that warranty as a 2nd owner?


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## Dunshield (Mar 1, 2020)

Technostica said:


> Are you able to access that warranty as a 2nd owner?



With *Samsung*: I believe so, yes.

The following is what I make of the information on their site - and anyone can correct me if I'm wrong:

In case you don't have the receipt anymore, the warranty is based on the production date, which Samsung can find out through the serial number. That serial number is both printed on the backside of the SSD, and it is on the SSD's chip that can be accessed through the S.M.A.R.T. software running on the SSD. Their warranty is 10 or 5 or 3 years, depending on the model -- OR it is breached by achieving a certain amount of 'Terabytes Written' = TBW on the disk, also monitored through the S.M.A.R.T. software. So in the end, is it the age or the TBW number? ==> whichever comes first.

The advantage that you have as a first owner is that your receipt is indeed younger than the disk. So you get the actual full warranty period from day 1 of your purchase. As a used owner, that period will be shortened by x amount of months (or years?) as the disk was likely manufactured x amount of months (years) prior to the first owner's purchase.

How it is with *Crucial*: not sure.


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## kitekrazy (Mar 1, 2020)

jbuhler said:


> I don't know. Is it worth your time to do all the leg work to get back $200? Early on perhaps, but after 5 years? 10 years? Will you even be able to find the paperwork at that time?
> 
> I have lots of SSDs, upwards of a dozen at least with my family's allotment, and so far haven't had an issue with any of them. (Knock on silicone.) I started getting SSDs about 6 years ago. In that same time, the family has lost 4 spinning hard drives.



YES!


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## PeterBaumann (Mar 2, 2020)

I've just picked up a Crucial MX500 from Amazon UK as it seemed to be cheaper than direct. Will let you know how it compares to the 850 Evo I'm currently running EWHO Diamond samples off.


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## PeterBaumann (Mar 3, 2020)

For anyone interested, my MX500 arrived last night and I've just installed it and run some quick tests. These are all installed internally on my slave PC via SATA to the motherboard (not USB3.0).






Pretty pleased with how it stacks up against my (albeit older) Samsung 850 EVOs. Paid £95 for the Crucial MX500 (vs a lot more several years ago for the Samsungs!). It's likely the Crucial drive will only be used for sample streaming, so once it's all set up I'll make a backup and then shouldn't need to worry about regular backups for that drive unless I add a new library (or take the hit and re-download the samples if the worst happens).

Just wish the 2TB/4TB drives would start to come down in price, and that the Blackmagic Multidock wasn't so expensive. Looking for a more elegant solution for my iMac as I've run out of USB ports for hubs and Thunderbolts for interfaces/displays. Ideally something rack-mounted. As great as they are for portability, reliability and speed, the Samsung T1/3/5 drives quickly become a mess on my desk. Can't quite stomach splashing £500 for the Multidock just yet!


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## ptram (Mar 3, 2020)

PeterBaumann said:


> Just wish the 2TB/4TB drives would start to come down in price, and that the Blackmagic Multidock wasn't so expensive. Looking for a more elegant solution for my iMac as I've run out of USB ports for hubs and Thunderbolts for interfaces/displays.


While waiting for rackmount cases to come down in price, I got a USB3 disk duplicator also working as a dock for four drives. It has no case, and the drives are exposed, but I keep it in the machine cabinet with the other drives, and so on. It works fine.

Paolo


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## chimuelo (Mar 3, 2020)

Get the best warranty.
Anyone giving more than 5 years has great confidence.
Samsung Pro is my favorite.
Fast enough, obviously high binned.


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## Dunshield (Mar 3, 2020)

chimuelo said:


> Get the best warranty.
> Anyone giving more than 5 years has great confidence.
> Samsung Pro is my favorite.
> Fast enough, obviously high binned.



Interestingly enough Samsung is no longer giving 10 years of warranty on their 860 pro's. It is now 5 years, just like the EVO's. They do provide for double the TBW between the pro's and evo's. But only 5 years of warranty now. And the QVO's only come with 3 years.


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## chimuelo (Mar 3, 2020)

Thankfully I’ve never needed more than my 850’s.
Sure hope they last 4 more years.
That would be 10 I think...


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## CoffeeLover (Mar 6, 2020)

i am not over the 4 years mark on my 850s 
but i can verify that my first OCZ Agillity 3 is still running
i used it as my OS drive,then it became a sample drive and then an audio drive and now its an all intentional external storage drive and sometimes a small project audio drive.
its been formated so many times that i can not count it. and my most used and abused drive.
still runs like i bought it yesterday and i bought it early 2011 it never had a crash or corrupt or missing data.

if my samsung drives can hold that kind of beating then i expect them to last the next 15 yrs.


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