Had it with SSDs dying

[ryuki7]

Just to save time I'm posting what I wrote on another forum about my problem. Too long to write again.

"Hello, new here. I build PC's as a hobby due in part of Youtube PC channels including this. I built my main PC last year to replacing my aging q6600 DDR2 system with an AM3+ DDR3. I decided to follow the advise of using an SSD as the Windows boot drive. I started with a SanDisk SDSSDP-128G 128gb and that died 6 months later. I used an old 160gb mechanical drive to supplement until I can get another SSD. A couple of weeks later I got a Toshiba Q300 HDTS712 120 GB drive (and had a bitch of a time cloning my Windows drive to it). Just now that died! I found my 160gb spare drive to not have to reinstall Windows. I know it was probably a fluke to have 2 different model SSDs die on me in such a short time but SSDs ave left a bad taste in my mouth, That's $100 down the drain and lost hours in setting up windows again. Now I have lost mechanical drives before (2 died because of improper PSU cables [modular], and another one smoked due to being an old drive i found in storage and God knows what it went through) but the majority of mechanical drives I have used have lasted when stored and used properly (even the PATA ones!).

If there's anything wrong with my PC causing this, I'll find out.

System:

AMD FX-8350 (Stock)

16GB 1600MHz PNY Anarchy RAM

MSI 970A-G43 Motherboard

MSI RX-480 8GB GPU

Raidmax 735 Watt PSU"

 

[Cem Goker]

Replace that power supply immediately and get a better one. Take a look here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

Your power supply may be the reason why it killed both your SSD's...

 

[ryuki7]

Replace that power supply immediately and get a better one. Take a look here: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html

Your power supply may be the reason why it killed both your SSD's...

I've had this PSU for a year plus now, you make it sound like i just bought it and it's gonna blow any minute!

I was hoping to avoid a "spends mores moneys" solution to this. Seems like every damn forum wants me to not pay the mortgage.

 

[Cem Goker]

There is no way you can fix a PSU that is really really bad. I highly recommend getting the ones that are in Tier Two and above from the link. Trust me. If I won't tell you to change your PSU, somebody else will anyway.

 

[boju]

Just as a caution: http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1975448/psu-frying-hard-drives.html

Two ssd' dying could be the result of your psu, i do agree to change it out before anything else is potentially damaged

Ever you decide to go an ssd again get a Samsung

 

[ryuki7]

MY PSU is not broken! You guys see a sub $$$$$$$ PSU and you freak out. I get the chart but damn, spend more money to solve the problem right!? Oh and I know if I get a more expensive unit I save money on the long run but I lost 2 inexpensive SSDs here (which you guys want me to replace with a more expensive one of course) but I can get by with a more robust Mechanical HD.

People just won't quit until I have $5000 Skylake rig.

 

[madmatt30]

Bad voltage fluctuation can kill a 12v device over time mate fairly easily.
You seem reluctant to believe the psu could possibly be the culprit at all & yet its an incredibly poor quality unit.

 

[madmatt30]

BTW these drives have 1-2 year warranty so they shouldn't really have cost you anything monetary wise if you RMA them.

 

[Cem Goker]

MY PSU is not broken! You guys see a sub $$$$$$$ PSU and you freak out. I get the chart but damn, spend more money to solve the problem right!? Oh and I know if I get a more expensive unit I save money on the long run but I lost 2 inexpensive SSDs here (which you guys want me to replace with a more expensive one of course) but I can get by with a more robust Mechanical HD.

People just won't quit until I have $5000 Skylake rig.

Woah buddy, hold your horses! We never asked you to build an overkill rig. We just want to save your desktop and avoid any further damage to your computer. The tier two psu on the link should cost you about 50-65$ in average, and I don't really see the reason why you won't be able to afford it if you can afford a hundred dollar SSD. Sure you will spend a bit more, but you will also save your computer from breaking permanently. Please consider it.

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

You posted on THF presumably for informed advice & comments, yet when you get just that you dispute most of it!

I don't think you need us at all, just follow your instinct.

 

[genthug]

I mean, Skylake rigs these days only run about $1200 if you're talking 1080p gaming with a 1060 and a 6600k... But I digress, I see the point.

The issue here isn't that they're trying to tell you that spending more money is the only route to go... but at this point, it is, unless you want to continue spending money and/or being aggravated when things in your rig continue to die with you "not knowing why". They also aren't saying you should go out and buy an AX1500i or a P2 1600W. All you'll need with your current setup is maybe a CX550m... it'll run you up about $50. And yes--sometimes you just have bad luck with drives, and that absolutely could be the case here.

But why risk it? $50 for a new PSU or have your motherboard... cpu... go because the gimped PSU let out the magic black smoke that everyone's computer runs on.

You do not break a leg, immediately get up and go for a run, and then yell at the doctor when they tell you that you have a broken leg. And that it is going to cost something to fix it. Skimping on a CPU or GPU means your rig doesn't run quite as fast as some others. Skimping on RAM... is hard to do these days with how cheap it is, but maybe you can't have 5000 chrome tabs open? Skimping on a HDD or SSD means that you have a higher chance of drive failure--but some people are lucky some are not. I've been running the same Seagate Barracuda drive in my computer for the last 5 years with no troubles, but I would never recommend them because they aren't as reliable as other drives.

Skimping on a PSU means that the expensive pieces in your rig like your CPU, GPU, motherboard, and drives will not necessarily get the correct amount of power 100% of the time, and the skimped PSUs also often do not have the fail-safes that a better (not fantastic, just better) PSU would have. Not getting the correct amount of power all the time could easily kill your rig.

Don't shoot the messenger.

 

[ryuki7]

You posted on THF presumably for informed advice & comments, yet when you get just that you dispute most of it!

I don't think you need us at all, just follow your instinct.

I wasn't really asking for advise, was just venting. If people have advise, your free to give it, as I am free to react to it.

 

[genthug]

"Just to save time I'm posting what I wrote on another forum about my problem."

Typically, when you say that you have a problem... on a forum... that answers questions regarding problems that people post, you are going to get answers and advice.

But, I go back to my analogy of the doctor. You are free to call the doctor a quack for telling you that your leg is broken, and then getting up and leaving the office.

But alas, your leg is still broken, and is now likely to become infected due to lack of treatment, and if it doesn't get infected, you will have lifelong problems due to it not being able to heal correctly.

You are certainly free to react to it the way you want to, I just find it a tad silly the way you're apparently going about this.

 

[ryuki7]

MY PSU is not broken! You guys see a sub $$$$$$$ PSU and you freak out. I get the chart but damn, spend more money to solve the problem right!? Oh and I know if I get a more expensive unit I save money on the long run but I lost 2 inexpensive SSDs here (which you guys want me to replace with a more expensive one of course) but I can get by with a more robust Mechanical HD.

People just won't quit until I have $5000 Skylake rig.

Woah buddy, hold your horses! We never asked you to build an overkill rig. We just want to save your desktop and avoid any further damage to your computer. The tier two psu on the link should cost you about 50-65$ in average, and I don't really see the reason why you won't be able to afford it if you can afford a hundred dollar SSD. Sure you will spend a bit more, but you will also save your computer from breaking permanently. Please consider it.

Both SSD's were $40. I had to use an old 160gb HD (from 2005!) for a while until I was able to afford another $40 SSD. I'm on that same 160gb HD now until I can afford a new PSU as you guys say so. i have to wait a few months as X-mas time is when I'm the least wealthy .

If you guys freaked out about my main rig's PSU I'm glad I didn't tell you what I have on the other ones .

 

[genthug]

There shouldn't be any "affording" at this point though--as matt said, they still fall under warranty. RMA you'll get your money back. I get there's no way around simply not having funds due to other obligations coming up, mainly around this time of year, but the affording of the new SSD shouldn't've been of any consequence. The PSU would be new so there's that, but you shouldn't be losing any money on the dead drives. Under warranty, dead; that's RMA material.

 

[ryuki7]

"Just to save time I'm posting what I wrote on another forum about my problem."

Typically, when you say that you have a problem... on a forum... that answers questions regarding problems that people post, you are going to get answers and advice.

But, I go back to my analogy of the doctor. You are free to call the doctor a quack for telling you that your leg is broken, and then getting up and leaving the office.

But alas, your leg is still broken, and is now likely to become infected due to lack of treatment, and if it doesn't get infected, you will have lifelong problems due to it not being able to heal correctly.

You are certainly free to react to it the way you want to, I just find it a tad silly the way you're apparently going about this.

Maybe I was looking to see if there were other thoughts out there other than spend more money. Alas, same as the other one. I was just yelling my frustrations on this, same as the other forum. As for the doctor analogy, I don't even know if it was the PSU that did this.

Please understand my frustration on this, I understand why people are telling me this but I'm just sick of the spend more money solution (I get this on my gun and knife hobbies as well ).

Also I read that SSDs are a bit more vulnerable to power issues.

https://www.extremetech.com/computing/169124-the-mysteriously-disappearing-drive-are-power-outages-killing-your-ssds

 

[ryuki7]

Ok I found this and scrounged funds for it. Hope you guys feel better. I know you guys are helping and I appreciate it but you guys were freaking out on a PSU that's still working after a year and a half that MAY go nuclear so here I followed your advise albiet with frustration.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139192