Intel SSD sold as "new" shows tiny scratch marks around bolt slots

[pwens]

The "new" Intel SSD 320 160GB that I just received appears to be sealed in its factory anti-static bag, but the bolt slots appear to have tiny scratches around them - should I be concerned that this drive is not really new? Or is this normal and expected for SSDs/drives/Intel parts?

Some facts to consider:
■Specifically I'm talking about the INTEL 320 Series 120GB SSD SSDSA2CW120G3B5
■The drive was purchased from eBay
■The eBay item is listed as new/sealed
■The seller has a 97.7% positive feedback rating with over 13,000 transactions rated
■The drive itself, inside the retail box, does in fact appear to be securely sealed in the protective anti-static bag, with the Intel sticker unaltered securely fastened to seal the flap of the bag
■The bag sticker also has printed on it a matching Serial Number to the barcode sticker on the outside of the box
■I haven't removed the bag yet - I can see the scratch marks because the bag is semi-transparent
■When I say "scratches", I mean there are tiny, non-parallel lines surrounding the edge of the bolt slot, as if the bolt made contact with the slot when someone was screwing it in during mounting. At a glance you can't see it - I can't even get it to show up in a photograph - but if I hold it up to the light I can definitely see that there are non-parallel lines surrounding the edge of the bolt slots.

I don't know if I'm being paranoid or if this is to be expected...I only looked this closely because I knew it was from eBay and there is of course more risk with them versus a formal etailer.

 

[alyoshka]

Install SSDlife on the rig and check the SSD. It'll tell you if it's been used or not by checking the working hours on it.

 

[pwens]

I will do that and report back. Just waiting on a couple more parts for the new rig.

 

[RetiredChief]

Also check the firmware version!!
The intel 320 SSD initially had what was called the 8mb bug. Intel released a "fix" dtd 17 Aug to correct this problem.
Link to Firmware tool: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18363#help

A number of drives have been returned to venders and to Intel. What happens to the returned Drives is any ones quess, but I'm sure some of them found there way back into the market. It is easy to remove the sticker, try it and for one reason or another return it to a vender. Some venders will simply reshrink the box and resell. So Yes you should be concerned - What price did you pay.

 

[pwens]

Also check the firmware version!!
The intel 320 SSD initially had what was called the 8mb bug. Intel released a "fix" dtd 17 Aug to correct this problem.
Link to Firmware tool: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18363#help

A number of drives have been returned to venders and to Intel. What happens to the returned Drives is any ones quess, but I'm sure some of them found there way back into the market. It is easy to remove the sticker, try it and for one reason or another return it to a vender. Some venders will simply reshrink the box and resell. So Yes you should be concerned - What price did you pay.

I paid $205 for it. Lowest price I saw by about $15 - so was low, but not ridiculously or suspiciously low.

I remember reading about the 8MB defect before I selected it, but I recall that the model number I settled on (ending with "G3") was an indicator that it was produced after the defect was fixed. Maybe I'm mistaken...I will post serial number/production lot information from the box's barcode when I get home.

 

[occdavid]

I've never had a G3 so I dont know what the chassis looks like, but I have an older G2 sitting right here and it has some markings around the outside screw holes that I know I didn't put on it, looks more like marks that get left by whatever makes the screw holes... Now this is the chassis that has the black raised plastic trim piece. I also have a 510 A2 drive here still in it's package... it is a solid frame all the way around (no black trim piece) and it does not have any markings near the holes at all. Sort of a ruff brushed feel/look to the whole case.
** additional info - I just google searched images for Intel 310 and most of the images of the casing look like the older G2 one with the black trim piece. If yours is like this, then I would bet those markings around the screw holes are OK and the come new that way just like mine.

 

[pwens]

Install SSDlife on the rig and check the SSD. It'll tell you if it's been used or not by checking the working hours on it.

Finally got the parts I was waiting for, so I opened the protective magnetic bag for the first time.

While the sticker side looked factory new and fresh, the opposite steel side even had a partial finger print on it.

Anyway, I tried SSDlife. SSDlife reported it as zero hours worked, zero bytes of data written. I guess it's brand new after all. Thanks for the suggestion. I guess the scratch marks were just from the machine milling, and I guess the guy who put it in the plastic bag at the intel factory got a thumb print on it.

 

[pwens]

Best answer selected by pwens.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey