is it safe to use a 120GB SSD in a external USB 3.0 enclosure?

[tatsu99]

im buying a samsung 750 evo 120GB SSD as i need to save my precious data (combined size of the data is less than 70GB). i recently had a imation EXT HDD die on me while i was transferring some photos and songs....luckily the SATA to USB chip is still working only the HHD died. i read a few articles on the net and saw that using SSDs over USB deos not activate TRIM and that the SSD will die, i really need the fast speed of the SSD and the lower failure rates. please help me out!

 

[ledhead11]

If I remember right TRIM is an INTEL only thing but most manufacturers have some thing.

Two things that kill SSD's the quickest.
1. Heat. NAND doesn't like getting too hot. If its not in continuous use an enclosure should be o.k. for simple transfers. Constant use could cause it to overheat and eventually fail.
2. Not enough provisioning. 120gb will probably have around 108gb or so usable. If your keep it at 70 or less like you mentioned it should be fine. I've got some that I regularly push to 90-100 and they've been o.k. but its not usually recommended.

Make sure your connections are always good and use the eject/disconnect to avoid lost data and minimize potential voltage spikes. SSD controller boards do seem to be more sensitive to these.

 

[tatsu99]

If I remember right TRIM is an INTEL only thing but most manufacturers have some thing.

Two things that kill SSD's the quickest.
1. Heat. NAND doesn't like getting too hot. If its not in continuous use an enclosure should be o.k. for simple transfers. Constant use could cause it to overheat and eventually fail.
2. Not enough provisioning. 120gb will probably have around 108gb or so usable. If your keep it at 70 or less like you mentioned it should be fine. I've got some that I regularly push to 90-100 and they've been o.k. but its not usually recommended.

Make sure your connections are always good and use the eject/disconnect to avoid lost data and minimize potential voltage spikes. SSD controller boards do seem to be more sensitive to these.

thanks for your answer, so that 'eject USB device' thing actually works?
i will be using it frequently as i travel a lot but the maximum time i will be having it plugged in will be 15mins provided the SSD is fast....as they advertise it.

 

[Solandri]

How long do you plan to be using this SSD to "save your precious data"? SSDs store data in memory cells which hold a charge. That charge slowly leaks out over time. After enough time, you start to get CRC errors which slow down reads, and eventually loss of data entirely (what happened to the Samsung 840 EVO SSDs).

If you only plan to use this SSD for temporary storage (e.g. carrying movies when you travel) of files you're keeping elsewhere, then it'll be just fine. But if you're hoping to use this as a backup drive or even to hold the only copy of your data for many years, get a regular HDD instead.

 

[tatsu99]

How long do you plan to be using this SSD to "save your precious data"? SSDs store data in memory cells which hold a charge. That charge slowly leaks out over time. After enough time, you start to get CRC errors which slow down reads, and eventually loss of data entirely (what happened to the Samsung 840 EVO SSDs).

If you only plan to use this SSD for temporary storage (e.g. carrying movies when you travel) of files you're keeping elsewhere, then it'll be just fine. But if you're hoping to use this as a backup drive or even to hold the only copy of your data for many years, get a regular HDD instead.

i plan to use the SSD for 3 years at most. is there a better SSD that wont leak out my data over time or is there any way to prevent loss of data?

 

[ledhead11]

Most portable media isn't really meant to last that long. They can, it's not unusual, but you shouldn't take it as a given. Even a portable HDD after 3 years of travel may have issues. I have many portable devices(flash, ssd, hdd, cards) that have easily lasted that long and a few that didn't. I still wouldn't trust any of them under constant use to hold precious data that long.

I've also experimented with many brands such as WD, Toshiba, Patriot, Shadow, Seagate, PNY, and a few I can't remember. Honestly, even if you get the 'best of' of something there's so many factors over 3 years that could still spell disaster.

Even if the media lasts, eventually the ports/jacks may give(bad solders, weak boards, etc.). Your best bet is redundancy if you absolutely need to be portable. Have backups, somehow, someway. A single device for that time frame is asking a lot.