SSD recommendation to replace failing hdd

[bccheatha]

Title says it all, my current hard drive is failing and I think it's time to replace it with an SSD. I would like to try to stay around $80 if possible. I know next to nothing about SSDs other than the fact that they're faster. I use my desktop mostly for the purpose of gaming. Thank you ahead of time!

 

[JohnnyLucky]

We will need a little more information in order to recommend an appropriate solid state drive for your system.

What is the brand name and model number of you motherboard? This information is required to determine what type of ssd your motherboard can accommodate.

What do you do with your computer? Gamer, mainstream use, or professional work?

 

[Matthew_198]

Yes an SSD will be significantly faster than HDD however they cost a lot more so if you are storing large games you might want to buy a hard drive as well. A good solid state drive is the Samsung 850 evo which is one of the fastest drives out there and comes with a five year warranty. If you want a slightly cheaper one the sandisk SSD ultra still has decent speed but is slightly cheaper.
Here are the links for the two drives I just mentioned:
850 evo
Sandisk SSD ultra

 

[geofelt]

How much data is used on the HDD?

Not knowing more, I would suggest a 240gb Samsung 850 EVO
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147372

Samsung for several reasons.
Samsung is a bit faster than most and has a 5 year warranty.
Samsung offers a free ssd migration aid which will move your C drive to their ssd.
I suggest at least 240gb for windows C drive. Many things default to that so you do not want it getting full.

In the mean time, download the diagnostic program for your hard drive to see what might be going on.
WD and Seagate have them.
A reinitialization of the device might be enough to use it later for bulk storage.

 

[vedha]

Samsung is the best ssd out there, but for this price range try the WD Blue 250gb
https://www.amazon.com/WD-Blue-250GB-SSD-WDS250G1B0A/dp/B01LXDQX35/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1507998701&sr=1-4&keywords=ssd

 

[bccheatha]

My motherboard says it's a Z77 PRO4 P1.40-15A.

The price and capacity of the ssd vegan suggested is nice for me. Would this be compatible. Let me know if you need any more info

 

[bccheatha]

I've been trying to run chkdsk on my hdd and it's literally taking days. It's not hung up because the percentage is moving, however very slow.

 

[geofelt]

chkdsk only verified the file integrity, It is not a checker for bad blocks which must be replaced.
Run wd data lifeguard if your hdd is wd, or seatools if your hdd is Seasonic.

WD blue is fine. But for $5 or $10 more I would buy the Samsung evo 850.
1. It will have a 5 year warranty vs. 3
2. Performance of Samsung is marginally better.
3. Samsung has a free ssd migration aid to move your existing windows C drive to their ssd.

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Thanks for posting the information. You have an Intel based motherboard that supports standard 2.5 inch SATA 3, 6 Gb/s solid state drives.

Like others who have posted a reply, I would also recommend the Samsung 850 EVO ssd. It is Samsung's best seller, has a proven track record, and comes with a 5 year warranty. I have installed quite a few of them in customer builds without experiencing any problems.

I maintain an ssd database listed in a sticky at the very top of this forum section. Here is the link:

http://www.johnnylucky.org/data-storage/ssd-database.html

Scroll down to Section II and then look for the SATA 3 table where you will find the Samsung 850 EVO. Follow the links to the technical reviews. The technical reviews are divided into 2 categories - English Language reviews and reviews in many other languages. You can also check out reviews for other ssd's you might be interested in. There is no advertising or other distractions.