[SOLVED] What is the best SSD for longevity?

Dec 31, 2019
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Hello everybody! I am looking to replace an old 5400 RPM mechanical drive (in an old laptop) with an SSD. As long as the speed of the SSD isn't unbearable, I'll be happy.

What matters the most to me though is the longevity of the SSD. I generally need it to last for five years. I've looked everywhere, but I can't seem to find any information about the best SSD out there in terms of longevity. Please offer your advice! Thank you.
 
Solution
What is the make/model of your laptop?
Without that, nobody can tell you if it is suitable for ssd replacement.

Most likely it is since 2,5" sata drives have been available in laptops for a long time.

Do a google search on your laptop name and ssd replacement.
You should be able to see a video on how to take the laptop apart and replace the drive.

Newegg is perhaps my go to source for parts.
They market for other sellers who may not be as prompt in shipping or have as good customer service.
I prefer to source from newegg directly.
Here is the link to a 250GB samsung 860 evo for $60
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-860-...820147676?Item=N82E16820147676&quicklink=true

The 500gb version is $80...
Honestly most SSDs will last that long unless you write to them a LOT, like usage in NAS or data centers. But do check each manufacturer website for information on how many reads and writes its rated for before failure. The numbers are excessively high for the most part.
If you want to be completely safe on longevity, Samsung 860 Evo is probably your best bet. But something cheaper like a Crucial MX500 will most likely last 5 years just fine as well.

Either way, a good SSD is NOT going to excuse you from using good backups. Make periodic backups, no matter how good your storage is. If something goes wrong (doesn't even have to be the storage) and you need to reset, you don't want to lose your data to it.
 

SparkyTech934

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Jan 22, 2020
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Hi there,

So, I wanted to write a good response down for you since you had indicated that you've looked around and couldn't find a lot of information about this kind of stuff. I wanted to be able to hopefully teach you a few things as I make a recommendation so you can do some more research later if you wanted. So here we go.

To answer one of the first things that you mentioned, any SSD will be faster than a 5400 RPM HDD. SSDs are much quicker because of their ability to do much more IOPS (Inputs/Outputs Per Second). This being said, you won't have to worry about some SSDs being slower because they have a better longevity than others.

Now to answer your main question about longevity. SSDs have come a long way since they were first on the market. These days, longevity and reliability are not something that you'd have to worry about shopping for, especially in the 5 year range. Unless you're looking to buy for like 8+ years, its not something that you would necessarily need to worry about. The only other factor that affects this is how often you are writing to the SSD.

The reasons an SSD fails over time is that each cell can only be written to a certain amount of times. Your PC can read from the cells an unlimited number of times without degrading the drive. So, unless you are going to be using the SSD for mass storage that is constantly being overwritten (like video camera feeds, etc), you shouldn't have to worry.

If you are a regular user who needs a drive for an operating system, and normal usage, I would recommend buying a Samsung drive. Samsung tends to source better NAND flash chips, which gives there drives a better lifespan. The two things you need to look for in an SSD as far as longevity goes are the following:

  • MTBF (Mean-Time Before Failure) - the higher the better
  • TBW (Terrabytes Written) - higher is better (always higher with bigger capacity)
Lastly, make sure you're still backing your data up periodically, just to ensure that everything is saved in case the SSD or even a different HDD goes down, you never know what could happen. Keep in mind you can re-use your old HDD as an external drive if you get an enclosure for it!

So the TL;DR is this...
Most SSDs these days are good on reliability. If its something that you're worried about though, I recommend Samsung drives, like the 860 EVO series linked below:
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-860-evo-series-1tb/p/N82E16820147673?Description=samsung SSD&cm_re=samsung_SSD--20-147-673--Product

Let me know if you have any more questions, and happy researching! hope this helps :)
 
Dec 31, 2019
46
0
30
Honestly most SSDs will last that long unless you write to them a LOT, like usage in NAS or data centers. But do check each manufacturer website for information on how many reads and writes its rated for before failure. The numbers are excessively high for the most part.
If you want to be completely safe on longevity, Samsung 860 Evo is probably your best bet. But something cheaper like a Crucial MX500 will most likely last 5 years just fine as well.

Either way, a good SSD is NOT going to excuse you from using good backups. Make periodic backups, no matter how good your storage is. If something goes wrong (doesn't even have to be the storage) and you need to reset, you don't want to lose your data to it.
Hi there,

So, I wanted to write a good response down for you since you had indicated that you've looked around and couldn't find a lot of information about this kind of stuff. I wanted to be able to hopefully teach you a few things as I make a recommendation so you can do some more research later if you wanted. So here we go.

To answer one of the first things that you mentioned, any SSD will be faster than a 5400 RPM HDD. SSDs are much quicker because of their ability to do much more IOPS (Inputs/Outputs Per Second). This being said, you won't have to worry about some SSDs being slower because they have a better longevity than others.

Now to answer your main question about longevity. SSDs have come a long way since they were first on the market. These days, longevity and reliability are not something that you'd have to worry about shopping for, especially in the 5 year range. Unless you're looking to buy for like 8+ years, its not something that you would necessarily need to worry about. The only other factor that affects this is how often you are writing to the SSD.

The reasons an SSD fails over time is that each cell can only be written to a certain amount of times. Your PC can read from the cells an unlimited number of times without degrading the drive. So, unless you are going to be using the SSD for mass storage that is constantly being overwritten (like video camera feeds, etc), you shouldn't have to worry.

If you are a regular user who needs a drive for an operating system, and normal usage, I would recommend buying a Samsung drive. Samsung tends to source better NAND flash chips, which gives there drives a better lifespan. The two things you need to look for in an SSD as far as longevity goes are the following:

  • MTBF (Mean-Time Before Failure) - the higher the better
  • TBW (Terrabytes Written) - higher is better (always higher with bigger capacity)
Lastly, make sure you're still backing your data up periodically, just to ensure that everything is saved in case the SSD or even a different HDD goes down, you never know what could happen. Keep in mind you can re-use your old HDD as an external drive if you get an enclosure for it!

So the TL;DR is this...
Most SSDs these days are good on reliability. If its something that you're worried about though, I recommend Samsung drives, like the 860 EVO series linked below:
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-860-evo-series-1tb/p/N82E16820147673?Description=samsung SSD&cm_re=samsung_SSD--20-147-673--Product

Let me know if you have any more questions, and happy researching! hope this helps :)
First off, let me thank you both for being so kind and considerate! This is my first thread, so I appreciate it. :D

I plan on doing a lot of online work for a little over six hours every weekday (Google Drive, Google Docs, etc), but I might locally store a few things here and there. Would you still recommend a Samsung 860 Evo? 240GB is likely more than enough.
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-860-evo-series-250gb/p/N82E16820147676
 
Last edited:
The 500 GB MX500 is about $66, with 1 TB units coming in at about $100-$105...barring any price increase panics over imports, etc... (I've used several of each of these, and, seen an honest 563 MB/sec on CrystalDiskMark sequential reads....quite darn snappy for SATA3, and, a night and day difference on a laptop's perceived speed!)
 
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The 500 GB MX500 is about $66, with 1 TB units coming in at about $100-$105...barring any price increase panics over imports, etc... (I've used several of each of these, and, seen an honest 563 MB/sec on CrystalDiskMark sequential reads....quite darn snappy for SATA3, and, a night and day difference on a laptop's perceived speed!)
I don't really need 500GB of storage though. Even 250GB is kind of overkill.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Hello everybody! I am looking to replace an old 5400 RPM mechanical drive (in an old laptop) with an SSD. As long as the speed of the SSD isn't unbearable, I'll be happy.

What matters the most to me though is the longevity of the SSD. I generally need it to last for five years. I've looked everywhere, but I can't seem to find any information about the best SSD out there in terms of longevity. Please offer your advice! Thank you.
In my parts list below, the 2x 840 EVO 250GB drives have been in constant use since Dec 2014.
CrystalDiskMark still shows them operating at pretty much original spec.

For actual longevity tests, read here:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7173/...w-120gb-250gb-500gb-750gb-1tb-models-tested/3
http://techreport.com/review/26058/the-ssd-endurance-experiment-data-retention-after-600tb
 
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Endurance is no longer the issue it once was when 40gb was in use.
The answer to your question is that the bigger the drive, the longer it will last.
In practical terms, though, any ssd of 250gb or more is going to be obsolete long before it wears out.

As to quality, I always think it is better to go with a vendor that makes their own chips like samsung or Intel.
I suspect they keep the best parts for their own use.

I have changed out the HDD in a number of laptops with very good results using the samsung ssd migration app.
You will be amazed at how quick your upgraded laptop will be.

If you have an old laptop, you likely have a 2.5" sata HDD.
A samsung 860 evo large enough to hold the used contents of your HDD is primarily what you need.
Unless your laptop has a second sata slot, buy a usb to sata adapter cable for about $10.
You run the utility:
When done, just replace your HDD with the ssd and you are done.
 
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Dec 31, 2019
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Endurance is no longer the issue it once was when 40gb was in use.
The answer to your question is that the bigger the drive, the longer it will last.
In practical terms, though, any ssd of 250gb or more is going to be obsolete long before it wears out.

As to quality, I always think it is better to go with a vendor that makes their own chips like samsung or Intel.
I suspect they keep the best parts for their own use.

I have changed out the HDD in a number of laptops with very good results using the samsung ssd migration app.
You will be amazed at how quick your upgraded laptop will be.

If you have an old laptop, you likely have a 2.5" sata HDD.
A samsung 860 evo large enough to hold the used contents of your HDD is primarily what you need.
Unless your laptop has a second sata slot, buy a usb to sata adapter cable for about $10.
You run the utility:
When done, just replace your HDD with the ssd and you are done.
Thanks, but I can't make my mind up between the Samsung 860 Evo and the Crucial MX500.
 
How large is your current 5400rpm drive?
How full is it?
Do you have an empty sata drive slot available on your laptop?

I have several concerns depending on your answers,

1. 120gb is very small for Windows. It fills up quickly. As it gets near full, it will lose speed and endurance.
240gb would be my minimum.

2. What software will you use to convert to the ssd?
There are a number of clone utilities that are available.
I think crucial has one.
A clone is a bit for bit copy of all on the HDD to the ssd.
That implies that your new ssd must be equal in size or larger than your current HDD
Some clone utilities are smarter than others and will make adjustments. But at minimum, the new ssd must be large enough to hold all the used portion of the original HDD.
I am not experienced with anything other than the samsung ssd migration app.
The samsung app is not a clone utility, it is a C drive mover that has never failed me.

3. What is the make/model of your laptop?
If it does not have a spare 2.5" sata drive slot, you are going to need a usb to sata adapter cable to do the copy.
This is what one looks like:
https://www.newegg.com/startech-usb3s2sat3cb-usb-to-sata/p/N82E16812400542

4. BX500 is a decent and cheap ssd, but this review indicates that it has low endurance which is your prime requirement.
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-bx500-ssd,5377.html

On something as important as the windows C drive, I think I would go with a more proven option, namely the samsung 860 evo.
 
Dec 31, 2019
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How large is your current 5400rpm drive?
500GB
How full is it?
Windows is loaded onto it and that's basically it.
Do you have an empty sata drive slot available on your laptop?
The HDD occupies the single SATA drive slot in my laptop.
1. 120gb is very small for Windows. It fills up quickly.
Even if most of that space will purely be for bug fixes and security updates?
2. What software will you use to convert to the ssd?
I'm leaning towards the Samsung Migration app.
That implies that your new ssd must be equal in size or larger than your current HDD
Some clone utilities are smarter than others and will make adjustments. But at minimum, the new ssd must be large enough to hold all the used portion of the original HDD.
Okay, so if I were to migrate the data from my 500GB HDD (which has under 240GB of data currently in it) to a 240GB SSD, would I be okay?
3. What is the make/model of your laptop?
If it does not have a spare 2.5" sata drive slot, you are going to need a usb to sata adapter cable to do the copy.
I already have a USB to SATA adapter cable.
4. BX500 is a decent and cheap ssd, but this review indicates that it has low endurance which is your prime requirement.
On something as important as the windows C drive, I think I would go with a more proven option, namely the samsung 860 evo.
Okay, I guess I'll go with the Samsung 860 Evo. I have two more questions though.

Will it be compatible with my laptop?

Where can I buy a new 240GB Samsung 860 Evo?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
What is the make/model of your laptop?
Without that, nobody can tell you if it is suitable for ssd replacement.

Most likely it is since 2,5" sata drives have been available in laptops for a long time.

Do a google search on your laptop name and ssd replacement.
You should be able to see a video on how to take the laptop apart and replace the drive.

Newegg is perhaps my go to source for parts.
They market for other sellers who may not be as prompt in shipping or have as good customer service.
I prefer to source from newegg directly.
Here is the link to a 250GB samsung 860 evo for $60
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-860-...820147676?Item=N82E16820147676&quicklink=true

The 500gb version is $80
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-860-...820147674?Item=N82E16820147674&quicklink=true
 
Solution
Dec 31, 2019
46
0
30
What is the make/model of your laptop?
Without that, nobody can tell you if it is suitable for ssd replacement.

Most likely it is since 2,5" sata drives have been available in laptops for a long time.

Do a google search on your laptop name and ssd replacement.
You should be able to see a video on how to take the laptop apart and replace the drive.
I found out that the SATA drive is 2.5-inches. Could I possibly run into other compatibility problems?
Newegg is perhaps my go to source for parts.
They market for other sellers who may not be as prompt in shipping or have as good customer service.
I prefer to source from newegg directly.
Here is the link to a 250GB samsung 860 evo for $60
https://www.newegg.com/samsung-860-evo-series-250gb/p/N82E16820147676?Item=N82E16820147676&quicklink=true
Thanks for the link! :D
 
I found out that the SATA drive is 2.5-inches. Could I possibly run into other compatibility problems?

Thanks for the link! :D
You shouldn't run into compatibility issues, but if the laptop is really old, like 6-7 years at least, it may use a SATA II connection, which would have lower speed than SATA III on the SSD. This would make it slower than it would on a SATA III laptop, but they are technically backwards and forwards compatible.
 
I really doubt any compatibility issues.
But, laptops are sometimes hard to figure out how to get the covers off and access the HDD.
That is why I suggested you use the make/model of your laptop to find a youtube video or the hardware maintenance manual for it.
 
Dec 31, 2019
46
0
30
You shouldn't run into compatibility issues, but if the laptop is really old, like 6-7 years at least, it may use a SATA II connection, which would have lower speed than SATA III on the SSD. This would make it slower than it would on a SATA III laptop, but they are technically backwards and forwards compatible.
The laptop model was released sometime in 2014.
I really doubt any compatibility issues.
But, laptops are sometimes hard to figure out how to get the covers off and access the HDD.
That is why I suggested you use the make/model of your laptop to find a youtube video or the hardware maintenance manual for it.
I found this video, but it's in broken English.
View: https://youtu.be/lVVRGODMlCI