Controllers?

aisle9 · November 18, 2019

I'm looking at a couple of different SSD options, and it seems like the controller is the main difference. Because of the form factor in play and the prices involved, the two SSDs I've got in mind are the only real options for me. The two controllers in play are listed below. I have pretty strong feelings for one over the other, but want to make sure someone more experienced than me agrees:

SSD 1: 480GB, $55-ish after tax, Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller. This controller dates back to 2013, which actually really scares me about its longevity prospects. I have a hunch I'd be getting a 5-6 year old controller, which could mean a 5-6 year old SSD. Saving $20 is nice, but if the six-year-old controller dies or is running at a snail's pace, why did I bother?

SSD 2: 512GB, $75-ish after tax, Maxiotek MX8215 controller. This one dates back to 2017 and it's got JMicron DNA, but it's DRAMless. I can't find any info about DRAM for the SM controller, but I'm sort of recalling that DRAMless wasn't a thing until 2015 or so...? It's also significantly more expensive, but again, I think the MX8215 is a better controller for the money.

For some background, these SSDs are being considered for a Celeron N3350-based laptop I picked up over the weekend that set me back $100 brand new from Micro Center. It only supports 2242 and 2260 form factors, and 2260 appears to be iffy, and it does not support NVMe drives at all, only SATA. The internal storage is limited to a 64GB SanDisk eMMC chip soldered down, so something bigger and faster would be appreciated if I do end up using this thing as extensively as I anticipate doing.