When to replace/upgarde SSDs?

[Supersonicwolfe]

So my boot SSD is at 67% heath reported by Crystal Disk Mark. 

I am also running low on space on my SSD, but so far I can still move some of my not-so-often played games on to hard drives

 

I am wondering if I should go get new, better SSD to be my boot drive (Going from a ADATA S11 pro 250GB to a 1TB MP600 Pro) now, or maybe I can hold on to it until the health dropped to below 50%

[YoungBlade]

You can wait, but 1TB and 2TB SSD drives are getting insanely cheap, so now would probably be as good a time to buy as any.

 

Also, friendly reminder - make sure you have anything valuable backed up. Data without a backup is always unsafe, no matter what the SMART data reports or what type of media it is on.

[Supersonicwolfe]

8 minutes ago, YoungBlade said:

You can wait, but 1TB and 2TB SSD drives are getting insanely cheap, so now would probably be as good a time to buy as any.

 

Also, friendly reminder - make sure you have anything valuable backed up. Data without a backup is always unsafe, no matter what the SMART data reports or what type of media it is on.

Yeah I have proper 3-2-1.

It's my OS drive, no personal files on there, plus I have Backblaze if anything went south. 

[ewitte]

Usually, every 2-3 years I start replacing for capacity.  First I got rid of 500GB drives, then 1TB now I just removed a 2TB that had 100% life and 11TB writes and replaced it with a 7.68TB u.2 drive. Sometimes they go without warning so...

[Supersonicwolfe]

13 minutes ago, ewitte said:

Usually, every 2-3 years I start replacing for capacity.  First I got rid of 500GB drives, then 1TB now I just removed a 2TB that had 100% life and 11TB writes and replaced it with a 7.68TB u.2 drive. Sometimes they go without warning so...

I am using a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO SATA drive that used to be my OS. It clocked in with 24k hours with 40 TB writes (Max 150TBW). Still, Crystaldiskinfo reported it still have 97% heath left. But it's almost full (I do have 50GB over provisioning on that drive so if I am really tight on space, I can turn that off).

 

The 250GB Nvme ADATA S11 Pro degraded much faster, 13k hours, 31TB written (Max 160TB) and 67% health.

 

Most of my data are on spinning drives, all backed up use backblaze.

 

There is a pretty nice deal on a 1TB Corsair MP600 Pro, but if SSD price is still trending downward and that 67% health isn't a big brother, I can probably hold on until summer sale or something.

 

[Lurking]

2 hours ago, Supersonicwolfe said:

I am using a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO SATA drive that used to be my OS. It clocked in with 24k hours with 40 TB writes (Max 150TBW). Still, Crystaldiskinfo reported it still have 97% heath left. But it's almost full (I do have 50GB over provisioning on that drive so if I am really tight on space, I can turn that off).

 

The 250GB Nvme ADATA S11 Pro degraded much faster, 13k hours, 31TB written (Max 160TB) and 67% health.

 

Most of my data are on spinning drives, all backed up use backblaze.

 

There is a pretty nice deal on a 1TB Corsair MP600 Pro, but if SSD price is still trending downward and that 67% health isn't a big brother, I can probably hold on until summer sale or something.

 

If it fails today, and you need your PC, you won't be able to wait for sales. I'd just get a good deal now and do a controlled transfer.

 

Since you get low on space, it shouldn't even be a question. I didn't catch if you have SATA. An Nvme SSD should be quite faster. 

[Supersonicwolfe]

34 minutes ago, Lurking said:

If it fails today, and you need your PC, you won't be able to wait for sales. I'd just get a good deal now and do a controlled transfer.

 

Since you get low on space, it shouldn't even be a question. I didn't catch if you have SATA. An Nvme SSD should be quite faster. 

Well I read from another thread there is no need to replace them even if SMART report hearth is below 50%, some continues to work even if the SMART reached 0%

 

My OS is a  NVME but a 250GB, I probably will replace it with a 1TB, and continue use the 250GB as a game/scratch drive. I am not that in need of SSD space, so we well see.

 

The sale is only about 15%, making CORSAIR MP600 PRO SSD about the same as a 970 Evo Plus here, and same teir Kingston Fury Renegate is about the same price without sale

[Lurking]

25 minutes ago, Supersonicwolfe said:

Well I read from another thread there is no need to replace them even if SMART report hearth is below 50%, some continues to work even if the SMART reached 0%

 

My OS is a  NVME but a 250GB, I probably will replace it with a 1TB, and continue use the 250GB as a game/scratch drive. I am not that in need of SSD space, so we well see.

 

The sale is only about 15%, making CORSAIR MP600 PRO SSD about the same as a 970 Evo Plus here, and same teir Kingston Fury Renegate is about the same price without sale

Your OP indicated you are low on space and would have to move games to HDD. That is what I would call an urgent need to upgrade. 

But that is just me.

5 hours ago, Supersonicwolfe said:

5 hours ago, Supersonicwolfe said:

am also running low on space on my SSD, but so far I can still move some of my not-so-often played games on to hard drives

 

 

[worstalentscout]

3 hours ago, Supersonicwolfe said:

Well I read from another thread there is no need to replace them even if SMART report hearth is below 50%, some continues to work even if the SMART reached 0%

 

My OS is a  NVME but a 250GB, I probably will replace it with a 1TB, and continue use the 250GB as a game/scratch drive. I am not that in need of SSD space, so we well see.

 

The sale is only about 15%, making CORSAIR MP600 PRO SSD about the same as a 970 Evo Plus here, and same teir Kingston Fury Renegate is about the same price without sale

 

i've a boot drive (Crucial MX500 - 250GB) at 87% after 16 months.......10TB written (warranty is for 100TBW)...........i'm trying to see if the SMART will go into negative territory.......

[Supersonicwolfe]

9 hours ago, Lurking said:

Your OP indicated you are low on space and would have to move games to HDD. That is what I would call an urgent need to upgrade. 

But that is just me.

 

I mean those games are ones I no longer actively play every day, but also don't want to redownload them.

 

I am a little bit concerned I will run out of space when new DLC for Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon 5 dropped, but like I mentioned, I have 50 GB of over provisioning I can release if needed.

 

Really I am more concerned on when it's time to replace/upgrade SSD. Like if its below 50% (that means I probably should upgrade in this year's black friday)

[Supersonicwolfe]

6 hours ago, worstalentscout said:

 

i've a boot drive (Crucial MX500 - 250GB) at 87% after 16 months.......10TB written (warranty is for 100TBW)...........i'm trying to see if the SMART will go into negative territory.......

Yeah, I don't quite know how SMART decide on the health rating... the Samsung have double hours and 50% more TBW written have substantially heathier indication vs the ADATA drive, despite both have 5-year warranty and about the same endurance rating. 

*I bought the Samsung in Nov 2016, and ADATA in Nov 2018...

13 hours ago, Supersonicwolfe said:

I am using a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO SATA drive that used to be my OS. It clocked in with 24k hours with 40 TB writes (Max 150TBW). Still, Crystaldiskinfo reported it still have 97% heath left. But it's almost full (I do have 50GB over provisioning on that drive so if I am really tight on space, I can turn that off).

 

The 250GB Nvme ADATA S11 Pro degraded much faster, 13k hours, 31TB written (Max 160TB) and 67% health.

 

Most of my data are on spinning drives, all backed up use backblaze.

 

There is a pretty nice deal on a 1TB Corsair MP600 Pro, but if SSD price is still trending downward and that 67% health isn't a big brother, I can probably hold on until summer sale or something.

 

 

[Lurking]

41 minutes ago, Supersonicwolfe said:

I mean those games are ones I no longer actively play every day, but also don't want to redownload them.

 

I am a little bit concerned I will run out of space when new DLC for Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon 5 dropped, but like I mentioned, I have 50 GB of over provisioning I can release if needed.

 

Really I am more concerned on when it's time to replace/upgrade SSD. Like if its below 50% (that means I probably should upgrade in this year's black friday)

Everyone's comfort level and tolerance are different. Ultimately you have to decide how much saving a few bucks by waiting is worth 

 

In my family 2 people remote into work. So I have 3 PCs capable of remoting in and running the dual 4K monitors. If one of the 2 desk PCs fails, I hook up that 3rd PC till I ordered new parts. But if I knew about drive getting full, or showing health degradation - it would be a new drive immediately. How much is one hour of work time lost compared to  the $10 hypothetically saved with an SSD discount at some future time? 

[Doobeedoo]

Can last very long time and over their rating even. My decade old 850 Pro is at 86% health.

[NewMaxx]

If the spare block count changes from 64h (100 decimal or 100%) then I would consider that an early warning sign of actual flash failure. Most drives are at least 70-80% through their lifespans by the time they start retiring blocks. Due to wear leveling, failure after that point happens much more quickly.

 

Flash wear is one of the least likely outcomes with most drives, though. Between 2/3 and 3/4 of failure causes fall on the early part of the bathtub curve (within 6 months of ownership) or from a firmware/controller issue, if not a physical problem. TBW and health rating on drives has very little bearing in most cases.

 

I have worked with a ton of SSDs and only retired one due to flash wear. I know many people who run drives for Chia (even now) and typically modern drives can write into the PB range. (a launch SX8200 Pro/S11 Pro with 64L IMFT TLC  has 1500PEC flash, 3000PEC if more recent, so 375TB at least - yes you must consider write amplification or NAND vs host writes but this flash is also more typically good for 3K+, I'd estimate up to 500TB anyway)

[Supersonicwolfe]

1 hour ago, NewMaxx said:

If the spare block count changes from 64h (100 decimal or 100%) then I would consider that an early warning sign of actual flash failure. Most drives are at least 70-80% through their lifespans by the time they start retiring blocks. Due to wear leveling, failure after that point happens much more quickly.

 

Flash wear is one of the least likely outcomes with most drives, though. Between 2/3 and 3/4 of failure causes fall on the early part of the bathtub curve (within 6 months of ownership) or from a firmware/controller issue, if not a physical problem. TBW and health rating on drives has very little bearing in most cases.

 

I have worked with a ton of SSDs and only retired one due to flash wear. I know many people who run drives for Chia (even now) and typically modern drives can write into the PB range. (a launch SX8200 Pro/S11 Pro with 64L IMFT TLC  has 1500PEC flash, 3000PEC if more recent, so 375TB at least - yes you must consider write amplification or NAND vs host writes but this flash is also more typically good for 3K+, I'd estimate up to 500TB anyway)

Thanks for the info. I decided to upgrade my RAM first and wait a bit to watch the SSD price drop. Especially PCIe 5.0 drives are coming out soon.