Question 2.5" SSD recommendations for old system

[Turbonium]

I'm boosting the performance of my old laptop (see thread), and am considering getting an SSD.

What are the best SSDs out there, for longevity? I don't need crazy fast speeds or super high capacity. I just need it to be reliable, and last. And last. And last some more.

I'm thinking maybe a 2.5" WD Blue SATA SSD at 500 GB or even 250 GB, or something along those lines. I'm not really up-to-date with respect to flash memory technologies though, so I'm not really sure what to look for in terms of the really technical stuff.

 

[Fallen Kell]

If you want a SSD for longevity and reliable, you want something that is still SLC or MLC. If you can find one, get 400GB Intel S3710. Yes, it will probably still cost about $0.90 per GB. But, if you want something to last, this is the drive since it was designed to last. It has 8.3PB of write endurance, and a mean time between failures of 2,000,000 hours of operation. Yes, you read that correctly 2 million hours of operation for the mean time between failure. The WD, while 1/4 or so the cost, in the 500GB size only has 200TB of write endurance (the Intel has almost 42x as much).

Now that said, if you just want something good enough and you are just trying to extend the life of an old laptop for a couple more years, a 512GB Samsung 860 PRO will get you 600TB of write endurance (warrantied), and will only set you back $100.

 

[Turbonium]

I just did some quick reading on SLC, MLC, and TLC, etc.

So I take it the Samsung 860 PRO strikes a balance between cost and longevity/performance, it being MLC?

EDIT: I'm seeing that SLC NAND is basically non-existent. Even the Intel model you mentioned is MLC.

 

[Insert_Nickname]

What are the best SSDs out there, for longevity? I don't need crazy fast speeds or super high capacity. I just need it to be reliable, and last. And last. And last some more.

Samsung or Intel (DC) will do. But really anything you can buy today for 2.5" SATA will be good enough. 500GB-class drives are cheap and cheerful.

You don't need to worry about write endurance. That was relevant with older low capacity drives without TRIM. Today there is enough physical NAND present that it'll never be a problem for regular usage. Your laptop will be scrap before the drive wears out, you should be able to get 10+ years out of even the cheapest SSD.

 

[VirtualLarry]

IMO, Crucial (MX500), or Intel (635?) tend to last and last.

 

[Turbonium]

Your laptop will be scrap before the drive wears out, you should be able to get 10+ years out of even the cheapest SSD.

Never!

 

[Insert_Nickname]

Never!

I salute your optimism...

 

[Soulkeeper]

The sandisk ultra is another option, it's essentially identical to the WD blue, but can be had a few bucks cheaper.
If you can get a good price, bestbuy carries them also.

samsung 850/860 pro were basically the peak of sata offerings, but they might be hard to find at a good deal now.

 

[Turbonium]

samsung 850/860 pro were basically the peak of sata offerings, but they might be hard to find at a good deal now.

Has everything been downhill since?

 

[Fallen Kell]

Has everything been downhill since?

Not so much downhill as moved to nvme.

 

[Shmee]

The WD Blue 3D SATA SSDs are decent, though I could also recommend a deal on a 860 Evo or 870 Evo from Samsung. The Crucial MX 500 is also a good option.

One thing to do, is to make sure you have AHCI turned on in BIOS. Do this before the Win 10 install, to save you time.