Computers & Electronics

SSD ~500GB best deals/recommendations now?

  • Last Updated:
  • Jan 31st, 2016 2:48 pm
Tags:
None
SCORE
Reply to ThreadReply
Dec 12th, 2015 4:02 pm
Tichi [OP]
Deal Addict
May 5, 2008
1947 posts
649 upvotes

Dec 12th, 2015 4:02 pm

SSD ~500GB best deals/recommendations now?

Hey, Folks, I'd like to ask your advice on best choices for an SSD ~500GB right now, meaning over Holiday season or so.

My 2011 i7 Sony Vaio F laptop is still running strong, not a single flaw, and I do not see any worthwhile
replacement among current laptop offers. So, I want to give it a boost, and as Windows Experience Index and I
both suspect that the HDD is the bottleneck, I want to swap HDD for and SSD.

My HHD at the moment is a ST9500420AS Seagate Momentus 7200.4 500 GB 7200RPM SATA drive.

So basically my questions are:

1) What are the best choices ( (performance+reliability)/price, but reliability is more important! ) for an SDD of about 500GB now?
I've been told that Sandisk and Samsung EVO are reliable brands, and the reasonable price is about $0.5 per GB. Are there any better brands/prices?

2) Should I worry about hardware compatibility of the new SSD with an old lappy, and software-wise - with Windows 7?

Thanks a lot for your advices!
160 replies
Dec 12th, 2015 4:28 pm
Tichi [OP]
Deal Addict
May 5, 2008
1947 posts
649 upvotes

Dec 12th, 2015 4:28 pm


OK, thanks!
I see that all three SSD's above quote same R/W speed (about 550 MB/s / 500 MB/s),
which probably means sequential, so why are you saying that
the second Crucial SSD is slow? is it about random R/W?

They all seem to me SATA-III =, i.e. 6Gbit/s.

My current HDD is SATA-II 3Gbit/s, i.e. an older interface.. Will SSD's still work if I plug them in, but the speed will be capped at 3Gbit/s, i.e. ~300GB/s?

Is Crucial believed to be as reliable as Samsung? I'd go with Samsung, given minuscule difference in price, but maybe Crucial is better?


Thanks!
Dec 12th, 2015 4:41 pm
Tichi [OP]
Deal Addict
May 5, 2008
1947 posts
649 upvotes

Dec 12th, 2015 4:41 pm

P.S. Also, my HDD has been running flawlessly for 5 years, with nearly everyday usage..

Should I expect same kind of reliability from an SSD?
Dec 12th, 2015 5:24 pm
ES_Revenge
Deal Expert
Mar 23, 2004
33646 posts
15707 upvotes

Dec 12th, 2015 5:24 pm

You can expect the same kind of reliability, sure. But you also have to remember that you HDD could just as easily have failed or had an issue in those 5 years as well. Just because you didn't doesn't mean another drive, be it SSD OR HDD, wouldn't have.

As for your HDD being SATA 3Gbps, that doesn't matter when it comes to another drive. What matters is the controller you're hooking it up to. In general drives are connected to motherboard controllers... For a typical system if it is Sandy Bridge or newer it will have a 6Gbps port(s) available to connect an SSD to. If it's older you'll be on 3Gbps, which will be around 250-260MB/s peak in reality. So yes a modern SSD will be limited on an older board/controller but your real world experience won't be much different if that's the case.
+1
Dec 12th, 2015 6:21 pm
Tichi [OP]
Deal Addict
May 5, 2008
1947 posts
649 upvotes

Dec 12th, 2015 6:21 pm

ES_Revenge wrote: ↑You can expect the same kind of reliability, sure. But you also have to remember that you HDD could just as easily have failed or had an issue in those 5 years as well. Just because you didn't doesn't mean another drive, be it SSD OR HDD, wouldn't have.

As for your HDD being SATA 3Gbps, that doesn't matter when it comes to another drive. What matters is the controller you're hooking it up to. In general drives are connected to motherboard controllers... For a typical system if it is Sandy Bridge or newer it will have a 6Gbps port(s) available to connect an SSD to. If it's older you'll be on 3Gbps, which will be around 250-260MB/s peak in reality. So yes a modern SSD will be limited on an older board/controller but your real world experience won't be much different if that's the case.
Great, thanks a lot... learning foreva!

I figured out I have Mobile Intel® PM55 Express Chipset Ibex Peak-M PM55, which, according to Intel web site has an older SATA-II 3Gb/s,
so I probably won't need to strive for the fastest modern SDD
(in fact all current ones will probably do unless there are additional quirks to know about?),

... which singles out the question of the most reliable SSD.

Crucial, Samsung, or Sandisk?

I know it is all fairy tales, and one need to search for reliability reports for each particular SSD,

but is there "a rule of thumb"?

For example, for Micro SD cards, Sandisk never failed on me (while others did) so I prefer to buy Sandisk microSD.
Dec 12th, 2015 10:39 pm
will888
Deal Expert
User avatar
Dec 12, 2009
26858 posts
16979 upvotes
Toronto

Dec 12th, 2015 10:39 pm

Might as well wait for boxing day/week. Some of the black Friday deals may repeat. Amazon.ca had the 500 gig BX100 for $150.
+1
Dec 12th, 2015 10:56 pm
movieman
Deal Addict
Feb 9, 2008
2363 posts
173 upvotes

Dec 12th, 2015 10:56 pm

Tichi wrote: ↑P.S. Also, my HDD has been running flawlessly for 5 years, with nearly everyday usage..

Should I expect same kind of reliability from an SSD?
Most SSDs can tell you exactly when they're going to wear out. I've had this one for several years, use the laptop every day, and it hasn't even used 1% of its write cycles yet. So it won't wear out before I replace it.

What they can't tell you is when a firmware bug is going to lose all your data. But they're becoming increasingly rare as the technology matures.
+1
Dec 13th, 2015 7:59 am
mr_raider
Deal Expert
Feb 29, 2008
29511 posts
5067 upvotes
Montreal

Dec 13th, 2015 7:59 am

Tichi wrote: ↑OK, thanks!
I see that all three SSD's above quote same R/W speed (about 550 MB/s / 500 MB/s),
which probably means sequential, so why are you saying that
the second Crucial SSD is slow? is it about random R/W?

They all seem to me SATA-III =, i.e. 6Gbit/s.

My current HDD is SATA-II 3Gbit/s, i.e. an older interface.. Will SSD's still work if I plug them in, but the speed will be capped at 3Gbit/s, i.e. ~300GB/s?

Is Crucial believed to be as reliable as Samsung? I'd go with Samsung, given minuscule difference in price, but maybe Crucial is better?


Thanks!
The 2nd crucial bx200 is their budget line, as lower random speeds. In real life performance, it's slower than most othr crucial drives.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9756/the- ... nand-ssd/6


The Samsung EVO 850 uses TLC NAND, like the bx200, which has had issues in the past. Samsung says they fixed the problems. For the money, the mx200 would be my choice, but considering your chipset is only sata 3.0, you won't see the max benefit.

If you can find a left oer bx100, that's a good deal too.
+1
Dec 13th, 2015 10:25 am
Tichi [OP]
Deal Addict
May 5, 2008
1947 posts
649 upvotes

Dec 13th, 2015 10:25 am

will888 wrote: ↑Might as well wait for boxing day/week. Some of the black Friday deals may repeat. Amazon.ca had the 500 gig BX100 for $150.
Thanks that what i exactly intend to do.

I'm not in any kind of hurry, so while sitting under the christmas tree and learning tech details,
I can ambush a good SSD on sale.

Never had an SSD before.. Mniam mniam :)
Dec 13th, 2015 10:31 am
Tichi [OP]
Deal Addict
May 5, 2008
1947 posts
649 upvotes

Dec 13th, 2015 10:31 am

mr_raider wrote: ↑The 2nd crucial bx200 is their budget line, as lower random speeds. In real life performance, it's slower than most othr crucial drives.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9756/the- ... nand-ssd/6


The Samsung EVO 850 uses TLC NAND, like the bx200, which has had issues in the past. Samsung says they fixed the problems. For the money, the mx200 would be my choice, but considering your chipset is only sata 3.0, you won't see the max benefit.

If you can find a left oer bx100, that's a good deal too.
Thank you folks, I see I will quickly become an SSD conosseur with your help..

Anandtech is very useful reading.

BTW they tell in the comments that Power loss protection is important for laptop use.
And the only consumer SSD with Power Loss Protection is Crucial MX200.

Is this true? What about EVO or sandisk ultra II? Do they have it?
Dec 13th, 2015 10:36 am
will888
Deal Expert
User avatar
Dec 12, 2009
26858 posts
16979 upvotes
Toronto

Dec 13th, 2015 10:36 am

Tichi wrote: ↑Thanks that what i exactly intend to do.

I'm not in any kind of hurry, so while sitting under the christmas tree and learning tech details,
I can ambush a good SSD on sale.

Never had an SSD before.. Mniam mniam :)
I was in the same boat 3 months ago. Now I have 3. If you start using them, there's no going back to hard drives for boot drive application.
+1
Dec 13th, 2015 10:37 am
will888
Deal Expert
User avatar
Dec 12, 2009
26858 posts
16979 upvotes
Toronto

Dec 13th, 2015 10:37 am

Tichi wrote: ↑Thank you folks, I see I will quickly become an SSD conosseur with your help..

Anandtech is very useful reading.

BTW they tell in the comments that Power loss protection is important for laptop use.
And the only consumer SSD with Power Loss Protection is Crucial MX200.

Is this true? What about EVO or sandisk ultra II? Do they have it?
Get a small UPS, problem solved.
+1
Dec 13th, 2015 11:01 am
Tichi [OP]
Deal Addict
May 5, 2008
1947 posts
649 upvotes

Dec 13th, 2015 11:01 am

will888 wrote: ↑Get a small UPS, problem solved.
UPS for a laptop?

On the second thought, i think power loss problem and protection would not be so important in a laptop SSD, because laptop is always powered by battery, and goes to sleep or hybernates when battery is about to run out, at which point all SSD caches should be already flashed, and it should go low power regime or whatever, so nothing too bad may occur to SSD.. am I right ?

N.B. yes, I think it is about time to jump on an SSD as they reached
capacities comparable to HDD for a reasonable price...
before I was reluctant to squeeze OS etc into few tens of GB,
and deals with second hard drive in a laptop, with a caddy etc, but now since I can straightforwardly seap my hdd for same capacity ssd, it is geting comfortable...
Dec 13th, 2015 11:14 am
ES_Revenge
Deal Expert
Mar 23, 2004
33646 posts
15707 upvotes

Dec 13th, 2015 11:14 am

Tichi wrote: ↑UPS for a laptop?

On the second thought, i think power loss problem and protection would not be so important in a laptop SSD, because laptop is always powered by battery, and goes to sleep or hybernates when battery is about to run out, at which point all SSD caches should be already flashed, and it should go low power regime or whatever, so nothing too bad may occur to SSD.. am I right ?
Yes correct. A laptop essentially has its own "UPS" in the fact that it has a battery in it. Of course if the battery is out of it and you trip over the power cord or move the laptop and pull the cord out accidentally, then it might be a different story. Or if the battery no longer holds a charge or something. But yes with a properly functioning battery a laptop will just keep running fine in the event of an AC power failure and you won't have to worry about the data on the SSD.

Personally I don't even worry about the data on an SSD in "desktop" machines. It's pretty blown out of proportion IMO. There's a reason consumer SSDs typically don't have any power loss protection and it's because it's not really needed.
+2
Dec 13th, 2015 5:00 pm
NewsyL
Deal Fanatic
Feb 16, 2006
5149 posts
2172 upvotes
Vancouver

Dec 13th, 2015 5:00 pm

I picked up a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO during Black Friday from Memory Express for $169.99 (before taxes). I would expect this to repeat during the Xmas sales.
+1
Dec 13th, 2015 6:29 pm
Tichi [OP]
Deal Addict
May 5, 2008
1947 posts
649 upvotes

Dec 13th, 2015 6:29 pm

mr_raider wrote: ↑We have a winner!

as Will888 points out above, BX100 could be had for $150 if one could wait till boxing week or so ?
Dec 13th, 2015 6:34 pm
Tichi [OP]
Deal Addict
May 5, 2008
1947 posts
649 upvotes

Dec 13th, 2015 6:34 pm

NewsyL wrote: ↑I picked up a 500GB Samsung 850 EVO during Black Friday from Memory Express for $169.99 (before taxes). I would expect this to repeat during the Xmas sales.
OK, thanks, that sets a gauge:

the best price for a decent ~500GB SSD this Holiday Season would be $150-$170

I've also come across a SanDisk Ultra II - Solid state drive - 480 GB - internal - 2.5-inch - SATA 6Gb/s

for $190 at dell Canada..

http://accessories.dell.com/sna/product ... u=A7954712


anyone has an opinion on this one?

Reply to Thread
Back to top
Top

Thread Information

There is currently 1 user viewing this thread. (0 members and 1 guest)

Trending Hot Deals