Recommended Posts

"When a SSD fails, the failure is likely to be catastrophic, with total data loss. HDDs can fail in this way too, but often give warning that they are failing, allowing much or all of their data to be recovered". Also: wear leveling, bugged controllers with subsequent loss of data and some other issues I don't have time to research right now.

https://secure.wikim...ard_disk_drives

For me, right now SSDs are a no-go. Miniaturization will bring this very limited and controller-dependent storage technology to an halt. NAND Flash isn't for storing data, not for me.

You're ruling out SSDs for a small chance of failure, while ignoring the bigger chance of failure of mechanical hard drives? The worst SSD has a failure rate about the same as the average HDD, average SSDs are about as reliable as the best HDDs, and the best SSD (Intel X25, 0.6%) is significantly better than the best HDDs. What happens when something inevitably fails? buy a new one and put your backup on it. What's that? You don't have a backup? well that sure as hell isn't the storage media's fault now is it?

Here's my two very old X-25M Postville (RAID-0). These SSD are 3 years old.

#1

325690d5e5c5b9e52d090b6f65ecc.png

#2

a34c4e6882c85d4e0cbe6d850640d.png

Pretty reliable so far if you ask me!

holy crap RAID0ed SSDs, that thing must fly!

And raided SSD's don't benefit from trim, right?

No, they don't currently on the Intel RAID controller anyway.

My RAID0 SSDs will be happy when that feature is added to Matrix Storage Manager.

holy crap RAID0ed SSDs, that thing must fly!

It's pretty quick but not necessary ;) A single SSD will still be very fast, and will benefit from TRIM (so write speeds will remain at peak performance).

The main reason I put my SSD in RAID was to have a bigger partition to install Windows and my programs. Performance was excellent with a single drive

Seriously, if you care about data, you will not keep it on one hard drive. I had a standard hard drive that died a month after I bought it. One month! Saying SSDs are not good because you might lose your data is not a good argument. Mechanical hard drives do not have set failure dates. It can fail one month in (like in my case) or years down the line.

Get a SSD. You will be amazed how much of a difference it can make. I have one of the latest Mac Pros, but I had to use a very old hard drive. Even though I had a lot of performance, it still took my computer 1 minute and 20 seconds to start up and be usable. Not to mention it would take about a minute to launch Adobe Photoshop and other products. I got a SSD and it now takes 18 seconds (launching programs is around 4 seconds at most).

Do you guys install your games onto SSD's? Or do you offload games onto spare HDDs?

I only got a 128GB SSD, so I have Windows 7, Adobe CS 5.5 Production Premium, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Sins of a Solar Empire, Batman Arkham Asylum, and Orcs Must Die on it. Any other game gets installed on my storage drive.

Do you guys install your games onto SSD's? Or do you offload games onto spare HDDs?

I do - I have a Samsung Series 830 128GB for my OS, and my general programs. I have my Intel 320 80GB for Steam games, and I store all my other data on the two hard drives. Of course, I have my 80GB SSD pretty full, so I put all my other games on the hard drives.

Do you guys install your games onto SSD's? Or do you offload games onto spare HDDs?

i have some in my SSD and some on a HDD; the performance gain on a SSD is not worthy (loading times are faster, but just that) so i just prefer installing games into a HHD and saving space on the SSD.

Do you guys install your games onto SSD's? Or do you offload games onto spare HDDs?

I keep online multiplayer games on my SSDs. It's nice to not be the one guy everybody is waiting on to load.

Singleplayer games I'll keep on a regular HDD since loading times aren't super critical.

that question is going to start a whole new war. imo, OCZ makes great drives. go for it.

Thanks.

Perhaps I should clarify, they're cheap and I'm sticking it into a Macbook Pro, so I'm going to be speed throttled no matter what... but reviews online seem to either be "we've bought 1000 of these and they all work great" or "died two days after I bought it, second one shot my dog, third one ran away with my wife."

Basically I'm just wondering if anyone has had a legit super-terrible experience with their drives.

Thanks.

Perhaps I should clarify, they're cheap and I'm sticking it into a Macbook Pro, so I'm going to be speed throttled no matter what... but reviews online seem to either be "we've bought 1000 of these and they all work great" or "died two days after I bought it, second one shot my dog, third one ran away with my wife."

Basically I'm just wondering if anyone has had a legit super-terrible experience with their drives.

I've almost exclusively bought OCZ and they have all been excellent. Not a single problem. The Vertex 4 is very likely the best SSD on the market right now since it doesn't use sandforce anymore.

What year MBP are you going to be putting it in? I recently bought a late 2008 MBP for my girlfriend and put in a spare Vertex 3 I had, and the Nvidia chipset of the MBP didn't play completely nice with the controller in the Vertex 3. Basically it saw that the SSD supported SATA III, and then downgraded the actual speed it would use down to SATA I for some reason. There is a fix for it though that worked for me. You can download a bootable linux utility that will fake the Vertex 3 as being a SATA II drive, and then the MBP utilized it to the full potential with no issues. That mouthful is probably hard to understand, but if you browse around the OCZ forums, there are a few people that complained about that issue. Overall, it was a really simple fix that took all of 5 minutes.

Do you guys install your games onto SSD's? Or do you offload games onto spare HDDs?

I have all my games (and music) installed on one of my 2 SSDs. But this is because i own 2 of them. One 240GB Vertex 2 Extended and one 120GB Vertex 3. My HDD (1 TB) is almost always closed and not spinning since the only thing i store on it is backup, current downloads, office and programming works and archive of movies and TV series i'll not watch again anytime soon.

I have some old games copied on my 1 TB HDD but i never play those. I consider this as archive of games i'm not playing anymore since you can move most games from folder to folder without the need to re-install them ;)

Anyone have any opinions of the OCZ SSDs? I'm thinking of grabbing a 120gb one for Mountain Lion.

I had some problem with my Vertex 3 when i bought it. Had BSOD here and there. OCZ released a firmware last january i think thaty resolved the issue. I had to wipe all the date to install the firmware though. Not a problem since i had an image of the data on my 1Tb backup HD. Was a simple wipe data, install firmware, restore image.

I never had any problem with my Vertex 2 Extended.

The Vertex 2 is close to 2 yo i think and still going strong. Vertex 3 is 1 yo and still going strong with the new firmware.

2010 with a NVIDIA GeForce 320M.

On the Sandforce point, the I was looking at the Agility 3, but the Agility 4 (with an Indilinx controller) is only ~$20 more. Is it worth it?

I would go with the Agility 4. I wont touch SF drives again if possible. I heard really good thing about Indilinx controller.

  • Like 1
  • 2 weeks later...

For ****s and giggles. USB -> SSD WIndows installs are BLAZINGLY fast :p

USB3 -> SSD installs will make you cream your pants :p

I'm about to start buying my new parts for new build and had never even thought about USB installing! Can't wait to USB3 install to my 520 Series Intel drive! :D

What's the current thinking with Windows swap files on SSD's?

Given that writing to swap is something Windows does so much of, it would seem logical to put this on the fastest storage available to really get the benefit. Moving swap to a cheaper higher capacity spinning platter was only worthwhile when SSD were so expensive and most could only justify a relatively small one (32/64GB). Now 128/256GB SSDs are affordable, I don't think the argument holds anymore.

I have 3 SSD on two of my laptops.

120GB OCZ Vertex 2 on Dell XPS M1330 - no problem.

120GB OCZ Vertex 3 on Acer 4810T - all kind of BSOD while in AHCI mode. RMA. Got a new one, still BSOD randomly while in AHCI mode. IDE mode is perfect. Apparently, these BSOD are weird interactions with the laptop chipset and also the SandForce controller firmware.

256GB Samsung 830 on Acer 4810T - no problem. This is now the SSD for the Acer.

SSD is insanely fast. You'll not regret it. Also, get an external HD for backup of critical data.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Likely nothing will be done in corporate America, there have been countless Tesla self-driving incidents. Then again, there have also been countless human operated incidents. It's literally daily news here in Canada, to the extent that it's now odd if we get a day where a collision doesn't get announced on the radio throughout the day...
    • SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500 hands on by Steven Parker I was offered the chance to test out the SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500, and full disclosure, they let me keep it regardless of my findings. Anyway, I jumped at the chance due to my long hours sitting at my desk, mousing around. Apologies for the knife cut across the top of the box; that was my doing, being a bit too heavy-handed with opening up the outer packaging. First up, what's in the box: SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500 1x Type-C charging cable User Manual 1-Year Warranty (card) In short, everything you need to get started. According to the official Amazon listing, here are the key features: Full-Hand Air Compression: OS500 wraps your fingers, palm, and wrist with multi-chamber air compression for a complete hand relaxation experience. The extended massage chamber helps cover more of the hand and wrist area than standard palm-only hand massagers Palm Kneading with 6 Modes & 6 Intensities: Built-in palm kneading rollers add a hands-on massage feel, while 6 preset modes and 6 pressure levels let you choose the comfort level that fits your day—from gentle relaxation to a firmer full-hand massage 3 Heat Levels with Cooling Fan: Choose from 104°F, 113°F or 122°F warmth to suit different seasons and comfort preferences. The built-in cooling fan helps reduce stuffiness during heated sessions, keeping your hand feeling fresh and comfortable Easy Visual Display & Smart Timer: The digital image display clearly shows massage area, mode, intensity, heat level, and remaining time at a glance. Select 10, 15, or 20-minute sessions for quick office breaks, evening relaxation, or everyday hand care Rechargeable, Cordless & Comfortable: A 3000mAh battery supports over 90 minutes of full-function use on a full charge, with convenient USB-C charging. The soft inner lining, smooth ABS/PU finish, and premium black-gold design make OS500 ideal for home, office, or gifting With all that out of the way, here are my own findings. I gave it a try on both left and right hands, and as you can maybe see from the above YouTube Short, (sorry for the shaky video), my whole hand fits in, but my wrist barely enters the Hand Massager. I was able to push through a bit more with my fingertips extending out the other end to get a bit of massaging on the start of my wrist. Usage For some reason, there is a strap that is very difficult to fasten to my wrist with one hand. I am not sure what function it has, and it isn't mentioned in the user manual. The only thing I could find was in the product images that claimed "wrist precision". Unlike the Bob and Brad Hand Massager, this device does not massage the wrist anyway, even though a "wrist mode" is mentioned, which must be for smaller hands than I have, as it is mainly intended for the hand and fingers. In addition, for its steeper price, there are no disposable gloves provided in the box, which is a bit of an issue considering the internal cover (which appears to be elasticated nylon) cannot be removed for washing; so you are left with only one choice: always thoroughly wash your hands before using it. I can imagine this thing getting a bit grimy after a period of use, and that is a bit of a shame. With that said, the buttons on the device, from left to right, do the following: Heat button: 3-level heat control at 104°F, 113°F, or 122°F Mode button: Auto mode Circular mode Soothing mode Relax mode Palm and fingers mode Palm and wrist mode Intensity button: from (First-time users) 15Ka, 25Ka, 35Ka, 45Ka, 55Ka, 60Ka (Intensive relief) Knead button: on or off (6 pressure levels) Power button: Long-press to turn on or off Cooling button: turn on or off the cooling fan Also, in the product imagery, it states there are 36 "custom modes," but nowhere is it listed what these modes are. I can only imagine that they mean a combination of all of the above settings in different intensity levels. The device itself seems to rely on a single "kneading" mechanism located at the palm area of the hand, which spins when in use, and the other massage features are mainly utilized through the air sacs, increasing and decreasing at various levels on the hand and fingers. I am not sure it offered too much relief for someone who is typing and operating a mouse for hours at a time; further testing may be required. It does feel nice, though. Finally, you may be wondering how this fits into the scope of a tech website? Well, let me tell you something: sometimes I sit for up to 15 hours working on Neowin, and although I take breaks in between, it takes a toll on my body. I think in the immediate absence of a partner to apply relief, a good massager like this Hand Massager can shed the strains of the day in just a couple of 15-minute bursts. On the official website, this has an MSRP of $99.99, but luckily for our readers, it is selling at $10 off for just $89.99 right now on Amazon. SKG Hand Massager with Heat OS500 for $89.99 (with $10 off coupon), $99.99 MSRP For me, this gets a thumbs hands(?) down. However, it could be improved by making it so that the protective covering could be removed and thrown into the washing machine, or get yourself some disposable gloves to use with it. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Thanks for the info, but I'm still not sure if I need this....
    • We check out the SKG PS700 Neck Massager by Steven Parker I was offered the chance to test out the SKG PS700 Neck Massager, and full disclosure, they let me keep it regardless of my findings. Anyway, I jumped at the chance due to my long hours sitting at my desk; I figured it could offer some neck pain relief. What's in the box: SKG PS700-2 Neck Massager Rechargeable Battery (inside massager) Type-C USB cable User Manual Quick Start guide 1-Year Warranty In short, everything you need to get started. According to the official listing, here are the key features: Biomimetic Kneading & High Torque Motor: Designed with innovative biomimetic kneading heads that perfectly simulate the touch of human hands. Powered by a high-torque motor, this massager delivers powerful and precise deep tissue relief to effectively target stiff neck muscles and release built-up tension Soothing Heat & Integrated Sound Relaxation: Experience the ultimate Relaxationation with our dual-action approach. The soothing heat function gently warms your neck, while the built-in sound Relaxation provides calming audio tracks, helping you achieve a state of mindfulness and mental tranquility during your physical massage Cordless Convenience & Travel-Ready & Father's Day Gifts: Crafted for maximum portability and ease of use. Its lightweight, cordless design allows you to enjoy a premium massage anywhere without the hassle of tangled wires-whether you're taking a quick break at your desk or winding down at home Versatile Relief for Home & Office: An essential wellness companion for office workers, gamers, frequent travelers, or anyone looking to integrate mindfulness into their daily routine. It seamlessly fits into your lifestyle, providing instant neck relief whenever and wherever you need it Safe & Premium Materials: Manufactured with high-quality, skin-friendly materials to ensure a safe and comfortable experience without irritation. SKG backs this device with dedicated customer service, making it a thoughtful tech-health gift for family and friends App & Bluetooth Music Control: Connect via Bluetooth to control your massage settings through the dedicated app and enjoy your favorite music during your massage session for a fully customizable and immersive relaxation experience Red Light Warmth Technology: Features advanced red light warmth technology that penetrates deep into neck muscles to enhance blood circulation and provide soothing comfort while relieving muscle tension and stiffness Design With all that out of the way, here are my own findings. SKG does not say what materials are used to make the neck massager. However, on the product website, it mentions "soft-touch silicone" with what looks like PU leather cushioning, with the rest being mostly made up of plastics. On the inside of the massager, there are two "biomimetic kneading heads" that are motorized for the different styles of massage, which are not actually listed at all in the paper user manual, but the standard included modes are: De-stress mode, Mediation mode, Relax mode, Shiatsu mode. The massager looks quite premium and is actually very comfortable to wear. This massager is small and light enough to go anywhere, as it doesn't get in the way of anything, so I was able to use it in the chair while writing this review. Unlike the back massager, SKG does not warn in the user guide not to use it for more than 30 minutes a day (or two 15-minute sessions). However, there is a long laundry list of important safeguards to consider before and during the use of the device, and it is warned that the neck massager is not waterproof. It also includes a 1,400mAh battery with a rated power of 14W and input of 5V, which is the standard for up to USB 3.0 power (although the Amperage is not mentioned at all). SKG does not say how long it takes to charge, but a quick calculation at 2A (if that is what it is) would mean it would take roughly 1.5 hrs to charge from empty. In any case, the light around the button changes from orange to green on a full charge. In addition, it is not possible to use the device while it is charging. On the right of the neck massager is the On/Off and modes button, which also acts as a joystick. You can operate all the modes directly from the power button, as well as the app, which I'll get into a bit later: Push up: Short press to adjust Heat levels On/Off button: long press Mode Switching: Short press (while in operation) ➕ Push left: increase Music volume ➖ push right: decrease Music volume Push down: Short-press to turn Music on or off The massager defaults to De-stress mode, and it is not stated anywhere if the neck massager has overheat protection. This time around, regarding heat, the only detail I could find is that it has "triple action soothing heat." The temperature stages are not listed anywhere in the paper manual, Amazon listing, or official website. The heat levels can be adjusted through the app or directly on the device using the joystick button. Usage There's also the SKG Health app, which makes using the massager far easier than feeling around for the button on the side of your neck. If the app is stopped, you are required to log in with a verification code over email, which I am not too pleased with, as this means it will only work that way for however long SKG decides to support it through said app. However, I was not able to get the app to connect to the OS500, which I have reported back to my contact. Bluetooth appeared to be working on the neck massager as it became available to pair with my phone, but the SKG app failed to discover it. Before I forget, there's also a switch next to the USB charging port to deactivate and activate the Voice Prompt, which, when enabled, audibly tells the user when switching intensities, modes, or connecting to the app and informs when the massages start and are completed. That said, on to my likes and dislikes, which are listed below. What I didn't like Unable to connect the Neck Massager to the app Use through the mobile app relies on continued support from SKG What I liked Can be used without the app Cordless use Light and comfortable to wear Heat is also quite comfortable Where to buy: According to the official website, this has an MSRP of $249.99, but is currently $50 (on Amazon). To sweeten the deal a bit more, there's also an in-page coupon that knocks a further $20 off the price. SKG PS700-2 Neck Massager for $179.99 on Amazon (was $199.99) Apply the in-page $20 off coupon for the final price of $179.99 Just like the back massager, this gets a confused thumbs up (due to the cost). However, I cannot rate it through app usage as it failed to connect. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • This Samsung T7 external SSD deal lasts less than a day by Sayan Sen Recently we had covered some nice deals of internal NVMe SSDs which include the 4TB TeamGroup G50 for only $400, the WD_BLACK SN7100 2TB for just $243, as well as the Samsung 990 PRO 1TB for $370. If however you require an external SSD for portability and quick data transfers and have a budget of less than $200 the Samsung T7 1TB model is currently on a limited time deal at just $190, it's lowest price in nearly three months. The deal ends today so you better hurry if you need one (purchase link below). The T7 weighs in at just 72 grams meaning it should be fairly easy to carry around helping in the portability department. Via its USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface the T7 promises sequential read speeds of up to 1050 MB/s and writes of 1000 MB/s. It is also fairly robust with a drop protection of up to 2 meters, though bear in mind that this is not waterproof. For that you will have to choose the rugged T7 Shield. The technical specifications of the Samsung T7 1TB are given in the table below: Specification Value Model Code (1TB) MU-PC1T0T / MU-PC1T0H Interface USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Dimensions (W × H × D) 85 × 57 × 8 mm Weight 72 g Sequential Read Speed Up to 1,050 MB/s Sequential Write Speed Up to 1,000 MB/s Drop Resistance Up to 2 m (6.6 ft) Encryption AES 256-bit hardware encryption Operating Temperature 0°C to 60°C Non-Operating Temperature -40°C to 85°C Humidity 5% to 95% (non-condensing) Shock Resistance 1,500 G, duration 0.5 ms, 3-axis (non-operating) Vibration Resistance 20–2,000 Hz, 20 G (non-operating) Get it at the link below: Samsung T7 Portable SSD, 1TB External Solid State Drive, MU-PC1T0T/AM, Gray: $189.98 (Sold and Shipped by Amazon US) Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Dedicated
      Almohandis earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • Dedicated
      JuvenileDelinquent earned a badge
      Dedicated
    • First Post
      DrWankel earned a badge
      First Post
    • Reacting Well
      DrWankel earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      Supreme Spray LV earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      505
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      184
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      85
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      78
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      76
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!