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geekhack Community => Other Geeky Stuff => Topic started by: kishy on Tue, 07 July 2015, 12:02:37

Title: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: kishy on Tue, 07 July 2015, 12:02:37

So, I have a couple of older and/or slow machines that could benefit from a performance boost, which even a low end SSD could provide as the bottleneck of a mechanical disk is pretty significant...

If anyone has a pointer for a place where I could get several (let's say 5) SSDs, 60GB minimum, that are "cheap", even if very mediocre performers, but without a reputation for poor reliability...that would be appreciated.

I have checked the usual sources (newegg et al) and am not satisfied with those options currently.

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: fohat.digs on Tue, 07 July 2015, 12:15:35

MicroCenter is my #1 go-to place:

http://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?N=4294945779&NTX=&NTT=&NTK=all&page=1&sortby=pricelow (http://www.microcenter.com/search/search_results.aspx?N=4294945779&NTX=&NTT=&NTK=all&page=1&sortby=pricelow)

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 07 July 2015, 12:53:10

hmm....  ....  /headscratch..


there arn't any Specific SSD that's old and cheap..

They go on sale at different times..


Look for 3gb per $1  on an Un-used Older generation SSD.

Look for 4gb per $1 on a refurbished older ssd

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 07 July 2015, 12:54:16

But here's the thing about older computers..

If it's PRE core2duo   [3]ghz,   it's not worth using AT ALL.. don't bother upgrading ANYTHING in those systems

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: Parak on Tue, 07 July 2015, 12:55:32

I would not go for anything other than recent (< 2 year old) Intel, Crucial, and Samsung SSDs. Maaaybe Seagate and Plextor. So your best options are probably a BX100 or 850 EVO, in 120GB sizes.

Edit: To clarify, if you're getting something older, it will likely be something Sandforce controller based (or worse, even). Anything along those lines is going to be a ticking time bomb when it comes to your data.

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: kishy on Tue, 07 July 2015, 13:02:03

Quote from: tp4tissue on Tue, 07 July 2015, 12:54:16

But here's the thing about older computers..

If it's PRE core2duo   [3]ghz,   it's not worth using AT ALL.. don't bother upgrading ANYTHING in those systems

That is subjective, irrelevant, and not helpful. One box in question is an old Opteron 165 at stock clock and is 100% adequate for the purpose I need it for (computer in my garage to run a web browser), except for storage I/O (boot times are brutal and it's definitely the spinning disc)

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: kishy on Tue, 07 July 2015, 13:14:41

Quote from: Parak on Tue, 07 July 2015, 12:55:32

I would not go for anything other than recent (< 2 year old) Intel, Crucial, and Samsung SSDs. Maaaybe Seagate and Plextor. So your best options are probably a BX100 or 850 EVO, in 120GB sizes.

Edit: To clarify, if you're getting something older, it will likely be something Sandforce controller based (or worse, even). Anything along those lines is going to be a ticking time bomb when it comes to your data.

Quote from: Parak on Tue, 07 July 2015, 12:55:32

I would not go for anything other than recent (< 2 year old) Intel, Crucial, and Samsung SSDs. Maaaybe Seagate and Plextor. So your best options are probably a BX100 or 850 EVO, in 120GB sizes.

Edit: To clarify, if you're getting something older, it will likely be something Sandforce controller based (or worse, even). Anything along those lines is going to be a ticking time bomb when it comes to your data.

Interesting observation re: controllers...I'm just not clear on what the reliability issue was with Sandforce, I remember a lot of buzz about them sucking but not why, and Googling cannot give me solid information on what their issues are/were...obviously for my purposes older drives are a goal/target and I would likely encounter issues on that basis.

Suppose I rephrase my question...dirt cheap storage for disposable data that's faster than a spinning disc...

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: tp4tissue on Tue, 07 July 2015, 15:54:26

Quote from: kishy on Tue, 07 July 2015, 13:02:03

Quote from: tp4tissue on Tue, 07 July 2015, 12:54:16

But here's the thing about older computers..

If it's PRE core2duo   [3]ghz,   it's not worth using AT ALL.. don't bother upgrading ANYTHING in those systems

That is subjective, irrelevant, and not helpful. One box in question is an old Opteron 165 at stock clock and is 100% adequate for the purpose I need it for (computer in my garage to run a web browser), except for storage I/O (boot times are brutal and it's definitely the spinning disc)

I have an opteron 185 box on a DFI Nf4..  it's even got an ssd..

Overclocked to 2.8ghz on air.   

However,  it's imho still not worth using, because it's slow as balls even for web-browsing,  essentially a 1.7ghz c2d..

For example firefox with Adblock and Script block uses massive CSS injection, this is very CPU intensive.. it's unbearable on my opteron 185..

   

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: Badwrench on Wed, 08 July 2015, 00:37:14

This was the first SSD I had.  Bought it new (for more than all 5 of these) and it is still going strong in a friends rig (3+ years old).  Not fast compared to today's stuff, but much quicker than a spinner. 

Lot of 5 Intel X-25 on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-5x-Intel-X25-M-80GB-Solid-State-Drive-SSD-2-5-320-/252002354952?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aac82c708)

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 08 July 2015, 06:09:29

Quote from: Badwrench on Wed, 08 July 2015, 00:37:14

This was the first SSD I had.  Bought it new (for more than all 5 of these) and it is still going strong in a friends rig (3+ years old).  Not fast compared to today's stuff, but much quicker than a spinner. 

Lot of 5 Intel X-25 on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-5x-Intel-X25-M-80GB-Solid-State-Drive-SSD-2-5-320-/252002354952?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aac82c708)

I'm pretty sure these original x25ms  had major performance degradation down the line...


the x25m- Gen 2  didn't have this problem..


The Gen 1 also didn't support trim i believe, not sure if it was patched in later.  I recall reading somewhere that to make everyone buy the g2, they didn't fix the g1, even though they could've

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: Norman_the_Owl on Wed, 08 July 2015, 08:56:16

Quote from: kishy on Tue, 07 July 2015, 13:02:03

Quote from: tp4tissue on Tue, 07 July 2015, 12:54:16

But here's the thing about older computers..

If it's PRE core2duo   [3]ghz,   it's not worth using AT ALL.. don't bother upgrading ANYTHING in those systems

That is subjective, irrelevant, and not helpful. One box in question is an old Opteron 165 at stock clock and is 100% adequate for the purpose I need it for (computer in my garage to run a web browser), except for storage I/O (boot times are brutal and it's definitely the spinning disc)

It's not gonna help, those are probably all first generation sata.

You might as well just get new hdds, it'll still be a massive upgrade

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: kishy on Mon, 17 August 2015, 08:18:26

I found a solution (though not the one I thought I'd arrive at) for the Opteron box. I had a 64GB mSATA SSD that I had upgraded away from in my ThinkPad, which was sitting around collecting dust. I bought a $4 adapter board to connect it to full size SATA connectors.

Boot time is less than half, web browser and auto repair software are both far improved in responsiveness.

This motherboard has some weird issues with RAM which I've given up on correcting. If I put in 4GB it detects it and will mostly work until it just randomly starts freaking out with BSODs and even failure to boot to the point of BSODing. Runs stable with 2.5GB (2x 1GB + 2x 256MB) DDR400 and with the slot arrangement it's working in dual channel, even though it is for some reason falling back to 333...but whatever...it's a computer in my garage, the whole point is that it shouldn't be very good, just tolerable to use.

This does not help my quest to SSD-ify every machine in my house, but it resolved the original problem at least.

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: IvanIvanovich on Tue, 18 August 2015, 11:31:08

Actually... in older machines like that it's better to get a card (assuming you actually have a pci-e slot to put it in) like one of these
(http://img.dxcdn.com/productimages/sku_165010_2.jpg)

They can be had for pretty cheap direct from China, like $6-10. Since they have sata 3 controller onboard, you get to sidestep problem with old slow controller without trim, and don't have to have any additional cable mess for disk either. Also, it's quite easy to find old stock msata in 40-60GB sizes for super cheap too as no one really wants them much. It's win win.

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: kishy on Tue, 18 August 2015, 15:56:49

Quote from: IvanIvanovich on Tue, 18 August 2015, 11:31:08

Actually... in older machines like that it's better to get a card (assuming you actually have a pci-e slot to put it in) like one of these

Show Image

(http://img.dxcdn.com/productimages/sku_165010_2.jpg)

They can be had for pretty cheap direct from China, like $6-10. Since they have sata 3 controller onboard, you get to sidestep problem with old slow controller without trim, and don't have to have any additional cable mess for disk either. Also, it's quite easy to find old stock msata in 40-60GB sizes for super cheap too as no one really wants them much. It's win win.

That actually would be an attractive solution, however this motherboard is a bit of a pile, and is a contingency plan in itself; the Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe I was given with the Opteron crapped out with no apparent reason, so the HP/MSI board was what I had to work with (itself being one I re-capped for a friend maybe 4 years ago).

(http://i.imgur.com/VLpN92d.jpg)

Using the x16 for a video card since I needed multiple outputs, so no PCIe accessible.

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: DrHubblePhD on Tue, 18 August 2015, 15:57:54

I would just like to say that I clicked on this thread solely because you used the word "plentiful."  :))

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: jcoffin1981 on Sun, 13 September 2015, 23:31:56

Just a few days ago I was browsing Newegg and I saw 4x Kingston SSD's 120GB for $167 (IIRC that figure now). I was considering buying it, but had no practical use for 4 of these.  I remember thinking back to when SSD's cost $2 or  more per GB.  I cannot find the link or remnant in my history, but if you look around a bit maybe you will find it.

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: Hak Foo on Sun, 13 September 2015, 23:36:10

The Kingston V300 range had a huge bad-press issue-- early ones were very fast; once reviewers gave them solid marks, "oops, we switched suppliers" and the resultant product was much lower performance.  This gave them a terrible rep, regardless of quality and reliability, and it forced their prices well below comparable models for a while.  Not sure if the price advantage is as big now, but I'd be unsurprised if that's why Newegg is dumping them-- put four into RAID 0 and nobody cares that one is slow.

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: jcoffin1981 on Sun, 13 September 2015, 23:48:24

Ohh, so random drives were remarkably slower?

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: njbair on Mon, 14 September 2015, 23:23:17

"Cheap, plentiful SSDs," sounds like paradise to me.

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
There are plenty of SSDs.
You can buy them a dime a dozen
Or pick 'em off the trees.
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
All your data is mirrored and striped.
There's plenty of RAM, and no email spam.
Take a ride with us on the PCI bus
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.

*whistle solo*

Title: Re: Where can I obtain plentiful, cheap SSDs?
Post by: kishy on Wed, 16 September 2015, 08:54:03

Quote from: njbair on Mon, 14 September 2015, 23:23:17

"Cheap, plentiful SSDs," sounds like paradise to me.

In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
There are plenty of SSDs.
You can buy them a dime a dozen
Or pick 'em off the trees.
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
All your data is mirrored and striped.
There's plenty of RAM, and no email spam.
Take a ride with us on the PCI bus
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.

*whistle solo*

*golfclap*

So Newegg (dot ca) has a promotion on SSDs. I am not impressed with the out-the-door cost per GB
[attach=1]

US$ exchange rate makes any cost savings of shopping there go out the window (25%-ish loss to currency exchange)

This is not a battle easily won...