Tech

five mistakes you should not make

Choosing your new SSD can be a real challenge. The enormous variety of solutions that we can find today on the market, their different features and their different price ranges make making this decision very complicated, especially if we have little knowledge or if we are not up to date.

In the end, it is easy to make mistakes with all the variables that we must take into account, and that is why today I want to share with you this guide dedicated to discovering five mistakes you should not make when choosing your new SSD. In this article I am going to explain them to you in detail, as usual, but if you have any questions after reading it, remember that you can leave it in the comments.

I want to remind you, before beginning, that an SSD drive is an essential component today, even in those cheaper equipment that will only be used for office automation, web browsing and multimedia content playback. The reason is very simple, even in such modest computers, an SSD makes a huge difference compared to an HDD, because it reduces startup and shutdown times, improves the overall response of the computer, and makes basic actions run instantly.

Five mistakes to avoid when choosing your new SSD

1.-Incompatible format with your motherboard

SSD format

It is one of the most common mistakes, and one of the most serious that you can make when choosing your new SSD, because it will prevent you from using it and you will have no choice but to return it. Today there are, in the general consumer market, two large types of formats that are the most used, the 2.5-inch and the M.2.

2.5-inch format SSD drives have an installation process virtually identical to that of a 2.5-inch HDD, which means that we can screw it into the chassis if it has dedicated spaces, or we must insert it into a dedicated bay . They connect to a SATA port and use a SATA connector for power, so they are connected to the source and to the motherboard.

M.2 models are much smaller and more compact in size, and plug directly into a motherboard slotand. They do not require an additional power connector, but they are sold in different sizes, so we must be very careful when choosing it. For example, the M.2 2280 variant is the largest while the M.2 2242 is the shortestand therefore the smallest.

Before choosing, think about which slot or connector on your motherboard you are going to use, consider if you have available PCIe lines to mount that unit, and if you have the necessary connectors. Remember that this is key because most motherboards disable SATA ports when we have all the M.2 slots occupied. Having a wireless network card also counts.

2.-Lower or higher standard than that supported by your PC

pcie gen4 x4 SSD

Undoubtedly another of the most common mistakes when choosing a new SSD. Actually we have three major types of standardsSATA, which gives us access to SSD drives that can exceed 550 MB/s, the PCIe Gen3 standard, which in its x4 mode allows us to use drives that can be around 3,500 MB/s, and the PCIe Gen4 standard, which in its x4 version it makes it possible for SSD drives to reach 7,500 MB/s.

The PCIe Gen5 standard has not yet debuted in the general consumer market, but SSDs that support the standard are expected to reach 16,000MB/s, as long as they are installed in a compatible slot and running at x4 (four PCIe lanes).

If, when choosing your new SSD drive, you opt for one that uses a lower standard than the one supported by your motherboard, it is most likely that, in general, you will have more than enough performance to enjoy a good user experience. This would not be a serious error except in very specific casesbut the truth is that taking into account that the price difference between is usually small, it is better to opt for a model according to the benefits and capabilities of our equipment.

So, for example, buying a PCIe Gen3 x2 SSD when we have a x4 connector would not be a serious mistake, but for a little more we could get a superior model that will be twice as powerful. Keep this in mind especially if you are going to use the PC to play, since with the advent of DirectStorage technology this could finally make a significant difference.

On the other hand, buying an SSD unit that uses a higher standard than the one supported by our PC is indeed a serious mistake, because in the end we will have spent more money on a component that we are not really going to take advantage of. A very simple example would be buying a PCIe Gen4 x4 drive when we only have one PCIe Gen3 x2 compatible slot available.

3.-QLC and TLC units: choose wisely

NAND memory type, important to choose your new SSD

The arrival of SSDs with QLC memory helped to reduce the price of this type of storage units a lot, but it had an important counterpart, and that is that it also reduced its resistance to write cycles, and had some performance hit. The most important thing in this sense are the write cycles, mainly because depending on the model we choose, the difference compared to a unit with TLC memory can be 50%.

This not to say that QLC units are meaningless, they can be a good option in very specific cases, but the truth is that, in general, TLC solutions are a more interesting option, and it is the one we should choose in most cases. They offer an interesting and balanced price-performance ratio, and have a good resistance to write cycles, which translates into a longer useful life.

If you wonder when you should choose a QLC unit, the answer is very simple, when you are going to use that unit for keep large files and content stored that you are not going to delete for long periods of time, and when you don’t plan to subject it to frequent write cycles. I will give you an example, I have a 4 TB QLC SSD drive that I only use to install those games that I would never consider deleting in the short or medium term, and for more frequent write cycles I have an SSHD drive.

For all other usage scenarios I use SSD drives with TLC NAND Flash memory, which offer greater resistance to erase and write cycles. The conclusion that you must draw from this is very simple, think about what type of use you are going to give to the SSD unit that you are going to buy and choose accordingly.

4.-Insufficient performance and/or capacity

DirectStorage performance

This is an important issue, especially when it comes to capacity, since in the end even a low-end SSD is capable of offering excellent performance. When choosing your new SSD you should think, as I said in the previous section, the use you are going to give it, and the amount of storage you are going to need. Do not be short-sighted, make an analysis thinking in the long termsince otherwise it is likely that that new storage unit will outgrow you sooner than you would like.

There are several general usage profiles that allow me to give you a fairly straightforward script at this point. For a team dedicated to office automation and basic tasks an SSD with a minimum size of 256 GB it would be enough, and we would not need a very fast and expensive model. On the other hand, if we are going to use it for games we should get a unit that reaches at least 2,400MB/swhich is the minimum bar set for current-gen games due to the Xbox Series SX specs, and it should not be less than 1TB in capacity.

If when choosing your new SSD you opt for a slower model, you may not have problems right now, but it is likely that when developments focus on taking advantage of faster drives, and when DirectStorage technology is standardized, your gaming experience may not be fully optimal. In basic applications, navigation and office automation you will not have any problem.

As far as storage capacity is concerned, it is a very easy topic to understand. If in an attempt to save money you choose a unit that falls short in capacity you are in for a lot of trouble. Constantly erasing and reinstalling large amounts of data because your SSD doesn’t have the capacity it needs is hastening its deathand buying a new unit will incur an additional expense that, in the end, can make this error very expensive.

5.-Cheap can be very expensive

SSD-fake with flash drives

At this point we could bring up the error when choosing the storage capacity that we really need, but the truth is that I am referring to the problem that some very cheap SSD units that are sold in certain stores are giving. Sometimes, Those SSDs aren’t really what they seemsince they actually mount pendrives (USB storage units) that are glued and connected to simulate an SSD.

There are also cases in which even though they are SSD drives they do not deliver what they promise, and almost always have a short shelf life. It is true that they have the price in their favor, since they are usually very cheap, but in general they are a bad investment. I have cases of people close to me who were carried away by the price hook and who bought 256 GB SSD drives for 10 euros that, in reality, were what I have told you before, a USB attached to a 2.5-inch chassis.

However, I have also been able to try SSDs from little known brands that have worked without problems in the end, so with this I do not want to say that a cheap SSD is not an option, I just mean that we should avoid offers that seem too good to be true. Think that, right now, the most normal thing is that a SATA III SSD in 2.5-inch format with a capacity of 128 GB is around 16-20 euros. If we see an offer for 5 euros we have plenty of reasons to think badly and avoid it.

In the end, it is always better to invest a little more when choosing your new SSD than to rush to the maximum and go for more than dubious models. If in doubt, the best thing to do is always buy in trusted stores that they guarantee a return in case something goes wrong, so you can be completely calm.

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