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Best SSD for long term storage

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MacAddicted84

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Original poster
May 21, 2009
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Hello,
I'm looking for an external SSD for long term storage (I have also two HDDs as backups).
What do you think about new Samsung T9 and T5 evo, have they the same type of memory chips?
It seems to me that QLC is not the best for LTS in terms of reliability, am I right? But, I'm not an expert, I was only reading about disc rot.
Thanks!
 
Bigwaff

Bigwaff

Contributor
Sep 20, 2013
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1,282
There is storing and then there is archiving. HHD and SSD degrade over time. File system formats change. The best long term digital storage format at the moment is M-DISC optical media. The question you have to ask is “how long will this be stored before it needs to be accessed again”?
 
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Basic75

Basic75

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May 17, 2011
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For archiving I'd probably prefer HDDs over SSDs. Performance is not an issue, and HDDs have better data retention. They are of course mechanical, which brings its own share of problems, though they are a very mature and reliable technology and seem less affected by modern ******tifcation. And yes, avoid QLC.
 
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MacAddicted84

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 21, 2009
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The best long term digital storage format at the moment is M-DISC optical media.
Click to expand...

I've read about M-Disc, but who knows if that technology is reliable as declared...
How long I don't know, but I would rewrite data once a year or two.
 
M

MacAddicted84

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 21, 2009
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Also, do SSD controllers have maintenance mechanisms and will re-write weak cells to store a fresh charge?
 
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MacAddicted84

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Original poster
May 21, 2009
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Do you know if data rot is still present on TLC SSD models?
Has anyone ever made a periodic checksum throughout the years to see if bit rot is real on SSDs?
 
Basic75

Basic75

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May 17, 2011
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MacAddicted84 said:
Do you know if data rot is still present on TLC SSD models?
Click to expand...
Of course, and being TLC it'll be worse than MLC which is worse than SLC. Modern flash is designed to be fast and cheap, not to be reliable and robust.

superuser.com

Lifespan of an SSD (NAND Flash) for minimal write use archive purposes: Write once, toss in (proverbial or literal) storage closet

Okay, so I saw this other question which was closed as being too localized and I understand the idea of that closure: Systems, environments and usage are all different. But my question is about usi...
superuser.com superuser.com
 
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Zest28

macrumors 68020
Jul 11, 2022
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MacAddicted84 said:
Do you know if data rot is still present on TLC SSD models?
Has anyone ever made a periodic checksum throughout the years to see if bit rot is real on SSDs?
Click to expand...

I really don't give a crap about all this "theory" about "data rot". In the real world, I have lost more data due to HDD actually dying. SSD's never had a single problem.

Yes I know people will call me nuts, but I even use the current 4TB Samsung T9 SSD as storage, and I'm sure it will do the job just fine.
 
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MacAddicted84

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Original poster
May 21, 2009
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Zest28 said:
Yes I know people will call me nuts, but I even use the current 4TB Samsung T9 SSD as storage, and I'm sure it will do the job just fine.
Click to expand...

Yes, but take into account that if an SSD stops working, you lose everything.
That's my main concern.
 
AndyMacAndMic

AndyMacAndMic

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May 25, 2017
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MacAddicted84 said:
Yes, but take into account that if an SSD stops working, you lose everything.
That's my main concern.
Click to expand...

Not if you already make backups on your 2 HDDs.

MacAddicted84 said:
Not exactly, HDDs show often warning signs when they are about to die. Then, there is always the possibility to recover data with professional tools.
Click to expand...

Why let it come that far even with HDDs? If you have backups you don't have to recover anything and just replace the failing drive with a new one.

No use for asking for a drive for long term storage. I have had 'long lasting' very expensive drives failing prematurely and inexpensive drives still working after 10 years. It is like betting on horse races or playing a slot machine in a casino.

Any reputable SSD brand will probably have a life span of at least 5 years, but the sword of Damokles still always falls unexpectedly. A good backup system is the only thing that works for peace of mind.
 
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smirking

smirking

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Aug 31, 2003
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Zest28 said:
I really don't give a crap about all this "theory" about "data rot". In the real world, I have lost more data due to HDD actually dying. SSD's never had a single problem.
Click to expand...

I suffered my first SSD failure ever a few months ago. It was with one of my oldest SSDs. It wasn't a wear issue like everyone fears. I used it for backups and archives so it accumulated very little write activity despite it being around 6 years old.

It just got corrupted. It was the first time I had any problems at all with any SSD of any variety.

Unfortunately, I didn't have backups of that drive, but I was able to rescue the files on it with some data recovery software.
 
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MacAddicted84

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 21, 2009
12
0
smirking said:
I suffered my first SSD failure ever a few months ago. It was with one of my oldest SSDs. It wasn't a wear issue like everyone fears. I used it for backups and archives so it accumulated very little write activity despite it being around 6 years old.

It just got corrupted. It was the first time I had any problems at all with any SSD of any variety.

Unfortunately, I didn't have backups of that drive, but I was able to rescue the files on it with some data recovery software.
Click to expand...

What was the brand? So, you mean that it just got corrupted and no more usable or you was still able to format it and use again?
 
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