{"id":2430,"date":"2019-03-21T07:00:44","date_gmt":"2019-03-21T11:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/langa.com\/?p=2430"},"modified":"2019-03-21T07:07:09","modified_gmt":"2019-03-21T11:07:09","slug":"a-reader-asks-do-solid-state-drives-ever-fail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/langa.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/21\/a-reader-asks-do-solid-state-drives-ever-fail\/","title":{"rendered":"A reader asks: “Do solid state drives ever fail?”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Reader Raleigh K.<\/a> is wondering about the longevity of solid state hard drives (SSDs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early SSDs did have some problems, not least because the operating systems of the day treated SSDs as if they were standard spinning-platter hard drives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SSDs are fundamentally different, so trouble cropped up: Mismanaged by the OSes, SSD performance would seriously degrade over time; and some memory locations would be grossly overused (while other parts of the drive sat idle) leading to premature wear, and failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that was then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, all current, major OSes understand SSDs, and know how to properly maintain them. Many new SSDs also ship with some built-in intelligence to take over proper maintenance, if the OS fails to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With proper maintenance, and because they have no moving mechanical parts, current SSDs can outlive current-generation HDDs! For example, Samsung is starting to discuss 10 year warranties for its SSDs, as opposed to the standard 3-5 year warranties for HDDs. (See links at end.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But do SSDs ever<\/strong><\/em> fail? Yes, of course! All of todays SSDs, HDDs, smartphones, TVs — in fact, all electronics<\/strong><\/em> — will eventually suffer some kind of failure: Perhaps an insulator fails, a plasticizer degrades, a contact oxidizes or wears off, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But those issues affect all<\/strong><\/em> electronics, and aren’t specific to SSDs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So: Will an SSD eventually fail? Yes. But they usually won’t fail for quite a while — and quite possibly could outlive any comparable, current HDD!<\/p>\n\n\n\n