How Not to Buy a SSD

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Prevalence of Fake / Misrepresented SSDs and HDDs

  • Multiple anecdotes of clearly counterfeit or tampered drives from major marketplaces (Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, eMag), sometimes even labeled “new” and apparently sealed.
  • Common scam pattern on eBay: 4TB “brand-like” SSDs with lookalike Samsung/WD styling but no logo, containing ~100GB of flash and firmware that lies about capacity, then bricks once full.
  • Reports of HDDs with reset or forged SMART data, including drives showing >1 year powered-on time sold as “new.”

Marketplaces, Commingling, and Counterfeits

  • Strong criticism of Amazon’s commingled inventory: items marked “Ships from/Sold by Amazon” may actually be fulfilled from third-party stock, enabling counterfeits and returns fraud loops.
  • Some users say they’ve never seen a counterfeit from Amazon; others report multiple fake SSDs, SD cards, batteries, chargers, and even books.
  • Perception that Amazon has shifted from trusted store to chaotic marketplace with search spam, fake reviews, and lots of low-quality China-sourced goods.
  • Similar warnings about other marketplaces (AliExpress, eMag, etc.): deep discounts (70–80% off) are seen as a red flag.

How People Detect or Test Drives

  • Heuristics: suspiciously low weight, too-good-to-be-true price, missing major brand logo, odd packaging, or limited/odd SMART data.
  • Recommended tools:
    • Destructive full-disk write/read (e.g., f3 / f3fix) to detect capacity lies.
    • ValiDrive (Windows, non-destructive spot checks across the drive).
  • Note that some testing is destructive; people suggest doing it before putting drives into real use.

Buying Strategies and Trusted Channels

  • Many prefer:
    • Direct-from-vendor (WD, Seagate, etc.).
    • Reputable specialized retailers (B&H, Micro Center, local camera/PC shops).
  • Several users avoid buying any critical electronics, storage, or health/beauty items from Amazon or generic marketplaces.

Used Enterprise SSDs: Mixed Views

  • Some strongly favor second-hand enterprise SSDs (often SAS/U.2, with power-loss protection and high DWPD ratings), usually from eBay, Taobao, or forum marketplaces; claim excellent longevity.
  • Others argue pricing often overlaps with new consumer SSDs with warranties, making used enterprise less compelling unless you find real bargains.
  • Example strategies include mirrored arrays, ZFS, and optane for metadata to mitigate risk.

Drive Quality Notes

  • Kingston A400 line is called out as genuinely poor even when authentic (firmware issues, high failure rates).
  • Debate over old SLC vs newer MLC/TLC endurance, with conflicting anecdotal evidence about reliability vs cost/capacity.