Which SSD to buy?

[PeterBJ]

I have a desktop computer I have used since August 2013. The OS was originally Windows 8 64 bit, later upgraded for free to Windows 8.1 64 bit. Now after almost 6 years of use without reformatting the computer is in the need of a reformatting and clean install of the OS.

I would like to upgrade the computer with as SSD, and to gain most speed I would buy a 1 TB for OS, programs and data. From my browsing the web it looks like Samsung is a good brand, by some considered the best.

I guess I will have to use a 2.5" SATA disk, I think my computer can not use the much faster M2 PCIe disks, even if there is an available PCIe slot? My computer is a Medion MD8816 and except for chapter one the rest of the motherboard manuals for Medion computers are nowhere to be found on the web.

I consider two Samsung SATA 2.5" SSD models. One is the 860 EVO 2.5" SATA III 1TB the other is the 860 QVO 2.5” SATA III 1TB. I'm willing to spend the extra 25% on the Danish price for the "EVO" as I think it is a higher grade with a higher number of guaranteed TeraBytes Written than the "QVO".

But the "EVO" has on-chip hardware encryption which I think the "QVO" doesn't have. What does that mean to installing OS and programs and for daily use of the computer?

I installed Windows 10 on a 240 GB Kingston A400 SSD on my laptop. The Kingston SSD is not encrypted and the install was the same way as installing OS and programs to a new mechanical HD. Even if the laptop is not fast the SSD made it much quicker to boot and open programs, so I decided also to upgrade my main computer with an SSD and reinstall OS and programs. I bought the Kingston drive for the laptop because it was the least expensive brand in that size and the laptop is used much less than my desktop computer.

So which disk would you recommend? Other brands might also be interesting. The most important to me is high reliability and the size of 1 TB as this size a good compromise of size and cost for me.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Samsung SSD's come with a utility monitoring the status of your SSD, Terabytes written, firmware updates if available, clean erase/trim and some more. Samsung is one of the major players in the Flash/SSD market. I don't think you would gain much more from a M2 disk, your memory/data bus would be a bottleneck. If you would configure a new system you may choose your hardware differently .
You may consider M2 or mSATA or similar modules which are smaller than regular SATA SSD's, there are drive cases available for these modules with an USB 3.0 or 3.1 connector which gives you great portability and they are small and fast (enough), that's how I connect a data disk - one of several - to a computer or notebook.

You may consider whether you place everything on one disk - OS - programs and data, or you choose another layout - OS + programs one one disk and your data, images, videos, music whatever on a separate disk. This makes backups easier - I'm doing a backup of the OS disk always after a major install or after the monthly Windows updates. I can do a separate backup of the data disk - e.g. after a major shooting, and I can take the data disk and connect it easily to another computer - I basically run the same software on a desktop and a notebook.
Encryption, it is probably optional, it's o.k. if you need it, or you can use other tools for it - Bitlocker, Veracrypt etc on any regular drive, but that's a separate subject I think.
There are more options, you may think a few years ahead if you plan to replace your current computer by then and that hardware becomes redundant.

 

[SkedAddled]

Samsung SSDs are indeed very highly rated, and much of that is connected
to the fact that they manufacture the flash memory AND the interface
controllers for them. Sandisk is another that does this, I believe.
This seems to come together into an entire system from a single
designer & manufacturer, better integrated and optimized,
whereas some of the lesser-known brands are reputed to purchase their
memory and controllers from separate manufacturers. It's up to those assemblers
to then decide how to put the components into a functional drive, and some of them
apparently do a better job of it than others. Most of them do get it right,
but not all.

M.2 and mSATA drives are direct-connect plugin devices for many or most
newer motherboards, but you would have to visually confirm if yours is so
if you're not certain, particularly if it's already a few years old.
I've heard that there can be frustrating compatibility issues with adapters
for these to a typical SATA motherboard port, to the point of total incompatibility.
The same adapters can be found also for PCIe slots, to the same results.

I had a mechanical HDD crash recently, forcing me to make some choices.
After the dust cleared, I found myself with a Samsung 860 EVO 250GB SSD
to reinstall Win7 x64 onto. This holds the OS, startup programs such as
network & system monitors, swap file, and Photoshop CS6.
Also, knowing of the impending discontinuation of Win7 support at the end
of this year, I decided that I needed to start becoming familiar with Win10.
Instead of putting both on a single drive, I found a Team Group A•Data
480GB L5 SD drive for Win10. They are physically separate from each other.
I simply plug whichever system's drive I wish to boot from into a dock mounted
in the front of my system(in place of a 5.25" drive, such as DVD).
Other programs, files, etc. reside in an internal 2TB mechanical HDD.
Since installing Win10, I have certainly used that OS far more than Win7,
But I have had no issues with either OS in my usage.

I do not know if Newegg will sell/ship to Denmark, but their website
can be extremely useful for large quantities of user reviews for sold products.
Reviews are very much encouraged by them, so it can be very helpful in
identifying products which are troublesome. It's then easy to learn about
which products may or may not suit you, and then find those specific
products from a vendor elsewhere for better pricing or regional availability.

I've been wanting to get one or more 2TB drives eventually.
They have been holding steady in price, but the industry of flash memory
is reported to be in a trend of high supply and low manufacturing costs,
which is expected to drive down consumer prices of flash memory-based
products. As those prices climb lower, my own incentive to buy will
only be lifted higher.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I may mention quite a nice utility for backup purposes which is very flexible - Mirrorfolder
https://www.techsoftpl.com/backup/
you can define the method of storing data to another drive, you can duplicate drives in real-time as a kind of RAID function, you can do that just with a directory, you can define the copying mode like RAID, or just updating on a schedule like every 2 hours - or before sytem shutdown or at system startup or at the time you connect a drive - helpful with memory cards of cameras, you can copy from and to any drive or directory with a drive letter - local or on a network, and you can do that with any arbitrary disk hardware, you won't need a special controller or dedicated hardware , identical drives etc.
You may consider a NAS system if you have plenty of data and several persons accessing that data, so there are lots of options available for your needs

 

[stratman]

I consider two Samsung SATA 2.5" SSD models. One is the 860 EVO 2.5" SATA III 1TB ... So which disk would you recommend?

Simple. The Evo. 5 year warranty. Proven dependability and performance.

Samsung has a free app called Data Migration Software that will easily and dependably transfer your HDD to the Samsung SSD.

There is also free software called Magician to monitor the health of the SSD and to alter certain settings if you want, such as TRIM.

Samsung SSD software here.

How to know if you are using Trim (or able to use with your BIOS: Win 7 / 8 and Win 10.

Before buying an SSD drive make sure your BIOS is able to recognize an SSD. See Enable AHCI In Your BIOS/EFI.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not your question but may be useful to some...

Once your HDD is migrated (cloned) to the new SSD, you can upgrade to Windows 10 on the SSD for no cost, at least here in the USA. Better performance with Win 10 for the SSD and in general.

Like HDD's, you want to leave free space on SSD's. At least 10% for an SSD for performance and also helps with longevity. Simple put, writing data to a cell in the SSD is what typically wears the SSD out (malfunctions). The cells have a finite number of times you can write data to them. However, the maximum number of times will typically last many years possibly/often well beyond the warranty. Using the Samsung Magician software you can keep track of the health of the drive (amount of data written). Depending on your data usage, the QVO, EVO or Pro may be better suited for your needs.

BTW, an SSD can be installed in any orientation - sideways, upside down, etc - in the computer since nothing moves like platters in a HDD. It can be taped or velcro'ed wherever instead of screwed into the frame. If you have another SATA and power cable from the motherboard and power supply, then you can keep the HDD installed and boot from the SSD. You just need to change the boot drive in the BIOS/EUFI to the new SSD. Then you can even buy a smaller sized SSD, costing you less. Use the HDD for data and most apps. Big pigs like Photoshop and games can go on the SSD. I'd also install on the SSD my malware apps, deleted file recovery apps. As long as you leave sufficient room free on the SSD - at least 10%, then install everything to the SSD to your heart's content and use the HDD for back up and/or data.

 

[SkedAddled]

Once your HDD is migrated (cloned) to the new SSD, you can upgrade to Windows 10 on the SSD for no cost, at least here in the USA.

This is true, and you can even even download media for installation
for free. You only need to instigate the download from a Win7 or 8x
system to do so. The download can be written to a DVD or even a USB
flash drive for installation, and does not require it to be installed as an
'upgrade' over Win7/8. I have done this.

It's still being offered as a concession to those whose use can be categorized
as using 'accessibility' features of Windows, evcen though Microsoft themself
do not stipulate very specific definitions of exactly what the terms are.
It's still out there, and they probably just want to get you dependent on it.

Step 1: Click Here for the Windows 10 Media Installation Tool.
Step 2: Click Downlaod, BUT SAVE TO YOUR PC in a place you can find it.
Step 3: Run it, and choose your options.
You can choose x86/x64 options, or both together.
One(x86 or x64) will result in a smaller file, typically less than 4 GB, while both
(x86+x64) together will result in a larger file. In my case, I chose both, and ended up
with a file download of 6.92GB. x86-version is 2.91GB, with x64 being 3.97GB
as individual download files. I also grabbed the combined file at 7,260,608KB
to have it. Each time you run this Installation tool, you can choose which bit
of media you wish to download. I did it once each, for both x64 and x86,
32-bit, and 64-bit. I have 3 different downloads I can now burn to a DVD
or USB flash drive for installation.

I downloaded mine from a Windows 7 Ultimate system, and the resulting
Win10 installation provided me with a fully functional and 'activated' installation
of Windows 10 Professional, which is the lowest version I was wanting.
Anything above that, honestly, is more than I need.

 

[stratman]

Step 1: Click Here for the Windows 10 Media Installation Tool.

I think it is called the Media Creation Tool.

Windows 10 Professional, which is the lowest version I was wanting.
Anything above that, honestly, is more than I need.

The Enterprise version is the only thing above Pro. The Enterprise version has one big advantage if you worry about MS updates -- traditional control over updates unlike every other flavor of Windows 10.

 

[Redbrickman]

I used to buy Hard drives with the best warranty I could find. Then one day it dawned on me that I would never send a faulty one back for repair/replacement. There is just too much personal information on a Hard drive to let some unknown repair guy plod through


Edit:

 

[PeterBJ]

It looks like I was wrong in assuming the Samsung "QVO" drive had no encryption. I found an online brochure explaining the differences between the "PRO", "EVO" and "QVO" series. The all have the encryption. The "PRO" is intended for professional use on a high performance workstation, the "EVO" is high quality for home computers and the "QVO" is a budget model for home computers. In Denmark the cost of the "EVO" is around 25% more than the "QVO" and the "PRO" is almost twice the cost of the "QVO". So I will agree with @stratman that the "EVO" looks like the best choice for my use.

AHCI is on per default in my computer's BIOS or UEFI:

I have downloaded an ISO for the proper W8.1 version for my computer and burned a DVD, so before I order the Samsung 1TB EVO drive I would like to know what problems (if any?) the onboard encryption will cause in installing OS and programs and a if special log on procedure is needed?

For my W10 laptop Microsoft offered a Media Creation Tool. It looks like this found the newest versions of the files and packed them into an ISO file. Installing W10 32 bit on the new unencrypted Kingston SSD was easy using a DVD I burned from the ISO. It was the quickest Windows install I have experienced and very little updating was necessary. I didn't even have to enter a key, Microsoft recognised the computer and activated Windows. They had even stored my desktop wallpaper and installed that instead of the default W10 wallpaper. I wonder what else "Big Brother" stores?

Once your HDD is migrated (cloned) to the new SSD, you can upgrade to Windows 10 on the SSD for no cost, at least here in the USA. Better performance with Win 10 for the SSD and in general.

This is true, and you can even even download media for installation
for free. You only need to instigate the download from a Win7 or 8x
system to do so. The download can be written to a DVD or even a USB
flash drive for installation, and does not require it to be installed as an
'upgrade' over Win7/8. I have done this.

Seeing this I searched the web and it really looks like you can still get a free W10 upgrade from W7, W8 and W8.1. If this is true then it is good news for those who have one or more W7 computers as the W7 support ends medio January 2020. See this . I have a very basic Celeron M1000 laptop running Windows 7 and a desktop computer that was upgraded to Win 7 from Win Vista. I wonder if they can be upgraded for free. Windows 7 is activated on both machines, so the free upgrade should work or what?

 

[stratman]

what problems (if any?) the onboard encryption will cause in installing OS and programs and a if special log on procedure is needed?

Zero, zip, nada, nothing for question 1. Onboard encryption is an option that you enable after the SSD is installed via the Magician software I spoke about earlier.

Concerning question 2... If you choose to use the encryption option then you will need to use a password to unencrypt the data on the SSD for use as you ordinarily would without there being encryption at all.

How does Samsung SSD encryption work?

How to enable Samsung SSD encryption?

I don't use it and know of no one who does.