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SSD as a backup

Tags:
  • Backup
  • SSD
  • Storage
  • Systems
  • Samsung
Last response: in Systems
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September 14, 2014 5:03:38 PM

Hey everyone,

This is my 40th post and I'm glad to say I'm finally at the end of my wits but also my research for my dream PC/Server.

TOPIC: Will an SSD make for a 10 year archival back up storage solution, or stick with an HDD?

If an SSD is a good solution, then which one below?

Keep in mind I'm not sure if these warranties apply to online purchases via Amazon or Newegg, nor do I know if they are worth a darn since so many manufacturers do not honor warranties as they should

1) 1TB Samsung EVO PRO 850
---a solid 10 year warranty

2) 1TB Samsung EVO 840
---3 year limited warranty

Obviously, the answers are probably going to boil down to writes/erase cycles and whether or not an SSD is a safe, EXTREMELY long term digital archive solution for all of my data. And if an SSD is safe for archiving my data, then which Samsung should I get?

I will have the SSD for 10 years purely as a back up. Is this safe to do? I have more than enough money so that's not an issue.

The issue for an SSD as a back up is purely about reliability and longevity.

I look forward to your answers!

This is the PC I am finally going to build after 40 posts and 2 months of research

CPU: Intel Core i7-5960X 8 cores, 16 threads @3GHz (will OC to 4GHz if needed)
COOLER: Cooler Master Nepton 280L (54~122.5 CFM)
MOBO: Asus Deluxe X99
RAM: 32GB DDR4 G-Skill Ripjaws @3200MHz CL16 (debating on 32GB since my PC here is a server)
GPU: 8GB Sapphire Radeon R9 295x2
SSD: 1TB Samsung EVO 850 PRO as main drive
------SSD or HDD for backup??: Either a 1TB Western Digital VelociRaptor @10,000RPM w/ 64MB Cache
OR a Samsung EVO 850 PRO or EVO 840
PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 1300W
MONITOR: 24" Asus V248QE 144Hz 1080p LED-Lit

More about : ssd backup

a c 954 G Storage
a c 81 Ô Samsung
September 14, 2014 5:14:25 PM

10 year, write once as backup and never turn on again? Probably not. Not an SSD, not an HDD, certainly not a DVD.

The charge on an SSD cell will degrade over time, if you never power it up. And lose data.

A backup is only as good as the last time you tested it.
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September 14, 2014 5:35:01 PM

USAFRet said:
10 year, write once as backup and never turn on again? Probably not. Not an SSD, not an HDD, certainly not a DVD.

The charge on an SSD cell will degrade over time, if you never power it up. And lose data.

A backup is only as good as the last time you tested it.


I can't say I understood the last sentence. The backup SSD in question will be internal and always be in my computer so it will have power. I power up my computer everyday and often take files FROM the SSD any maybe once per week add a few GB's of new backup data onto the drive, such as adding a new video game and videos to it every so often. So the drive will probably average 60GB *per month* of write/erases (about 80x less than the guaranteed 70GB per day). This was why I was asking if an SSD would be a reliable very long term back up drive.

I mean, it's a speed convenience thing. If in doubt I can easily use a 10k RPM HDD and probably still be very satisfied.
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a c 954 G Storage
a c 81 Ô Samsung
September 14, 2014 5:43:11 PM

A backup that lives in the same PC box as the rest of the system is only a partial backup. One power surge...poof. Your primary AND backup are gone.

Will an SSD last a decade in the scenario you postulate? Probably.
Current consumer grade SSD's have been tested to hundreds of GB per day, for years.

Is it a true backup? No.
I have a 3 level backup.
Primary data lives on the regular drive(s). Backed up to another drive in that same PC every 12 hours
Backed up to another PC in the house every 24 hours.
Swapped portable hard drives once a month or so, to an offsite location.

But for speedy backups? When it runs the daily backup over the LAN at 3AM, I don't care how long it takes. 30 seconds vs 30 minutes....I'm asleep.
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a c 954 G Storage
a c 81 Ô Samsung
September 14, 2014 5:48:05 PM

But for the specific, individual drive you have in that system? Warranty is replacement only. If it dies next week, they give you a new one. Whatever data is on it is gone.
Unless you have that also backed up elsewhere.
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September 14, 2014 10:46:14 PM

wow thanks so much for your responses! So it sounds like the warranty isn't so bad, however it would be best to use my WD 10K Velociraptor as my real backup.

No worries either for backing up too. I have 2 HDD's already on a separate drive too with the same data. When the laptop with those drives is plugged in, they are plugged into a very special power strip for circuit breaker protection.
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