Hey everyone, I'm looking for a cheap 250gb ssd to replace an old 5400rpm hdd in a 2012 mac mini.
Obviously being so old I don't want to spend much and the whole thing probably isn't worth it due to its age. But consider it a project
Any recommendations on a cheap ssd I can use. I see things like patriot burst and silicon power but then all the comments suggest their fail rate is high. So something reliable would be great….under $40 but cheaper the better.
make sure its got trim support from the firmware, thats a big reason why the new ssds fail cause its windows trim support and not hardware based.
What?
TRIM always requires support from both firmware and software: the firmware needs to receive and act on the command, and the software needs to send it (which itself can be filesystem-dependent).
Also most any 'normal' SSD from the last 10 years should support TRIM. Some modern SSDs have firmware bugs or other early failure but then so have some older ones too - remember the Samsung 840 EVO? OCZ Vertex?
I also wouldn't worry too much about MLC/DLC vs TLC in typical consumer usage, especially since most actual failures are when the controller dies (unpredictable) rather than predictable NAND wearout. These days the argument is over QLC instead, though that's not common in smaller capacities yet.
As always with storage media, make sure you have backups. Doesn't matter how 'good' a specific model is supposed to be, you can always be the unlucky one.
Scorptec have a WD Green 240GB for $22. They also have a WD 500GB for $38.
The ones that play well with Mac mini: OWC Mercury Electra 6G (six sizes available)
https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Mercury_Electra_6G Best sourced via Amazon
Sounds about right. Also there was a utility you had to run to enable trim support otherwise they ran like a dog.
I have an intel 520 120gb from 2012 that is mlc memory, its been going 24/7 since then 365 days a year and its still my c on my main computer, its at 89%.
Find a comparative ssd from that time thats mlc and it will last a long time.
make sure its got trim support from the firmware, thats a big reason why the new ssds fail cause its windows trim support and not hardware based.