Increasing SSD Life

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SSDs have become fast and affordable, with options like the Silicon Power 1TB SSD achieving over 7 GB/s read speeds, although their reliability is questioned due to the use of QLC technology. Users report frequent replacements, prompting discussions about investing in more durable models like the Samsung 990 Pro, despite their higher price. To extend SSD lifespan, a program called Primocache is recommended, which allows users to allocate RAM as a write-only cache, significantly reducing write operations on the SSD. This method has shown to decrease SSD writes and improve longevity, particularly during regular tasks like web browsing. It's also suggested to avoid filling the SSD beyond 85-90% capacity to maintain performance. Overall, while SSDs are inexpensive, their replacement can be inconvenient, making strategies for longevity valuable.
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Hi All

SSDs have become incredibly fast and are now really affordable. My dirt-cheap (I have seen it as low as $78.00 here in Aus when on sale) Silicon Power 1TB SSD, as tested with CrystalDiskMark, achieves over 7 GB/s read and slightly less write speed. Their reliability, however, is not the best, as they utilise the less expensive QLC technology.
https://www.purestorage.com/knowledge/what-is-qlc-flash.html

A friend finds he has to replace his every year. He could get a longer-lasting Samsung 990 Pro (at over twice the price), which was my suggestion until I came up with what I now do. But the cost - yuck (although this is something where deals abound and one or an equivalent SSD can be had sometimes close to the usual Silicon Power price)

I got a program called Primocache:
https://www.romexsoftware.com/en-us/primo-cache/index.html

It has many uses you can read about. However, my primary use is to reduce stress on the SSD, allowing it to last longer.

I allocate 4GB of RAM as a write-only cache. Reading from cache is unnecessary, as Windows handles this task automatically. However, due to the risk of power failure, it flushes writes every 2 seconds. There is a lot of writing that can be drastically improved by better cashing. I use the option to flush the cache when it reaches over 40% usage, until it is at 20% usage. During a regular daily session, such as browsing the internet, it has never reached 40% and writes the cache when I shut down Windows. The number of Trims performed in memory, rather than on the disk, is impressive - I have seen it exceed 100,000 after just a couple of hours of use. One exception is when installing a program; writes can overflow it. I increase it to an overkill 32GB when doing that.

Of course, you need a laptop or a UPS.

I just thought I would pass this on, as I have noticed a significant drop in SSD writes since implementing this change, which should increase the lifespan of my SSD. Being relatively inexpensive these days, it is not a significant drain on the wallet; however, having to replace it is a nuisance.

You may think that writing to memory would make the PC faster. However, due to the insane write speeds, I have not noticed any difference. It makes you wonder what use Gen 5 SSDs will be.

Thanks
Bill
 
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