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Following on from my recent TerraMaster upgrade posts, I have been looking at the best SSDs to use in a NAS.
Due to the configuration of the TerraMaster F4-422, I was specifically looking for a 2.5-inch SATA SSD to be used on the 5th bay as a cache drive, and that is what I will focus on with this post.
However, if you have built a NAS / server with off the shelf component or have a higher spec NAS from the likes of Synology, you may have the choice to use an NVMe drive for even better performance. I will do another post for those drives later.
When it comes to servers and storage, the overall read/write throughput is not necessarily the most important, but the drive endurance and warranty.
To keep things simple, I have looked at the price of drives with a capacity of 500GB and 1TB (thereabouts) and their endurance ratings.
Best SATA SSDs for Cache & Storage
Notes:
- Pricing is taken from Amazon mid-February 2022
- Some drives have a smaller capacity, such as 480GB instead of 512GB.
- Most drives have the very similar IOPs, so I removed them from the list
- Read/Write speeds may not be 100% accurate as they change depending on capacity
What about data centre drives? Consider the Samsung PM893
Used data centre drives are frequently recommended on Reddit, and it is a good choice. For example, 1TB WD Gold doesn’t even use TBW, they just up to Petabytes Written with this one handling 1.4PBW or 1400TBW, but it costs over £250 new.
The Samsung PM893 is one semi-affordable option worth considering, it has a 3-year warranty with a 1.3 DWPD giving it a 683TBW which you can pick up for around £100 from Scan. The more expensive PM897 has a 2628 TBW but costs £150.
Highlights – The best consumer SSDs for cache
Basically, you get what you pay for.
Probably the best choice overall is the 500GB WD Red SA500 with 350TBW endurance at a surprisingly attractive £62. The 1TB model is more than twice the price so much less appealing than the are the Kingston KC600 and Samsung 870 EVO.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WD Red 500 GB NAS SSD 2.5 Inch SATA |
£56.99 | Buy on Amazon |
At the time of writing, the Samsung 870 EVO drives are more attractively priced vs Kingston. As always, Amazon prices vary a lot, and the Kingston drives have been cheaper.
The Samsung 870 EVO is, therefore, the best 1TB with its 600TBW and priced under £100
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 870 EVO 2.5" 1 TB Serial ATA III V-NAND MLC |
£94.00 | Buy on Amazon |
If those are too expensive, the WD Blue SSD is perhaps the stand out option for the affordable drives. You get 200TB/400TB TBW endurance and a 5-year warranty. Under £50 for 500GB is a bit of a bargain with that spec.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Digital WDS500G2B0A WD Blue 3D NAND Internal SSD 2.5... | £54.77 | Buy on Amazon |
The dark horse is the Lexar NS100, it costs a touch more than the WB, and the warranty is less, but the TBW endurance is 20% higher.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexar NS100 2.5” SATA III (6Gb/s) 480GB Solid-State Drive | £54.95 | Buy on Amazon |
Options to avoid are the PNY and SanDisk. These do not state a TBW and only have a 3-year warranty. They will be perfectly suitable for normal SSD drives and light usage but best avoided for things like a cache which will have high read/writes.
SATA SSDs Comparison Table
| SSD | 500GB / 1TB Price | Read/Write | TBW Endurance | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston KC600 | £70/£120 | 550MB/s read 520MB/s write | 512GB — 300TB 1024GB — 600TB | 5 |
| Kingston A400 | £41 / £81 | 500MB/s read 450MB/s write | 480GB: 160TB 960GB: 300TB | 3 |
| Crucial MX500 | £47 / £75 | 560MB/s read 510MB/s write | 512GB — 180TB 1024GB — 360TB | 5 |
| Crucial BX500 | £38 / £65 | 540MB/s read 500MB/s write | 480GB — 120TB 1000GB — 360TB | 3 |
| Samsung SSD 870 EVO | £63 / £97 | 560MB/s read 530 MB/s | 512GB — 300TB 1024GB — 600TB | 5 |
| Samsung 870 QVO | NA / £84 | 560MB/s read 530 MB/s | 1024GB — 360TB | 3 |
| Western Digital WD Blue | £47 / £83 | 560MB/s read 530 MB/s | 500GB — 200TB 1000GB — 400TB | 5 |
| WD Red SA500 | £62 / £135 | 560MB/s read 530 MB/s | 512GB — 350TB 1024GB — 600TB | 5 |
| Integral V Series 2 | £37 / £78 | 520MB/s read 470 MB/s | 480GB: 160TB 960GB: 300TB 1TB: 320TB | 3 |
| PNY CS900 | £48 / £72 | 550MB/s read 500MB/s write | Not stated | 3 |
| SanDisk SSD PLUS | £56 / £86 | 540MB/s read 450MB/s write | Not stated | 3 |
| Lexar NS100 | £52 / £95 | 550MB/s read | 512GB — 240TB 1000GB — 480TB | 3 |
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Kingston A400/SA400 is a peace of crap. I have one! It has a very small write speed after write cache is overloaded. It’s only 20Mbps, and it’s slower than HDD.