Solved Backup SSD

Umart and MSY are in the office and are easy for me to get to. They're owned by the same company, as far as I can tell. Weird. Anyway, I don't want to make this a big production. I'm just hampered by my inexperience in computer tech. I have Amazon Prime. So, I can make use of any of them. I just need to watch the cost as I spent more on the system than I expected. lol.

MSY
Simplecom M2 enclosure $36
USB-C with a USB 3 adapter if needed


Umart M2 Cruxtec brand enclosure (Orico out of stock at Umart) $29
USB-C


Amazon
ORICO M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure $39
USB-C or USB 3.1
I like this due to the aluminium casing, would be good for temps.


Amazon
ORICO M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure $27
USB-C or USB 3.1


Amazon
ORICO USB 3.0 to SATA III 2.5" External Drive Enclosure $19


Orico Amazon store M2 and 2.5” enclosures


Drives are another story. I am not qualified to advise you. I always buy Samsung 2.5” SSD’s. I have never purchased an M.2

For anyone that can advise on M2 drives, these are the specs

2x M.2 slots (Key M)

antspants said:

Unless I get one sent to you via Amazon as I get free delivery. You can pay me after you receive it.

Click to expand...

I'll pay you on Tuesday for a hard drive today. TOSHIBA CMR These are pretty good drives if you find them at a good price. Sure, they're slower than silicon storage, but there's a good chance they'll last longer and they'll certainly last longer than most conventional hard drives. Of course, if money is no object and one is still into mechanical hard drives and one does not care about speed Iron Wolf might be a better choice.

Scannerman said:

I'll pay you on Tuesday for a hard drive today. TOSHIBA CMR

Click to expand...

$33.00 lol

OH It’s an auction


I’ve never bought a Crucial anything. As Mike is trying to budget, I pointed him to the following:

antspants said:

Hopefully someone responds, otherwise I'll look into them more.

But as it's going into an external enclosure, I don't really think it matters (Type)
I'd guess you could go cheaper and get a crucial for $83 1TB or 2TB for $159

https://www.amazon.com.au/Crucial-CT1000P3SSD8-PCIe-NAND-3500MB/dp/B0B25LZGGW/

As apposed to a Samsung 1TB for $149

https://www.amazon.com.au/Samsung-PCIe-Gen5-NVMe-MZ-V9E1T0BW/dp/B0CP43PS7B/

Click to expand...

However, I am not the guy to ask, as mentioned.

I’m guessing Mike would appreciate some knowledgable direction (for the actual drive) so he can get on with it. Remembering he is in Australia

antspants said:

$33.00 lol

OH It’s an auction


I’ve never bought a Crucial anything. As Mike is trying to budget, I pointed him to the following:



However, I am not the guy to ask, as mentioned.

Click to expand...

You know I was just jesting. That was a quote from ye olde Popeye cartoon. "I'll pay you on Tuesday for a hamburger today." As a veteran PC builder I can assure Mike that he can't go wrong with Crucial. In all my decades of building I've never had a bad stick of Micron memory or silicon and that's saying a lot. Micron makes Crucial. I'm sure stuff happens occasionally but TBH it's very likely that you can't find a more dependable brand. From my understanding they will just replace what you have even if you don't have the receipt. This has never happened to me but I remember asking someone via email about a series of Crucial RAM I was using in a tri-channel configuration and they immediately offered to replace it if there was any problem with it. Well, it turned out there was not a thing wrong with the RAM. Tri-channel can be fussy. That said, the RAM I had was old and used and I had no receipt for it but STILL they offered to replace it. For me, that speaks volumes about Micron.

*edit* - First random link I clicked >>

Only 85 smackeroonies. https://www.amazon.com.au/Kingston-PCIe-1000G-SNV3S-000MB/dp/B0DBR3DZWG

I would get the 83 dollar Crucial over Kingston NVMe any day of the week. In fact, I've had Kingston NVMe and Kingston memory brick on me a number of times. They wouldn't replace the NVMe because it was past the three year warranty but they did replace the SSD that bricked on me and I didn't bother with the RAM because I bought it used. I hate to say it but Kingston is notorious for bad silicon. Even Silicon Power seems to last longer.

*editor's note* ... ooops! That Crucial just sold out! I guess Aussies know a good deal when they see one!

Tasmania Green said:

Definitely good points. Oh yeah. Thanks for sharing, guys. I really appreciate it. Yep. External driver it is. lol. And I know exactly where to store it when I'm not backing up my computer.

Click to expand...

Another thing is that you should keep a backup away from your home where your computer is. The possibility Of an electrical storm or fire Is not in the realm of impossibility.

Scannerman said:

You know I was just jesting. That was a quote from ye olde Popeye cartoon. "I'll pay you on Tuesday for a hamburger today." As a veteran PC builder I can assure Mike that he can't go wrong with Crucial. In all my decades of building I've never had a bad stick of Micron memory or silicon and that's saying a lot. Micron makes Crucial. I'm sure stuff happens occasionally but TBH it's very likely that you can't find a more dependable brand. From my understanding they will just replace what you have even if you don't have the receipt. This has never happened to me but I remember asking someone via email about a series of Crucial RAM I was using in a tri-channel configuration and they immediately offered to replace it if there was any problem with it. Well, it turned out there was not a thing wrong with the RAM. Tri-channel can be fussy. That said, the RAM I had was old and used and I had no receipt for it but STILL they offered to replace it. For me, that speaks volumes about Micron.

*edit* - First random link I clicked >>

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/comments/193v7j4/is_crucial_a_good_brand_of_internal_storage

Click to expand...

Thanks. I've heard good things about Crucial as well.

Wynona said:

Another thing is that you should keep a backup away from your home where your computer is. The possibility Of an electrical storm or fire Is not in the realm of impossibility a

Click to expand...

I agree. I’m going to keep the backup stored away from the computer except when I’m backing up the drive.

I see 1 2TB left in stock. If you can afford it grab it right now, Mike
It’s $50 more than the new price of the crucial 1TB

Also, the 1TB was from UK, the 2TB is from Amazon AU

The 2TB says there are more on the way.

antspants said:

The 2TB says there are more on the way.

Click to expand...

It’s already been sold.

I think what I’ll do is buy the 1 TB for now. And then later buy the 2 TB for the external case. The 1 TB I can transfer to the 2nd M.2 slot of the motherboard.

Tasmania Green said:

It’s already been sold.

I think what I’ll do is buy the 1 TB for now. And then later buy the 2 TB for the external case. The 1 TB I can transfer to the 2nd M.2 slot of the motherboard.

Click to expand...

Here's a good way to back up your existing OS. 1) Write a backup to your external drive. 2) Write a second backup to an existing internal storage drive. 3) Clone your existing drive to a separate SATA SSD. 4) Test it to make sure it boots and if it does tuck it away in a nice, cool, dark and dry place where you'll remember where you put it. 5) Reconnect the original drive with the OS.

RESULT: You will have backups in triplicate. Since each back up was made differently the odds of malware or a bug destroying all of them is virtually non-existent. One back up will be available for instant access. One backup (external) will be isolated and air gapped if so desired. One backup (clone) will be completely isolated and sitting in cold storage.

Admittedly, a clone is not a backup per se, but if you have File History activated and configured correctly you can use it to get back your latest files with a clone. I have tried this and it worked BUT it worked with Win 8.1. I have no clue if it will work with Win 11. This is why three different backups can be very convenient. Also, when doing something crucial on your PC like installing an app you never used before, or a new driver, or, making a change in hardware, always, always, always make a new restore point beforehand. Does system restore always work? A: Of course not. BUT my experience has been that it works more often than it doesn't and it can save you the trouble of having to resort to a lengthy process of resorting to a backup to get back your data. Do not rely on apps to make restore points for you. These frequently fail and oftentimes they will delete your manual restore points without your knowledge. Make manual restore points.

I hope this helps.

Scannerman said:

I would get the 83 dollar Crucial over Kingston NVMe any day of the week. In fact, I've had Kingston NVMe and Kingston memory brick on me a number of times. They wouldn't replace the NVMe because it was past the three year warranty but they did replace the SSD that bricked on me and I didn't bother with the RAM because I bought it used. I hate to say it but Kingston is notorious for bad silicon. Even Silicon Power seems to last longer.

*editor's note* ... ooops! That Crucial just sold out! I guess Aussies know a good deal when they see one!

https://www.amazon.com.au/Crucial-CT1000P3SSD8-PCIe-NAND-3500MB/dp/B0B25MJ1YT/?th=1

Click to expand...

The older Kingston NV2 SSDs were indeed crappy, but the NV3 is entirely new and not comparable to the NV2. Personally, I, don't care about 5-year warranty periods especially on cheap SSDs. By the time it will be 3 years old, the value that it can still represent is going to be too low to even worry about. The 1TB Crucial P3 has only 220 TBW endurance, whereas the 1TB Kingston NV3 has 320 TBW and generates less heat which is important if the drive is to be put in a cheap USB enclosure like this: https://www.amazon.com.au/UGREEN-Enclosure-Tool-Free-Thunderbolt-Compatible/dp/B09T97Z7DM

hdmi said:

The older Kingston NV2 SSDs were indeed crappy, but the NV3 is entirely new and not comparable to the NV2. Personally, I, don't care about 5-year warranty periods especially on cheap SSDs. By the time it will be 3 years old, the value that it can still represent is going to be too low to even worry about. The 1TB Crucial P3 has only 220 TBW endurance, whereas the 1TB Kingston NV3 has 320 TBW and generates less heat which is important if the drive is to be put in a cheap USB enclosure like this: https://www.amazon.com.au/UGREEN-Enclosure-Tool-Free-Thunderbolt-Compatible/dp/B09T97Z7DM

Click to expand...

I'd almost be inclined to agree with you except for the fact that if that Kingston NVMe bricked there's a good chance I wouldn't get a free replacement for it. Secondly, even Micron's low-end silicon is known for its durability and I know that I can buy Micron silicon with confidence. The thing is, I have yet to suffer the experience of any Micron silicon die on me so of course I'm going to recommend their product as I have Micron silicon that has outlasted so many Kingston purchases such as Kingston SATA SSDs, Kingston Nvme, and Kingston RAM. Who knows? Perhaps Kingston is pulling up their socks. I used to be a big Hyper X fan. I even have the T-shirts. Meanwhile, all my Crucial silicon stays running without issue. I base my recommendations on personal experience with the product above what I read on web sites from the manufacturer.

Scannerman said:

I'd almost be inclined to agree with you except for the fact that if that Kingston NVMe bricked there's a good chance I wouldn't get a free replacement for it.

Click to expand...

I don't necessarily consider that a bad thing. Getting money as opposed to getting a free replacement allows you to decide for yourself whether or not to spend that money on a different SSD that might be a closer match to how your own personal needs might have changed by the time you use the warranty.

Scannerman said:

Secondly, even Micron's low-end silicon is known for its durability and I know that I can buy Micron silicon with confidence.

Click to expand...

The reality is that a TBW of 320 TB is more durable than a TBW of only 220 TB. Additionally, the Phison E21T controller that the Crucial P3 uses is now 4 year-old tech that consumes more power so it generates more heat causing extra wear on the NAND as a significant part of the controller's heat gets transferred onto the NAND when the SSD is subjected to passive cooling in a small-ish aluminum enclosure (like the one that I earlier linked to) compared to any of the controllers that have been spotted in the 1TB Kingston NV3 so far: SMI SM2268XT2, Phison E27T, TenaFe TC2201. Power consumption of the SMI SM2268XT2 in active mode does not exceed 3.5W actually, whereas the TenaFe TC2201 stays below 4.5W, which is still better than the old Phison E21T (the "predecessor" of the Phison E27T).

Scannerman said:

The thing is, I have yet to suffer the experience of any Micron silicon die on me so of course I'm going to recommend their product as I have Micron silicon that has outlasted so many Kingston purchases such as Kingston SATA SSDs, Kingston Nvme, and Kingston RAM. Who knows? Perhaps Kingston is pulling up their socks. I used to be a big Hyper X fan. I even have the T-shirts. Meanwhile, all my Crucial silicon stays running without issue. I base my recommendations on personal experience with the product above what I read on web sites from the manufacturer.

Click to expand...

To me, personally, none of this matters. The Kingston NV3 was released half a year ago, whereas the Crucial P3 is from May 2022. It also means that, by the time the 3 years warranty of the Kingston NV3 runs out, the Crucial P3 will be like an almost 6 year-old prehistoric artifact with close to no value.

Scannerman said:

I would get the 83 dollar Crucial over Kingston NVMe any day of the week. In fact, I've had Kingston NVMe and Kingston memory brick on me a number of times. They wouldn't replace the NVMe because it was past the three year warranty but they did replace the SSD that bricked on me and I didn't bother with the RAM because I bought it used. I hate to say it but Kingston is notorious for bad silicon. Even Silicon Power seems to last longer.

*editor's note* ... ooops! That Crucial just sold out! I guess Aussies know a good deal when they see one!

https://www.amazon.com.au/Crucial-CT1000P3SSD8-PCIe-NAND-3500MB/dp/B0B25MJ1YT/?th=1

Click to expand...

I bought the P3 Plus version. It cost just $86

Tasmania Green said:

I bought the P3 Plus version. It cost just $86

Click to expand...

Good. I purchased a stick of Silicon Power for my daughter for the same price. If I could have gotten a stick of Crucial NVMe on the Canadian site at that price I would have jumped on it. Alas, I didn't have that option. If you keep that NVMe air gapped when you're not using it you'll likely discover that it'll still be around after a decade and working like a charm.

hdmi said:

To me, personally, none of this matters. The Kingston NV3 was released half a year ago, whereas the Crucial P3 is from May 2022. It also means that, by the time the 3 years warranty of the Kingston NV3 runs out, the Crucial P3 will be like an almost 6 year-old prehistoric artifact with close to no value.

Click to expand...

One of the things I started to figure out after ten years of PC building was that "newer" is not necessarily better. After another ten years I knew it to be a fact. In fact, "newer" is commonly worse quality, less dependable, and designed to go obsolete. By the time the 3 year Kingston warranty runs out both the Crucial and the Kingston will both be prehistoric artifacts. Based on personal experience one will likely be good for the trash bin and the name on that item will be Kingston. There's a slight chance that Kingston might replace it, but I rather doubt it. Micron, on the other hand, would honour their product even long after the warranty expired. Now that has been my personal experience and I have little else to go on.