Choosing the right SSD is a crucial step in building a computer. It is much more than merely a matter of speed or price. Going with a good SSD brand not only ensures consistency but also takes responsibility for data integrity and security. And here comes the point of a good SSD brand.
A good SSD brand invests a lot in quality control, endurance, and firmware updates since even the fastest processor can suffer from performance issues. They also show transparency by providing honest specifications and a clear marketing warranty.
On the flip side, many SSD brands boast about their device. However, the actual deal that you get differs in a lot of scenarios. Cheap SSDs often use low-quality NAND flash memory and lack DRAM, which undoubtedly severely affects the overall performance.
The key components of bad SSD brands are slow or no firmware updates, no bundled software with SSDs, bad controller/NAND selection, bad reviews, etc.
The consequences of using SSDs from such brands are terrible, they may end up corrupting your important data without showing any warning or degrade the speed dramatically after a certain point, irrespective of the warranty. And when you reach out to their service center, they can even be worse.
Here is a list of 6 SSD brands that you should never choose from.
Disclaimer
All trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners. Mention of these names does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them or other brands.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely my own, based on personal experiences, user reviews, publicly available data, and product testing where applicable. They do not represent absolute judgments or statements of fact about any brand or product.
My intention is not to defame or discredit any company, but to provide readers with insight into potential concerns or performance issues that I and others have encountered. Readers are encouraged to do their own research and consult multiple sources before making purchasing decisions. The information presented here is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as professional advice or a definitive guide to product quality.
KingDian
King-Dian is a Chinese SSD manufacturing company that can often be seen in online marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, AliExpress, etc, with a very eye-catching price, a price that seems too good to be true. These brands often market their presence as a budget-friendly initiative, appealing the customers who are more cost-conscious or those building entry-level systems. The worst thing about this brand is that they use cheap and inconsistent internal components. They rely on low-grade QLC NAND and are often DRAM-less, which already limits performance. Even the company has suffered complaints about practicing silent swapping of internal components such as controllers and memory chips.
There are reports about sudden failure, some happening even within a week of buying. People often question their reliability in the forums, and mostly, they are right about the failures and data losses.
There is very poor customer support, and if there is one, you are connected to, they are the slowest and tiring. Very few customers have been known to claim the warranty.
In conclusion, KingDian might allure you with a mouth-watering deal, but believe me, it’s a gamble.
Inland (Micro Center’s house brand)
Inland is another brand that is known for offering SSDs at really affordable prices. Their deals might seem great at first glance, but sometimes they are not.
Inland SSDs vary less by looks and more by parts used inside. For instance, two similar-looking SSDs with the same name might have totally different internal configurations – one might work well and the other could slow down in a fair time. Going with this brand is more like purchasing a mystery box.
Dogfish
Dogfish is yet another SSD brand that claims to be cost-effective. Lately, it has gotten aggressive attention due to its extremely low prices on Amazon and AliExpress. But again, I would like to mention that the product might look appealing at the first glance – clean design, solid specs, and very good reviews, however, on a closer inspection, we have found that there are a lot of things about this brand that makes it one of the riskiest choices to consider.
Apart from that, the brand advertises its DRAM-less SSD in the premium segment. An SSD that lacks one of the key components that helps in maintaining speed while multitasking.
At the same time, Dogfish rarely discloses important details and often tries to mislead less conscious buyers. Their sales tactics are engaging. They often include magnificent discounts.
Worse still, the customer support system of the brand is just bait. You will struggle to contact them, and if by chance you contact them, they will end up frustrating you.
PNY (low-end models)
PNY, though a very recognized brand in the storage industry, did not have a very good reputation for its low-end models. Their low-end models often fail to raise the expectations of the customers, often revealing inconsistencies and performance issues.
Although their high-end models can compete with brands like Kingston and Samsung, their low-end models have often been seen throttling the performance under moderate load. The main cause can be the absence of DRAM, which can exhibit interruptions during file transfer and sudden shutdown, because of is not able to handle the overload.
PNY is a questionable brand if you are a budget buyer. Their customer service is again reserved for their high-end models. A budget builder gets infrequent firmware updates, and compatibility issues often go unresolved for weeks.
Silicon Power (certain budget models)
Silicon Power is one of the most reputable brands that offers affordable alternatives to major brands. But similar to PNY, its budget lineup SSD performance sucks – especially the models like A55. Users have reported DOA for this product, which means it doesn’t function right out of the box, which is a very serious concern before investing even a buck.
Their marketing material often boasts only the specifications of high-end models, selling their low-end models in the same stream. Thermals are another weak point. They are reported to surge into instant overheating under sustained load, resulting in performance throttle and inconsistencies.
Conclusion
In an SSD-driven world, where your games, personal data, and important documents rely on the SSD, settling for the wrong brand can create a daily headache or, at once, complete data loss. So, it is always advisable not to choose the wrong brand just to save a few bucks and end up double investing. Apart from routine frustration, you will suffer time and data loss as well.