So, for new years I purchases a Sandisk Ultra NVMe, which is literally just a WD SN550 w/ a Sandisk sticker instead of a Western Digital sticker for an external enclosure. But I’ve been wondering if I should instead put the Sabrent Rocket-Q in the enclosure instead, and put the SN550 in my Latitude 7400. The Rocket has DRAM and uses a full 8 channels, BUT…QLC. The SN550 is very much a value SSD, being only a 4 channel and DRAM-less controller. However, unlike the older SN500, it does support HMB so the performance isn’t terrible by ANY measure, it uses an updated 96-layer TLC, and most reviews showing it basically maxing the performance capable of a 4-channel controller. I’ve got a couple weeks to decide, but wanted to see what others think. I know if it was a Intel 660P or Crucial P1 (worst drive, EVER, only NVMe I ever pulled out and put the stock drive back in because it was such trash performance, BARELY outdoing SATA drives), no 2nd thought, I’d go with the SN550. But the Rocket-Q literally blows the performance of the 660p/P1 out of the water despite using QLC. Even the newer 665/P2 that vastly improves upon the garbage scows that were the first generation QLC drives, the Rocket-q generally performs better in every review I’ve seen. So not so cut and dry of a decision.
Endurance won’t be an issue regardless, I average probably less than 1GB written per day, with both having 5 year warranties, so anything greater than about 2 TBW endurance will survive 5 years for me…