I've been noticing some issues with my WD Blue SN550 SSD recently, especially after a Windows 11 update that seems to be affecting many others too. There are stories of blue screens and corrupted OS files. I'm not sure if my SSD is permanently damaged or not, so I'm contemplating buying a new one, preferably with DRAM. However, I'm worried that any new SSD I choose might have the same problems. Is there a way to tell if an SSD will be safe to use, or can anyone recommend SSDs that are known to be running fine post-update? I heard the 990 Pro might be good since it has DRAM, but I came across a complaint about it being problematic.
6 Answers
There’s actually no solid proof that the recent updates caused SSD failures. Both Microsoft and Phison confirmed that the issues seem linked to a small number of drives using pre-release firmware that shouldn't have been out there in the first place.
I haven’t had any trouble with my Samsung SSDs at all. The 9100, 990, 980, and 870 Evo are all running smoothly, along with my external T7 Touch. Also, my other PC with a 990 and 970 has been problem-free too.
Honestly, all SSDs should be fine. Not really a helpful answer, though—there's clearly no one-size-fits-all here!
Definitely not. You can’t just say all SSDs are safe without considering specifics!
From what I gather, the recent Windows patch has mostly fixed the problems, which were primarily affecting SSDs with Phison controllers. If you’re on the latest version of Windows, any SSD should be fine. Brands like Teamgroup or Patriot often use Phison to keep costs down, but for peace of mind, go for well-known brands like Samsung, Crucial, or WD since they typically have their own controllers and should be safe. And yes, having DRAM is a big plus—you’ll really appreciate it!
I haven’t faced any problems with my T500 or T700 models, so they seem okay.
The problems seem to have been connected to SSDs and motherboards running beta firmware. No hardware should come with that kind of software. If you upgraded firmware, just double-check that it’s a stable version you’re using.
Even if that’s true, the fact that issues started coinciding with the update is worrying. I care more about my PC functioning properly than technical details.