I've been downloading large files, around 40-60GB each, directly onto the internal SSD of my M1 Mac Mini. After downloading, I transfer them to an external hard drive and delete them from my Mac. Since I still have about 3TB available out of 5TB total, I'm wondering if this method is safe for the SSD. I'd prefer to download directly to the external HD, but it's limited to 60MB/s, making the process much slower and more time-consuming. How much wear and tear can I put my internal SSD through using it like this?
3 Answers
Using your internal SSD for heavy downloads like that does put it through a lot of write cycles, which could shorten its lifespan. Just keep in mind that SSDs do wear out over time, especially with large files, and since it’s not replaceable in the M1 Mac, you want to be careful.
While it's true there’s a lifespan limit, most SSDs can last for a good 30 years. If you're careful, you might only lose a year or so of usage!
You might want to look into getting a USB-C NVMe enclosure with an NVMe SSD for downloading. It’ll give you faster speeds and help keep your internal SSD from wearing out too quickly.
Honestly, your SSD should hold up just fine if you’re managing the writes. They’re designed for more wear than you might think!
So maybe consider grabbing a budget external SSD to act as your scratch disk instead?