Solidigm

SamboNZ · ‎02-10-2021

Hey guys,

The Intel Memory and Storage Tool shows the 'Estimated Life Remaining' for my Intel 535 SSD at 1%, yet the 'Host Writes' is only sitting at around 18TB according to IMAS and Crystal Disk Info.

THAT SAID, the 'Total NAND Writes' is ~160TB...

As far as I can ascertain, the TBW for this drive is 73TB (I can't find an official figure on Intel's site).

I assume that the latter figure is the real one to look at and the difference is 'Write Amplification'?

8x write amplification seems to be a lot, but then again it has spent all of it's 8 years of life as the system drive for a computer that is constantly in use for 12+hrs every day of the year and , so perhaps it's not that surprising. (That's at least 35,000 hours in operation for those of you playing at home!)

Anyway, I'm not sure whether to be offended that it's only lasted for 25% of it's expected lifespan or amazed that it lasted for 220%! On the other hand, regardless of anything else, hasn't missed a beat for 8 years straight so I guess I should be grateful either way!

The other question I have would be; is this a death sentence for the drive, or is it possible that it will continue to live a healthy and productive life well into its twilight years?

According to some torture tests I've seen, ordinary consumer SSDs can last WELL beyond their rated lifespan. That test featured an older Intel 335 which worked fine for 750TB of writes!

So maybe it's not the end after all?

Any insights from someone in the know would be much appreciated!

JosafathB_Intel · ‎02-11-2021

Hello SamboNZ,

Thank you for contacting Intel® Memory and Storage support.

As we understand, you need assistance with your Intel® SSD 535 Series. If we infer correctly, we will appreciate it if you can review and provide us with the following information:

1- You can find more information regarding your SSD specifications and SSD reliability in the following link:

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/us/en/ark/products/86738/intel-ssd-535-series-120gb-2-5in-sata-6gb...

2-We advise you to check your SSD firmware to assure you are running the newest version. Based on the Firmware Versions for Intel® Solid State Drives and Intel® Optane™ Memory article (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000017245/memory-and-storage.html)

The latest version of the firmware for your Intel® SSD 535 Series is the following:

- Intel® SSD 535 Series M.2 RG11

- Intel® SSD 535 Series 2.5 RG21

*Please take into consideration that if your SSD came pre-installed with your PC or is an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) meaning, that this SSD was customized by the OEM and has different firmware, you may not be able to update it with our tools. Consider that some of the features and specifications mentioned in ark.intel.com may not apply.

3- We advise you to extract the SMART logs, and if you are using an adapter, we would appreciate it if you connect your SSD to the port on your motherboard and try to extract the following logs by using the Intel® Memory and Storage Tool:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/29337/Intel-Memory-and-Storage-Tool-CLI-Command-Line-Inter...

-1. SMART attributes: intelmas show -smart -intelssd “SSD_index”.

-2. The SSD information using show -all command from Intel MAS CLI: intelmas show -all -intelssd “SSD_index”.

Replace the “SSD_index” with the actual index number of your SSD. A complete User Guide is available below.

User Guide:

https://downloadmirror.intel.com/30059/eng/Intel_Memory_And_Storage_Tool_CLI_User%20Guide-Public-342...

* Please review the Video on Intel® SSD Firmware Update and Health Monitoring Using Intel® Memory and Storage Tool (Intel® MAS) article (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000057393/memory-and-storage.html) For further instructions on how to use this tool.

We will follow up with you again the next Tuesday, the 16th of February 2021, if we do not receive an answer from you. Please let me know if you would like to schedule a different date for the follow-up.

We will be looking forward to your reply in case you need further assistance.

Best regards,

Josh B.

Intel® Customer Support Technician.

SamboNZ · ‎02-11-2021

Hi Josh,

The firmware version on my SSD is the latest (RG21)

I have attached the SMART log.

JosafathB_Intel · ‎02-11-2021

Hello SamboNZ,

Thank you for your reply and the information provided.

Based on the SMART logs, we can conclude the following:

1- Based on your SSD serial number, your drive is already out of the five years warranty.

2- We advise you to back up or make copies of your files and to replace this SSD as soon as possible to avoid future issues.

3- After calculating the NAND and the Host writes, we concluded that your drive is not suffering from high write amplification.

If you are still concern regarding the high write amplification, feel free to try the following tool:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26452/Write-Amp-Firmware-for-Intel-SSD-530-535-Series

Notes:

Before initiating the iRMFUU, read all the instructions below. The firmware update process is done entirely at your own risk.

Before attempting the firmware update, back up or make copies of your files. If the Intel® SSD firmware update process is interrupted, your Intel® SSD may not function properly.

On RedHat 7.1, the command “modprobe –sg” must be executed before running iRMFUU. Otherwise, the tool won’t detect/enumerate any drives.

If you purchased your Intel® SSD from an OEM, your firmware version may have a different naming. Contact your local OEM representative for the latest firmware revisions. The utility is only supported on Windows* operating systems.

This tool will change your Intel® SSD 535 Series drive to firmware version RG2V.