250GB Samsung 840 Series 2.5" SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive SSD (MZ-7TD250BW) $140 + Free Shipping
 

Adorama on Ebay has this for $139.99 with free shipping. Comes with 3 year warranty.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/330840206220

250GB Samsung 840 Series 2.5" SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive SSD (MZ-7TD250BW) $140 + Free Shipping
 

Adorama via eBay and Buy.com via eBay both have 250GB Samsung 840 Series 2.5" SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive SSD (MZ-7TD250BW) for $139.99 with free shipping. Thanks GoodDay & sjsfan [Discuss]

This is the only SSD in the market to use TLC NAND. TLC (triple layer) uses more power than the MLC NAND used in other consumer SSDs. It also has the lowest lifespan. Anandtech estimates that the program/erase cycle lifespan may be around 750 cycles for 2xnm chips. As NAND processes continue to be shrunk, that lifespan will also shrink.

TLC NAND's performance may degrade significantly over its lifetime, especially if it is written to quite a bit. HardOCP found that steady-state 4k testing caused the 120 GB drive to even flatline on read speed, the one thing that TLC drives seem to do well in (unlike write speed). This is the first TLC product in the market. Your mileage may vary.

Bummer, wish it had the kit with transfer cable.

No thank you. I only do pro

Decent price, but nand on this could be better. Best for average consumer

Great deal :)

Consider me average :woot:

In for one :)

new low


fp soon

Still cheaper at bhphoto if you live in Cali.

i was hoping for a 500gb sale but i may just jump on this for my desktop

This is the link with the free shipping:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/380584300...ect=mobile

Adorama doesn't collect tax in CA.

With all the Samsung SSD deals lately, it finally seems as if SSD price/gb is starting to come down once again. It's about time. They've been using TLC instead of MLC NAND without lowering the price. We've been getting similar performance levels due to better designed controllers but I still want a peice of the cost savings associated with TLC NAND. I'll bite once I can get a 250gb drive for around a $100.

Weired. I guess there are two links. The one I looked at was sold by buy.com. I know Adorma doesn't tax in CA.

This is probably the best price I've seen on the regular 840.

In for 2, waited long enough. Now to find what else I need for my Aurora Alienware desktop install.

Does this include mounting hardware to a 3.5 slot? I didn't see it say anything on the ebay page? If not, anyone know where I can buy a cheap one?

bought one

Not a bad deal at all considering I purchased my 2x 64GB Sammy 830 SSD's for $100 a pop a little over a year ago. Might be time to sell those and pick up one of these.

If it doesn't I suggest getting one of these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Pro...6817990021

Allows you to mount 2x 2.5" drives in a 3.5" slot. I have one in my gaming rig and one in my media server and I love them.

this could be a dumb question. How do I know if my current HD is 2.5 or 3.5"? I want to upgrade to a SSD, but I literally don't know anything about the install/transfer process.

+1 I've been sitting on a normal HD for about a year now (new machine with pretty strong specs -- i5 3500k, 8GB DDR3, Radeon 7850 -- just needs an SSD!!). From what I understand, these are drastically faster.

Given someone who has decent computer smarts (can changed RAM, GPU, etc), how hard of an install is this?

Installation is a piece of cake. Easier to just format and start fresh rather than trying to transfer all your junk onto it.

I'm very tempted to bite.. How does the 3 year warranty work if you bought on eBay? Still honored if you have receipt/invoice??

If you have a desktop most likely you have a 3.5" and laptops are usually 99% of the time 2.5". It's an easy process as long as you have a transfer cable then its just transferring files from one to another or cloning the drive through windows cloning utility.

I don't understand why you would need both the "kit" (tray) AND the cable? I just bought the one with the kit for $150 at the egg. Used the "tray" to turn it into a 3.5" but did not need the transfer cable...I think it is if you are going to put it in a laptop. If putting it in a laptop then you would not need the 3.5" tray use in a desktop. Now....if you're going to put it in a desktop it is quite easy to have a "plan b"....it would probably fit where peeps used to put a floppy drive....frankly, the thing is so small and light you could probably hang it in a bay with rubber bands and have the advantage of reduced vibration. Seriously, when I saw the adapter tray I kind of laughed..it's next to nothing. What do you other folks think?

I need a transfer cable only, not the kit -looks like I used the incorrect wording. Only have a laptop and no external drives to transfer pics, etc.

EDIT: I may not have answered your question based on other responses. Sorry.

It's easy. You turn off your PC, unplug the power supply, open it up. Once open you use a sata cable (hopefully you have a few or normally it comes with one) and plug it in, you then plug in a appropriately fitting power connector from your PSU (http://www.pimfg.com/ifaq/images/...werfaq.jpg). Then put it all back together and turn it on. You may need to enable it in your BIOS, but many are just Plug and Play. Remember to check for firmware updates.

As far as mounting... I first used tape, then I bought Velcro and just have it snugly against my drive bay. SSD's have no moving parts so they can really be mounted any ol' way. I'm sure some people will disagree but you could even just have it sitting in there.

Regular HDD's are 3.5 and SSD's are 2.5 for desktops. An adapter will be a fixture which you place inside the normal 3.5 drive area fitting it for a 2.5 size drive. An analogy would be the same way a MicroSD card can be put into an SD card adapter and used in an SD card reader.

Thanks! +reps

Seems easy enough! I guess I would need to reformat afterwards to ensure my O/S is installed on the drive as well.

BTW Samsung's transfer or cloning software could not make it easier...unless there is some compelling reason to start clean it's faster to clone. I normally would have started with a clean install but I was in the middle of building a new rig and had just done a clean install to a HD the week before....no compelling reason to do it again. (unless you have a "true" cloning cable with software which allows you to pick and choose files....which neither version of this drive comes with....they can be had for about $20-25)

If I have an extra computer, would I be able to transfer the HD to it and then load it onto the SSD without having to buy a transfer kit?

edit: I'm also dual booting windows 7/8. I have no use for windows 8, but I'm guessing it would be pretty easy to not transfer a certain partition?

NP & thanks for the rep. I forgot to mention, It's ideal to have a anti-static wrist-strap (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Pro...6899261001) and similar Mat (to put the PC on) while working on it to avoid shorting out the SSD or other components. I only have an anti-static wrist-strap and they are cheap and useful if you like to work on your own electronics. At the very least you'll want to touch your hand to some sort of grounded metal (the case of your PC can work) in order to ensure you're either clean or at the same potential as your case prior to handling the SSD or working on the PC.

this is a great deal.

I paid 140 last year for the same but 128gb -- and it was FP too

and the quality is superb, I never had any problems

Anyone tried one of these in the older C2D macbooks? It "should" fit and work but details are scarce. SSDs were an option with the generation I have (Second gen macbook 14") so it's a slam dunk right?

we don't need a transfer cable to clone do we?

Thanks OP. Good deal. Bought one for my wife's laptop. I'm hoping the reduced power consumption will cause the fan to run a little slower/quieter, but in any case the speed boost will be nice.

In for 3, thanks

Is it better to raid 2x250gb ssd or just single ssd of 500GB for gaming?

Then you're looking at the wrong device.

TLC NAND has higher power consumption than MLC, and since it degrades faster, it may use even more power as it ages.

The deceptively-named "840 Series" is the only SSD in the marketplace to use TLC (triple layer) flash chips instead of the typical MLC (multi-layer) chips used by all other consumer SSDs.

Samsung named it 840 to try to make people think it's very similar to the 840 Pro, but it's not. The latter is a good product, the former isn't so hot, especially in the 120 GB size.

TLC NAND has the lowest program/erase lifespan in the industry. It has the highest power usage. It has slower write speed and lower IOPs. This product is a good deal for Samsung, but not so much for the consumer who is likely to think it's a regular MLC drive.

I think this is the new norm. I bet these go to $100-$120 in the next three months.

I got mine for $190 - $40 rebate - Far Cry 3 (sold for $25 on ebay) = $125, albeit with some hoop jumping.

I'm buying at $100 for a raid 0.

It will still run cooler than a tradition HDD.

Also, for the average user who writes/erases 10gigs a day, it will still last you about 7 years.

Cite: http://www.anandtech.com/show/633...0gb-review

It might not be the best..
 

but it still seems to be in the top 15 SSD drives according to Tom's Hardware SSD charts.. How did that happen?

A lot of SSD testing done by review sites involves short-term usage scenarios. This is similar to the way Consumer Reports tests appliances like refrigerators. It isn't uncommon for people to buy the top recommendations and find that they break just out of warranty.

TLC NAND degrades quicker than MLC and uses more power. HardOCP warns that the power usage may go even higher as the NAND ages. That site even suggested that Samsung start using a thermal pad because of heat generation.

This is the only SSD in the market to use TLC NAND. TLC (triple layer) also has the lowest lifespan. Anandtech estimates that the program/erase cycle lifespan may be around 750 cycles for 2xnm chips. As NAND processes continue to be shrunk, that lifespan will also shrink. MLC is being produced at 19nm already. Are we going to soon see TLC with 500 p/e cycles?

TLC NAND's performance may degrade significantly over its lifetime, especially if it is written to quite a bit. HardOCP found that steady-state 4k testing caused the 120 GB drive to even flatline on read speed, the one thing that TLC drives seem to do well in (unlike write speed). This is the first TLC product in the market. Your mileage may vary.

I think Davio is comparing this SSD with HDD. This SSD, although may not be the best, does has lower power consumption than conventional HDD. For sure it has less noise as it has no moving part, but it is still running warm though it may not be as hot as a 7200rpm drive.
Nevertheless, this SSD may not be the best for a laptop if it is the only drive. It does have a short life if you write data to it repeatedly. I found it out after I placed the order. Anyway, I put a HDD in the optical drive bay with a caddy for storing active data and handle downloads. This way, I can prolong the life of the SSD and improve the performance of the laptop, but it will not extend battery running time or reduce heat.

How different 840 and 840PRO are? I am photographer who do not play any games on PC, could you recommend which one good for me? Thanks.

Go for the Pro if you can afford it. It has better performance and higher reliability. It would be around $200 (vs $140 for this one).

This is a cheap part, why would you put it in Aurora desktop?!?! At best, this deserves to go into $300-400 Dell laptop or desktop, but not into high-end machine....

The main competition for this in the market is a budget MLC SSD. People compare this with SLC drives, too. Comparisons with SLC and HDD are generally less useful.

There are already budget MLC drives. MLC at 19nm is not expensive to produce. TLC is a solution in search of a problem. Worse than that, as NAND shrinks, P/E lifespan is reduced. So, why compound that problem further?

HardOCP found that the 120 GB drive's read performance flat-lined. The larger drives may hold up better for mainstream consumers, but the higher power usage still makes one ask why choose a TLC drive over a budget MLC?

in that case..
 

well in that case better wait till it drops well below 50 cents a GB.. :D

adorama strikes again!

HDD or SSD power usage is simply not a defining issue since it's a very small slice of the total power usage in a laptop.

Ask them to strike another $20 off.

Beware of this SSD. I've already gone through 2 already due to random file corruption that would BSOD with STOP 7B message on a Windows 7 machine. Cloned the original drive to an M4 and no more corruption issue.

There's a reason why you can't even do a warranty service request on the TLC/840 unit on Samsung website. I wonder why. Go to http://www.samsung.com/us/support...ce/request hit Find then Office > Memory Storage > SSD. Only the MLC/840 Pro and 830 are listed. TLC/840 units are not listed on there. TLC/840 model number starts with MZ-7TD

I think the Wiki is misleading.

Performance wise, if someone is going from a HDD to an SSD, there will be a huge jump. It's like going from a Ford Taurus to a Lamborghini Aventador.

The 840 Pro will be considered a McLaren F1. Does nitpicking on each spec really matter if you had the Aventador or the F1? Would you not be just happy that you have a car that does 0-60 in less than 4 seconds. If one car does it in 3.2, and the other in 2.8?

Also, it'll take a few years before the drive even caps out its lifecycles. I believe the reviews mentioned it to be around 5-7.I wouldn't worry about these reviews too much and at $140 I'd jump on it had I not bought the 840 pro at $199.

At $140 this is a heck of a lot better deal.

I definitely agree with you, a lot of people seem to be bashing this drive because of TLC, but really, if you are a pretty average computer user, TLC will last you a good 7 years or so. Personally, I think I would be ready for an upgrade by then anyways.

I bit on this one and I'm replacing my 5400 rpm with this. I'm hoping the difference will be pretty noticeable. Also, this is a really good deal because I've been waiting for a good 7mm ssd to come up since I have a samsung ultrabook that only has room for a 7mm drive. So, rep to the OP.

For the ones who have seen Top Gear &/or is familiar with this episode (S18 E1). I would say the 840 Pro is the Lamborghini Aventador, while the regular 840 is the Noble 6000. And this references performance and reliability/durability as well.

The 840 series (TLC) 500 GB has been on and off on-sale for a while now. If you look around, you'll find it selling for comparable GB/$ to this deal.

Would this drive be fine as a system drive of an HTPC? All my WMC recordings go to a secondary drive but would it still tax a SSD?

The problem you guys aren't realizing with the TLC vs MLC (840 vs 840 Pro) is that it doesn't take into account the cost/size of the drive.

For example, due to wear leveling and write amplification, a very high capacity TLC drive offsets the lower writes. If you can afford a 240g TLC or 120 MLC I'd take the TLC all day long for the daily user. The fact that you have more than twice the memory give you the ability to make more that 2X the theoretical writes beyond the rating each individual cell gets.

If a 120 is fairly full, the remaining cells will get thrashed pretty hard, even with TRIM. If you have another 120 free, even with a TLC drive, it can spread it out over a LOT of cells.

TLC isn't as bad as it looks on paper for average consumers. In SSDs, unlike HDDs, speed and longevity are also tied to the size, and cheaper processes like TLC help increase size.

This is great as a media center system drive, as you describe the use.

This thing is fast enough for any "high end" machine made by Alienware.

Why is it, that in every Samsung 840 thread, a bunch of people come out and start trashing TLC.
Does anybody have any real data that proves that TLC has significantly shorter real life than MLC?

And no, Anandtech articles don't count because they never made the TLC drive actually fail at storing data or reproducing data.

because people like to threadcrap... thats it. Unless you keep this think 90% full, it won't effect you... If you aren't replacing or upgrading this drive 5-7 years from now, you have more to worry about :nod:

who keeps a laptop for 5-7 years these days anyway? I basically replace mine every 3 so I can stay up to date.

There will always be better technology than what is out right now. So even if you spend the extra cash on a Pro to last longer, that's roughly $50-70 more. Why would you spend that amount when the Pro will most likely be outdated the same time the Samsung 840 will?

By that time you'll most likely be getting a new laptop or a new and better SSD (and most likely higher capcity)

I have a Samsung 830 128GB right now that I would love to replace with a Samsung 840 250GB. Samsung 830 isn't even that old...maybe 1-2 years at most and that drive is slower than the Samsung 840 250GB. (I am comparing the price of the 128GB 830 for maybe $120-130 and the 250GB 840 for $140)

You also have Samsung's own controller in this SSD and they're known for their reliability and reputation, I doubt they would release something that would damage that. It's not always about the type of memory manufacturers use...if that were the case people all over would be jumping over OCZ's MLC drives because of their price (which many aren't).

That was my cost target too and I got one for $120 out of pocket cost a few weeks ago. Thanks to the Amazon GC I got with 20% off from deals at Meijer and Bestbuy. :woot:

+rep for a nice (& accurate) Top Gear reference!

Aaaand... it's gone.

Dammit, now I have to wait another few days. :lol:

If this drive, fails after 7 years of use because of TLC wear, let me know. I'd like to take a look at it.

So basically, both of them are impractical, unreliable, and most people don't need them.
Is this correct?

You never saw that episode, easily tellable by that comment,... :facepalm2: or you would know exactly what I was talking about in referencing that episode.

B/c of/in that episode it kind of directly correlates the performance of the two cars as the performance difference in Pro vs. Regular and addresses the MLC vs TLC differences with that happens in that specific episode between the two. Or why the hell would I bring up a car (Noble 6000) that no one has even heard of?

Why are you quoting me? I was the guy defending TLC memory...

This is purely my opinion, and I am not going to bother finding references to back it up. But I think that an Intel brand SSD is worth ten of most other brands in terms of reliability. I have written four Tebibytes of data to my 80 Gigabyte Intel X-25M. It still runs perfectly.

With one of these drives, it would be dead several times over by now. (A single bad sector can and absolutely will kill the drive and everything you are doing on the system at the time. You can and will have lost data, and there is simply no way around that fact.)

I will not say all brands but Intel are inferior, but I will say I am sticking with what I know is flawless. Money is tight, but I will save extra to buy a real brand that actually supports the drive.

Good luck to those of you who brave the risk. I hope you have spare drives to archive your data regularly.

I do not understant what the Wiki is saying.

How does it compare to my Agility 3?

I keep mine for 10 mths, a tate b4 the one year is up and sell it on ebay and get another refurbished one.

Well, the initial comment has me wondering if I've made a good choice buying these drivers. I am a power user and use the machine for virtualization, dual-boots, etc, including media streaming to several device (disappointed that my DS412+ can't do that well while transcoding!)

All in all, I still think I will fair our better than my current 7200RPM drives by making this change. I plan to mirror the drivers to get some fault tolerance.

Thanks for the feedback.

deal dead

Ad hominem fallacy.

TLC is inferior to MLC in both power usage and lifespan.
Yes, anyone who bothers to figure out what TLC and MLC are. Google it.
Review sites don't always do a comprehensive job, especially when it comes to product lifespan. Consumer Reports' testing of many products, such as appliances, is a good example of that.

What Anandtech tends to do, though, is cheerlead for some products, like the new GeForce Titan card. For that, it used the word "luxury" and the phrase "luxury item" seven times between the blurb and the first page. Anandtech makes people think its reviews are comprehensive, but often they are flawed.
False dilemma fallacy.

The competition for the "840 Series" is a budget MLC drive.
Days? One day there were at least two 256 listings and two 500 listings. There is yet another 256 listing as I am posting this.

TLC NAND is different than the MLC used in every other consumer SSD. It has higher power usage and lower endurance.

HardOCP recommends the 256 model, but I don't see why, since an MLC drive can be found around this price point.

Does OS write often to SSD? It is the only slow thing here.

If you use this for desktop, power doesnt matter.

I usually keep my computer for 2 yrs, so life usage does not matter

Still waiting for shipping....

Need some input, I installed this drive in my desktop with AHCI mode enabled,

I ran the Atto benchmark results along with the Samsung Magician, and keep getting a constant write speed of 250 MB/s, is that what's expected? I am getting 500 MB/s on the read.

My windows 7 boot is about the same speed as was my 7200 rpm WD black hard drive.

Need some input ,because i have the 830 ssd in my laptop and windows 7 boot is instant.

thanks

And now I've moved the OS to these SSDs using a RAID1. Performance score went from 5.9 to 7.1, I'm certainly noticing the difference in speed..so far so good!