New SSD works for a few days, crashes and then appears as unknown

Understanding and Troubleshooting SSD Reliability: A Case Study

Introduction

Solid State Drives (SSDs) have revolutionized data storage with their speed and reliability. However, users occasionally encounter issues that challenge these expectations. In this article, we examine a real-world case involving a Samsung 990 EVO Plus SSD, exploring potential causes and solutions to similar problems.

Case Overview

A user recently purchased a Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB SSD and initially experienced smooth operation over the first couple of days. Subsequently, the drive began to exhibit instability, manifesting as crashes during gaming sessions and appearing as “Unknown” in Task Manager. The user attempted to resolve the issue by formatting the drive, which temporarily restored functionality, but the problems soon reoccurred—this time affecting even desktop stability. Notably, the drive’s health status, as reported by CrystalDiskInfo, remained at 100%, indicating no apparent hardware failure.

System Configuration and Troubleshooting Steps

The affected SSD was installed in the second M.2 NVMe slot of an MSI B650 Gaming Plus Wifi motherboard. To mitigate potential conflicts, the user relocated the SSD to different M.2 slots (slots 3 and 4), suspecting interference with SATA connections. These adjustments temporarily stabilized the system, but ongoing concerns remain about long-term reliability.

Potential Causes and Recommendations

1. Compatibility and BIOS Settings
2. Ensure your motherboard’s BIOS is updated to the latest version, as firmware updates often improve NVMe compatibility.

3. Check BIOS settings related to PCIe and NVMe configuration, ensuring optimal settings for your SSD.

4. Physical Installation

5. Verify that the SSD is properly seated in the M.2 slot.

6. Inspect for any physical damage or manufacturing defects.

7. Power Management and Drivers

8. Update motherboard chipset and storage drivers.

9. Disable any aggressive power-saving features in BIOS that may affect SSD operation.

10. Interference with Other Storage Devices

11. While relocation of the SSD helped temporarily, consider separating NVMe and SATA devices further to avoid bandwidth conflicts.

12. Consult your motherboard manual regarding optimal slot configurations for multiple storage devices.

13. Health and Monitoring

14. Continue monitoring the drive’s SMART data, as well as perform regular diagnostic scans.

15. Although CrystalDiskInfo reports 100% health, consider running Samsung’s Magician software for detailed diagnostics.

16. Potential Hardware Defect

17. If issues persist despite software and configuration adjustments,