Most of the 1,347 used NAND SSDs in ServeTheHome’s study had recorded write workloads below one drive write per day (DWPD), and only one model—the Intel 750—was reported to exceed its rated DWPD pace. That is a useful look at the history of this particular group of drives, not a prediction that a used SSD you buy will be healthy or reliable.
What ServeTheHome measured
In an article published August 8, 2024, ServeTheHome’s Patrick Kennedy described a collection of 1,347 NAND SSDs accumulated in small batches over about eight years. The drives came through varied channels, including eBay, forums, and recyclers, and had previously been used by different organizations. The project grew out of purchases to fill server slots and update an earlier 2016 analysis.
The authors excluded Intel Optane drives because their very high rated endurance would distort a comparison of the NAND-drive population. For each included drive, they recorded lifetime writes and power-on hours, calculated an average write pace, and compared that pace with the model’s rated DWPD. The study reports that most observed workloads were below 1 DWPD; the Intel 750 was the only drive reported above its rated pace. The authors also observed higher writes per day among smaller drives than larger drives in their sample, with generally lower maxima among the larger-drive population. They do not provide reliable textual values for exact counts or distribution rates, so those should not be inferred from the charts.
How to interpret the comparison
DWPD is a rating, not a remaining-life reading
Drive writes per day expresses a rated endurance level: the number of full-drive writes per day supported over a specified warranty period. A drive’s historical average write pace, calculated from lifetime writes and power-on time, is not the same thing as its current remaining life. It does not reveal when writes occurred, their pattern, or how much useful life remains.
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The workload basis matters
Common endurance ratings are based on 4K random-write conditions. The drives’ real-world workloads may instead have included sequential writes. Comparing observed average writes per day with a model’s rated DWPD can provide context, but it is not equivalent to subjecting each drive to a controlled endurance test under the rating’s conditions.
What the study cannot tell you
This was an observational collection, not a controlled lab test or a representative survey of every used-drive seller, model, workload, or market. Kennedy called the methodology imperfect and said the source mix offered an interesting view into how a range of organizations used drives; he also noted that the population reflected the authors’ buying preferences. In his words, “Of course, we have far from a perfect methodology, but it provides an interesting source of data due to the random(-ish) sourcing of drives.”
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The study does not establish a failure rate, predict when a particular drive will fail, or validate any current listing. Its provenance also matters: Solidigm sponsored the refreshed study after discussions with the company, while the authors said the dataset had been collected over about a decade, including before Solidigm existed. These qualifications do not erase the observations, but they limit how broadly they can be applied.
How to check an individual used SSD
Assess a specific drive by its exact model and interface, not by the study’s overall result. Compare its recorded writes and health indicators with the manufacturer’s documentation for that model, and treat health fields as evidence to interpret rather than a guarantee.
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- Confirm identity and compatibility: Match the exact model, capacity, and interface to the system and workload where you intend to use it.
- Inspect lifetime writes and wear indicators: Compare the drive’s host-write or equivalent lifetime-write field and vendor wear indicator with its rated endurance. Interpret the fields using that drive’s documentation.
- Review errors and related health fields: For NVMe, NVM Express describes the
nvme smart-logcommand as reporting health, temperature, endurance, power-on hours, and an error summary. Capture the log before deployment; it is an inspection aid, not an independent test or a guarantee. - Check the seller’s return terms: A health reading cannot substitute for a practical remedy if the drive arrives with a problem.
- Protect data independently: Use appropriate redundancy and backups for valuable data; a used drive that appears healthy can still fail.
NVMe, SATA, and SAS devices do not necessarily expose the same information through the same tools. The NVMe command applies to NVMe drives; SATA and SAS use different interfaces and may expose vendor-specific SMART attributes.
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What NVMe health fields mean
The NVMe Base Specification, revision 2.0c, defines Percentage Used as a vendor-specific estimate based on actual usage and the manufacturer’s prediction of subsystem life. A value of 100 means estimated endurance has been consumed, but does not necessarily mean the device has failed; the value may exceed 100. Data Units Written counts host writes in 512-byte units and is reported in thousands, rounded up. These are standardized field definitions, not a promise that every device provides identical practical health information or that one field predicts failure.
Revision 2.0c is historical, and later NVMe specification revisions exist. For implementation details, consult the current specification and the drive maker’s documentation.
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