I’m looking for a new external disk for my backups (around 1TB). I think time has come to use a SSD.
Most descriptions I see only mention Windows, OSX and Android.
Many of these disks boast encryption, but it is unclear if it is done in hardware by the disk or just by some OS-based utility. I do intend to encrypt the disk, but since this is Linux I’ll use LUKS and I don’t want some built-in encryption to get in the way.
What is your experience?
I’m using a Samsung T3 with LUKS, works well. I think they have a T5 out now. The case is metal, feels solid. I carry it around with me. Works well.
Samsung T5 iirc has an msata ssd inside… and also has a key feature that if enabled (e.g. with android) makes the disk unreadable in Linux (it can be turned off only from android and maybe windows and so on, then the disk becomes usable in Linux again). I wouldn’t buy it, it is also quite big compared to the msata disk itself.
Edit btw i have seen the t5 1tb is about 177 € on Amazon it, imho a lot! A bit bigger but you can buy for example a 2,5" crucial mx500 (around 120€) or cheaper bx500 (around 100 €) and an external case (around 10 €, maybe supporting uasp), and still have a sata drive in the future.
I don’t know if there are m2 enclosures.
You can find information about hardware encryption access from Linux here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Self-encrypting_drives, but I have no personal experience with it. Given that the cost ratio ssd/spinning disk is still around a factor of 4 for 2.5 in drives and even more for larger drives, I would not yet use ssd for backups, unless mobility is important.
I personally would only buy storage from a well known and trusted manufacturer, samsung would be my choice in your case. I never had samsung flash drives fail, not even fast micro sd’s. Their current external series is the T7, therefore the T5 are sold comparatively inexpensive, at least here in germany. For 1 TB T5:T7 is 150€:215€.
I hadn’t priced these out for a while, so I did some quick googling. My 6TB Western Digital spinning drive is about the same cost of a 1TB SSD. I would have to have a really, really good reason to have an SSD for backup to pay that kind of premium.
For 1 tb ssd go for Samsung. It is amazing with brilliant speed. I have bought one and I am really satisfied with the product. Take Samsung ssd with no doubt kept in your mind. It is really good.