Highly Recommended SSDs for the TAINER (as of January 2024) For optimal performance with the TAINER, we highly recommend the following SSDs: Western Digital WD Blue SA510 2TB (WDS200T3B0B) Transcend 830s Series 2TB (TS2TMTS830S) Transcend 830s Series 4TB (TS4TMTS830S) These models have been selected based on their compliance with key technical features: Performance: These SSDs come with DRAM, ensuring a consistent speed of 400MB/s, even after backing up 20TB of data. S.M.A.R.T. Compatibility: They accurately report using Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology, which allows the TAINER to alert you of potential SSD failures in the foreseeable future. Secure Erase Function: They support complete data deletion through the TAINER's format or factory reset functions, ensuring your data's security. Energy Efficiency: Their low power consumption enables extensive data transfers on a single TAINER battery charge, including copying over 1TB from CFexpress cards or 200GB to USB 3.0-compatible smartphones. Functional SSDs with Performance Concerns (as of January 2024) The following SSDs are functional with the TAINER but may exhibit performance issues: WD Blue SA510 1TB Dogfish 4TB KingSpec 2TB These SSDs lack DRAM, which may lead to a decrease in write speeds after filling approximately 25% of their capacity. The SA510 1TB's speed can drop to between 200MB/s and 300MB/s, while the Dogfish and KingSpec models may reduce to around 100MB/s. Despite this slowdown, these SSDs generally perform reliably, and their speed can be restored to the maximum level by formatting them through the TAINER's format menu. Additionally, they have lower energy consumption and are more cost-effective, which is why we consider them functional. However, it's important to note that the Dogfish 4TB model does not accurately report S.M.A.R.T. data. Consequently, the TAINER may not effectively predict potential errors with this model in the foreseeable future. Users of the Dogfish 4TB SSD should exercise caution and consider additional backup measures. SSDs Not Recommended for Use with the TAINER (as of January 2024) We advise against using the following SSDs with the TAINER due to significant compatibility issues: WD Red SA500 2TB Timetec 35TTQNM 2TB KingSpec 4TB WD Red SA500 2TB: This model is not recommended because it has a high power consumption which can overburden the TAINER's power system, leading to substantially reduced battery life. Timetec 35TTQNM 2TB: This SSD has a critical flaw where it may become completely non-responsive during a security erase operation. If this occurs, the SSD becomes unusable and cannot be recovered. KingSpec 4TB: The security erase function on this SSD does not operate correctly. It may indicate that data has been erased, but in reality, the data remains intact. Without a reliable secure erase feature, the SSD cannot be reset to its optimal speed, which is why we do not recommend this model for use with the TAINER. For these reasons, these SSDs are deemed incompatible and should not be used with the TAINER to ensure the integrity and performance of your data backup processes.