Where the facts come from
Every sentence that states a fact about a drive, a standard or a data set is written from one source page and stored with the address of that page. The guide names who said it and when the page was published, and the sources section lists the pages.
Backblaze, in its post “SSD 101: How Reliable are SSDs?”, says that it is a data storage and backup company.
Nearly every source here is a Backblaze post, because its posts open in full, carry numbers and name their data. A cloud backup company has a reason to recommend backups, and the guides say so where it matters. The source is also one voice. Where a spec sheet from the maker of your drive gives a different number, the spec sheet is right for that drive.
Backblaze, in its 2025 Drive Stats post, says that the Drive Stats dataset can be downloaded and used for free, on the conditions that you cite Backblaze as the source, accept that you are solely responsible for how you use the data, and do not sell the data itself.
How each sentence is checked
Before a page is published, two independent reviewers open the source page and read each stored sentence against it, using only the source text. A sentence they do not both find supported is rewritten or removed. Every guide shows the date it was checked and the number of sentences that passed.
What these pages do not do
- They do not rank products, name a drive to buy or show prices. Prices change daily and the sources date quickly.
- They make no claim from our own testing. No drive was benchmarked for these pages.
- They do not use pages that cannot be opened and read in full. Several maker and standards sites cannot be read that way by our check, so a guide that would need one is not written yet.
- The calculators do arithmetic on the numbers you type. They are not forecasts and nothing you type leaves your browser.
If a page differs from its source
If a page differs from its source today, the source is right. Posts get updated and drive models change, so use the source links at the bottom of each guide before you rely on a number.
All guides
- SSD vs HDD for home storage: How the two drive types differ, from the source's own comparison.
- NVMe vs SATA SSD: Interface limits, M.2 and what to check before you buy, with a transfer-time calculator.
- NAS or external hard drive: What each one is and what neither protects against.
- How much storage do I need: A calculator from the source's sizing formulas, with RAID overhead.
- How long do hard drives last: Failure-rate data from a large drive fleet, and an expected-failures calculator.
- RAID levels explained: Striping, mirroring and parity, and what each level tolerates.
- SSD lifespan: TBW and P/E cycles: How to read endurance numbers on a spec sheet, with a write-budget calculator.
Sources
Checked on 2026-10-16 against Backblaze: SSD 101, How Reliable are SSDs?, Backblaze: Drive Stats for 2025. Read the source again before you rely on a number, because posts get updated and drive models change.