Samsung 870 EVO 250GB 2.5-inch SATA SSD: specs, warranty and who it suits

The Samsung 870 EVO 250GB (model MZ-77E250B/AM) is an internal solid state drive in the 2.5-inch SATA format. It is built for upgrading a desktop or laptop that still has a SATA drive bay, usually replacing a mechanical hard drive or adding a second drive. It is a plain, widely compatible type of storage, and the main decisions are capacity, connection and endurance.

What SATA speeds mean

The 870 EVO uses the SATA interface, which has a ceiling of roughly 550 MB/s in practice. Samsung rates the drive at up to 560 MB/s sequential read and 530 MB/s sequential write, which it says reaches the limit of the SATA interface. Write speeds are quoted using Intelligent TurboWrite, a fast buffer that handles incoming data, and Samsung notes that results vary with firmware and system hardware. Compared with a mechanical hard drive, a SATA SSD generally makes starting up and opening programs much quicker. NVMe drives are faster still, but they need a different slot.

Endurance and warranty

Samsung gives a limited warranty of 5 years or a set number of terabytes written (TBW), whichever comes first. For this 250GB model the figure is 150 TBW, and larger capacities carry higher figures (up to 2,400 TBW on the 4TB). TBW is a measure of how much data can be written over the drive's warranted life. Ordinary home use usually writes far less than this each year, but heavy video work or constant file copying uses more. Samsung's feature list mentions up to 600 TBW, which refers to the 1TB model, so use the 150 TBW figure for this one.

Compatibility

Samsung says the drive has been compatibility tested with major host systems and applications, including chipsets, motherboards, NAS devices and video recording devices. The tests listed in the description include AMD, MSI, Gigabyte, Synology, QNAP and Blackmagic Design equipment. That is reassuring for a broad range of uses, but it does not replace checking your own device's manual.

Installing and migrating

The drive measures about 3.9 x 2.8 x 0.3 inches (roughly 100 x 70 x 7 mm) and weighs very little. It fits the standard 2.5-inch SATA slot used by many desktop PCs, older laptops and NAS enclosures. Samsung says its migration software can help move your existing system across. You'll need a SATA data cable and power connection in a desktop, or a mounting bracket if the drive bay is 3.5-inch.

Samsung Magician

Samsung Magician 6 is a free management program, according to Samsung, to help you update firmware, monitor the drive's health and status, and adjust performance. It is optional, but it is convenient for checking the drive over time.

Who it suits

A 250GB drive suits an operating system and everyday programs, a light-use laptop, a secondary workstation or a small NAS cache or boot drive. Someone with large photo, video or game libraries will likely need a bigger capacity or a second drive. It does not suit systems that only have M.2 NVMe slots.

What to check before you buy

• Port and bay: make sure your computer has a 2.5-inch SATA bay or an adapter, and a free SATA port.
• Capacity: with an operating system, apps and updates, 250GB can fill quickly.
• Speed expectations: SATA tops out near 550 MB/s regardless of the drive.
• Backup: copy your files before cloning or reinstalling.
• Mounting: laptops sometimes need a specific height of drive; the 870 EVO is a thin 7 mm type, so check your bay.
• Warranty details: the warranty statement in the box has the terms.

The short version

• A 2.5-inch SATA SSD, 250GB, model MZ-77E250B/AM.
• Rated up to 560/530 MB/s sequential read/write.
• Warranty of 5 years or 150 TBW for this capacity, whichever comes first.
• Compatibility tested with many systems, NAS and recording devices.
• Samsung Magician 6 software for monitoring and updates.

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