Buying a large capacity SSD at a deep discount is tempting but quite risky, as there is always the possibility of encountering counterfeit goods. Information portal makeuseof.com speakWith what programs can you test cheap SSDs to make sure you are not being sold a fake.
On Windows: verify data via CrystalDriveInfo
One of the easiest ways to check the authenticity of a brand new SSD is to check its specifications through CrystalDriveInfo, a free, open source utility designed to monitor the health of the drive. It displays detailed information about the drives, including manufacturer's brand, firmware version, serial number, capacity, number of read and write cycles, temperature, and more.
If the information the seller provided you with and the CrystalDriveInfo information do not match, you have been sold a counterfeit product. It's not difficult to catch fake goods. For example, if the brand name is misspelled, unknown, or doesn't match what you paid for, that's a bad sign. Additionally, you should be concerned if the model name is not displayed or the utility displays generic content, such as SATA SSD.
On Windows: check real volume with FakeFlashTest
FakeFlashTest is a free tool specifically designed to detect fake flash drives. As a rule, such fakes use modified firmware, which displays the wrong volume when connected to a computer. Sometimes this can lead to data loss or corruption.
FakeFlashTest tests real storage capacity and is quite simple – the application reads and writes data in random segments. If the read/write process is interrupted at any point, the actual capacity of the flash drive is not what the seller promised. But remember that the scan will destroy any existing data on the device, so remember to create a backup first.
On macOS: check via DriveDX
DriveDX drive testing utility supports both HDD and SSD. When launched, the application displays a list of all drives connected to the computer, where you can see comprehensive information about the drive – from brand to model and serial number. Again, if you notice discrepancies in characteristics and data then you are most likely being scammed.
On Linux: Check F3 (Anti-Flash Cheat)
The F3 command line tool works like FakeFlashTest on Windows and allows you to find out the actual storage capacity. It consists of two programs: f3write completely fills the flash drive with data, and f3read checks whether the drive actually contains written files. If the error suddenly occurs, it means that the capacity of the flash drive is actually less.
