Anatomy of a OCZ SSD smoked drive.

[Computurd]

they are definitely different, that much is for sure. so one drive was destroyed by 12v then? what about the other two?

He can send the drives in, that is not an issue, all we will do is confirm all 3 drives were damaged by over voltage...probably 12V.

without even examining them, apparently. visual confirmation, even thought the other two are different???? why even send them in if judgment has already been passed? so you can trash them and send me a rejection letter without even looking?

A customer needed to know a good way of destroying drives completely in case they fell into the wrong hands....they added a change over switch in the psu line to their drives that switches 5V to 12V

this does not make sense at all to me. the nand chips are fine on the drives. surely they could be 'read' as such. now, if the 12v killed the drives, why are the other two unmelted in this manner?? why arent they totally fried if that was the intended result? your explanation does not add up, please explain. why are the sata ports burnt up then?

i bet once he mentioned the drives were ssd's any offer of compensation was withdrawn and suddenly the psu was ok.

incorrect. they knew from first contact that the drives involved were SSD, i have emails from them to prove that, they offered to cover any damage, as long as it was their fault!

and tony, all i ask is an official response to this...if DooRules had the exact same issue, why was his RMA approved, and mine denied? what is the reasoning behind this??


i think the only thing to do here is to go to the Better Buisness Burea, maybe they have an idea of what can be done for this. there has to be some sort of recourse here when a company behaves this irrationally.

[josh1980]

they are definitely different, that much is for sure. so one drive was destroyed by 12v then? what about the other two?

without even examining them, apparently. visual confirmation, even thought the other two are different???? why even send them in if judgment has already been passed? so you can trash them and send me a rejection letter without even looking?

this does not make sense at all to me. the nand chips are fine on the drives. surely they could be 'read' as such. now, if the 12v killed the drives, why are the other two unmelted in this manner?? why arent they totally fried if that was the intended result? your explanation does not add up, please explain. why are the sata ports burnt up then?

What about the other two? I commented earlier that they aren't all identical. Some will have more or less solder, stronger and weaker parts. If they really were all identical, it would be normal to expect all of the drives to have the exact same lifespan. Have you heard of infant mortality with regards to new products? Check it out. In particular the "bath tub model". That would mean that statistically a device has a high failure rate when first installed and used(typically 10% or so if its designed life) and a high failure rate as the device/component reaches the end of it's designed life. Since you're dealing with a new PSU, you're at the absolute highest point for failure for the device. It can test fine at the factory and still be bad when you install it. SS isn't likely to admit their PSU ruined $100s or $1000s of computer components.

Let me give you some advice here...Do you know why people use voltmeters, ammeters, and ohmmeters? Because you can't look at a circuit to prove its functional. Just because you don't see any visual damage means absolutely nothing. What does mean they are damaged is when you plug them into another computer and they don't work.

And you are 100% sure the NAND chips are fine huh? How have you proven this? Visual inspection? Visually inspecting microscoping circuit paths and components? Inside a chip? Let me know how well that works for you.

You need to understand that they don't all have to fail the same way, and your expectation that there must be physical damage is... interesting.

I have taken the luxury of ordering your model power supply on ebay. I'm gonna hook up my old POC SSD to it with the plug backwards JUST to see what happens. If it doesn't die from that, I'll be more than happy to hook up 12v to the 5v to see what happens. You might not have plugged it in backwards, but I'll get a good amount of closure proving that it DOES break the drives.

The BBB would have fun with this. I know someone that used to work at the BBB. If you have components that smoked and you want them warrantied, you'll lose your claim. If your wanting them to "look at the drives and give an opinion", the BBB won't even process your claim as that is not in the realm of what they work with.

Like I said before, this thread is going nowhere. Everyone wants to argue about every single fact when they have no background in electronics. All they have is their computer skills, which doesn't prepare them for anything regarding failure analysis of computer components.

Just accept that the drives are bad and move on.

[tiro_uspsss]

SS isn't likely to admit their PSU ruined $100s or $1000s of computer components.

I'd have to agree with this part.. yes, its oh-so good of ss to 'look' at the PSU.. so what? since when has anyone here *TRUSTED ur average typical run-of-the-mill money-making business? NO ONE - heck, lets face it, DIStrust of business is displayed here @ XS almost daily.. again I say, good on ss for 'looking' @ it.. them saying its not their fau.. OH LOOK! I JUST SAW A PIG FLY BY MY WINDOW, NO BULL!

edit: its like the ford exploder, oops sorry, explorer issue..: "ford, are u @ fault for the loss of these lives due to dodgy quality yaddayadda?", ford:"noooo, we only make good quality, reliable cars; we'd never hurt a soul" ..... & we all know how that ended

3rd time: yes, good on ss for looking @ it....
anyone actually putting trust in ss's verdict: puh-leeez, gimme a break

& yeah, I agree, OCZ should look @ the drives, even if its just for the heck of it..

[johnw]

Like I said before, this thread is going nowhere. Everyone wants to argue about every single fact when they have no background in electronics. All they have is their computer skills, which doesn't prepare them for anything regarding failure analysis of computer components.

Wow, that is one of the most arrogant things I have read in quite a while.

Jump to conclusions much?

[dctokyo]

I have taken the luxury of ordering your model power supply on ebay. I'm gonna hook up my old POC SSD to it with the plug backwards JUST to see what happens.

josh1980, I am not sure if you have ever owned this type of PSU, but it is Physically Impossible To Plug it in backwards if your talking about were the plug goes into the PSU. TThe connector pushes down into place until the latch snaps over the nub. It's a keyed connector, you can't install it backwards, the connectors won't mate.

[[XC] Oj101]

Let me give you some advice here...Do you know why people use voltmeters, ammeters, and ohmmeters? Because you can't look at a circuit to prove its functional. Just because you don't see any visual damage means absolutely nothing. What does mean they are damaged is when you plug them into another computer and they don't work.

And you are 100% sure the NAND chips are fine huh? How have you proven this? Visual inspection? Visually inspecting microscoping circuit paths and components? Inside a chip? Let me know how well that works for you.

I hope OCZ is listening to this as well

FUGGER's post is exactly why I never go into details when sending something back. If you sound as if you know what you're doing they're going to screw you over.

[Tony]

I hope OCZ is listening to this as well

FUGGER's post is exactly why I never go into details when sending something back. If you sound as if you know what you're doing they're going to screw you over.

and you think we are that stupid we don't check what has happened to the product and often refuse RMA...LOL oh man.


Computurd...you should have have sent that psu to a 3rd party for test with the attached cables that were connected to the ssd drives, then published the report.

OCZ would have helped you based off this report, we even would have offered to rewire that sata line if it was wired crossed between 12V and 5V if that was what killed the SSD...Drives on the same line that work fine for 12 months but then die on 1st boot on a new psu suddenly go faulty...i doubt it.

To late now...we will never know what killed those drives.We forwarded the report to PCPC who feel like I/Eric do here, the truth has still not come out.

[yngndrw]

Computurd...you should have have sent that psu to a 3rd party for test with the attached cables that were connected to the ssd drives, then published the report.

So in order for the customer to get anything replaced, they must spend their own money on independent testing ?

[Tony]

So in order for the customer to get anything replaced, they must spend their own money on independent testing ?

nope only in special cases like this....and you know that already.

lets look at the facts in this case

ssd work fine for 12months or more

new psu is bought and drives connected

1st boot = pop 3 drives dead, all 3 on the same sata power lead

all 3 look to have blown psu circuitry

and now its OCZ's fault....

I think not


I'm done with this now, computurd you can email me if you want, I know Ryder has tried to help you, i will do what i can BUT i doubt you will get 3 new drives if anything at all.

A suggestion to the forum...go vent at Silverstone to come thru and do the decent thing....but they already refused didn't they

[johnw]

all 3 look to have blown psu circuitry

You've looked at all 3 SSDs, and despite the fact that they look different, you can tell by looking that all 3 of them were blown by a problem with the PSU?

[johnw]

and you think we are that stupid we don't check what has happened to the product and often refuse RMA...LOL oh man.

Checking what happened to the product is what they want you to do!