Anatomy of a OCZ SSD smoked drive.

[josh1980]

Hi Comp,

I think I told you this before with your last psu, but I blew an ssd and psu by picking up the wrong cable. In this case I used an OCZ modular cable (sata power) accidentally putting into a corsair modular psu. The result was a sata power cable fitting perfectly into a 12 Volt supply frying both components! I now keep each manufacturers modular cables separately and double check that voltage on each modular connector!

And someone else figure out the wonderful advantages of having "proprietary" plugs. Anyone else ever figure out that those fantastic modular plugs that we all use are NOT per any specification other than those the power supply manufacturer invented on the spot?

Sure, they know the voltage and current limit for ATX, but nothing else is per any specification.

Kudos to adsyf for making this realization.

[dctokyo]

Hi Comp,

I think I told you this before with your last psu, but I blew an ssd and psu by picking up the wrong cable. In this case I used an OCZ modular cable (sata power) accidentally putting into a corsair modular psu. The result was a sata power cable fitting perfectly into a 12 Volt supply frying both components! I now keep each manufacturers modular cables separately and double check that voltage on each modular connector!

I have read about other people during this, corsair prints on the PSU to use only their cables, and each corsair PSU have their own, so you can't even swap corsair model cables between corsair models

[josh1980]

That's true, partly.

I got some additional cables from Corsair for my HX1000, and the HX1000 is different from their two lower HX models. Of course, I didn't pay for the cables since Corsair will provide them on request for free. I simply had to ask for more cables and specify the HX1000.

If the PSU industry were smart and had their act together, they could all chose a standardized connection. Then you could go to your local electronic store and buy modular cables for whatever you want. I'm sure you could eventually buy kits to fabricate your own cables at that point.

[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.

[[XC] Oj101]

It has worked for me for many years (not an attack on OCZ, my experience is with several other countries).

If I tell them all the testing I've done, for example increasing voltage on something which has always run at stock to make sure the board isn't overvolting (hypothetical example, never had that exact experience): 0% success rate with getting an RMA. Excuses I have heard are as weak as the box is torn and not in resalable condition.

If I tell them "it just stopped working": 100% success rate with getting an RMA

I have never and will never send something back if I know or even think I'm at fault (an apple box of dead hardware is testament to that).


At the end of the day OCZ would have retained their name by accepting the SSDs and having a look. I dare say this has hurt your reputation more than the price of shipping the units - it's sad as I'm not keen to buy OCZ again even though it is one of the VERY few makes that have never given me a single issue. The old DDR VX range, the Flex DDR2 range, the SLI DDR3 range, the Vertex SSD range... I thought your customer sales would match your product quality

[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]

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!

[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?

[josh1980]

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?

That well will never run dry will it? Just because it looks different doesnt mean a damn thing. If it's non functional that's all you should be concerned with. Read my post about why the voltmeter, ammeter, and ohmmeter were invented. It's because the "look" of the hardware has no bearing on it's ability to function. And how the hell do you verify NAND memory or a chip with millions of transistors on it? Those things are microscopic. Not to mention they are inside a plastic shell and not observable without an electron microscope.

The whole theory that the PSU blew the SSDs isn't based on the fact that one smoked. It's the fact that 3 previously known working drives suddenly all failed simultaneously with a common thread- a brand new PSU. The chances of 3 SSDs randomly failing all at the same time from random coincidence is incredibly small. It's MUCH MUCH more likely that something else is the cause. Since the OP had a brand spankin' new PSU, that's quite possibly the cause. SS definitely won't go dropping cash that's more than 5x the cost of their PSU just to replace some components. They'd be out of business.

This thread is hilarious. I got the popcorn. Who wants to watch the fanboys! Go Go Go!

[johnw]

That well will never run dry will it? Just because it looks different doesnt mean a damn thing. If it's non functional that's all you should be concerned with. Read my post about why the voltmeter, ammeter, and ohmmeter were invented. It's because the "look" of the hardware has no bearing on it's ability to function.

That is why OCZ should test them to determine what exactly caused each of them to fail.

It is really disturbing that someone who works with components related to nuclear power has trouble following that logic.

[Praz]

From the pictures of the drive along with what has been reported the following conclusions can be made. There was an error in the amount and/or type of voltage applied to the 3 drives. This resulted in all 3 of the drives failing in the same manner. The catastrophic failure only seen in the third drive is easily explained.

The third drive was the weakest link in the chain. For whatever reason, and there are numerous possibilities, the destroyed area of the PCB of that drive provided the least resistance to ground. This is why there is the amount of damage that is seen. Once this happened there was a direct or close to a direct short to ground. This protected the other drives from any further damage and is also the reason for the power supply shutting down.

The position of this drive on the cabling is coincidence. This outcome would have most likely been the same regardless of the position of the drive along the cable. However, there is a remote possibility that had it been further up the cable any drives after it may have survived.

[yngndrw]

This thread is hilarious. I got the popcorn. Who wants to watch the fanboys! Go Go Go!

Who the do you think you are ?

How can this thread be possibly related to fanboys ?

[johnw]

From the pictures of the drive along with what has been reported the following conclusions can be made. There was an error in the amount and/or type of voltage applied to the 3 drives. This resulted in all 3 of the drives failing in the same manner.

That is not a conclusion, that is an assumption. The drives need to be tested to see if they all failed "in the same manner".

[[XC] gomeler]

Ouch, this is a major PR fail for OCZ. While not easy to calculate, I have a feeling the amount of OCZ SSDs that Computard has effectively sold through good user experience reports and extensive public testing far outweighs the cost of 3 burned out SSDs due to a PSU failure, drive failure or act of god. There are times where it is worth biting the bullet and in my book this would have been one of them.

Computard, time to switch to Corsair SSDs?

[zeroibis]

Wait something I just realized something is left out here... is there not a 3rd object in order for the drive to work!?

PSU -> adapter -> SSD

At least from all the ocz drives I have seen you need to use one of those 2.5" sata adapters to make it work. So if the cables on that adapter were wrong it would fry your ssd and not have anything to do with the PSU or the SSD.

In addition this also should render the PSU test bad as you can see in the pics they tested with the sata power cables hooked up to regular HDDs. If you were using an adapter I have never seen one that actually adapts to the sata power connectors but instead ones that adapt to molax and therefore they never tested that.

[[XC] Oj101]

I'm not quite sure what you mean. The adapter is just a bracket, your SATA and power connectors still connect directly to the drive

[josh1980]

That is why OCZ should test them to determine what exactly caused each of them to fail.

It is really disturbing that someone who works with components related to nuclear power has trouble following that logic.

No, the problem is that people have this idiotic idea that they couldn't possibly have all failed from the same thing even though they don't look the same. Who cares?

What's important is that they're broke. If someone isn't satisfied with that answer, they can spend the money on an analysis. It's funny how YOU have no problem expecting OCZ to spend their money, but YOU won't spend the money, and neither did the OP.

It's "disturbing"(to use your words) that someone wouldn't realize that a multi-billion dollar company has alot more money to dump on an analysis than a computer geek sitting at home that lost 3 SSDs. If you're so interested in this, put your money where your mouth is and reproduce the incident. I've got a new PSU in the mail, and I plan to cook me an SSD just like the OP.

Like I said before, this thread is only people arguing their point. There has been no new facts added to this thread in 2 pages, and I'm sure the next 2 will be just as "insightful". I knew it would turn into an argument between people with no education or experience with printed circuits and a bunch of home-bound geeks who think they know more than they do.

[One_Hertz]

Ouch, this is a major PR fail for OCZ. While not easy to calculate, I have a feeling the amount of OCZ SSDs that Computard has effectively sold through good user experience reports and extensive public testing far outweighs the cost of 3 burned out SSDs due to a PSU failure, drive failure or act of god. There are times where it is worth biting the bullet and in my book this would have been one of them.

Computard, time to switch to Corsair SSDs?

+1 on major PR fail for OCZ. Computurd sold dozens if not hundreds of SSDs for them.

[johnw]

I knew it would turn into an argument between people with no education or experience with printed circuits and a bunch of home-bound geeks who think they know more than they do.

It looks to me like you think you know more than you do.

Me, I'm not jumping to conclusions. I will certainly withhold judgment until I have heard some test results on the failed drives.

[[XC] Oj101]

Like I said before, this thread is only people arguing their point. There has been no new facts added to this thread in 2 pages, and I'm sure the next 2 will be just as "insightful"

It's quite ironic that you're arguing you point that everyone is arguing their points

[Ao1]

Hey Comp, regarding the email SS sent you in post #72, can you ask them what the significance of this statement was?

“The cables with the burned mark on the +3.3v wire was also tested and work fine it didn’t damage the hard drives we connect to it. The scorching was only on the surface of the wire not inside the connector”.

Did they return the same PSU back after testing it? Is there any sign of a repair being undertaken?

[RyderOCZ]

not all three burnt. only one did. one smoked/burned. the others will not power on after the incident, but no smoke or anything. if there was an issue with the device on the last string of the cord, then you would imagine it would cause an issue on the whole cord.

thing is, until now, you wern't even aware of which device shorted, or its position on the string. you also thought all three smoked. they didnt.
no one cared enough to ask.

Why would I think that? Because of this:

hey, hows it?
gotta problem here. i turned on my ST1500W unit and it burned up three of my drives.

Check the PM's that you sent me at the OCZ forum. In fact the title of the PM chain is "3 drives smoked!!"

Now why would I think that all 3 drives smoked?

[Tony]

Gentlemen

Big PR crash for Silverstone also...3 drives work fine for 12 months then on the first boot on a new psu blow up....kinda stinks to me.

Anyway, I have worked out a solution, Computurd ...you need to stop mailing Jessica and contact me...I suggest you PM me on my forum.

I will not debate this on XS any more, if you want my help you need to contact me where I will run thru a solution which I feel is fair.

Tony

[johnw]

Big PR crash for Silverstone also...3 drives work fine for 12 months then on the first boot on a new psu blow up....kinda stinks to me.

No, the problem was that OCZ would not let Computurd send back the drives for failure analysis. And this is not the first time OCZ has refused to even test drives for failure analysis. That is a major failure of OCZ customer support.

Silverstone did a good job with testing the suspect PSU and reporting their findings.