CRC Error Count

[netw]

I'm using a mid-2012 MacBook Pro (2.9GHz i7, 16GB RAM) and am using a 256GB Samsung 840 Pro SSD. I've been using this setup for the past 5 years without any issues.

Recently, when I went to turn on my MacBook Pro, I was having issues booting. It would boot and show a flashing folder or flashing X with a circle around it. I assumed my drive could be corrupt, so I formatted the drive in internet recovery (regular recovery would not boot), and tried to re-install macOS. I was able to successfully erase/format the drive, and when I ran First Aid, everything came up as okay.

After several attempts, I managed to install macOS. Then after a couple hours, I get the same error when booting. I decide to give my laptop a break. As I was looking online, I noticed the hard drive cable is a common problem, so I ordered one and replaced the one in my MacBook Pro. I also insulated the cable with electrical tape as I saw many users recommended that as it increases the life of the cable.

So now I format the drive to APFS, re-install High Sierra, and things are working okay. I enable TRIM as well and I setup bootcamp so I could use the Samsung Magician software (only compatible with Windows) to update the firmware on the SSD thinking that could be one of the issues.

I have a software on my Mac called DriveDX and it's showing the "CRC error count" as 14%. The raw value is 83,347. And both the current and worst are 14. Other than that, it's showing the drive is in good health.
When I boot into bootcamp and run the Samsung Magician software, it's showing the drive health as good for everything and not mentioning any errors or areas of concern.

I'm confused as to what caused the initial problem of my computer not booting, and why I couldn't even install macOS. I'm wondering if this CRC error count had anything to do with it. I tried another SSD in my MacBook and I don't get any CRC errors in that DriveDX software.

My MacBook with the SSD at 14% CRC is now working perfectly fine. The benchmarks are great for it as well. But I am not sure what I should do, just keep using it as it is, or replace the SSD. Do you think this warning means the SSD is going to die soon?

Thanks for your time and sorry for the long post.

 

[Audit13]

Try replacing the sata hard drive cable.

 

[netw]

Try replacing the sata hard drive cable.

That's one of the first things I did. I ordered a new one and installed it and the error still comes up. The odd thing is when I put another SSD in my MacBook, the DriveDX software doesn't show the CRC error count.

 

[Audit13]

Hmm, maybe the 840 is going? The drive is more than 5 years old?

 

[netw]

Hmm, maybe the 840 is going? The drive is more than 5 years old?

Yes it’s over 5 years old.

I’m trying to figure out if I should be replacing the drive or wait until it dies? As of now it’s working but it’s still showing the CRC error and that it’s at 14%. On the Samsung magician software it’s showing the drive health is good and that around 10TB of data has been written to the drive over time.

 

[Audit13]

Sounds like the drive may be nearing the end of it's life. You could continue to use it if you are okay with it suddenly not booting one day.

The fact that another SSD shows no CRC errors leads me to believe that you should request an RMA if possible.

 

[treekram]

SMART status implementation is not completely standardized between all manufacturers and all HDD/SSD models. As such, if you're concerned about this, you should contact Samsung with your concerns.

I'm looking at a Kingston document because they have published a document on how the SMART status is used for one of the SSD controllers they use, the SF-2000. There's one attribute which counts IOEDC errors, which is the only attribute which mentions CRC. For this attribute, from my reading, they report a "score" (the 14% in your case?) and the cumulative IOEDC error count (the 83,347 in your case?). It appears that a common cause for this is a bad SATA cable and the 2012 MBP is well-known for this issue. So if this count went up because of the bad cable and it is a cumulative error and the score doesn't change because the cumulative count doesn't change and now you have replaced the SATA cable and the cumulative count isn't increasing, I would think that this particular attribute is no longer a concern. If it continues to grow, then it could be a concern. But this is my interpretation (which may not be correct) using documentation which may not apply to the Samsung 840 so really the people who would know best is Samsung. If the Samsung Disk Magician software says there is now problem, I would tend to believe that and just make sure I have adequate backup procedures in place. As mentioned earlier, you can contact Samsung about your concerns. I think SMART reporting software tends to alarm people unnecessarily because the context of the raw numbers and how it is interpreted can leave something to be desired.

 

[netw]

I think SMART reporting software tends to alarm people unnecessarily because the context of the raw numbers and how it is interpreted can leave something to be desired.

Thanks for the feedback. The reason I checked the drive using software in the first place was because I was encountering issues with the drive. My laptop was working perfectly fine, then all of a sudden the next day I get a flashing X or folder. Then after going through all troubleshooting steps, formatting the drive, etc.. I get it to work again. I checked in software to see if it's the drive and I saw that error which is why I'm asking here.
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The fact that another SSD shows no CRC errors leads me to believe that you should request an RMA if possible.

Warranty is up for the drive unfortunately. The 840 pro came with 5 years. If I have to replace the drive, I'll have to purchase a new one.

I'll see how the next couple weeks go and take it from there.

 

[Fishrrman]

I'd put in a new drive, Samsung or other maker.
I'd take the old drive out, re-initialize it, and use it for non-critical external storage.

 

[treekram]

There's an article from 2015 on the web that tested the endurance of 6 SSD's which included the 256GB 840 Pro. It made it to over 2.4PB written - that's petabytes or 2400 terabtyes.

https://techreport.com/review/27909/the-ssd-endurance-experiment-theyre-all-dead

If you read the article, they have what I would consider much more useful indicators of impending middle-age, old-age and failure for the 840 Pro than the IOEDC errors (IOEDC errors in the context of use in a 2012 MBP with it's known SATA cable issues). My guess is that if you're a typical user, there's a lot of life left in the 840 Pro.

That being said, I have a 850 Evo that I use as a clone backup for my primary system and the intent is that if a SSD in any of my systems fail, I can transfer the data (if necessary) and use that SSD until I can get a replacement. So I have an expectation that any of my SSD's can fail even though all but one are nowhere near it's expected lifespan.

Also, now is also a good time to get a SSD. Crucial just introduced a new model - the MX500 has gotten good initial reviews and the 250GB model is $80 on Amazon. Samsung just introduced a new product line - the 860, the 250GB 860 Evo model is $95. These are TLC models - if you want MLC, the 256GB 860 Pro is $140.