eBay SSD Provenance?

[altano]

I just bought some SSDs off eBay and I'm having trouble determining their provenance because:

• They have different product numbers on the front and back
• Neither product number has any google results
• The model # doesn't have any google results
• The listing said they were made in Malaysia but the drives say China
• The listing said they had 5 year warranties (and were manufactured in 2017) but the serial number isn't in HGST's warranty database

Are there any sleuths here who can tell me what the heck I bought?

Front:


Back:

 

[amp88]

I don't know for sure, but my guess would be they're some sort of pre-release engineering or validation samples. A few things suggest this: the label is missing information that would normally be required for a retail or final OEM product (e.g. FCC/CE certifications and current draw/power consumption data). The firmware version also appears to be an alpha variant (I don't think I've ever seen a small 'a' in a retail HGST firmware version number). If the drive is a pre-release variant that would also explain why it doesn't appear in the warranty database.

If they are pre-release versions they probably made their way onto eBay via either an OEM/ODM testing/validation lab (in much the same way as Intel's ES/QS CPUs). The odd thing is that the drive label says late 2017, but in at least one review of the SS200 the label has a manufacturing date of January 2017.

I'd be interested to see if anyone else can confirm this though.

 

[itronin]

Did you buy this from the seller in Eldorado Springs, CO???

They periodically have nicely priced HGST SSD's (SAS, NVME) from time to time however the label has always looked a bit "off" to me. Ie. I expect to see actual values in the amp fields rather than X's... The HGST labels often made me think these were pre-release or test units. There have always been since the 90's a relatively high number of Enterprise storage operators along the Colorado Front Range,

EDIT: including Hitachi Vantara (Englewood, CO), and HGST (Longmont, CO)

I've watched their listings from time to time but the labels said "sketchy" to me especially for the higher $ high cap drives.

 

[altano]

Did you buy this from the seller in Eldorado Springs, CO???

No the seller is in San Jose and has listed more of the same drives: HGST - Ultrastar SS200 - HUSTV1576ASS200 - 7.6TB SAS - 2.5" SSD | eBay

If there are pre-release versions and are totally unwarrantied despite not being advertised that way I'm not going to be super happy. =\ The price was good but it should be advertised as it is, right?

Anyone have any experience with pre-release drives? Should I just test them and see if they work and be okay with them? Are pre-release drives dangerous and more likely to fail? I'm less concerned about the lack of warranty (since the drives were cheap) and more concerned with the drives just being inherently dangerous to use. Any wisdom here?

 

[itronin]

No the seller is in San Jose and has listed more of the same drives: HGST - Ultrastar SS200 - HUSTV1576ASS200 - 7.6TB SAS - 2.5" SSD | eBay

dunno, your link shows:


which is indeed the seller I was thinking of as they have this pebbled or a faux granite countertop as the background on HGST items (previous listings).

@altano- not trying to say from whom you did and didn't buy it - just offering my observations related to this specific seller you linked who has listed items previously with what look like pre-release / test unit labels.

I'd say as with any storage device you want to power it up, test it, take a look at the usage and with SSD's the health rating / writes to the device before you decide what category of use it can have for you or if you should return it.

But $634 for 7.68TB of Ultrastar SS200 (read intensive) storage is IMO a nice price. ~$83/TB

 

[altano]

Ah @itronin, I was going by where the package came from. You're right that does look like the same seller.

I actually got an even better price since I bought 10: $575/drive including shipping. So yeah, the price is really good.

I don't have the system to plug them into yet so I'll be doing that ASAP.

 

[itronin]

If there are pre-release versions and are totally unwarrantied despite not being advertised that way I'm not going to be super happy. =\ The price was good but it should be advertised as it is, right?

Agree with you 100%. I just saw in the listing (which looks like a crib from the mfg's product description) the 5 year warranty. Should not be listed this way. the ebay description does list it as possibly being a "factory second"... which maybe means no warranty?

 

[T_Minus]

Open a ticket with HGST they will validate the SN if it doesn't work on the site, I've had to do this with Intel \ HGST before.

Then you'll know info about the drive, if it's ES or even has a warranty.

 

[Markess]

So, my knowledge of these things is quite possibly incomplete, and maybe folks already know this...

But, it appears to me that, using the "standard" HGST Naming scheme for SSDs, this appears to be an Ultrastar DC SS530 with Instant Secure Erase encryption. HOWEVER, the "V" in the fifth position is an unknown to me. The fifth position is normally the endurance rating of the NAND. "R"=Read Intensive, "M"=Mainstream Endurance. But I have no idea what "V" is.

• H=HGST (Now a W for more recently manufactured parts)
• U=Ultrastar
• S=Standard
• T=TLC NAND
• V=The endurance rating...maybe with the speculation that this is a test unit, its "V"alidation? Or Maybe they're drives for Hitachi Vantara VSPs? Lot of "V"s there.
• 15=Full Capacity of the largest capacity drive in the series (15.36TB)
• 76=Capacity of this drive (7.68TB)
• A=Generation Code
• S=Small form factor 2.5"
• S2=Interface is SAS 12G
• 00=Instant Secure Erase.

If this actually is an SS530, then the only version made in a 7.68TB capacity was the Read Intensive (TR) model rated at 1 Drive-write/Day. The model number for that one is the same as yours except for an "R" in the fifth position instead of a "V" (HUSTR1576ASS200).

(Edited to add an "S" in the code that I'd missed in the original posting)

 

[amp88]

So, my knowledge of these things is quite possibly incomplete, and maybe folks already know this...

But, it appears to me that, using the "standard" HGST Naming scheme for SSDs, this appears to be an Ultrastar DC SS530 with Instant Secure Erase encryption. HOWEVER, the "V" in the fifth position is an unknown to me. The fifth position is normally the endurance rating of the NAND. "R"=Read Intensive, "M"=Mainstream Endurance. But I have no idea what "V" is.

• H=HGST (Now a W for more recently manufactured parts)
• U=Ultrastar
• S=Standard
• T=TLC NAND
• V=The endurance rating...maybe with the speculation that this is a test unit, its "V"alidation? Or Maybe they're drives for Hitachi Vantara VSPs? Lot of "V"s there.
• 15=Full Capacity of the largest capacity drive in the series (15.36TB)
• 76=Capacity of this drive (7.68TB)
• A=Generation Code
• S=Small form factor 2.5"
• S2=Interface is SAS 12G
• 00=Instant Secure Erase.

If this actually is an SS530, then the only version made in a 7.68TB capacity was the Read Intensive (TR) model rated at 1 Drive-write/Day. The model number for that one is the same as yours except for an "R" in the fifth position instead of a "V" (HUSTR1576ASS200).

(Edited to add an "S" in the code that I'd missed in the original posting)

Ah, interesting. Based on your post I found a bit more information about the drive. It's listed on the European retailer Geizhals as "Western Digital Ultrastar DC SS300 - 0.5DWPD 7.68TB, ISE, SAS (0B34905 / HUSTV1576ASS200)". There's also a PDF (direct link) on that page which contains the following information:

H = HGST
U = Ultrastar
S = Standard
MM = NAND type/endurance (MM=MLC/mainstream endurance, MR=MLC/read-intensive, TR=TLC/read intensive TV=TLC very read intensive)
32 = Full capacity (3.2TB)
32 = Capacity of this model(76=7.6TB, 38=3.84TB 32=3.2TB, 19=1.92TB, 16=1.2TB, 96=960GB, 80=800GB, 48=480GB, 40=400GB)
A = Generation code
S = Small form factor (2.5" SFF)
S2 = Interface, SAS 12Gb/s
1 = Encryption setting (0=Instant Secure Erase, 1=TCG encryption, 4=No encryption/Secure Erase, 5 = TCG+FIPS)

So a "TV" code for the endurance means "TLC very read intensive". The difference between "TR" and "TV" is that the PDF lists "TR" as 1 DWPD, and "TV" as 0.5 DWPD.

I also found a PDF file export (direct link) of an InDesign document that looks like a print brochure for SanDisk's/HGST entire line of drives they offered for use in the enterprise created in September 2017 (judging by the filename of the InDesign document). It contains the following:

 

[Markess]

So a "TV" code for the endurance means "TLC very read intensive". The difference between "TR" and "TV" is that the PDF lists "TR" as 1 DWPD, and "TV" as 0.5 DWPD.

Well that looks like a lot closer match than what I came up with. You got the whole code!

Interesting though that the part number in the PDF doesn't match either of the ones on @altano 's drive though. Maybe OEM or regional part # ?

 

[amp88]

Yeah, the part number is still a mystery...maybe we'll find out if OP ends up contacting the official support to check for warranty status.

 

[T_Minus]

Maybe if it's non-USA SN then the US warranty check doesn't work ?

 

[altano]

Open a ticket with HGST they will validate the SN if it doesn't work on the site, I've had to do this with Intel \ HGST before.

Great suggestion. I called support: they want me to send them proof of purchase to escalate. I'm going to hold off on that until I discuss more with the seller.

If this actually is an SS530, then the only version made in a 7.68TB capacity was the Read Intensive (TR) model rated at 1 Drive-write/Day. The model number for that one is the same as yours except for an "R" in the fifth position instead of a "V" (HUSTR1576ASS200).

I think you nailed it. The seller got back to me and said:

as far as the drives models, they are the same as HUSTR1576ASS200 models, for some reason there was a mistake on the model print out.

LOL @ suggesting it's just a typo. I'm proceeding on the assumption these are pre-release HUSTR1576ASS200 drives and I'm going to give the seller a chance to admit that, and that they have no warranty, before I attempt to validate the warranty with HGST. Anyway, on Sunday I get the system these go into so I'll be able to test them then. I'm still not sure whether I attempt to return or not at this point. I might keep them.

Also, where did you even get the model # HUSTR1576ASS200? The eBay listing is the first search result for it and I don't see any HGST sites referencing it.

Thanks everyone.

 

[altano]

Ah, interesting. Based on your post I found a bit more information about the drive...

Wow you guys aren't messing around...

 

[T_Minus]

Once you can plug these in and test them it will be interesting to see what that says

 

[Markess]

Also, where did you even get the model # HUSTR1576ASS200? The eBay listing is the first search result for it and I don't see any HGST sites referencing it.

Hitachi's drive model naming strategy goes back quite a few years..to the early days of SATA and maybe earlier than that. Not all drive models conform, but for the ones that do, its easy to piece the features together. Once you plug the features into a google search + "datasheet", you wind up with just a couple datasheets to look through. Its a technique that folks came up with before me. I just make use of it.

I think @amp88 had a good idea. If I put your drive's exact model number into a search on Google Germany and Google U.K., I got a decent number of hits from resellers, including an HGST product brochure on several sites with that model listed. So it could be that its a regular production drive, just not a model that was for sale in the U.S.

 

[larrysb]

The give-away that something isn't right is the complete lack of agency approval marks, of any kind. They may have been made for domestic China use. But even those should have the domestic markings on them.

There should be a long string of regulatory approval marks. But - counterfeiters know that faking a cert mark can get them in trouble. Fake branding is far less risky.

I'd steer clear.

 

[Terry Kennedy]

If there are pre-release versions and are totally unwarrantied despite not being advertised that way I'm not going to be super happy. =\ The price was good but it should be advertised as it is, right?

Anyone have any experience with pre-release drives? Should I just test them and see if they work and be okay with them? Are pre-release drives dangerous and more likely to fail? I'm less concerned about the lack of warranty (since the drives were cheap) and more concerned with the drives just being inherently dangerous to use. Any wisdom here?

Well, pre-release firmware may have bugs not present in release firmware, which may not be discovered for a long time (like the 40,000-hour "instant death" of the SanDisk LT0400MO family of drives). So if you get hit with a bug, you're out of luck. The same holds true to a lesser extent for drives with OEM firmware - nobody will tell you what's different, updates may not be available and even if they are, they may not install unless the drive is in that piece of OEM equipment.

 

[altano]

After some delays I'm getting these drives online today for testing. Any tools you all recommend to poke and prod at the drives and see what info I can figure out?