Some M1-Powered MacBook Owners Concerned About SSDs' Lifespan After Noticing Unusually High Usage

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posted on 3 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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M1 Mac users are concerned that high SSD usage for writing and reading data will eventually degrade the storage tech in a short time. In that case, users would need to replace the entire logic board (aka motherboard).

Apple has been using SSD storage for the Mac models for quite some time, and as expected, the new M1-powered MacBook Air 13, MacBook Pro 13, and Mac Mini are using the same storage tech. Recently, some M1-Mac users took to social media to raise concerns about the health of their computer due to the same storage solution. According to posts on Twitter and other forums, select users have been reporting an overuse of the SSD for writing and reading data on the newly released M1 Mac device. The concerning factor here is that in case the SSD storage SSD that is soldered to the logic board (or motherboard) wears out, the entire board will get replaced, and that won?t come cheap. It may affect the overall health of the computer as well.

According to multiple posts (via iMore), select professional users of the new M1 Macbooks are experiencing high drive writes over a relatively short time. The most severe cases have ?consumed? about 10-13 percent of the maximum warrantable TBW value of the SSD that technically refers to the lifespan of the storage drive. Another Twitter user, Longhorn?s (via MacRumors) M1 Mac has already consumed one percent of the SSD?s TBW value, a post showed. Typically, SSDs can last for years and users may not need to worry about them until they upgrade their system.

People with an M1 mac, please run `brew install smartmontools && sudo smartctl ?all /dev/disk0` and report back (and what kind of usage you make of the machine, especially RAM).I?m at <600GBW on my MBP, but I don?t use it heavily. https://t.co/LbhE9p7FiK
— Hector Martin (@marcan42) February 15, 2021

However, it is also important to note that almost all posts available online do not detail what the devices are used for and how the new M1-powered Macs are allotting exceptionally high read and write speeds. Apple has also not provided any details over the concern flooding various social media platforms. Apple may likely address the issue via the next macOS Big Sur update slated to roll out in the coming weeks.

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