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Two drives died in one week at my bench and I can't tell if it's a power problem or just bad luck
So last Tuesday I'm cloning a client's drive in my shop in Tucson and the target drive starts clicking about 40 minutes in. Then Thursday, a completely separate machine, brand new SSD, just drops off mid Windows update and never comes back. Two dead drives in 72 hours is not normal for me, I usually go a whole quarter without a hardware failure. Now I'm stuck arguing with myself: one side says my bench power is dirty and I need a UPS or line conditioner before I cook another drive. The other side says this is just bad luck and I'm about to waste $150 on gear I don't need. My gut says it's the wiring in this old building, the lights flicker when the AC kicks on. Do you guys run your bench through a UPS, or am I overthinking this?
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the_wendy11h ago
Check the outlet your bench is on and see what else shares that breaker. Old buildings in Tucson are the worst for this because everyone runs window AC units and the voltage sags hard when a compressor kicks on. A clone or a Windows update is pulling max power exactly when your neighbor's AC cycles, and a cheap UPS in battery mode can actually make it worse, some of them output a stepped sine wave that drives SSDs nuts. Grab a $30 kill-a-watt or a logging meter and watch your line voltage for a few days before you drop $150, the data will tell you if it's the building or just a run of bad luck.
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