I found a 4TB M.2 NVMe drive listed for £85 on eBay, and it seemed legit until I received it. The packaging looked like it had been opened before and included a return slip for a previous fault. When I plugged it into my devices, it mounted correctly and was recognized as a 4TB drive. On my MacBook, I reformatted it in various formats with no issues, and I ran Valdrive on my Windows laptop, which passed the tests. I’m currently using H2testw to check for data transfer speeds, but I’m plugged into a USB 2.0 port, which is giving me a slow transfer rate of about 30-50 MB/s. I’m skeptical because it feels too good to be true. Is there a better way to check if this drive is legit? I know it’s a generic drive and I’m not too worried about the packaging or being scammed as eBay has buyer protection, but I’d like to hear your thoughts.
3 Answers
I salute your bravery for sharing this! It’s rough, but those test results you shared do indicate something fishy. If it’s showing serious performance issues, there’s a high chance it’s a smaller drive made to look larger.
To verify its legitimacy, definitely try plugging it directly into your motherboard if you can. That will give you a clearer idea of its performance. Using USB 3.0 instead of USB 2.0 would also help significantly with speed tests. But remember, if you’re limited by USB 2.0, you’re stuck with those slow speeds. Just make sure to back up any important data!
Honestly, it seems like you’ve probably got a fake, especially given the price and the “1080 pro” label. Samsung doesn’t even make a 1080 pro SSD. Usually, a real 4TB NVMe drive has much higher retail prices. The low read/write speeds you’re getting are another red flag; true 4TB drives should offer way faster transfers. It might be safe to use for some time, but I wouldn’t trust it for anything critical.
Right? I can’t believe they tried to pass off a fake sticker as legit. If it’s saying exactly 4TB when reformatted, that’s another clue it’s probably not real. Keep an eye on it!
Thanks! I appreciate the support. Just trying to figure out if I should keep it or cut my losses!