Best reliable SSD for Sentry on Model Y

[hmadsen]

The SSD has its fans even though the SSD usually costs more, requires a USB cable, takes up more space in the glove box and uses more power than the SD card. If you search the TMC forums there are threads where SSD that previously worked without issue suddenly stopped working after the Tesla USB firmware was updated.

With later software the Tesla Model Y has become more sensitive to the maximum power being drawn from the USB data port. This might trigger some errors. It is worth checking the specs because not all SSD have the same power requirements, some use less. Some SSD may be better able to tolerate the temperature extremes of the inside of an automobile.

The primary advantage of an SSD is the additional storage. The additional storage is typically used for storing audio files.

Larger storage means each cell gets written to, less which would make them last longer as what kills them is write cycles.

From what i have read, the controllers in SSD's are also better at "wear levelling" than the rather simple ones inside of a SD card which again would equate to longer life, atleast on paper.

 

[jcanoe]

The retail prices for SSD and microSD card have changed. In truth I have not been monitoring the prices.

Samsung T7 1GB SSD is currently selling for $80 US (all prices are on Amazon)

Samsung now sells a 256GB Pro Endurance microSD card for $31 US. The Samsung 128GB Pro Endurance microSD card at $22 US is essentially OBE.

The Sandisk 256GB High Endurance microSD card cost is $24 US. The Sandisk Mobilemate USB 3.0 reader now costs $11 US.

 

[UoMDeacon]

Guys, SD cards are just as bad as USB thumb drives. They have a limited life span. I can buy these for sure, but I dont have a huge amount of confidence on either USB thumb drives or SD cards. This is why I wanted to go for something a bit more robust.

Anyone have any experience with these external SSDs

Like mentioned in a few other posts, high endurance SD cards are rated for more write cycles and a wider operating temperature range than most USB thumb drives and SSDs. SSDs are a good option if music storage is needed but 1TB for dash and sentry is just overkill. The whole larger = less write cycles per cell is correct…but are the drives really going to be operating in the time spans where that becomes a factor?

 

[RedY23]

So if the cute Tesla looking USB drive that came with my car saves 128 and that is more than enough to store 17hours of Dashcam why the heck do we need bigger drives? I figure/hope to almost never have to press the honk button, so why need more data? Whos making movies inside their car LOL. Or just for music? In that case depends on how much music you need no?

 

[jcanoe]

So if the cute Tesla looking USB drive that came with my car saves 128 and that is more than enough to store 17hours of Dashcam why the heck do we need bigger drives? I figure/hope to almost never have to press the honk button, so why need more data? Whos making movies inside their car LOL. Or just for music? In that case depends on how much music you need no?

You don't need more than the 128GB that is provided with the Tesla branded (Samsung manufactured) USB thumb drive for Dash cam and Sentry mode recordings. What you will learn, over time, is that Tesla thumb drive is not suitable for long continuous use for video recording. These drives get corrupted, usually within 1 year or less, from high volume read/write operations that Dash cam and Sentry mode video recording demands of a memory storage device. The Tesla USB thumb drive is a nice piece of swag but should be replaced at your convenience with a memory storage device that is fit for the purpose of continuous video recording.

The solution is to use a storage device that is designed for video surveillance and recording. Endurance type microSD cards and SSD can handle the demands of Tesla Dash cam and Sentry mode video recording without failing prematurely.

 

[BitJam]

Starting 10 years ago, some ssds were measured to withstand roughly 500TB of writes:

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

Some lasted much longer. They conduct these tests by continuously writing to the device at or near its max speed and it still takes a year or more for them to fail. All of the drives exceeded their rated endurance.

The Tesla generates only about 8GB of video per hour. Assuming the technology has improved not a whit over the past 10 years, this would allow you to record continuously for 62 thousand hours or over 7 years. If you travel at 40 mph, you would have driven 2.5 million miles in this time.

Therefore longevity of an ssd for TeslaCam is not an issue. Large Samsung PRO Endurance microSD cards have comparable rated endurance. The smaller ones have less but for all practical purposes, this is not an issue.

As others have said, endurance scales linearly with size so a drive twice as large should survive twice as many writes.

BTW: I use a Samsung 500GB T5 ssd. But the price for these on Amazon is ridiculously high right now.

BTW-2: I don't know the longevity (max writes) of the Samsung Bar provided by Tesla but its environmental specs match or exceed those of the Samsung PRO Endurance microSD.

 

[jcanoe]

BTW-2: I don't know the longevity (max writes) of the Samsung Bar provided by Tesla but its environmental specs match or exceed those of the Samsung PRO Endurance microSD.

If the Tesla branded USB thumb drive, known to be manufactured by Samsung, was a Samsung Pro Endurance memory device we would not be reading about so many of the Tesla USB thumb drives failing within the first year. Even if the cost difference was only $1 US Tesla would save a buck and not provide an Endurance type memory card.

 

[alitech]

For those who had their cars delivered in 2022+ would not have the USB-C data module in the center console, which would make the T5s and T7s not work unless a third party data module is installed. In this scenario, the only option would be to use the USB-A port inside the glove compartment. So the SSD router may be the only option available unless you want to shell out another 80 bucks for a third party data module.

 

[SpicyPaneer]

For those who had their cars delivered in 2022+ would not have the USB-C data module in the center console, which would make the T5s and T7s not work unless a third party data module is installed. In this scenario, the only option would be to use the USB-A port inside the glove compartment. So the SSD router may be the only option available unless you want to shell out another 80 bucks for a third party data module.

I have a 22 MYP August build, I was think to use the T7 in the glovebox only. The T7 looks rugged enough to handle in the glovebox.

 

[jcanoe]

Just wondering do people upgrade to this from the stock USB drive given? If so why would one get a larger storage device? Just to hold more images before it starts to rewrite itself?

Have you read this thread or one of the many other prior threads regarding Tesla Sentry/Dashcam storage?

MASTER THREAD: USB drives that work with Sentry and TeslaCam

 

[Videofrank]

I have a 22 MYP August build, I was think to use the T7 in the glovebox only. The T7 looks rugged enough to handle in the glovebox.

I have this setup in mine for a couple weeks now and it works great.

 

[SpicyPaneer]

I have this setup in mine for a couple weeks now and it works great.

What did you set up as your partition?

 

[flai54]

What did you set up as your partition?

The Tesla car can format the drive to the appropriate folders and filesystem (ExFAT)

 

[SpicyPaneer]

The Tesla car can format the drive to the appropriate folders and filesystem (ExFAT)

Yes, but I have a 1Tb and want d to use some space for music also.

 

[jcanoe]

Tesla mounts the storage device for exclusive use with Dashcam and Sentry mode. To use part of the storage device for music you need to create separate partitions.

 

[flai54]

Yes, but I have a 1Tb and want d to use some space for music also.

Tesla owners manual tells you how to format the USB/SSD drive here under Manually Formatting a USB Drive. As long as one of the partitions on your drive has the appropriate folder structure, Tesla will use that particular partition for dashcam/sentry mode. The sentry mode partition must be in exFAT filesystem format and the partition name should be TESLADRIVE. There are also youtube videos that show you how to setup your SSD properly.

Model Y Owner's Manual | Tesla

 

[Videofrank]

What did you set up as your partition?

I formatted the drive in the car and only use it for Sentry and Dashcam clips. Nothing else on the drive.

 

[flai54]

Yes, but I have a 1Tb and want d to use some space for music also.

I think as a test, you should try to let Tesla car format your drive as one big partition and take it to a computer so that you can get a screenshot of the Partition name and Folder structure correct. And then you can use a tool to split the 1 TB partition into 2 partitions for the Cam and music.

 

[Occhis]

My 3/23 MYLR does not have USB in glovebox. Will plugging my drive into one of the USBc ports in the console work to record dashcam?

 

[jcanoe]

My 3/23 MYLR does not have USB in glovebox. Will plugging my drive into one of the USBc ports in the console work to record dashcam?

The USB port for Dash Cam/Sentry is hard to see. The USB port is located on the left side of the glovebox at the back. You can use your phone as a flashlight. Tesla should have provided a Tesla USB thumb drive. Usually the thumb drive is already installed in the USB port inside the glove box.

The USB-C ports inside and behind the center console are power only, do not support data.