Dropbox Called a PC Builder's Best Friend After SSD Failures
A PC builder recounts how Dropbox saved his work twice when SSDs failed, calling it essential digital insurance.
The writer began using Dropbox in 2018 while working on a large crowdfunded game design project, originally subscribing to protect against data loss. He set up Dropbox to mirror his work partition, which made collaborating with others easier and allowed transfers of files up to 50GB in size.
The backup proved critical when two separate 2TB Samsung 970 Evo SSDs in his custom-built PC failed within a few years. Each time, the machine failed to detect the drive on boot, but after testing, the rest of the system was fine. Dropbox allowed him to recover all his files.
He now uses a 2TB 990 Evo Plus and continues paying about $204 a year for a Dropbox family plan that covers up to six members. Individual plans cost $9.99 a month for 2TB, and he describes the price as decent digital insurance. Alternatives such as Backblaze offer unlimited backup for $99 a year, while Apple iCloud Plus and Adobe Creative Cloud are also available, but the writer prefers Dropbox for its consistent performance across operating systems.
The writer notes that the service has never failed him in eight years. However, he warns that a fast upload connection is important, and sensitive files may not be suitable for cloud storage.