SSD Data Recovery Cost
SSD data recovery costs $200 to $2,500 depending on the drive interface and failure type. SATA SSDs range from $200–$1,500; NVMe SSDs range from $200–$2,500. Five flat-rate tiers cover simple copies, logical recovery, circuit board repair, firmware reconstruction, and NAND transplant.
This page covers the five SSD failure tiers, explains why ssd data recovery costs differ from hard drive recovery, and shows how to avoid overpaying at labs that hide pricing behind evaluation walls.
How Much Does It Cost to Recover Data from an SSD?
SATA SSD data recovery costs $200–$1,500. NVMe SSD recovery costs $200–$2,500. Price depends on the failure type, not storage capacity.
Five flat-rate tiers cover everything from a simple data copy to a full NAND chip transplant. Free evaluation; no diagnostic fee; no data, no charge.
Full SATA SSD pricing tiers below | Full NVMe SSD pricing tiers below | Controller-specific pricing detail below
- $200: data copy from a functioning drive
- $450–$600 (SATA) / $600–$900 (NVMe): circuit board repair for shorted components
- $600–$900 (SATA) / $900–$1,200 (NVMe): firmware reconstruction via PC-3000
- $1,200–$1,500 (SATA) / $1,200–$2,500 (NVMe): NAND transplant to a donor board
What Does SSD Recovery Cost, SATA vs NVMe?
Both interfaces share the same From $200 floor for a simple data copy off a working drive. The ceiling is where they split. NVMe firmware & board work is denser, so its range runs higher than SATA. Capacity never sets the price. The failure type does.
| Price Band | SATA SSD | NVMe SSD |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (simple copy) | From $200 | From $200 |
| Full range (copy to NAND swap) | $200–$1,500 | $200–$2,500 |
The band you land in is decided by the failure, not the gigabytes. The decision guide & cost-driver sections below show which tier a given symptom points to.
What Does SSD Data Recovery Cost by Failure Type?
SSD data recovery costs between $200 and $2,500 depending on the drive type and failure. A data copy from a functioning SSD costs $200. File system recovery is From $250.
Circuit board repair costs $450–$600 (SATA) or $600–$900 (NVMe). Evaluation is free; there is no charge if the data is not recoverable.
Circuit board repair, firmware reconstruction, & NAND swap cases run higher based on the specific electronics failure.
| Failure Type | SATA SSD Cost | NVMe SSD Cost | Typical Cause |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple data copy | $200 | $200 | Drive functions normally; data transfer to new media |
| Logical corruption / file system recovery | From $250 | From $250 | Corrupted partition table or accidental format |
| Circuit board repair | $450–$600 | $600–$900 | Shorted capacitors or failed PMICs |
| Firmware reconstruction | $600–$900 | $900–$1,200 | Controller panic or corrupted FTL |
| NAND swap | $1,200–$1,500 | $1,200–$2,500 | Severe PCB damage requiring donor board |
SSD Recovery Cost at a Glance
SSD recovery costs between $200 and $2,500 depending on the failure type. A simple data copy is $200, file system recovery is From $250, circuit board repair is $450–$600 (SATA) or $600–$900 (NVMe), firmware reconstruction is $600–$900 (SATA) or $900–$1,200 (NVMe), and NAND swap is $1,200–$1,500 (SATA) or $1,200–$2,500 (NVMe).
| Failure Type | User Symptom | SATA SSD Cost | NVMe SSD Cost | Common Symptoms | Typical Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1: Simple Copy | Drive works; data transfer to new media | $200 | $200 | Drive functions normally; data transfer to new media | 3-5 business days |
| Tier 2: Logical Corruption: File System Recovery | Corrupted partition, drive not mounting | From $250 | From $250 | Corrupted partition table or accidental format | 2-4 weeks |
| Tier 3: Electronic / PCB Failure | Drive not detected in BIOS | $450–$600 | $600–$900 | Shorted PMICs, failed voltage regulators | 3-6 weeks |
| Tier 4: Firmware Panic / ROM Mode | Shows 0 bytes / wrong model name | $600–$900 | $900–$1,200 | Controller panic or corrupted FTL, 0 bytes in BIOS | 3-6 weeks |
| Tier 5: NAND Swap (Severe PCB Damage) | PCB damaged, controller silicon intact | $1,200–$1,500 | $1,200–$2,500 | Severe PCB damage requiring donor board | 4-8 weeks |
| Monolithic / Spider Board | Monolithic die; requires spider-board wire bonding | Custom quote | Custom quote | Monolithic die; requires spider-board wire bonding | Contact for evaluation |
Prices shown are Rossmann Repair Group published flat-rate tiers. Monolithic SSDs and USB flash devices with monolithic dies require spider-board wire bonding and are quoted as custom projects. Contact for evaluation.
Which SSD Pricing Tier Applies to Your Drive?
Four questions point most drives to the right tier before you ship. Answer them in order. The first one that involves physical damage sets the floor for the quote.
- Is the drive still detected in BIOS at the correct capacity?
- If yes, the case is usually logical & stays in the file-system tier, From $250 for SATA or From $250 for NVMe. That covers a corrupted partition table or an accidental format on a drive that still powers up. Enumerating at the correct capacity is not proof the electronics are healthy: a drive that reads with errors or crawls at a few MB/s can still have worn NAND that needs hardware-tier imaging rather than a file-system repair.
- Is there visible PCB damage, or is the drive undetected?
- A drive that never appears in BIOS or shows scorched components points to the board repair tier, $450–$600 for SATA or $600–$900 for NVMe. That tier is component-level microsoldering to revive the original controller.
- Is the drive encrypted with BitLocker or FileVault?
- The encryption itself adds no surcharge. A healthy encrypted drive that still mounts stays in the logical tier. If the drive has also failed physically, the hardware is repaired first so the controller can return the blocks, then you unlock them with your own recovery key. That keeps the case on the firmware & board path, not a chip-off shortcut.
- Do you need rush turnaround?
- Add the rush fee on top of whichever tier applies: +$100 rush fee to move to the front of the queue.
How Does SSD Recovery Cost Compare Across Providers?
SSD recovery at Rossmann costs $200–$1,500 for SATA and $200–$2,500 for NVMe across five published flat-rate tiers. A free evaluation determines the exact tier and failure type before any billable work begins. You get a firm quote with no diagnostic fee, and you pay nothing if the data is unrecoverable.
Why published tiers matter for your budget planning
| Provider | SSD Price Range | Pricing Model | No Data, No Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rossmann Group | $200–$1,500 (SATA) $200–$2,500 (NVMe) | Published tiers, firm quote after free evaluation | Yes |
| Ontrack Industry Estimate | $1,000-$5,000+ | Call for quote | Varies |
| Geek Squad Industry Estimate | $600-$1,450+ | $49.99 diagnostic fee + tiered pricing | No ($49.99 non-refundable) |
Competitor prices are industry estimates based on published customer reports and competitor pricing pages (2024-2025). Actual quotes vary by case.
Published Tiers vs. Call-for-Quote
Labs that require a phone call before disclosing any price control the information asymmetry.
You ship your SSD, wait for the evaluation, and receive a quote with no external reference point.
If the number is $3,000, you have no way to know whether the work justifies that amount or whether the lab's marketing overhead inflated it.
We publish our five SATA SSD tiers and five NVMe SSD tiers on this page before you ship anything.
After a free hands-on evaluation, you get a firm number locked to the specific failure type.
For a detailed comparison of how large-lab pricing operates, read our Rossmann vs DriveSavers SSD pricing analysis.
How Much Does SATA SSD Recovery Cost by Failure Type?
SATA SSD data recovery costs $200–$1,500 across five failure-based tiers. A simple data copy costs $200, and file system recovery is From $250. Circuit board repair for shorted components costs $450–$600. Firmware reconstruction via PC-3000 costs $600–$900, and NAND transplant to a donor board costs $1,200–$1,500.
SATA SSDs (2.5-inch form factor, connected via SATA III interface) are found in older laptops, desktops, and external enclosures. Common controllers include Silicon Motion SM2258/SM2259, Phison PS3111-S11, and Marvell 88SS1074.
Recovery pricing is determined by the failure type.
Low complexity
Simple Copy
Your drive works, you just need the data moved off it
Functional drive; data transfer to new media
Rush available: +$100
$200
3-5 business days
Low complexity
File System Recovery
Your drive isn't showing up, but it's not physically damaged
File system corruption. Visible to recovery software but not to OS
Starting price; final depends on complexity
From $250
2-4 weeks
Medium complexity
Circuit Board Repair
Your drive won't power on or has shorted components
PCB issues: failed voltage regulators, dead PMICs, shorted capacitors
May require a donor drive (additional cost)
$450–$600
3-6 weeks
Medium complexity
Most Common
Firmware Recovery
Your drive is detected but shows the wrong name, wrong size, or no data
Firmware corruption: ROM, modules, or system files corrupted
Price depends on extent of bad areas in NAND
$600–$900
3-6 weeks
High complexity
PCB / NAND Swap
Your drive's circuit board is severely damaged and requires NAND chip transplant to a donor PCB
NAND swap onto donor PCB. Precision microsoldering and BGA rework required
50% deposit required; donor drive cost additional
50% deposit required
$1,200–$1,500
4-8 weeks
Hardware Repair vs. Software Locks
Our "no data, no fee" policy applies to hardware recovery. We do not bill for unsuccessful physical repairs. If we replace a hard drive read/write head assembly or repair a liquid-damaged logic board to a bootable state, the hardware repair is complete and standard rates apply. If data remains inaccessible due to user-configured software locks, a forgotten passcode, or a remote wipe command, the physical repair is still billable. We cannot bypass user encryption or activation locks.
No data, no fee. Free evaluation and firm quote before any paid work. Full guarantee details. NAND swap requires a 50% deposit because donor parts are consumed in the attempt.
- Rush fee
- +$100 rush fee to move to the front of the queue
- Donor drives
- A donor drive is a matching SSD used for its circuit board. Typical donor cost: $40–$100 for common models, $150–$300 for discontinued or rare controllers.
- Target drive
- The destination drive we copy recovered data onto. You can supply your own or we provide one at cost plus a small markup. All prices are plus applicable tax.
How Much Does NVMe SSD Recovery Cost by Failure Type?
NVMe SSD data recovery costs $200–$2,500 across five failure-based tiers. A simple data copy costs $200, and file system recovery is From $250. Circuit board repair costs $600–$900. Firmware reconstruction via PC-3000 SSD costs $900–$1,200, and NAND transplant to a donor board costs $1,200–$2,500.
NVMe SSDs (M.2 form factor, connected via PCIe lanes) are the standard in modern laptops and desktops.
NVMe firmware recovery costs more than SATA because the PCIe bus protocol requires the PC-3000 SSD to operate as a root complex with controller-specific command sets.
Common controllers supported by PC-3000 SSD for firmware recovery include Phison PS5012-E12 and PS5016-E16, plus Silicon Motion SM2262EN and SM2263XT.
PC-3000 SSD does not support firmware reconstruction for Samsung Elpis, WD/SanDisk in-house designs, or the Phison PS5018-E18. Recovery for these controllers relies entirely on board-level electrical repair to revive the original silicon.
Low complexity
Simple Copy
Your NVMe drive works, you just need the data moved off it
Functional drive; data transfer to new media
Rush available: +$100
$200
3-5 business days
Low complexity
File System Recovery
Your NVMe drive isn't showing up, but it's not physically damaged
File system corruption. Visible to recovery software but not to OS
Starting price; final depends on complexity
From $250
2-4 weeks
Medium complexity
Circuit Board Repair
Your NVMe drive won't power on or has shorted components
PCB issues: failed voltage regulators, dead PMICs, shorted capacitors
May require a donor drive (additional cost)
$600–$900
3-6 weeks
Medium complexity
Most Common
Firmware Recovery
Your NVMe drive is detected but shows the wrong name, wrong size, or no data
Firmware corruption: ROM, modules, or system files corrupted
Price depends on extent of bad areas in NAND
$900–$1,200
3-6 weeks
High complexity
PCB / NAND Swap
Your NVMe drive's circuit board is severely damaged and requires NAND chip transplant to a donor PCB
NAND swap onto donor PCB. Precision microsoldering and BGA rework required
50% deposit required; donor drive cost additional
50% deposit required
$1,200–$2,500
4-8 weeks
Hardware Repair vs. Software Locks
Our "no data, no fee" policy applies to hardware recovery. We do not bill for unsuccessful physical repairs. If we replace a hard drive read/write head assembly or repair a liquid-damaged logic board to a bootable state, the hardware repair is complete and standard rates apply. If data remains inaccessible due to user-configured software locks, a forgotten passcode, or a remote wipe command, the physical repair is still billable. We cannot bypass user encryption or activation locks.
No data, no fee. Free evaluation and firm quote before any paid work. Full guarantee details. NAND swap requires a 50% deposit because donor parts are consumed in the attempt.
- Rush fee
- +$100 rush fee to move to the front of the queue
- Donor drives
- A donor drive is a matching SSD used for its circuit board. Typical donor cost: $40–$100 for common models, $150–$300 for discontinued or rare controllers.
- Target drive
- The destination drive we copy recovered data onto. You can supply your own or we provide one at cost plus a small markup. All prices are plus applicable tax.
What Determines SSD Recovery Cost?
Five factors determine the final price: failure type, controller architecture, donor drive requirements, hardware encryption, and lab overhead. The primary cost driver is the failure type. Unlike hard drive recovery, where mechanical complexity drives the top tiers, SSD recovery costs are driven by electronic and firmware complexity.
How Much Does Data Recovery Cost Per GB?
Professional data recovery labs do not charge per gigabyte. The cost is determined by the failure type, not the drive's storage capacity. A 256GB SSD with firmware corruption costs the same as a 2TB SSD with the same problem.
Repairing a corrupted Flash Translation Layer on a 500GB drive and a 4TB drive both require the same PC-3000 terminal session and the same diagnostic labor. The price you pay reflects the engineering work, not the gigabyte count.
- Failure Type
- The primary cost driver. A functioning SSD needing a data copy costs $200.
- File system corruption (partition table damage, accidental format on a healthy drive) is From $250.
- Circuit board repair for shorted capacitors or failed PMICs costs $450–$600 (SATA) or $600–$900 (NVMe).
- Firmware reconstruction requiring PC-3000 terminal access costs $600–$900 (SATA) or $900–$1,200 (NVMe).
- NAND transplant to a donor board costs $1,200–$1,500 (SATA) or $1,200–$2,500 (NVMe).
- Controller Architecture
- Each SSD controller family requires different PC-3000 utilities and diagnostic mode entry procedures.
- A Phison PS3111-S11 displaying "SATAFIRM S11" in BIOS requires Phison Technological Mode.
- A Silicon Motion SM2259 showing 0 bytes capacity requires Vendor Specific Commands.
- The engineering labor is similar across controllers, which is why the firmware tier covers all controller families at the same price.
- Donor Drive Requirements
- NAND swap cases require an exact-match donor SSD with the same controller, firmware revision, and NAND configuration. A donor drive is a matching SSD used for its circuit board. Typical donor cost: $40–$100 for common models, $150–$300 for discontinued or rare controllers.
- Discontinued or enterprise-only controllers cost more to source. The donor cost is separate from the labor tier and is disclosed before work begins.
- Hardware Encryption
- Most modern SSDs use AES-256 hardware encryption with keys generated on and bound to the original controller.
- This does not add a surcharge, but it eliminates chip-off as a viable recovery method.
- When the controller fails on an encrypted SSD, the only path to data is repairing the original board to revive the controller silicon via microsoldering.
- The NAND swap tier covers cases where the board is physically damaged beyond repair. The NAND chips and the original controller are transplanted together to preserve the encryption keys.
- Lab Overhead
- Corporate labs fold marketing costs, referral commissions, and compliance overhead into every customer's bill.
- A $600–$900 firmware recovery at Rossmann covers the same PC-3000 SSD terminal work.
- The equipment is the same. The difference is what else you are paying for.
- We operate without marketing overhead, referral programs, or walk-in facilities that our workflow does not require.
What Pushes an SSD Case Into a Higher Tier?
Three conditions move a drive up the price ladder: controller damage that needs BGA rework, NAND that has to be chipped off & transplanted, & hardware encryption that forces the recovery back through the controller. Each one narrows which tier can reach the data.
Controller Damage That Needs BGA Rework
When the controller package is shorted or cracked, the repair is board-level. FLIR thermal imaging locates the shorted PMIC or voltage regulator, then the controller is reflowed or replaced with Zhuo Mao BGA rework & a Hakko FM-2032 on its base station. That labor sits in the circuit board repair tier, $450–$600 for SATA or $600–$900 for NVMe.
NAND Chip-Off When the PCB Is Beyond Repair
If the board is too damaged to revive, the original controller & its NAND are transplanted together onto an exact-match donor PCB. That is the NAND swap tier, $1,200–$1,500 for SATA or $1,200–$2,500 for NVMe, with a 50% deposit & separate donor cost. Chipping off the NAND on its own does not work on an encrypted drive: the dies return only ciphertext, because the AES-256 key stays bound to the original controller & never leaves it.
Hardware Encryption Bound to the Controller
When a drive runs AES-256 hardware encryption with the key bound to the original controller, that controller has to be repaired to reach the key. There is no separate encryption line item. The binding constrains the recovery to the firmware & board tiers ($600–$900 SATA or $900–$1,200 NVMe firmware), since no chip-off path can read the data without the controller that holds the key.
Does SSD Recovery Cost More Than Hard Drive Recovery?
Yes. Data recovery cost depends on the device type. Hard drive recovery ranges from$100–$2,000. SATA SSD recovery ranges from $200–$1,500. NVMe SSD recovery ranges from $200–$2,500. Different failure modes require different equipment and skills, which is why price ranges differ across device types.
SSDs fail electronically through controller failure and firmware corruption. HDDs fail mechanically through head crashes and motor seizure. Both require PC-3000 diagnostic platforms, but the supporting equipment differs because the failure modes are different.
| Factor | Hard Drive (HDD) | Solid-State Drive (SSD) |
|---|---|---|
| Price Range | $100–$2,000 | $200-$1,200–$2,500 |
| Lowest Tier | $100 (data copy) | $200 (data copy) |
| Most Expensive Standard Case | $2,000 (platter damage) | $1,200–$2,500 (NVMe NAND swap) |
| Primary Failure Type | Mechanical (head crash, motor seizure) | Electronic (controller failure, firmware corruption) |
| Particle-Controlled Workspace Required? | Yes (mechanical recovery) | No. SSDs are sealed units with no moving parts |
| Donor Parts | Mechanical donor components | Donor PCB (controller + firmware match) |
| Deleted File Recovery | Possible until overwritten | Virtually impossible after TRIM executes |
The cost difference between SSD and HDD recovery comes down to failure modes.
Hard drives fail mechanically: read/write heads crash, motors seize, bearings degrade.
SSDs fail electronically: controllers lock up, firmware translation tables corrupt, power management ICs short-circuit.
Both require PC-3000 diagnostic platforms, but the supporting equipment differs.
HDD recovery addresses mechanical failures. SSD recovery addresses electronic failures through board-level repair.
For a deeper look at the technical differences, see our SSD vs HDD recovery comparison.
Why Does SSD Recovery Require Board-Level Repair?
Modern SSD controllers use AES-256 hardware encryption with keys generated on and permanently bound to the original controller. When the controller fails, the NAND flash contains only encrypted ciphertext. Removing the NAND chips and reading them directly yields unreadable data. The only path to the original encryption keys is reviving the failed controller.
That means:
- Diagnosing the PCB using FLIR thermal cameras to locate shorted components
- Replacing failed PMICs and voltage regulators using Hakko FM-2032 microsoldering on an FM-203 base station
- Reflowing or replacing the controller BGA package using Zhuo Mao precision rework stations when the silicon itself has fractured solder joints
This is the same component-level board repair skill set that Rossmann Repair Group has built since 2008.
For Apple devices with T2 or M-series Secure Enclave binding, the storage controller is soldered directly to the logic board. Board repair is the only recovery method at any price.
Is DIY Data Recovery Cheaper Than Professional Services?
Consumer recovery software works when the SSD appears in your computer with correct capacity and responds to read commands. If the controller is dead, firmware is corrupted, or TRIM has cleared deleted blocks, software cannot help and professional lab recovery is required.
Software scans the file system on a drive that the OS can already communicate with.
It cannot help when the SSD controller is dead, firmware is corrupted, or TRIM has already cleared the deleted blocks.
In these cases, recovery requires direct hardware access via PC-3000 SSD.
The technician bypasses the failed controller's boot sequence to read NAND pages at the raw level. This is why recovery software fails on SSDs with hardware-level problems.
| Scenario | Software | Lab ($200-$1,200–$2,500) |
|---|---|---|
| Accidental deletion (no TRIM) | Likely works | Not needed |
| Accidental deletion (TRIM enabled) | Will not work | Unrecoverable |
| Corrupted file system | May work if drive is responsive | From $250 |
| Drive not detected in BIOS | Cannot access the drive | $450–$600-$600–$900 |
| Shows 0 bytes / wrong model name | Cannot access the drive | $600–$900 |
| PCB damaged, controller silicon intact (encrypted SSD) | Impossible | $1,200–$1,500 |
TRIM Warning: Modern operating systems issue TRIM commands immediately on file deletion, instructing the SSD controller to mark those blocks for garbage collection. Once the controller clears the blocks, the data is physically gone from the NAND cells. No lab on earth can recover TRIM-erased data, regardless of price.
How Does Controller Type Affect SSD Firmware Recovery Cost?
Controller type determines which PC-3000 diagnostic mode and command set the technician uses, not the price tier. The firmware recovery price is $600–$900 for SATA and $900–$1,200 for NVMe across all supported controller families. The engineering labor is similar regardless of the specific chip.
- Silicon Motion SM2259 / SM2258 (SATA)
- These controllers enter a BSY (Busy) state or drop into ROM mode when firmware panics during a write operation or when NAND degradation corrupts the boot area.
- The drive often appears in Disk Management showing exactly 0 bytes or a generic 1GB diagnostic capacity.
- PC-3000 SSD uses Vendor Specific Commands to bypass the stalled boot sequence, read surviving NAND pages directly, and rebuild the FTL mapping tables.
- Price: $600–$900.
- Phison PS3111-S11 (SATA)
- When this controller loses access to the FTL after an unclean shutdown or excessive NAND wear, the drive resets its identity string to "SATAFIRM S11" in BIOS.
- Recovery requires entering Phison Technological Mode via PC-3000 and rebuilding the FTL from the NAND directly.
- Price: $600–$900. See the full firmware corruption guide for additional controller failure patterns.
- Phison PS5012-E12 / PS5016-E16 (NVMe)
- When these PCIe NVMe controllers suffer a firmware panic from sudden power loss or NAND wear, the drive may drop off the PCIe bus entirely.
- The drive may enter ROM mode and enumerate with an altered factory identity string (such as "PS5012" or "PS5016") and a generic 1GB or 2MB placeholder capacity.
- Recovery requires PC-3000 SSD to force the controller into diagnostic mode and rebuild the FTL mapping tables from surviving NAND data.
- Price: $900–$1,200. Common in drives from Sabrent, Corsair, and Kingston using Phison reference designs.
- Silicon Motion SM2262EN / SM2263XT (NVMe)
- Silicon Motion NVMe controllers (SM2262EN, SM2263XT) can suffer FTL corruption where the drive drops to a generic 1GB ROM mode or hangs in a busy state during PCIe enumeration.
- PC-3000 SSD forces these controllers past their stalled boot sequence to reconstruct the FTL mapping tables from surviving NAND metadata.
- Price: $900–$1,200.
What Separates the Labor in a Controller, NAND, or Firmware Failure?
The three electronic failure classes that collapse into the firmware and board tiers carry different labor. Firmware corruption is handled in a PC-3000 SSD terminal session with no donor parts: $600–$900 for SATA and $900–$1,200 for NVMe.
A board electrical fault is microsoldering at $450–$600 (SATA) or $600–$900 (NVMe). A board damaged beyond repair, with the controller still alive, means transplanting the original controller and its NAND onto a donor PCB at $1,200–$1,500 (SATA) or $1,200–$2,500 (NVMe).
| Failure Class | Labor Type | Donor Parts | Price Tier (SATA / NVMe) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firmware corruption (FTL panic, ROM mode) | PC-3000 terminal session | No | $600–$900 / $900–$1,200 |
| NAND degradation (worn cells) | Page re-read and FTL reassembly | No (unless a die is removed) | $600–$900 / $900–$1,200 |
| Controller failure (board fault or damaged PCB) | Microsoldering, or controller-plus-NAND transplant onto a donor PCB | Yes for a PCB transplant | $450–$600 to $1,200–$1,500 / $600–$900 to $1,200–$2,500 |
- Firmware corruption: terminal-session labor, no donor
- Firmware corruption is the FTL translator panicking or the controller dropping into ROM mode. No donor parts are involved.
- The technician forces the controller into its diagnostic mode with PC-3000 SSD, reads the surviving NAND pages directly, and rebuilds the Flash Translation Layer mapping tables. This is terminal-session labor, not soldering.
- Price holds at the firmware tier: $600–$900 for SATA and $900–$1,200 for NVMe. The firmware corruption guide covers the controller-specific entry procedures.
- NAND degradation: interpreting wear, not replacing parts
- Worn NAND cells, boot-block wear, and exhausted write endurance return read errors that the controller's ECC engine has to correct.
- The labor is in re-reading the surviving pages and interpreting the wear-leveling and garbage-collection mapping so the data reassembles, not in replacing any component. Most degradation cases stay in-lab at the firmware tier.
- The job escalates only when a die has to be physically read off the board, which moves it into the NAND swap path. A full SSD recovery evaluation determines which side of that line a drive falls on.
- Controller failure: board repair, or controller-plus-NAND transplant when the PCB is dead
- A board electrical fault, such as a shorted PMIC or a failed voltage regulator, is located with FLIR thermal imaging and repaired in-lab with Hakko FM-2032 microsoldering on an FM-203 base station. That is the circuit board repair tier: $450–$600 for SATA or $600–$900 for NVMe.
- When the PCB is damaged beyond repair but the controller silicon still works, the original controller and its NAND are transplanted together onto an exact-match donor PCB with Zhuo Mao BGA rework, which keeps the encryption key with its original silicon. That is the NAND swap tier: $1,200–$1,500 for SATA or $1,200–$2,500 for NVMe. If the controller silicon itself is dead, the AES key bound to that silicon is lost with it, and the data is generally not recoverable.
- The same logic applies to NVMe drives, where the higher firmware and board tiers reflect the PCIe diagnostic work the controller requires.
What Moves a Job from the Firmware Tier to the NAND Swap Tier?
A job moves up when a firmware rebuild on the live controller is no longer enough and physical replacement parts or physical NAND removal are required. That means sourcing an exact-match donor, with the same controller family and firmware revision, plus consumable donor parts and BGA transplant labor. A donor drive is a matching SSD used for its circuit board. Typical donor cost: $40–$100 for common models, $150–$300 for discontinued or rare controllers.
On AES-256 encrypted drives, plain chip-off of the NAND yields only ciphertext, because the key is bound to the original controller. This is why the original controller travels with the NAND onto the donor board rather than the NAND alone, and it is what separates the firmware tier from the NAND swap tier on encrypted media.
NAND swap cases require a 50% deposit because donor parts are consumed during the attempt regardless of outcome. Every tier is quoted after a free evaluation, with no charge if the data is not recoverable.
What Happens If You Can't Recover My SSD Data?
If we cannot recover your files, you pay nothing for the recovery attempt. Evaluation is free. We diagnose the failure, identify the exact tier, and provide a firm quote before any billable work begins. NAND swap cases require a 50% deposit because donor parts are consumed regardless of outcome.
Are There Diagnostic Fees for Data Recovery?
No. Evaluation is free. We diagnose the failure, identify the exact tier, and provide a firm quote before any billable work begins.
If the quote does not work for you, we return your drive for a flat return shipping fee.
SSD Data Recovery Cost: Common Questions
How much does SSD data recovery cost?
How much does NVMe data recovery cost?
Why is SSD data recovery so expensive?
Is there a fee if you cannot recover my SSD data?
Can deleted files be recovered from an SSD?
Does SSD recovery cost more than hard drive recovery?
Why is SSD recovery more expensive than HDD recovery?
Why does NVMe recovery cost more than SATA SSD recovery?
What is the rush fee for SSD data recovery?
What is a donor drive and why does it add to the cost?
How do I get a quote for SSD data recovery?
Should I try recovery software before sending my SSD to a lab?
Does hardware encryption on my SSD affect the recovery cost?
Related services
Related Pages
Full SATA & NVMe recovery service
PCIe NVMe-specific recovery
HDD pricing guide: $100–$2,000
The marketing tax explained
All published pricing tiers
Our guarantee policy
Nationwide shipping from any state
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