Man, that gut drop feeling when you hear clicking is the worst, been there. My rule is simple: if the data matters at all, clone first, and if the drive is already making noise I stop and send it to a pro instead of spinning it more. Write blockers are cheap, losing a client's whole business is not, so I just treat every drive like it's the only copy left.

Did you notice any difference in taste too, or just the rise time? I've been on the fence about switching but hearing this makes me want to finally try it.

The weird meals we remember are always the ones that came from pure desperation. Same thing happens with music, clothes, whole phases of life, you just throw stuff together and somehow it works.