What are ssd drives. What is an SSD (Solid State Hard Drive) and what you should know about it

Many computer users periodically think about upgrading their equipment, and one of the modern and effective methods upgrade – installation of a solid-state drive or SSD in tandem on a personal computer or laptop, and, as an option, instead of the already familiar HDD ( hard drives or hard drives).

But since large-scale solid-state drives have become widespread not so long ago, many users have a rather poor understanding of them. Should I buy an SSD drive for my computer? Which one is better? There are a number of main differences that characterize SSDs. We will try to tell you about them. And then we will look at individual models from the main manufacturers.

SSD is an abbreviation that translates into Russian roughly as “solid-state drive.” It is a non-mechanical data storage device. It has no moving parts, unlike the mechanical HDD we are all familiar with. The SSD consists of memory chips and a control controller. On average, the exchange speed when working with data (reading and writing data operations) of an SSD disk is 100 times higher than that of an HDD. For example, the response speed of hard drives is in the range of 10 – 19 milliseconds, and solid-state drives operate in the range of 0.1 – 0.4 milliseconds. For the SSD user, there are several strong and weaknesses such equipment.

Positive points:

• High data processing speed – both reading and writing.
• Low power consumption and low heating during operation.
• Complete absence of noise during operation.
• Small dimensions of the device.
• Resistance to mechanical damage, electromagnetic fields, temperature changes.
• Stable speed of data processing, independent of the level of data fragmentation.

Negative points:

• High cost of the device.
• Vulnerability to electrical influence.
• Limited number of data rewrite cycles.
• Possibility of losing information without the possibility of its recovery.

SSD Key Indicators

Storage capacity

When purchasing an SSD, first of all, we pay attention to its capacity and must select it depending on the tasks that we plan to perform on such a device.

When working in standard user mode as a home multimedia device with small toys and basic simple tasks, you can choose a small SSD - it will be installed operating system and software, and archives of data, such as photos, films, documents, etc., can be stored on a second device - the good old HDD. An SSD with a capacity of 60-64 GB is quite suitable.

If the user sets tasks for the equipment that are somewhat more complex, such as working with video editors, project software and other professional applications, you will have to purchase a larger SSD. In this case, we can recommend drives with a capacity of 120-128 GB of memory.

In turn, gamers will need an even larger drive, because modern games occupy quite large sections disk space. Here it would be better to take a closer look at an SSD with a capacity of 240-256 GB.

In the event of a complete transition of the user from HDD to SSD, there are already high-capacity models of solid-state drives on the device market - 480, 960 GB and higher.

Of course, first of all, you will have to focus on the financial capabilities and tasks that you personally set for your personal computer. The cost of solid-state drives directly depends on their volume. Simple storage of data that is not handled daily is still more advisable to store on more capacious and cheaper, although slower, HDDs.

It’s worth knowing about the next one nuance SSD: The larger the storage capacity, the higher the speeds it will operate. The difference in the speed of reading and writing data can increase two to three times depending on the amount of memory. For example, SSDs of the same model range, produced by one company, with a capacity of 128 GB will give us speeds of up to 200 MB/sec, and with a capacity of 512 GB - more than 400 MB/sec. This is due to the fact that during its operation the SSD controller accesses all memory crystals in parallel and, accordingly, higher capacity means higher number of crystals means more parallel operations.

You can also pay attention to the fact that different manufacturers indicate different disk capacities for seemingly the same capacity group. For example, 120 and 128, 480 and 512. The fact is that these disks have a capacity of 128 and 512 GB, respectively, but the manufacturer, for one reason or another, reserves part of the memory of its drives (this reserve is usually intended to level out the wear of flash memory cells and to replace those cells that fail).

Drive connection interface

The speed of operation when upgrading a computer by installing an SSD drive on it directly depends on its connection interface to the motherboard.

Many current solid-state drives are available with a SATA 3 interface. If your motherboard has SATA 1 or SATA 2 controllers, the SSD connected to them will not be able to work with the full performance and speeds declared by its manufacturer. To solve this problem you need to install it on the motherboard SATA controller 3, otherwise the upgrade will be insufficient, or even almost imperceptible. Modern SSDs are ready to provide data writing speeds of up to 400 MB/sec, and reading speeds of up to 500 MB/sec. This speed can only be achieved by working with the SATA 3 connection interface, since SATA 2 is designed for data exchange speeds of up to approximately 270 Mb/s, and SATA 1 is even lower - no more than 150 Mb/s.

In addition to the usual connection of the drive to SATA ports, SSD drives with a PCI-express connection interface have appeared, which are installed in the corresponding ports.

There are M.2 form factor drives that can also be connected to PCI-express and PCI ports via an additional adapter.

Drive controller

Flash memory cells perform all their work with the rest of the systems of our computer through the controller chip built into the SSD. Many performance indicators of the drive depend on this controller, such as: operating speeds, memory lifespan, resistance to data corruption in cells, as well as support for various technologies that improve SSD performance. There are currently many controllers available, and even one manufacturer of solid-state drives uses different controllers in different models. It should be noted that currently in the best possible way controllers from such manufacturers as Marvell, Samsung, Intel have proven themselves. Phison and SandForce SSD controllers perform well in the middle class. It is worth paying attention to SSDs with reliable Indilinx controllers.

Understanding the models of certain controllers is not always easy, so you should pay attention first of all to a well-known brand (due to the fact that the quality control of well-known manufacturers is still much higher), to the actual tests carried out on the specific drive model being selected, and to the declared manufacturer specifications.

Drive memory type

One of the most important technical indicators of an SSD is the type on which the drive is built. Modern manufacturers create their devices using three main types of memory, which differ in the number of memory bits per physical cell:

• NAND TLC – 3 bits of information per 1 physical cell
• NAND MLC – 2 bits of information per 1 physical cell
• NAND SLC – 1 bit of information per 1 physical cell

Both the cost of the drive and its “lifetime”, that is, the possible number of rewrite cycles, directly depend on the technology used to create memory. The cost of memory decreases as the number of bits per physical cell increases, but this reduces the possible number of rewrite cycles that a given cell can withstand. That is, in simple terms, a 128 GB SSD with TLC memory type will cost much less than an SSD of the same capacity but with MLC memory type, but it will also survive a relatively small number of rewrite cycles. Approximate figures are as follows: the write limit on drives built on TLS memory is only 1000 cycles; on MLC memory – up to 3 thousand cycles; and the SLC type, in turn, can withstand from 5 to 10 thousand rewrite cycles.

At purchasing an SSD the best option seems to be with NAND MLC type ohm drive memory, since NAND SLC type of memory is usually used in the most expensive segment of solid-state drives and, rather, is necessary for working on server stations where data is constantly being rewritten. At the same time, while delighting us with their cheapness, SSD drives with NAND TLC memory type can upset us by losing their performance much earlier than we expect.

Modern technologies do not stand still, and to replace previous memory types, leading companies are already beginning to produce memory types for SSDs built on new types of architecture. After the previous flat-plane memory cells, Samsung, and after it Toshiba, together with SanDisk and Intel, together with Micron, are developing 3D NAND technology, which can significantly improve the performance of previous bit-cell construction models. Currently, SSDs with 3D NAND memory technology belong to the most expensive segment of the solid-state drive market.

Drive clipboard

The presence of a clipboard (cache) based on DDR3 memory somewhat speeds up the operation of an SSD drive, but also makes it more expensive for the buyer. The calculation is simple - for 1 GB of disk space, for optimal operation of a drive with this type of cache, there should be 1 MB of DDR3 memory. That is, an SSD with a capacity of 120-128 GB should have 128 MB DDR3 memory, with a capacity of 480-512 GB - 512 MB DDR3, and so on.

Cheaper models of SSD drives have a clipboard based on older types of memory - DDR2. The difference in the speed of drives on different types of clipboard is not a significant indicator.

Protecting the drive from blackout

SSD drives whose clipboard is built on DDR3 memory should ideally be equipped with technology to protect against sudden power outages. The technology is called “Power Protection” and allows you to save data from the clipboard to memory in the event of a sudden power outage. An ordinary UPS (UPS) performs the same function, allowing you to correctly complete work with data. So if you have a UPS or a non-DDR3 based SSD, this function doesn't really matter.

TRIM function

Depending on the manufacturer, SSDs support a wide variety of technologies that are created to improve their functionality. The most important of these technologies for SSDs is the . Solid State Drive, not equipped with the TRIM function, when working with memory cells in which information was previously saved and then deleted, begins to work at a reduced speed. This happens because before new entry into previously used memory cells, the SSD is forced to clear them first. While TRIM function Clears previously used memory cells in advance at a time when the disk is not very actively used. So the TRIM function is a “garbage collection” function and is important for conservation overall speed SSD operation during the second and subsequent rewrites of data into memory cells. Without TRIM, the speed of the drive decreases very noticeably.

Understanding SSD manufacturers

Let us next consider the main manufacturers of SSD drives. Does it make sense to purchase not-so-cheap new equipment made by completely unknown manufacturers, albeit at more attractive prices? It is rightly believed that well-known brands make higher demands on their production and care about the quality of their products much more than those who do not necessarily need to maintain a decent level of equipment released to the market. When buying a drive from an unknown company, we are simply purchasing a “pig in a poke.”

Let us list the manufacturers under whose brand they produce reliable products that have long and firmly established themselves in the electronic devices market.

• Toshiba is one of the oldest and most famous brands producing SSDs. They do not simply assemble devices, but also have their own production of flash memory and have proven themselves worthily in the long-term production of HDDs.
• Samsung is a well-known company and one of the leaders in the SSD market. They have made and continue to make many developments specifically in the field of solid-state drives. The company supplies SSD flash memory and controllers of its own production.
• Intel is also a leading company in the production of modern equipment and the latest technological developments. Devices produced by Intel, as a rule, belong to the expensive price segment, but are usually extremely reliable. Some SSD models are produced by it on its own controllers, and flash memory is created in its own production facilities (joint with other well-known companies). The five-year warranty from Intel also perfectly characterizes the equipment from this company.
• Crucial is trademark, used by the well-known company Micron in the production of SSD drives. Many users have long been familiar with Micron products and are accustomed to trusting them. Micron produces flash memory together with Intel, and the controllers it installs in its equipment are Marvell controllers. At the same time, Crucial drives in their price category are aimed at budget segment market.
• Corsair is a manufacturer that has long proven itself in the electronic equipment market. The SSD drives they produce are somewhat more expensive, but they fully support high quality their model lines. Corsair is attentive to the components of its solid-state drives and uses SSD controllers from manufacturers that have proven themselves in this market - Phison, SandForce, LAMD. They produce several lines of SSDs.
• SanDisk is a fairly popular brand that cares about the quality of its products. SSDs are equipped with flash memory, which is used by the already mentioned Toshiba. The company has long been engaged in the production of equipment one way or another related to solid-state drives - USB flash drives, memory cards.
• Plextor – SSDs for this brand are manufactured by Lite-On. The quality, however, is very decent. SSDs from Plextor are equipped with Intel-Crucial (Micron) or Toshiba flash memory, and controllers are installed from the same Marvell. Drives marketed under the Plextor brand have some of the best speed and reliability.
• Kingston is a company that has been firmly entrenched in the electronic equipment market for quite a long time. It is represented on the market by a fairly wide range of SSD drives, which are equipped with controllers from well-known manufacturers - Phison, SandForce.

As we have already said, when purchasing a solid-state drive, you need to focus, first of all, on your budget and the tasks that you set for the new equipment. But there is no doubt that the equipment must be from a trusted manufacturer, with a sufficiently long warranty. The market for solid-state drives is large, however, let's summarize our recommendations.

1. It is better to purchase a well-known brand with a reliable long-term warranty.
2. The controller manufacturer is no less important than the memory cell manufacturer.
3. The higher the total disk volume, the higher its speed indicators.
4. The lifespan of an SSD primarily depends on the technology used to create the memory cells. The optimal technology is MLC type of drive memory.
5. When purchasing an SSD, you need to take into account how the new equipment will be connected, that is, the interface for connecting it to the system should be clear to you.
6. TRIM function support is important.

Understanding SSD prices

Here are a few of the best, in our opinion, SSD options.

Among the models designed for regular user with a capacity of 120/128 Gigabytes, you can pay attention to SSD data, they can be purchased from 3.5 to 4.5 thousand rubles:

• Intel SSDSC2KW120H6X1
• Kingston SUV400S37/120G
• Toshiba THN-S101Z1200E8

Acceptable models with a capacity of 250 Gigabytes will cost from 5 to 10 thousand. You can pay attention to the following:

• Samsung MZ-75E250BW
• Kingston SV300S37A/240G

A good choice would be larger SSD models (480/512 GB), the cost will be from 10 to 15 thousand:

• Samsung MZ-75E500BW
• Plextor PX-512M8PeY
• Intel SSDPEKKW512G7X1

Larger drives will cost more – the cost starts at an average of 20 thousand:

• Samsung MZ-7KE1T0BW
• Intel SSDSC2BX012T401
• Samsung MZ-75E2T0BW

If you have already begun to decide on specific SSD models to purchase, it is worth finding detailed user reviews on them on the Internet, and try to evaluate all aspects of specific models, even from well-known manufacturers.

In conclusion, some brief tips on how to extend the life of your SSD.

• Do not fill the disk to capacity - it needs 20-30% of free space for normal operation;
• Take care of uninterruptible power supply – sudden shutdown harmful to SSD;
• Temperature conditions - SSDs, like any electronic equipment, do not like overheating - take care of cooling.

13. 03.2017

Blog of Dmitry Vassiyarov.

What's the big deal about solid state drives?

Hello readers. Today we’ll talk about what an ssd drive is. For some ordinary computer users, the concept of ssd - solid-state drives is new and incomprehensible.

After reading this article, you will not only understand what we are talking about, but will also be able to support the conversation about this device and choose the right one for yourself. After all, old hardware is a thing of history and each of us sooner or later has to change it. What do modern developments look like? Read on.

What is a solid state drive?

A solid-state drive, which in English is called “Solid-State Drive” (SSD), is a storage device based on memory chips.

The situation hasn't become much clearer, has it?

I won’t bother you any longer and will explain it more simply: it’s like a flash drive, which replaces the flash drive, but has a different configuration and operating technology, and besides, it works faster and has larger amounts of memory.

If you are reading this article, most likely your computer has a regular hard drive installed: it has platters, read and write heads that spin at breakneck speed. Because of this, the screw makes noise. This cannot happen with a solid-state drive, because it is only a chip - no spinning or whirring mechanisms.

This is how HDD and SSD differ from the inside:

Types of microcircuits

Solid state drives are different depending on the specifics of data storage on chips:

Benefits of SSD

In addition to noiselessness, a modern drive has the following advantages:

• Strength. It is not afraid of shocks and vibrations, unlike the usual hdd drive. The latter must be protected from shaking, because if the read heads collide with the spinning disks, you can say goodbye to years of accumulated photographs, reporting documentation and other important data that you store on the screw.
• Small size. Compared to conventional screws, SSDs are much lighter and smaller.
• Low power consumption.
• Incredibly high data transfer speed. This is the biggest plus.

Flaws

As they say, not without a fly in the ointment:

• High price. Most likely, this will not last long, because the cost of solid-state drives is already gradually decreasing.
• Impossibility of data recovery.
  If in case of breakdown hard drive There is a chance to get at least part of the information, but there is no way to do this in an SSD - programs or any methods simply do not exist.

Why? I'll explain with an example. When voltage drops in regular hard drive Often only the controller burns out, but in ssd drive it is located next to the memory chip.
Therefore, if something catches fire, the whole thing burns out.

• Limited number of rewrite cycles. Many may not even notice this drawback, because an MLC disk can last on average 3-4 years (this is only in theory), and the more expensive SLC can last even longer.

Moreover, during this period, as a rule, any computer requires one or another update. But there is good news: FRAM technology has already been developed that can operate in continuous read and write mode for 40 years. Isn't it weak?

In addition to the types of chips, SSDs differ in several other criteria. They need to be taken into account when choosing. Let's take a closer look.

Interface

This parameter indicates what type of connection the drive has. The data transfer speed also depends on it. Main types throughput buses:

• operates at a speed of 1000 Mbit/s. This is an outdated option, but still occurs sometimes.
• SATA is a little faster (1500 Mbit/s).
• SATA2 is faster (3000 Mbit/s).
• Want to fully experience the capabilities of an SSD? Choose the 3rd generation of buses, the speed of which is twice as high as the previous one (up to 6000 Mbit/s).
• There are also devices with a connection type PCI Express. Do you want to turn your computer into a super-fast machine? Give preference to PCI-e because it is even faster than SATA3. This interface is capable of transmitting data at a speed of 2 Gb/s.

• There is one more tire. This is an M.2 interface (in theory, it should reach speeds faster even than PCI-E), but so far such drives are not very popular, and manufacturers have not yet learned how to make fast products using its potential. Another advantage is that such devices are not very large in size.

Form factor

This criterion indicates the size of the drive.

SSD sizes up to 3.5-inch device. They are mainly used for server computers; they are rarely used at home.

Just know that they are there :-)

Basically, the most common ones are 2.5 inch devices.

The “2242” format is a small disk with a diameter of 22x3.5x42 mm (in the image this is a disk labeled mSATA)

There are also sizes “2260” and “2280” - these are also scarf-shaped drives, connected to the M.2 interface.

Memory capacity

Are you going to install the system on a solid state drive? Then 60 GB will be enough for you. If you are using it to store multimedia data, give preference to a larger capacity. It can reach 4 terabytes, so proceed from your financial capabilities.

The most commonly chosen capacity is 240/256 GB. The minimum is 120/128 GB - this is enough to install an operating system and store a small number of media files. For other types of files, solid-state drives are usually not purchased, well, not counting the major ones :).

Performance

In addition to the speed of a flash card, another important feature is the number of I/O operations it can perform per second. In English it looks like this: input/output operations per second (IOPS). In this situation, choose according to the principle: the more, the better.

Although, by and large, these figures are arbitrary. Performance is affected by many factors (controller model, chip type, capacity, cache algorithm, etc.), so to find out the capabilities of the drive, you need to test it. But since it is impossible to do this before purchasing, you can only trust the manufacturer’s data.

Well, that’s basically all I wanted to cover in this topic. I hope I wrote it in detail and clearly. Now you know what device lies behind the abbreviation SSD and its features, so you can safely upgrade your computer.

Solid state storage devices, also known as SSDs, are actively taking away market share personal computers for standard hard drives (HDD). In recent years, this trend has been especially noticeable due to the falling cost of such storage devices. The price of SSD drives continues to be higher than that of HDDs, if we talk about variations of the same volume, but the advantages of solid-state information storage justify it.

Pros and cons of SSD drives

Before purchasing an SSD drive, you need to evaluate the pros and cons that the user will receive from such a solution. The obvious advantages of solid-state drives over HDD drives include the following:

TO cons of SSD drives can be attributed to the high cost and difficulty of purchasing such large-capacity drives.

How to choose an SSD drive

SSDs from various manufacturers are available on the market. One company may have several lines of SSD drives, which vary in cost. When selecting an SSD, it is important to pay attention to the main parameters, choosing the best options for your tasks.

SSD capacity

The main parameter when choosing a solid-state drive is its capacity. On the market you can find models with different free space for storing information, and before purchasing it is important to decide for what purpose the drive will be used.

Most often, SSD drives are purchased to increase the loading speed and operation of the operating system. If only Windows, Linux, or another system will be installed on the disk, it makes sense to choose a 128 GB or 256 GB drive, depending on how much information the user stores in system folders, for example, “My Documents”. On average, the operating system takes up 40-60 GB (if we are talking about Windows).

If you are purchasing a solid state drive as the only storage device for your computer, you should choose SSD size, depending on the purpose of the PC and the activity of work on it.

SSD speed

The parameter that the disk manufacturer pays special attention to is operating speed. On the box of each solid-state drive you can see information about how fast the information storage device works for writing and reading. However, such figures are in most cases a marketing ploy, and in reality they are much lower. This is due to the fact that the disk manufacturer indicates the maximum sequential read/write speed, which does not play a big role in standard computer work.

When choosing an SSD drive, you need to pay attention to its speed in random operations of writing and reading 4K blocks of information. It is with such data that the drive in a computer has to work 90% of the time, occasionally reaching peak values. Find out information about real speed SSD operation can be done using various programs, therefore, before purchasing a drive, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with tests on the Internet for a specific drive model.

Please note: In most cases, the fastest drives in standard tasks those that have a high maximum sequential read/write speed, but this is not always the case. In addition, the values ​​​​specified by the SSD manufacturer may be overestimated.

SSD connection interface

SSD drives can be connected to a computer via one of the following interfaces:

• SATA 2;
• SATA 3;
• PCIe-E.

The fastest models use the SATA 3 interface, which has increased bandwidth.

As for PCIe-E SSD drives, it is almost impossible to find them on sale. Such drives are used for specific tasks when it is not possible to connect an accessory via SATA of any version. Using a PCIe-E connector is impractical in terms of its throughput.

SSD memory chip

Depending on the memory chip used in the information storage, the number of bits in one cell, the speed of the drive, and the number of possible overwrites of information vary. In SSDs you can find SLC, MLC and TLC chips. Their comparative characteristics are shown in the table:

Most often you can find on sale solid state drives made on MLC chips. This is justified by the cost of their production and characteristics. Drives with SLC chips are more often used for servers, and SSDs based on them are expensive. As for TLC memory chips, they are common in removable storage media (flash drives), which do not require such large number write/read cycles, like SSD drives installed in a computer.

SSD controller

The stability and competence of the controller in a solid-state drive largely determines its speed, durability, support for additional technologies, and many others. basic parameters. You need to choose SSDs that have a drive installed from one of the leading companies in this field: Intel, Marvell, Sandforce or Indilinx.

Please note: If a disk indicates high operating speed, but it has a bad controller from an unknown company, there is a high probability that such a drive will not work for long or will have problems when writing/reading information. That is why it is not recommended to buy “no-name SSDs”, about which there is no information other than the maximum sequential read/write parameters.

Additional SSD options and parameters

When purchasing SSDs, you may notice various items and options listed in their specifications. Let's decipher the most common of them:

• IOPS– this indicator tells you how many operations the drive can perform per second. You should pay attention to it, since in most cases it can tell more about the actual speed of the disk than information about maximum parameters read/write;
• MTBF– operating time of a solid-state drive before failure. Measured this parameter in hours, and not all drive manufacturers indicate it. MTBF is calculated based on tests performed, during which the disks are loaded until they fail, after which the average values ​​are calculated;
• TRIM– an option that is present in the controller of almost all SSDs. It implies that the “brain” of the drive will always be aware of which cells have been cleared of the information previously contained in them, thereby giving the disk the opportunity to use them;
• S.M.A.R.T.– a diagnostic option that is present in almost every solid-state storage device. It is necessary so that the disk can independently assess its condition, thereby approximately calculating the time before failure;
• Garbage Collection– an option designed to automatically clear memory of “phantom” files and other “garbage”.

The myth that SSDs work several times less than HDDs has long been dispelled. With standard solid state loading hard drives can be used without problems for 10 years or more.

SSD (Solid State Disk), strictly speaking, is not a disk. Unlike HDDs, which store information on rotating magnetic disks, SSD does not contain any disks. The data in them is stored on flash memory chips. This is where most of the features of this type of drive come from. Pros:

But SSDs also have disadvantages:
- high price. The price of 1 GB of SSD drives is generally in the range of 25-50 rubles (although there are models with 20 and 200 rubles per GB). For hard drives, this figure is almost 10 times lower - 3-6 rubles per GB. Simply put, the average SSD is 8-9 times more expensive than the average HDD of similar capacity. However, the development of flash memory technologies is still ongoing and their prices are constantly falling: over 5 years, from 2012 to 2017, SSD drives have fallen in price by about 5 times. HDD drives over the same period they fell in price by only 30%, so we can hope that in another five years SDD drives will cost the same as HDDs.
- limited number of recording cycles. Flash memory chips have a limited resource (especially chips made using TLC technology) and incorrect using SSD drive may lead to its failure. SSD drives should not be used for tasks involving frequent write operations (storing temporary files, paging files, accounts, etc.). Data compression and defragmentation should not be applied to SSD drives.

To summarize, we can say that it may be optimal SSD selection as a mobile external drive, used primarily for storage (audio and video files, installation kits, archives and databases). In this case, the limited number of write cycles is no longer so important, and resistance to mechanical stress becomes a very important advantage.

The high price of SSD drives forces you to pay close attention to cheaper models, especially since their prices can be several times lower than for other models similar in speed and capacity. Why?
Firstly, the price may be lower due to a different type of memory. The cheapest chips are manufactured using TLC technology, but they also have the smallest number of write cycles: 1000-5000. The MLC chips most common in SSD drives today are more expensive and on average have a resource of 10,000 write cycles. Roughly speaking, a cheap SSD with TLC chips can last 10 times less than an expensive one with TLC chips.

Comparison of SSD drives and flash drives.

Characteristics of external SSD drives.

Volume– the main characteristic of any drive, which primarily determines its price. When choosing the capacity of any drive, you should understand that the sizes of both software and media files are constantly growing, so some reserve never hurts; In addition, SSD drives, due to certain features of the organization of data recording, “do not like” dense filling of all available memory. On some SSD drive models, the write speed may drop significantly when the capacity is close to 100%.

Interface connecting an external SSD drive must provide a data transfer speed no less than the read/write speed to the SSD itself.

USB 3.0 seems for today the best option interface for external SSD drive:
- its maximum transfer speed of 5 GB/s is significantly higher SSD speed drive and does not interfere with data transfer from it;
- USB 3.0 is supported by most computers, laptops and tablets
- Thanks to USB backward compatibility, a drive with a USB 3.0 interface can be connected to older computers that do not have USB 3.0 ports.