What is a solid state drive or SSD? Solid State Drive (SSD), why is it needed?

We tried to figure out what an SSD drive is and how it differs from classic hard drives. Concluding the general description, today we will focus on the form factor of the drives. SSD sizes cannot be arbitrary, but are subject to certain standards. Let's see what they are.

What is form factor

This is a certain set of requirements that must be met during the production of a particular computer component. Power supplies, motherboards, disks, cases designed to install motherboards of one or another form factor, etc. have a form factor.

This ensures that when installing a disk, motherboard or power supply into the case, all mounting holes and the location of interface connectors (for drives) will be the same for all devices, regardless of manufacturer, model, functionality. Thus, motherboards of the mATX form factor of any brand have the same overall dimensions and location of holes for screwing to the case.

The same goes for disks. 2.5-inch drives, whether hard drives or SSDs, have the same external dimensions, pin locations, and mounting holes. The whole difference lies inside, in the filling.

There are several drive form factors in use today, with SSDs offering a wider variety of sizes. This is due to the absence of moving parts and the theoretical possibility of making any shape. Naturally, in order to be practical, this “form” must be standardized.

2.5 inch drives

The now familiar size of small laptop drives rivals traditional 3.5-inch drives. Most likely, there is no talk of active displacement of larger drives by compact analogues, but for SSDs the optimal size turned out to be 2.5 inches.

Externally, an SDD differs from a HDD only in its weight (SSD is much lighter) and the absence of any visible printed circuit boards. This is a fairly simple, if not boring, box. The connection is made to the SATA interface. Considering the speed characteristics of solid-state drives, connecting to SATA below version 3 does not seem reasonable. In this case, the SSD will not reveal its potential.

It must be said that here, in fact, the analogy with conventional hard drives ends. All other variations are the prerogative of SSD drives.

mSATA drives

A variation of regular SATA, characterized by compact dimensions, which is why the SSD itself lost its housing and became very small. This made it possible to use such capacious boards in compact computers, and also to install in laptops, in addition to a regular hard drive, another drive, in this case an SSD.

In particular, on the laptop on which I am now writing these lines, in addition to a regular hard drive, there is an SSD drive in the mSATA format, which I use as a system drive. Even considering that I have a budget-class disk, the speed of operation, system loading, and programs has increased significantly.

This form factor, for the mSATA connector, did not last long, giving way to a more promising option.

M.2 drives

Perhaps the most interesting option for SSD drives. The advantages are compactness, the ability to work not only on the SATA bus, but also on the significantly faster PCI-Express. This connector can now increasingly be found in laptops and motherboards for desktop computers.

If when assembling a regular PC the issue of saving space is not so relevant, then in the case of a laptop computer the ability to use a small, lightweight, energy-efficient and fast drive is a blessing.

When choosing M.2 drives, there is a little confusion, which is based on the fact that the drive can operate on different buses, i.e. use SATA or PCI-Express. Therefore, the drives have a different key, i.e. a cutout on the contact connector.

As a rule, SSD drives come with keys:

• B-key. SSD drives for SATA or PCI-Express x2 interfaces. In reality, this option is extremely rare.
• M-key. SSD drives for PCI-Express x interface You can use drives with an emulated SATA interface. A drive with such a key cannot be installed in a slot with a B-key operating on the SATA bus.
• M&B (M+B) key. A universal option for SSD drives running on the SATA bus. Can be installed in both B-key and M-key slots.

The form factor for SSD M.2 is also regulated in terms of length and width. Typical sizes of SSD drives are 22 mm wide and long, ranging in size from 16 to 110 mm. Full list of acceptable length dimensions: 16, 26, 30, 38, 42, 60, 80, 110 mm. The most common are 42, 60 and 80 mm.

This is reflected in the labeling of SSD drives. So, if it is indicated that the M.2 drive is 2242, then this means that the dimensions of the drive are 22x42 mm. If M.2 is 2280, then, accordingly, 22x80 mm. It's simple!

Even if the motherboard does not have an M.2 connector installed, you can still use such drives. Many manufacturers offer drive models with an adapter card for a PCI-Express connector. Accordingly, the SSD itself is also designed to work with this bus. The “rate of fire” of such a disk will be very impressive. After it, the performance of a regular hard drive will be perceived as depressing.

Unfortunately, there is a small fly in the ointment in all of the “goodies” listed. The compact size of SSD drives limits storage capacity. This is due to the number of memory chips that can be placed on such a small board. The maximum capacity of an M.2 SSD drive currently does not exceed 1 TB. This value will be increased by more capacious memory chips, which will undoubtedly appear.

PCIe Add-in Card (AIC)

These are drives made in the form of a board inserted into a PCI-Express slot, which can be standard or half size in both length and width, which allows them to be used in 2U rackmount enclosures. Actually, such SSDs belong to the corporate class and are intended primarily for installation in servers and storage systems (Data Storage Systems).

As a rule, drives use SLC memory, which is expensive in itself, but reliable and durable. Using such disks in a regular home computer is a luxury that not everyone can afford. True, there is no particular need for this.

SATA-Express drives

Finding such discs is almost impossible. This interface was planned to replace the good old SATA with its leisurely 600 MB/s maximum throughput. It was too tempting to use the faster PCI-Express bus. So this interface was planned to use 2 PCI-Express lines, which would allow achieving a maximum throughput of 2 GB/s.

Apparently, this interface will remain one of the stages that has not found implementation, since already now M.2 SSD drives can use 4 PCI-Express lanes with a peak throughput of 4 GB/s. A special cable is used for connection.

U.2 drives

There are also such SSD drives. This form factor allows you to use all the advantages of the high-speed PCI-Express bus, but not be limited to drives with an M.2 connector. Externally they resemble 2.5-inch drives, but with a thickness of up to 15 mm. 4 PCI-Express lanes are used.

The choice of such drives is very small, and they are mainly aimed at use in servers, storage systems (data storage systems), data centers, etc. If the motherboard has an M.2 connector on the PCI-Express bus, and there is SSD drive of U.2 form factor, then you will still be able to connect it. There are M.2 to U.2 adapters that will allow you to experience the full power of such a high-speed drive.

At the moment, this form factor is rather a thing of the future, and primarily it is relevant for servers.

DIMM drives

If we talk about the exotic, there are also sizes of SSD disks that are completely identical, coincide with the sizes of conventional memory modules, and are installed in a free RAM slot. This may be relevant for specific server platforms with a large number of DIMM slots.

There are different options that combine SSD and RAM on one module, or only a solid-state drive that is inserted into the RAM connector and receives power from it, but the data is transferred using a regular SATA cable connected to the module and the motherboard or controller.

This is of little interest for home computers, and it’s difficult to find them on sale.

SSD sizes. Conclusion

So, to briefly summarize, the size of SSD drives, i.e. the form factor, determines the physical dimensions of the drive, which also affects its characteristics. A 2.5-inch laptop hard drive can be easily replaced with the same SSD. It will fit both the location of the mounting holes and connectors - power supply and interface.

If your computer has an M.2 connector that supports, for example, 2242, 2260 and 2280 drives, then you can also install a suitable SSD. The main thing is not to make a mistake about which bus this interface uses and, accordingly, which key is in the connector. An SATA bus SSD with an M+B universal key can be used in any computer with an M.2 connector. If the SSD uses the PCI-Express bus, then it has an M-key, and can only be used in an M.2 slot running on this bus (also with an M key).

These are the 2 most common form factors of SSD drives at the moment. The choice in favor of one option or another is determined by layout considerations, necessity, cost and a number of other reasons.

This is where we’ll finish talking about the sizes of SSD drives, and in the next article we’ll get into the insides. We will look at the ones that are used in these drives, what they are like, how they differ, what are the advantages and disadvantages.

The abbreviation SSD stands for Solid-State Drive. Which, in fact, is translated as a solid-state drive. Its peculiarity is that it does not contain moving mechanical parts: inside there are only boards and microcircuits, with the help of which information is recorded, stored and read.

The history of SSDs began quite a long time ago. For the first time, StorageTek was able to implement something similar in 1985. But at that time, the high cost and low manufacturability of components did not allow the mass implementation of solutions among the masses, and there was no particular answer as to why a fast SSD drive was needed in a computer if the interfaces and peripherals still worked slowly. But in the early 2010s, the popularity of SSDs increased greatly. Nowadays, almost every new laptop comes with an SSD or a hybrid hard drive configuration. Next, we will look at what it is - an SSD in a laptop or desktop computer.

Why do you need an SSD drive in a computer?

An SSD is no different from a HDD in its purpose. It is designed to perform the same function - to store data, the operating system, swap files and the like. Naturally, this replacement is more expensive if we translate it in terms of gigabytes/ruble. It is more than likely that the situation will change in the near future.

SSD hard drive device in laptop and computer

There is essentially no difference between what an SSD is in a laptop and a desktop computer. It can be a case similar to a HDD, or it can be made in the form of a board for installation in an M.2 type connector. If you disassemble the SSD or look at the board, it is very similar in design to a regular flash drive. In general, an SSD is a large flash drive with the same operating principle.

The entire device is controlled by a controller that distributes data among cells, monitors their status, deletion, and generally performs all functions similar to the functions of a processor in a computer.

The memory itself is flash memory, the same as on flash drives. SSDs use the NAND type, which characterizes a three-dimensional arrangement of conductors where a number of cells are used at the intersections.

Based on the method of writing data to a cell, there are two types of implementation: SLC - Single-level Cell and MLC - Multi-level Cell. As you might guess, in the first case only one bit is written to one cell, in the second - several. Now another type has emerged from MLC, the name of which has become established in everyday life, although it is part of a subset of this type - TLC, Triple-level Cell.

There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to each implementation. MLC is cheaper in terms of volume/price ratio. This makes the SSD hard drive cheaper in the long run, which also affects consumer choice. But the multi-layer recording structure imposes limitations on the number of write cycles and performance. The more nesting levels are used, the more complex the algorithm for working with cells becomes and the smaller the resource. SLC is proportionally more expensive and has greater service life and performance.

Manufacturers solve problems with memory resource and reliability using algorithms that allow them to control the process of cell use: recording is done in those areas of memory that were used least often. Another approach is used - memory reservation. Almost every SSD leaves about 20% of the memory “in reserve” in order to replenish it from there in the event of cell loss.

How an SSD drive works

Probably, many people know how a regular hard drive works - the magnetic head runs from the beginning to the edge of the rotating disk and reads data from the tracks. The main problem with magnetic disks is that it takes too much time to position the head in the area with the required data. And if the file is also divided into several pieces in different areas, then the time of the reading or writing process increases significantly.

To understand what an SSD drive is, you need to know the principle of its operation. To access data to read or cells to write, the system only needs to know the address. The controller then simply returns blocks of data. Time is spent only searching for an address and transferring data - literally milliseconds.

Types of hard solid state drives

SSD types can be characterized by form factor and interface type. There are three main form factors:

• 2.5". The disk is housed in a 2.5-inch case. Provides compatibility between almost all types of systems: laptops, servers, PCs.

• As a separate card for the PCIe slot. Provides good speed and reliability, uses the PCI Express interface.

• M.2. A relatively new format, presented mainly in the form of a board that is installed directly on the motherboard in the M.2 connector, which is very compact. This SSD can be found in three different versions depending on the length: 2242, 2260, 2280. The last two digits indicate the length in mm.

There are several other formats that are rare and needed for a narrow range of tasks, for example 1.8”, 3.5” or mSata.

Interfaces are more difficult to understand. There is a mess of standards and specifications here. Let's start with the most popular one - SATA. To date, there are three main revisions and two additional ones. SATA - supports up to 1.5 Gbit/s. Now it is becoming less and less common. SATA II - up to 3 Gbit/s. SATA III - up to 6 Gbit/s. Revision SATA 3.2 received an additional Express prefix. It has speeds of up to 8 Gbit/s and is backward compatible with other SATA, and, most interestingly, it is based on a PCI Express interface. The interface can be implemented in both 2.5-inch and M.2 form factors.

The PCI-E interface is a little easier. It is implemented mainly in M.2 in SSDs. It is worth noting that PCI can be multi-channel. The more channels, the faster the data transfer speed.

General characteristics of SSD (Solid State Disk)

Let's look at the basic characteristics by which we can identify an SSD, figure out what it is, and compare it with an HDD.

Interface and form factor

We have already talked a little about this. Now consider this in the context of choice and relevance for different systems. With interfaces, everything is simple - eSATA is now considered the most productive, which in the specifications in some stores and manufacturers can be designated as PCI-E. This is by far the fastest interface.

The form factor must be chosen depending on the type of PC - laptop or desktop. In a stationary one, for compactness, you can use M.2, which takes up little space on the board and does not require additional power. New laptops also support M.2. For older ones, the 2.5-inch form factor is relevant.

Disk capacity and speed

SSD capacities are quite expensive. The most budget version of a 32 GB SSD can be purchased for about 1,500 rubles, while a HDD for the same money will already have a capacity of 160 GB or more. As for speed, everything is not so clear. Very often, data read and write speeds in disk specifications are greatly overstated. And not necessarily only from little-known small companies, but even from famous brands. Therefore, you have to rely on reviews and measurements of authoritative services and testers.

Type of memory chips

It is interesting that now both types of memory - MLC and SLC - are almost the same in terms of performance and write/rewrite resource. Much depends on the implementation of a particular manufacturer. Before purchasing each specific model, we would recommend looking at tests and reviews of these gadgets.

Leading manufacturers of SSD drives for PCs

The top includes well-known drive manufacturers. Their implementations do not differ in anything special. Moreover, controllers made by Samsung or Intel can be found not only in their own drives, but also in devices from competing brands. Main names in the top:

• Samsung. They produce a wide range of SSDs for a variety of tasks;
• Western Digital. One of the oldest media manufacturers. It produces three different lines of drives - Green, Blue and Black;
• Intel. Everything is clear here. Reliability and quality;
• Transcend. Known mainly for its flash drives. Now we are releasing full-fledged SSDs.

Which SSD drive is better to buy?

If the budget is not limited, then there are no problems. If every ruble counts, then it is better to approach the issue thoroughly. Let's look at a couple of models that are worth paying attention to.

The type of memory it uses is TLC type. The stated read/write speed is 540/520 MB/s. The total storage capacity is 120 GB. In total, 75 TB of data can be written to the disk. On average, users write from 5 to 30 GB per day to their disk, which gives approximately 10 TB per year. Thus, the resource of this SSD should last approximately 7.5 years. The SATA interface is used for connection. You can buy the disc for 3,600 rubles. And its 2.5-inch form factor will allow it to be used both in a “desktop” and in a laptop.

Here are a couple of reviews about it:

Review of Samsung SSD 850

Review of Samsung SSD 850

More details on Yandex.Market: https://market.yandex.ru/product/1973235126/reviews?track=tabs

If compactness and space saving come first, then you can consider an SSD with M.2. Within 5000 rubles you can buy Intel SSDPEKKW128G8XT.

This is a drive with an M.2 connector and a size of 2280. Please note that the free space from the connector to the nearest component must be more than 80 mm. Memory type - TLC. The total disk size is 120 GB. This drive is interesting because it is connected using a PCI-E interface with 4 channels via an M.2 connector. This means that the bus does not limit the capabilities of the SSD and fully allows for excellent write and read speeds - which, by the way, are declared by the manufacturer at 650 MB/s for writing and 1640 MB/s for reading. The total resource is 72 TB of data. The device costs 4290 rubles.

More details on Yandex.Market: https://market.yandex.ru/product/1974689676/reviews?track=tabs

Intel SSDPEKKW128G8XT

In general, prices over 5,000 rubles do not inherently imply big leaps in terms of performance. Only the total disk volume changes. By the way, for SSDs, the volume indicator also affects durability. For example, a 120 GB disk with 30 GB daily writes will last approximately 7.5 years. With the same recording rhythm, a device with a capacity of 500 GB should last 4 times longer.

You can give this: you need a disk only for the system and programs - you can choose a smaller one, 60 or 120 GB, and store all the data, movies, pictures, etc. on another HDD. If you plan to store everything on one SSD, it is better to immediately choose a larger one. PCI-E interfaces are still more expensive than SATA, but they do not limit speed, so if your budget allows, it is better to choose the PCI-E interface.

Answers to frequently asked questions about SSD drive

During its existence, SSDs have acquired myths and legends, as well as constant questions. We will look at a few of them.

Special operating instructions

Many people believe that if you use the disk correctly, you can increase its service life. This includes various optimizations - disabling caches, indexing, paging file, defragmentation. In fact, these actions will not significantly affect the SSD resource. Rather, a decrease in overall performance due to disabling functionality will be less justified than an increase in the total resource by a couple of tens of gigabytes.

The only thing that can be recommended is to make backups: save your important data on alternative media - the cloud or another disk. Although this advice applies to all media in principle.

How is SSD different from HDD?

Read and write speed, shock and vibration resistance, noise level, power consumption and weight. These are the main advantages of SSD over HDD.

What is TRIM in SSD

TRIM is an instruction for ATA interfaces that allows the operating system to tell the disk which memory blocks can be unused and considered empty. Why do SSD drives need it? It was introduced due to the specifics of how solid-state drives operate. When writing new data to a cell, the SSD cannot simply replace the old data with new ones. He has to first read the data into the cache, clear the cell, and then write it - while the access speed decreases significantly. TRIM solved this problem. The system and the drive constantly exchange information about which cells are no longer needed, and upon the TRIM signal, these cells are reset to zero. The next time you write, the SSD just calmly writes data to it immediately.

Do you need an SSD for gaming?

Here, too, not everything is so simple. Firstly, you can’t expect a significant increase in FPS in games from using an SSD. The solid-state drive will be active during the initial loading of worlds and levels - locations will load faster. There is a possibility that an SSD drive can help in cases where performance is limited by the amount of RAM, when this data is dumped into the swap file. But in such a situation, changing the HDD to an SSD instead of increasing the RAM is a dubious pleasure.

By the way, there is an interesting video of testing popular games on different disks:

Good afternoon. Computer users have long been accustomed to the fact that internal hard drives are called HDDs. But, not so long ago, SSD hard drives began to appear on the markets. Many people have a hard time understanding what it is, an SSD drive? Is there a need to replace a regular HDD with them? Are these SSDs really as good as people say they are?

What is an SSD drive

An SSD is, as I already stated, a solid-state drive. This drive uses NAND memory. What makes it interesting is that this memory does not require electricity to store information. I can tell you in a language that is more understandable to you, this disk can be compared to a decent-sized flash card. Essentially, this is a flash drive.

I already wrote about a 1 TB and 2 TB flash card. The technology is very similar. The only difference is that the 1 and 2 TB flash drives that I wrote about are actually flash cards. And an SSD is a hard drive and it has a very decent speed of writing and reading data.

The difference between SSD and HDD and their features

In order for us to be able to identify these differences between solid-state drives and drives with spinning mechanisms, let's touch on the theory and operation of these drives.

HDD is a series of round metal plates that rotate on a spindle. Data is written on the surface of the plates with a special small head. If a person begins to copy any information to the disk, or simply launches the software, the disk head begins to move to find the place where the information the person needs is located.

Most of all, it resembles ordinary records from Soviet times, which the people of our country loved so much. But, instead of a needle, this design contains a head for reading data.

Advantages of SSD over HDD

1. The SSD does not have a single part that moves.
2. Based on the first point, the hard drive does not heat up, unlike the HDD, which gets very hot when a complex program or game is running.
3. Since the disc does not move, it operates silently. Also, noiselessness is achieved due to the small-power cooler, which does not need to cool the disk.
4. Due to the absence of moving parts, low power consumption is obtained, approximately half as much.
5. The most obvious thing is that such a disk responds very quickly to human action. That is, if you install Windows on such a disk, the computer will start very quickly.

I have presented to you the main advantages of SSD drives, which you can check for yourself. But, interestingly, people still ask similar questions and compare the merits of these Hard Drives:

• Due to the absence of moving parts, solid-state drives operate silently and have a significantly longer service life. Conventional disks most often break down precisely because of external damage - solid-state disks do not have this problem.
• The temperature of the solid-state drive is always at the required level, regardless of whether the cooler is cooling it or not. A moving disk without a fan can become very hot. Overheating can lead to failures in the program or its mechanical part.

Disadvantages of SSD drives

The main disadvantage of a solid-state drive is its price. It continues to remain decent and has a direct relationship with its volume. The second disadvantage of such a disk is the smaller number of write/erase cycles. A mobile hard drive can be rewritten and turned on/off many times. Solid state has limitations in this sense. But these restrictions in records are difficult to achieve in practice.

As a rule, the warranty period for SSDs is around three to five years. But, in ordinary life, such disks last much longer. From here, don't worry too much about this issue.

The most interesting thing is that there is a hybrid that uses part of a solid-state drive and has moving elements. It's called the SSHD hybrid. Manufacturers have tried to combine the advantages of these two drives in SSHD drives. But, the high speed of operation is noticeable only when the computer boots. Information output and recording in this model are approximately the same as in a regular HDD. Hence, hybrid models are not very popular among people.

How to choose the right SSD drive

Let's say you come to the conclusion that you need to replace an obsolete hard drive and purchase an SSD drive. It became clear to you why SSD is more profitable to buy. But, there is another question, namely, which SSD drive is better to choose in this case?

When you go to computer stores, you see drives that have different controllers, form factors, and prices. In all this diversity it is difficult to choose a worthy one. Therefore, to make it easier for you to choose among similar drives, I will give the parameters by which you should purchase an SSD.

Disk speed

Each hard drive, including solid-state ones, has two types of speed: reading information and writing. The higher these speeds, the greater the benefits. But, it is worth remembering that in descriptions of railways the maximum speed is most often written.

SSD disk capacity

I have already said that the main disadvantage of solid-state drives is their cost. As a rule, it depends on the disk capacity. The minimum volume today is 60 GB. In modern realities, Windows 10 with all its updates may require 80, 90, 100 GB. Therefore, this volume may not even be enough for the system.

But, if you love to play games and are into graphics programs like Photoshop, you need to look into drives with a capacity of >120GB.

Controller and Memory

There are 3 memory variations, which differ from each other in the number of bits in a memory cell - 1 bit (SLC), 2 bits (MLC), 3 bits (TLC). Option 1 is outdated and is no longer used at the moment. Hence, if you notice a similar option in the disc descriptions, immediately pass by.

MLC is currently more widespread than others. We will choose him. Although, it also has disadvantages. But, at the moment, there is no replacement for it, because... TLC is just beginning to be introduced on store shelves and is priced accordingly.

Regarding controllers, the problem is similar. The most common (popular) technology at the moment is SandForce, which increases the speed of the drive by compressing information before the user writes it.

But it also has a drawback: when the disk is almost completely filled with data, then after clearing this disk, the writing speed will no longer return to its previous rate. In other words, it will now be lower. To solve this problem, you need to remember one simple thing: do not fill the disk with data to capacity. In this case, after deleting the data, the speed will be OK.

Of course, there are other, expensive controllers with Indilinx, Intel, and Marvell technologies. Analyze your finances, and, if they allow, look at SSDs that have controllers from these manufacturers.

Form Factors and Design

Most of the solid-state drives that exist today are manufactured in the 2.5 form factor, which support the SATA 3 design. But, besides these, other, more expensive options are possible:

1. SSD external,
2. A PCI card that fits directly into the motherboard slot
3. A drive with an mSATA design that is installed in small PCs and laptops.

If we look at the design, then all new SSDs have a SATA 3 interface, but when the motherboard has an old generation controller (I or II), the hard drive can still be connected. But, there is a limitation. The data speed will be the same as the old generation controller. In other words, when connecting SATA 3 to SATA 2, the data speed will be SATA 2.

If the 3.5-inch form factor is important for a PC, then if you want to install a 2.5 SSD, you will need an adapter device called a “Sled”. This adapter is like a small shelf that needs to be hung where you are going to install the drive.

Note: using special The adapter allows you to install an SSD in place of a laptop DVD. Some users remove the currently little-used drive and install an SSD drive in its place. People install Windows on a new drive at home. The native hard drive of the laptop is formatted and used to store personal information.

Which SSD company should you choose?

This issue requires close attention. Of course, on many forums you will find posts saying that Silicon Power is the best, others will say Kingston. These companies produce various types of discs.

But this is not entirely true. In reality, there are not many manufacturers who actually produce NAND flash memory, unlike brands.

You can also select companies: Samsung, Crucial, SanDisk.

How to work with an SSD drive

If you have successfully purchased and installed an SSD drive, you will start the system and will be pleasantly surprised by the fast operation of all programs and applications. Also, the system will start up very quickly. In order for your computer to continue to work so quickly, remember the requirements for using SSD drives.

1. Do not fill the drive to capacity, to capacity, otherwise, as I already said, the data writing speed will become slower and, worst of all, it will not be able to recover. This is especially true for SandForce.
2. Operating systems that support TRIM are: Windows 7, 8.1, 10, Linux 2.6.33, Mac OS X 10.6.6.
3. It is worth storing personal information on HDDs. You should not quickly get rid of such a disk if it is in excellent condition. Insert two disks, and record video, audio, photos, and other information on the HDD that does not require high speed.
4. It is advisable to increase the capacity of the RAM card and, if possible, you should not use a swap file.

By following these recommendations, you have a chance to extend the life of your SSD drive without damaging it or reducing its speed. You can buy it on AliExpress. Disks on a page range from 120 to 960 GB, i.e., actually 1 TB. You can purchase it via the link.... Judging by the description, the disk is suitable for both Computers and (laptops).

From the screenshot you can see the disk volumes. If you need to install the system, it is enough to purchase a disk with a capacity of 120 GB. If it’s a full-fledged hard drive, then, at your discretion, from 480 to 960 GB. Why do I recommend installing Windows on a solid-state hard drive? Your system will boot in seconds! If you purchase a 1TB disk, all your programs will work!

In general, you can choose the one you like SSD drive on page...

SSD (solid state drive, solid state memory drive, solid state drive- Russian) - information storage device based on chips non-volatile memories that retain data after power is turned off. They are a relatively new type of storage media, and the first manifestation and development, non-volatile memory chips received from Flash drives and regular RAM memory.

Contains the same input/output interfaces as modern ones. IN SSD no moving parts and elements are used as in electromechanical devices (hard drives, floppy disks), which eliminates the possibility of mechanical wear.

Most modern solid state drives are based on non-volatile NAND memory. There are enterprise-class drives that use RAM memory coupled with backup power systems. This gives very high data transfer speeds, but the price of one gigabyte is very high by market standards.

There are hybrid versions of SSD and HDD drives.

They include magnetic plates for a large volume of stored information and a small volume SSD storage in one housing. The most frequently used data is stored in SSD drive and are updated as they are relevant from the block HDD. When this data is accessed, it is read at high speed from solid-state memory without accessing the slower magnetic platters.

What are SSD drives made of? .

* using example NAND memory

A solid state drive is made up of the chips themselves. NAND, a controller that brings all the functions, a volatile chip and a printed circuit board on which all this is soldered.

Sometimes in SSD drives used small battery, so that when the power is turned off, all data from the cache can be rewritten into non-volatile memory and keep all data intact. There are precedents that in drives with MLC memory when the power was turned off, some or all of the data was lost. WITH SLC memory, no such problems were noticed.

Memory.

Almost all high-, mid- and budget-class solid-state drives use non-volatile NAND(flash) memory because of its relative low cost, the ability to save data without constantly maintaining power and the ability to implement technology for saving data in the event of an unexpected power outage.

Thanks to the compact layout of the chips, manufacturers can produce SSD drives in form factor 1.8; 2.5 ; 3.5 and less if we are talking about devices without protective packaging. For example, for laptops or internal placement in a computer.

In the majority SSD drives use cheap memory that can fit in one cell more than one bit. This has a very effective effect on price finished product and contributes to the popularization of these drives. But there is MLC memory and major shortcomings. This low durability cells or more low speed writing and reading than .

SLC write down only one bit into the cell and this provides up to 10 times better durability and up to 2 times more high speed compared to MLC. There is one drawback - price drives on SLC memory approximately twice as high than the price of drives MLC memory. This is due to high production costs, and especially because SLC chips the same volume, required on average twice as much to achieve the same volume compared to MLC.

SSD controller.

Almost all indicators SSD drives depend on the control controller. It includes microprocessor, which manages all memory processes using a special firmware; and a bridge between the signals of the memory chips and the computer bus ( SATA).

Functions of a modern SSD controller:

• TRIM.
• Reading, writing and caching.
• Error correction ( ECC).
• Encryption (AES).
• Opportunity S.M.A.R.T monitoring.
• Marking and recording of non-working blocks to add them to the blacklist.
• Data compression ( Sandforce controllers for example).

All memory controllers are aimed at parallel connected NAND memory. Since the memory bus of one chip is very small (maximum 16 bit), buses of many chips connected in parallel are used (analogy RAID 0). In addition, a single chip does not have excellent characteristics, but on the contrary. For example high delay I/O When memory chips are combined in parallel, these delays are hidden by being shared among them. And the bus grows in proportion to each added chip, up to the maximum bandwidth of the controller.

Many controllers can use 6 Gbit/s, which is coupled with controllers that support data exchange speed 500mb/s, gives a noticeable increase in performance in reading/writing and complete Unlocking the potential of SSDs drive.

Cache memory.

IN SSD drives use cache memory in the form of volatile DRAM microcircuits, similar to those found in hard drives.

But in solid-state drives it carries another important function. Part of the firmware and the most frequently changed data are located in it, reducing wear and tear on the volatile NAND memory. Some controllers do not provide for the use of cache memory, but nevertheless they achieve high speed indicators ().

Interfaces for connecting SSD.

The most common interfaces for SSD consumer class are SATA 6 Gb/s, And USB 3.0. All these interfaces are capable of providing the required throughput for any SSD drive.

In portable devices such as laptops and tablet computers, compact SSD drives with interface mini PCI-Express (mSATA ).

Advantages and disadvantages of SSD drives compared to HDDs.

Advantages of SSD drives compared to HDDs(hard drives):

• They turn on instantly, do not require promotion.
• Significantly faster random access speeds.
• Significantly faster access speed.
• The data transfer speed is much higher.
• No defragmentation required.
• They are silent because they have no mechanical parts.
• Does not create vibrations.
• More resilient in terms of temperature, shock and vibration.
• Slightly lower power consumption.

Disadvantages of SSD drives compared to HDDs(hard drives).

• Cell wear. At least in SSD drives and missing mechanical parts, memory chips wear out (mlc ~10000 rewrites, slc ~100000 ).
• The capacity is much smaller.
• The price is significantly higher in relation to GB/$
• Inability to restore lost data after a command or simply after formatting.

Solid state drives use the command (instruction) TRIM to increase recording speed. Together with some microcontrollers, TRIM allows you to achieve a slight increase in reading speed. All solid state drives produced since 2012 have support TRIM. In earlier versions, to enable this instruction, you may need to update it with new firmware. In most cases, flashing the firmware permanently deletes all data.

SSD drives are still a completely new generation of information storage devices and they are not balanced products in all respects. However, for enthusiasts, enterprise customers and server use, they compare favorably in terms of performance, which may be a deciding factor for purchase. New round of evolution, solid-state drives will be available with mass production of memory chips Ferroelectric RAM (FRAM, FeRAM). This will improve the durability of the cells SSD drives.

But it’s not a fact that SSD storage is the future. Each new technological process, as practice has shown, reduces the read/write speed and increases the number of errors that arise, which also need to be removed using an error correction system to the detriment of performance. And for SLC this figure is acceptable, but with MLC And TLC (triple level cell) everything is very, very sad. With each new generation, without significant new breakthroughs, the speed will decrease. And by 4 nm, it will drop almost to the level HDD 2012.

Hard drives vs SSDs

The choice is obvious. Computer enthusiasts who have already tried SSD drives have felt the difference and do not want to go back to using a mechanical drive as a system drive. The disadvantages of SSDs - significantly higher price, small capacity - are gradually disappearing as technology develops.

The advantages of flash memory drives cannot be ignored: low access time, high data transfer rates, excellent I/O performance. We also note mechanical reliability, low energy consumption and silent operation.

At the moment, there are so many manufacturers offering SSD drives that it's not so easy to separate the wheat from the chaff. If you go straight to the test charts page, you can see how SSDs outperform HDDs. Even if you don’t look for the fastest solid-state drive, but take the performance of the most inexpensive model as a starting point, even such a drive will be many times faster than any hard drive!

Pros and cons of SSDs

It is difficult to evaluate the benefits of SSDs based on tests that are designed to compare different drives with each other, relative to other upgrade methods (new processor, graphics card).

As a result, average users looking to build a modern, productive PC might be advised to buy a small SSD drive and store most of their files on the hard drive, spending the bulk of their money on upgrading other PC components.

If you ask several ordinary users what kind of computer they would like to have, the answers will most likely be similar. Sandy Bridge architecture processor, at least 4 GB of RAM, good graphics card. The “default” set includes a hard drive, but SSD drives are usually out of the question. This is not correct.

It would be appropriate to sacrifice a couple of hundred gigahertz of the processor clock speed by adding a system SSD drive of about 60 GB to the hard drive. This way, you can get almost all the benefits of SSD technology without going broke on purchasing a large-capacity solid-state drive.

A superficial view is not always correct

Our opinions are usually based on real, comparable data. A 2 TB drive with a spindle speed of 7200 rpm looks, without a doubt, more attractive than the old 120 GB and 5400 rpm model. If previously the throughput of the SATA interface was 300 MB/s, now it has reached 600 MB/s. As we see, evolution is obvious, but for many such numbers mean more than real results.

In this case, we have two problems at once. First, too few users know that using a solid-state drive can actually significantly speed up applications. The second problem is the small size and high cost of SSDs.

But it’s worth repeating again: any modern SSD, regardless of model, is an order of magnitude faster than any hard drive. Let's illustrate this fact by comparing a simple SSD with one of the most powerful magnetic platter drives.

Samsung 470 Series vs. Seagate Barracuda XT

HDD: Seagate Barracuda XT, 3 TB

We chose a hi-end hard drive, which combines high performance for an HDD and large capacity. The Seagate drive is quite capable of representing the HDD as a class in this comparison. This is a modern hard drive with a capacity of 3 TB - not the maximum today, but this volume is enough for almost any PC.

Spindle rotation speed – 7200 rpm. As a latest-generation drive, the Seagate Barracuda XT combines high sequential data read and write speeds, decent response time for a hard drive, and relatively high I/O performance. The drive is equipped with the latest SATA 6 Gb/s interface. However, given the real peak performance of 160 MB/s, this is clearly just a publicity stunt: it would have been enough to limit ourselves to the previous version of the SATA interface.

Seagate XT belongs to the upper price bracket (about $250). It will appeal to those users who prefer modern hardware, but are still cautiously looking towards SSDs. The drive is covered by Seagate's five-year warranty.

As an alternative, there are Hitachi Deskstar 7K2000 and 7K3000 hard drives (both 3 TB), Western Digital Black Edition 2 TB. You can find out more about modern “heavyweights” from the world of HDD in the material on our website "Four HDDs with a capacity of 3 TB" .

SSD: Samsung 470 Series, 128 GB

Representatives of this Samsung line have previously been repeatedly used by us as references in various tests, but today these drives are no longer the newest and best (see our material Samsung SSD 830 series, dedicated to the new line of Korean solid-state drives).

The 470 series is represented by disks with a capacity of 64, 128 and 256 GB, equipped with the obsolete SATA 3 Gb/s interface. If you compare the Samsung 470 series drive with the latest models from Crucial, Intel and numerous drives based on the second generation SandForce controller, it does not look so modern.

Ultimately, the Samsung 470 series SSD provides data transfer speeds of up to 260 MB/s. Some of the latest SSD models with a SATA 6 Gb/s interface are capable of exceeding 500 MB/s in serial data transfer operations. The difference is significant. Our position in this case is that even the previous generation of solid-state drives is significantly ahead of any hard drive, including the most modern models.

Samsung, Intel, and Toshiba design and manufacture SSD components in-house (the only exception is the Intel SSD 510 series, which uses a Marvell controller). All three vendors have released enough firmware to fix firmware issues, so none of them are perfect. The bottom line is that even if the Samsung 470-series drive is not exactly what computer enthusiasts dream of, this drive is quite consistent in its characteristics with a standard “mid-class” SSD, and in this sense its choice is justified taking into account the purpose of this review. If you are interested in comparing the performance of more recent SSD models, you can familiarize yourself with the results of the corresponding tests on the pages of our website.

Comparison of characteristics

Performance

As you can see in the video at the end of this article, an SSD drive can significantly speed up a modern computer - whether it's the speed of launching applications, loading levels in games, or importing large amounts of data. Why is this happening?

First of all, the success of SSDs is associated with significantly higher data transfer rates. 2.5" hard drives reach 60-100 MB/s, 3.5" - 100-150 MB/s. Moreover, these indicators reflect the performance of HDDs in the most favorable conditions for them. The characteristics that vendors like to cite in specifications for this or that HDD model relate to sequential data read/write operations - here the lag of hard drives is least apparent. When the hard disk head moves to another disk partition/sector, the speed of operations decreases rapidly.

Disk usage modes in which I/O performance comes to the fore are not favorable for HDDs. An example is loading Windows, which involves reading a huge number of small blocks of data. Here, when comparing a hard drive with an SSD, the picture is even sadder.

The data transfer speed in such modes drops to several MB/s. This applies to even the newest and most productive HDD models. Thus, hard drives do a good job of sequentially copying large files, but their use as a system drive is not optimal.

SSD uses flash memory to store data. Such drives consist of many memory cells that are used in parallel to each other and interact with the controller through several data channels. Such an architecture is capable of providing sequential read speeds from a couple of hundred MB/s to record values ​​of more than 550 MB/s. However, as we have already noted, hard drives also perform well in serial data transfer.

The critical mode for SSDs is data writing operations, since only data blocks of a certain size can be written. If you need to write only a few bits to the disk, a whole series of operations will be required - reading, erasing and finally rewriting one or two blocks.

Thus, it is not uncommon for hundreds of MB/s to turn into just a few dozen in practice. But while we are talking about blocks of about 4 KB in size, which are used by modern file systems, SSDs are still 10-20 times faster than HDDs, providing performance in the tens of MB / s, while in the case of hard drives it drops to KB /s due to delays in head positioning. In real work, such a difference is not just noticeable, but striking.

Energy consumption and heating

SSDs consume, at most, a few watts. Hard drives can use 10 watts per hour or more if they are actively copying files. Modern SSDs do not heat up at all. Hard drives, on the other hand, often require cooling. Normal air circulation inside your computer case will most likely be enough, but the issue of proper cooling of the disk system is still worth considering when assembling a PC yourself.

Design features and reliability

SSDs have no moving parts, which makes them very reliable. Theoretically, it's possible that you expose the solid-state drive to extremely high vibration or shock, so that the soldering of the chips fails. In practice, this situation is unlikely.

Exactly the same tiny chance of breaking a solder exists with hard drives, but the real danger lies in the presence of moving elements - magnetic plates that rotate at high speed, and read/write heads. The operating principle of a modern HDD is reminiscent of an old-fashioned gramophone.

Mechanical parts have a certain resource and, in general, the reliability of the hard drive is lower. Any strong shock can turn a working hard drive into a piece of useless hardware. Modern HDDs have a certain “margin of safety” in relation to shock loads (which is especially true for 2.5” drives for laptops), but from the point of view of mechanical reliability they are still significantly inferior to SSDs.

Whether an SSD drive will survive a hard drive is impossible to say with certainty. It is known that HDDs are more prone to breakdowns, since their design combines electronics and mechanical elements. On the other hand, SSDs are more sensitive to firmware and we know of cases where, due to a firmware failure, a solid-state drive became unusable. The potential reliability issues for SSDs and HDDs are different, but exist in both cases. You can learn more about the issue of comparing the reliability of SSDs and magnetic platter drives in the article "Which is more reliable: SSD or HDD?" .

Test bench configuration

The results of these tests are indicative of most SSD and hard drive models. The tested components were selected to obtain the best comparison for both configuration options. The drives are tested on very similar systems. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the benefits of using an SSD as a system drive. We are not trying to prove that SSDs have advantages in all aspects (in fact, we do not recommend using them for data storage).

Test results

Sequential Read/Write

CrystalDiskMark and Iometer clearly show significantly higher data transfer speeds compared to a high-end hard drive. If you regularly read reviews, this fact is unlikely to be news to you.

Random Read/Write

The following results are very indicative from the point of view of booting the Windows operating system. When it comes to the real difference in everyday use, the SSD's separation from the hard drive may not be that significant, but in the synthetic test the difference is striking.

According to CrystalDiskMark, the hard drive works with 4 KB blocks in random read mode at a speed of 1.6 MB/s, write speed - 0.7 MB/s. Similar indicators for SSDs are an order of magnitude higher: 19.7 MB/s for write operations, 70.6 MB/s for read operations.

As the queue depth increases, SSD performance increases even further, which is explained by the fuller use of its multi-channel architecture: 129.4 MB/s for write operations and 70.5 for read operations. For HDDs, we also see a threefold increase in random write speed (up to 2.1 MB/s) thanks to NCQ support. However, the lag behind the SSD increases even further.

For larger block sizes (512 KB in this test), the hard drive can provide much better speeds than we just saw. However, SSD retains its leadership here too. A modern solid-state drive with a 6 Gb/s interface would provide a more serious lead over the HDD.

The balance of power is obvious: in the random search test using 4 KB blocks, the HDD provided a result of about 700 KB/s, the SSD - 18.4 MB/s.

At a large queue depth (64 commands), the SSD outperforms the hard drive in the random search test by 40-50 times.

In the Iometer read performance test, the Samsung 470 128GB achieves 28,000 IOPS performance. The hard drive shows a result of 102 operations per second.

When writing, an SSD operates on blocks of data: writing even just a few bytes requires a full cycle of rewriting the entire block. Therefore, in write operations, the SSD separation is not so glaring, but we are still talking about a difference of an order of magnitude. Iometer shows a result of 1343.5 I/O operations for SSD and 132.5 for HDD.

I/O performance and access time

The Database boot script paints a clear picture: SSD is 12 times faster than HDD.

In the Web Server scenario, the SSD's superiority is even more significant, since read operations account for the majority of the workload in this test.

In the workstation performance test, the balance of power does not change.

Access time

Unlike a hard drive, access time on an SSD is hardly measurable.

PCMark 7

Futuremark PCMark 7 simulates a typical PC experience. With rare exceptions, an SSD is 2-4 times faster than a hard drive. Note that in these tests the overall system performance changes, taking into account the influence of the CPU and video card. Thus, here we see a picture close to that which occurs during everyday use of a PC.

Exceptions include video processing in Windows Movie Maker, as well as the Windows Media Center boot script. In these tests, the SSD and HDD provide similar results.

Energy consumption

The smallest difference between an SSD and a hard drive in terms of energy consumption is observed in the streaming write stress test. But even in this test, one hard drive consumes about the same amount of power as three SSDs.

Energy efficiency: performance per watt

In database applications, the Samsung 470 outperforms the Seagate hard drive by 476 times (based on IOPS per watt).

In the streaming recording efficiency test, the solid-state drive outperformed the hard drive by 7 times.

Here it is necessary to briefly highlight the issue of measuring “capacity per watt”, since in this indicator SSDs are inferior to hard drives. To provide the amount of disk space corresponding to the Seagate Barracuda XT 3 TB, you will need to assemble an array of one and a half dozen SSDs. In this context, discussing “capacity per watt” can only be discussed in theory. If you need a lot of storage space, HDDs currently have no alternative.

SYSmark 2012

The benchmark developed by BARCo is not often used in tests. The fact is that some companies, including AMD and nVidia, do not trust this test package, which is explained by the specific composition of the package: it focuses on boot scenarios that have little to do with everyday PC use. A significant percentage of the overall performance rating is allocated to OCR or archiving operations. It is worth noting that AMD indicates the presence of certain optimizations for Intel architecture in SYSMark.

Please note that in tests from the SYSMark package, the SSD is very slightly ahead of the hard drive. We can say that the results are the same. The reason is that in this case it is not possible to isolate the impact of other computer subsystems on the final result.

Windows boot speed

A computer with a system SSD drive also turns off faster - in five seconds instead of eight in the case of an HDD.

Launching applications

We use a script that opens four applications at the same time. As in the case of loading the OS, the speed advantage for launching applications on a system with an SSD drive is quite significant. You can see how this looks in practice in the video.

Running applications on SSD and hard drive

So, we used a script that opens several applications at the same time and captures the difference in the form of a short video. The script runs immediately after Windows boots, after which it waits 30 seconds for all processes to complete. The script launches Internet Explorer 9 (offline version of the THG site), Microsoft Outlook (the same set of user folders as in SYSmark 2012), a “heavy” PowerPoint presentation and a large image in Adobe Photoshop.

We missed this test four times in a row. File caching slightly reduces the loading time for the fourth “run”, but this can only be noticed in relation to the HDD. Let's watch the video:

Our test simulates a work scenario when you turn on your computer and open several applications at once - for example, an office program, a web browser, a messenger, an image editor. As long as the system has a sufficient amount of RAM (that is, at least 4 GB at the moment), CPU performance is in second place after the disk subsystem. In other words, plus or minus 500 MHz of the processor frequency is not so significant, but replacing a hard drive with an SSD, on the contrary, significantly affects the result.

Here the question arises - is the choice of a specific SSD model important? In our opinion, this issue is not so fundamental. Even if you opt for the latest drive with the SandForce SF-2200 controller, which exceeds the 500 MB/s mark for sequential reading, the difference compared to the not-so-new SSD model we used in this test will not be too noticeable. If you try to use an SSD as a system drive for the first time, then you definitely won’t want to go back to hard drives.

Any modern SSD improves system responsiveness

For those computer enthusiasts who have not yet tried using an SSD, we can safely recommend this upgrade option. Undoubtedly, the game is worth the candle. While not every benchmark reflects the benefits of using an SSD as system storage (in particular, we don't see a significant gap in SYSMark), the real difference in performance is noticeable.

We compared one of the largest, fastest and most expensive hard drives on the market - the Seagate Barracuda XT - with a modest, not the latest Samsung 470 solid state drive. Of course, you can opt for a more “advanced” model, but even if you choose With respect to a budget model, you can get all the benefits of an SSD.

At the same time, we are not at all trying to retire hard drives. When it comes to storing files, there is no alternative to this type of drive. An SSD should be used to install an operating system and place executable program files and application caches on it.

For most cases, the ideal configuration of a modern PC includes a system SSD drive and a large hard drive on which movies, music, images, and documents are stored. Systems without an SSD are considered budget configuration options, and computers with only a solid-state drive are almost never found in nature.