Better for ssd. Differences between cheap SSDs and expensive ones. Main characteristics of SSD drives
More and more users are purchasing SSD drives for installation in PCs. They are used in parallel with HDD or instead of them. Solid State Drives have many advantages over hard drives. Therefore, you need to know how to choose the right SSD drive for your computer.
What does it represent?
A solid state drive is a non-mechanical storage device. It is designed for installation on PCs, laptops, server equipment and is designed to replace HDD drives. An SSD is created based on memory chips that are controlled by a special controller.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages:
- high speed of reading/writing data and performance;
- low heat generation and electricity consumption;
- no noise due to the absence of moving parts;
- small dimensions;
- high resistance to mechanical damage (overload up to 1500g), magnetic fields, temperature changes;
- stability of data reading time regardless of memory fragmentation.
Flaws:
- limited number of rewrite cycles (1,000 – 100,000 times);
- high cost;
- vulnerability to electrical damage;
- risk total loss information without the possibility of its recovery.
Main characteristics
If you are buying an SSD to install on your computer, pay attention to its main characteristics.
When purchasing an SSD drive, first of all, pay attention to the volume and purpose of use. If you are purchasing it just to install the OS, choose a device with 60 GB or more memory.
Modern gamers prefer to install games on SSDs to increase performance. If you are one of them, then you need an option with a memory capacity of 120 GB.
If you purchase an SSD instead of hard drive, proceed from the calculation of how much information is stored on the computer. But in this case, the capacity of the SSD disk should not be less than 250 GB.
Important! The cost of a solid-state drive directly depends on the volume. So if your budget is limited, use SSD for installation operating system, and HDD for data storage.
Most modern models SSD drives are sold in a 2.5-inch form factor and are built into a protective box. Because of this they look like classic hard drives the same size.
Good to know! To install a 2.5-inch SSD drive into a standard 3.5-inch mount inside a PC case, special adapters are used. Some case models provide sockets for a 2.5-inch form factor.
There are 1.8-inch and smaller SSDs on the market that are used in compact devices.
Connection interface
Solid state drives have several connection interface options:
- SATA II;
- SATA III;
- PCIe;
- mSATA;
- PCIe + M.2.
The most common option is to connect using a SATA connector. There are still SATA II models on the market. They are no longer relevant, but even if you purchase such a device, thanks to backward compatibility SATA interface it will work with motherboard, supporting SATA III.
When using an SSD with a PCIe interface, you may need to install drivers, but the data transfer speed will be higher compared to a SATA connection.
mSATA models are used on compact devices, but work on the same principle as the standard SATA interface.
M.2 or NGFF (Next Generation Form Factor) models are a continuation of the development of the mSATA line. They have smaller dimensions and greater flexibility for configuration by digital equipment manufacturers.
Read/write speed
The higher this value, the more productive the computer. Average speeds:
- reading 450-550 MB/s;
- recording 350-550 Mb/s.
Manufacturers may indicate the maximum read/write speed rather than the actual one. To find out real numbers, look on the Internet for reviews and reviews of the model you are interested in.
In addition, pay attention to the access time. This is the time during which the disk finds the information required by the program or OS. The standard indicator is 10-19 ms. But since solid state drives no moving parts, much faster than hard drives.
Memory type and runtime to failure
There are several types of memory cells used in SSD drives:
- MLC (Multi Level Cell);
- SLC (Single Level Cell);
- TLC (Three Level Cell);
- 3D V-NAND.
MLC is the most common type, which allows you to store two bits of information in one cell. It has a relatively short resource of rewrite cycles (3,000 - 5,000), but lower cost, due to which this type of cell is used for mass production of solid-state drives.
The SLC type stores only one bit of data per cell. These chips are different for a long time life (up to 100,000 rewrite cycles), high speed data transfer, and minimal access time. But due to the high cost and small data storage volumes, they are used for server and industrial solutions.
The TLC type stores three bits of data. The main advantage is low production cost. Among the disadvantages: the number of rewrite cycles is 1,000 - 5,000 repetitions, and the read/write speed is significantly lower than the first two types of chips.
Healthy! IN lately Manufacturers have managed to increase the lifetime of TLC discs to 3,000 rewrite cycles.
3D V-NAND models use 32-layer flash memory instead of standard MLC or TLC chips. The microchip has a three-dimensional structure, due to which the volume of recorded data per unit area is much higher. At the same time, the reliability of information storage increases by 2-10 times.
The reliability of the solid-state drive depends on the manufacturer. Famous companies produce high-quality devices with subsequent technical and hardware support. Their factories have high requirements, which ensures excellent quality manufactured products.
Modern manufacturers of SSD drives: Samsung, OCZ (a division of Toshiba), Kingston, Crucial, Corsair, Plextor, GOODRAM, Silicon Power,Transcend.
TRIM function
Most important additional function for a solid-state drive, this is TRIM (garbage collection). It is as follows.
Information on the SSD is first written to free cells. If the disk writes data to a cell that was previously used, it first clears it (unlike an HDD, where data is written over existing information). If the model does not support TRIM, it clears the cell just before writing new information, causing the operation to slow down.
If the SSD supports TRIM, it receives a command from the OS to delete data in the cell and clears it not before overwriting, but during the “idle” of the disk. This is done in background. This maintains the write speed at the level specified by the manufacturer.
Important! The TRIM function must be supported by the operating system.
Hidden area
This area is not accessible to the user and is used to replace failed cells. In high-quality solid-state drives it is up to 30% of the device volume. But some manufacturers, in order to reduce the cost of an SSD drive, reduce it to 10%, thereby increasing the amount of storage available to the user.
The flip side of this trick is that the hidden region is used by the TRIM function. If its volume is small, it will not be enough for background data transfer, which is why when the SSD “load” level is 80-90%, the writing speed will drop sharply.
Model overview
Below is a list of several popular models.
Form Factor | Read/write speed | Those. process | Weight | ||||
It is impossible to imagine yourself as a modern gaming or multimedia computer without SSD drive. SSD drives provide a significant increase in computer speed, and their prices are falling every year. You will learn how to choose an SSD drive from this article.
Let me remind you that the SSD drive should be used as a system drive on which the operating system, programs and resource-intensive games will be installed.
Main characteristics of an SSD drive
Volume
First of all, when choosing an SSD drive, you need to decide on its capacity. SSD drives are more expensive than regular HDD drives. When choosing the size of your SSD drive, look at how much your partition with the operating system currently takes up. Think about how much more space you may need to install the program. If you play games, then add another 20 - 30 GB to this so that you can install several modern and resource-intensive games on the SSD drive.
Optimal volume ranges from 60 to 128 GB, depending on the expected amount of stored data. Prices for drives with this capacity are quite reasonable.
Form factor
There are SSD drives that are located in a “box” like regular HDDs. Form factor of which drives is 2.5”. There are SSD drives made in the form of a card (board), just like sound cards. Such drives are inserted into the motherboard into the PCIe slot.
SSD drives with a 2.5" form factor are more common. They should be chosen. When buying a drive with a 2.5” form factor, make sure that the kit includes a 2.5” – 3.5” adapter. If there is no such adapter, you will have to buy it separately, otherwise you will not insert the SSD drive into the system unit case.
An SSD drive can also be installed in a laptop as a main or second hard drive.
Interface
Depending on SSD form factor drives can be connected via PCIe or SATA interface (II or III).
It depends on the interface maximum speed drive data transfer. If you connect hard drive via SATA interface. It is better to connect it via SATA III (up to 6Gb/s). The speed of such a hard drive will be much faster than SATA II (up to 3Gb/s). Hence the conclusion - buySSDdrives with interface SATA III (up to 6Gb/s).
Speed
An SSD drive, just like any data storage device, has a read speed and a data write speed. When buying an SSD drive, pay attention to specified parameters speed. Naturally, the higher the speed, the better.
But there is one caveat. Sellers often indicate the maximum speed value in the speed parameters, rather than the actual (real) speed. And it may turn out that a hard drive whose declared speed is higher will work slower than a drive whose declared speed was lower.
To find out the real speed, look for reviews or read what they write about this drive on forums. Real speed indicators will probably be presented there.
Failure time
Due to the features SSD technology drives operate for a certain number of read/write cycles. Typically this setting is 10,000 cycles. Manufacturers may indicate in the drive specifications how many hours the drive will operate. The characteristic is quite controversial, since the lifetime of the disk depends on many factors. So don’t rely too much on this parameter when choosing an SSD drive.
In addition, before installing an SSD drive into a computer, it must be flashed and configured. This will increase the speed of the drive and its lifespan.
Before choosing an SSD drive for a laptop, the buyer should find out their main features that they should pay attention to.
First of all, this is the disk capacity and its price - facts that influence the choice of any drive.
However, SSDs have their own characteristics that require taking into account other factors, approaching the purchase more responsibly than purchasing other computer elements.
Moreover, the price of such a device will be perhaps the most expensive among all laptop components.
Benefits of purchasing
Buying an SSD drive for a laptop is one of the most important steps to increase system performance and data processing speed.
On such a drive, access to information occurs much faster.
Replacement outdated disk A more modern HDD will bring a greater increase in power than even increasing the memory or installing a new processor.
Advantages of a solid state drive for a laptop:
- increasing the speed of data access, which will speed up the launch of programs several times;
- compact sizes of most devices (except for portable options), making it easy to select an SSD for both a large 17-inch laptop and a small netbook with a 10-inch display;
- light weight, especially important when used on laptop computer;
- reduced energy consumption, which should increase the average battery life of your laptop;
- high level reliability SSD operation.
Among the disadvantages that are noted in solid-state drives, attention is paid to its relatively small resource: 3000–5000 cycles.
For ordinary home use this time is roughly equivalent to 7–8 years of work, more than the average user works with the same drive.
Comparative fragility of SSDs in this case doesn’t really matter - dropping the laptop itself is also undesirable.
At the same time, the relatively high price of the device is compensated by an increase in operating speed.
Features of choice
You should start choosing the right solid-state drive for you with the main indicator that immediately catches your eye when viewing various options in online stores.
This is the cost of the equipment, which today still exceeds the same parameter for conventional HDDs several times; it depends on the volume and manufacturer of the disk.
Price and volume
The cost of an SSD can seriously influence the choice of a user with limited financial resources.
The only available options today are 60–120 GB drives, the price of which is in the range of 2–4 thousand rubles, almost the same as a 500–1000 GB HDD costs.
However, if the laptop is used only for work and not for games, a 120 GB disk will be quite enough to accommodate the system and documents, and perhaps enough for backup.
When choosing a storage option large quantity information worth considering budget SSDs volume 512 GB.
The cost of a gigabyte is lower than that of other devices – at 20–30 rubles. instead of 40–80 rubles. for smaller or, conversely, new and larger drives.
It is worth paying attention to the 512 GB options and because increased speed data exchange.
Drives of this size (it can be not only 512 GB, some manufacturers produce 480 and 525 GB drives) work twice as fast as their 128 GB counterparts.
Size
When looking at SSD drives, you will notice that their sizes differ from each other.
And, if it is acceptable to buy a 3.5" drive for a desktop PC, for a laptop you should choose 2.5 and even 1.8-inch models.
Some of the most popular options today are the mSATA and M2 form factors, which are boards for SATA and PCI-E slots, respectively.
The dimensions of such disks are even smaller - the width can reach only 12 mm, the length can range from 16 to 110 mm.
The only drawback of mSATA and M2 drives may appear if the motherboard The laptop does not have the appropriate slots.
But such outdated motherboards have not been produced for several years.
It is unlikely that it will be possible to significantly increase the performance of an old (before 2010-2011) laptop even with the help of an SSD drive.
Interface
Standard interfaces For SSD connections are PCI-E or SATA.
In terms of price to quality ratio, the best options are drives connected via SATA connector III.
This interface will provide data transfer speeds of up to 6 Gb/s - more than any solid-state drive available today.
Speed
Reading and writing speed are parameters that will affect the speed of working with information.
Most SSDs read faster than write.
When the cache is full real speed The performance of the drive may drop - although not as noticeably as with old-style hard drives.
However, even inexpensive SSD drives operating speed is 3–4 times faster compared to high-performance HDDs.
Therefore, choosing budget model solid state drive (for example, a 512 GB version for 10 thousand rubles), you will still get a noticeable performance increase.
Buying an analogue that costs 25–30 thousand rubles is not always justified for the average user, even with increased speed.
A compromise solution is to choose an option with less capacity but greater data transfer capabilities.
Resource
For a conventional solid-state drive, the number of rewrite cycles reaches 5000–10000. The higher this value, the longer the disk will last.
So, for example, for a frequently used small 60 GB SSD, the resource may decrease by 2-3 cycles during the workday.
A productive 512–1024 GB drive will last you approximately the same number of days as the number of cycles indicated in its technical specifications–3000 (over 8 years) or 5000 (13 years).
Although improper handling of the disk can reduce the resource much faster.
Manufacturer
Many manufacturers produce SSD drives, from Intel to SanDisk. Choosing a drive by brand is quite difficult.
But, if you need an inexpensive option, you should give preference to Crucial brands. Intel products provide high reliability.
And the fastest, although most expensive, are SSDs from Samsung, Western Digital and Corsair.
Controller
The type of controller affects disk performance. Budget options use Phison models.
On expensive and fast disks install Marvell controllers that provide a noticeable increase in productivity.
Drives from the bottom and middle price category may have a SandForce SSD controller, which reduces the speed of data processing when the cache is full and disk space is reduced, but at the same time quickly records information.
Installing the disc
After the SSD drive has already been selected and purchased, all that remains is to install it correctly in the laptop.
If there is not enough space, you can replace the SSD already installed on laptop HDD(which can then be inserted instead of the drive using a special adapter).
Another option suitable when choosing a solid-state drive with the M2 form factor is installing the drive together with the HDD; There is enough space inside the laptop for this.
In this case, overpaying for a drive with smaller dimensions becomes justified.
The third option is to buy a special case to make the SSD external. Although you can buy such a drive in a design that is already suitable for connecting via a USB connector.
True, the second option will be more expensive and will not allow, if the opportunity arises, to install the disk inside the laptop.
Advice: External SSD should only be connected via USB ports 3.0 or 3.1. The outdated interface 2.0 will not only not provide any increase in speed compared to the HDD, but may even reduce it.
After connecting the drive, you need to optimize it by setting software from the official manufacturer or other suitable applications.
For example, the program Intel SSD Toolbox will ensure that the disk firmware is constantly updated and its partitions are aligned. The AS SSD utility performs approximately the same task.
The interface of such optimization programs does not require much time to master - it is quite intuitive.
Green means the SSD is working normally.
Red warns about possible problems and you need to download the utility not to check, but to correct errors.
One of these applications is Parted Magic, whose task is to restore lost SSD settings and return their values to factory settings.
in the world information technology Data is traditionally stored on disks: Windows, all programs, as well as documents, photos and videos, in most cases are located on one HDD. And if the hard drive goes on strike, the computer first starts to slow down, and then it may even break down completely. An alternative to a disk is a solid-state drive. It stores data on chips rather than magnetic plates, and is not only completely silent, but also significantly faster. So which fast SSD is the best? And what do you need to know about them when buying?
The main advantage and benefit from SSD purchases- this is energy saving, acceleration Windows startup and installed programs, games. Today you can buy solid-state drives at a reasonable price; they are slowly but surely approaching the cost of conventional HDDs. Currently they have particularly attractive prices. SSD drives from Samsung and OCZ, with choosing a solid state drive focus on these manufacturers. Even though Samsung has quite expensive models solid state drives (Samsung SSD 840 Pro), they have the best characteristics, which we will talk about today. And the most optimal purchase would be Samsung SSD 840 and Lite-On E-200. Returning to expensive models solid-state drives - especially such as the Samsung 840 EV0 1 TV, one cannot fail to note its performance: extremely high results in terms of access time and the number of I/O operations per second. The model is a leader not only in performance, but also in average cost per gigabyte.
Accessories. Many manufacturers offer SSDs in two delivery options - Bulk and Kit. In the first case, you receive only a disk, and in the second, the kit may include a SATA/USB adapter, a bracket for installing an SSD, a SATA cable, special software and a power cable. The markup for these components can range from 500 to 3000 rubles.
Key factors for choosing an SSD
Of course, for many main criterion SSD selection there will be a price, but I advise you to pay attention to the following parameters:
- data transfer speed when reading and writing
- memory access time
- amount of electricity consumed
Pay attention to the packaging of the solid-state drive, as owners of older PCs may need a mobile chassis (or adapter) for 2.5-inch form factor drives, since the vast majority of SSD drives are 2.5-inch, while system drives On computer units, the basket is compatible with 3.5-inch HDDs. In addition, many SSD manufacturers supply data transfer software along with the disks. To transfer data from a regular hard drive to an SSD, you can use.
Important when choosing a solid state drive, which characterizes the operating speed of the SSD, has a version of the SATA interface. For modern SSD models, the most suitable modern interface SATA III (SATA 600). The optimal disk size for selection is up to 250 GB. There is enough disk space, and the price is reasonable. The benefits of purchasing an SSD will greatly depend on the write speed. Enough fast models SSD drives provided by Samsung and OCZ. Well, the last criterion is current consumption. Keep in mind that solid state drives do not have active elements and should consume no more than 2 W.
Speed
SSD is much faster and transfers more data per second. You will notice this when you turn on the computer.
Reliability
An SSD has no moving parts. Advantages: SSDs generally survive shocks and falls without serious consequences, regardless of whether they are running or turned off.
Silence
Although most modern hard drives are quite quiet, an SSD will make your dream of a silent laptop or work PC a reality.
How does an SSD work?
Solid state drives achieve incredible speeds thanks to technological ingenuity. SSD control electronics read and write data to multiple chips at the same time, so they are faster than, for example, memory cards. The control chip (microcontroller) and control software (firmware) are critical to speed.
Compared to reading, writing for an SSD is more labor-intensive, since the memory chips must be cleaned before writing. Therefore, manufacturers invest a lot of effort in developing recording technologies. Some SSDs can perform write tasks even faster than read ones.
Larger SSDs tend to be faster. Thus, the Toshiba Q Series Pro with a capacity of 128 GB records video files at speeds of up to 518 Mbps, while the other two models with larger capacities reach 538 Mbps.
A hard drive requires a motor to spin the drive unit and the recording head. SSDs don't need it. During testing, this difference could be clearly heard - with the SSD Toshiba laptop worked almost silently.
No moving parts in SSD increases time battery life. When playing a video laptop with hard drive lasted a couple of minutes less than with the SSD. But since the screen, processor and video card consume much more energy, this difference plays almost no role in practice.
Data from a solid-state drive is destroyed once and for all, unlike a hard drive, where files are first marked as deleted - in this case, they can be recovered using special programs.
SSD installation
In most cases the process replacing hard SSD drive installation on laptops is quite simple: you need to remove the small cover on the bottom side, unscrew the screws on the hard drive - and that’s it, you can insert the SSD. No cords or cables are required; power and data connectors are located on the motherboard. Note that most SSDs are 7mm thick, which is thinner than regular hard drives (9.5mm), so to mount the SSD in the drive bay you may need an adapter, which is not always included.
But to install the drive in system unit The desktop requires a data cable, a power adapter, a retainer and screws. Available models often do not include a power adapter, and some manufacturers do not offer any additional equipment for their SSDs at all.
Data transfer
If you don't want to have to deal with additional installation on SSD operating system and programs, then to transfer data you will need special software. It comes included with most models. Programs such as Acronis True Image HD, Intel Data Migration Software or Samsung Data Migration will copy the entire contents of your drive and installed programs to a solid-state drive almost automatically.
Since most laptops work with only one drive, before installation you must first transfer programs by connecting the SSD via USB (special adapter from 1000 rubles).
High speed
The most fast SSDs achieve high results in data transfer speed - almost 550 MB/s. This is at least two times faster than the most productive 3.5-inch hard drives and four to five times faster than 2.5-inch laptop HDDs. They use the potential modern technology SATA interface on computers is almost one hundred percent. However, unlike classic hard drives, the difference in speed of solid-state drives can be noticeably felt. The slowest models tested were no faster in writing than conventional hard drives.
The advantages of the fastest SSD drives appear not only when copying large files: in everyday life they save a lot of time due to quick access to the data. Thus, the leaders of our rating took significantly less time to load resource-intensive programs such as Photoshop - only five seconds, while a regular hard drive spent about 15 seconds.
The speed gain is noticeable not only when calling programs, but already when starting the computer. In both cases, he has to deal with a huge number of small files.
An SSD solid-state hard drive has many advantages over a standard one. HDD disk, the most important of which is its much higher speed.
Advantages of SSD drives
Advantages of solid-state drives in their construction internal device based on memory chips controlled by a special controller.
No moving parts, high mechanical resistance, low level noise and no time spent reading pieces of information in different places disk is not a complete list of the advantages of SSD drives.
Disadvantages of SSD drives
1. Short service life. The main disadvantages of solid-state drives include their short service life, which is measured by the manufacturer in units of the number of times information is rewritten, for example, 10 thousand times. The exact number of times to rewrite depends on the type of memory. The service life of an SSD depends on the intensity of its use (overwriting), which average load ranges from 1 to 3 years.
When the media wears out, all information on the disk is lost. To monitor the health status of the disk, there is special program SSD Life Left, which calculates the wear rate as a percentage and warns the user about the imminent “death” of the disk in order to leave the opportunity to transfer data to another disk.
2. High cost. SSD drives are significantly more expensive than traditional HDD hard drives. Despite this, in situations where high data processing speed is required while supporting the execution of several tasks simultaneously, an SSD drive becomes a kind of “lifesaver” and is so far the only device that is capable of fulfilling such serious goals set for it.
What is an SSD drive for?
Basically, solid-state drives are used to install an operating system on it, since this can significantly increase the speed of the operating system, launching applications and processing data. The use of SSD drives for servers is very common, because such devices are capable of quickly performing thousands of simultaneous operations, while guaranteeing stable buffer storage of operational data.
As regular disk It is better not to use an SSD drive due to their main drawback - rapid failure due to wear and tear of the memory cells due to frequent rewriting. For static storage of information that changes slightly, an SSD disk can be used, but its high cost does not always allow the purchase of a large-capacity drive.
Main characteristics of SSD drives
Capacity
Netbooks and subnotebooks are usually equipped with SSD drive models with a capacity of 8 GB, sometimes 32 GB, while in regular laptops this parameter reaches 256 and 516 GB. Its cost greatly depends on the capacity of the disk.
For stable operation The system has enough memory capacity of 60-90 GB. The most common models are those with a capacity of 128 GB.
Memory type
There are two types of memory that are used when building SSD drives: SLS and MLS.
SLS is a type of memory consisting of cells containing 1 bit of information and capable of having only two charge levels - 0 and 1. Its advantage is higher speed and durability, but its disadvantage is its high price.
MLS is a type of multi-level memory containing cells of several bits. Cells of this type can be located in different states charge, which helps to increase capacity. The disadvantages of this type of memory are an increase in data access time and a decrease in service life due to a tenfold reduction in the number of rewrites compared to SLS. The service life of a disk on MLS memory on average does not exceed three years. Accordingly, devices with MLS memory are much cheaper.
Controller
The main part of an SSD drive is the controller, which determines the speed, stability, reliability and quality of the device. There are several types of controllers, among which there are six most popular.
JMicron - from the first generation, has low productivity and a small amount of cache memory, but the most affordable of all. Today it is unlikely to find this type of controller. However, the low cost caused a surge in sales at one time, and perhaps manufacturers will soon introduce new solutions for this type of device to the market.
Indilinx good performance with a small disk thickness and memory capacities of up to 512 GB.
SandForce is the most widely used controller type. Its operation is based on the principle of data compression, which is performed immediately before recording to disk. The disadvantage is the complicated operating logic of such a controller, but this disadvantage is justified by its high performance and reduced memory access time. Reduced data takes up less space, which reduces the number of accesses to its cells, and therefore this technology increases the service life of the media.
Marvell is a controller type somewhat inferior to SandForce in terms of operating speed, and not as expensive.
Samsung – used in SSD drives of the same name, with fairly high operating speeds and a considerable amount of cache memory.
Intel - most often used for servers and workstations due to its reliability. What prevents these devices from becoming a leader in the controller market is only very low speed records.
Interface
SATA, SATA2 and SATA3 interfaces are the most common for SSD drives, providing parallel data exchange with a computer and without requiring the installation of additional software.
The PCIe interface is less common, supporting much more quick exchange data with a computer, requiring in most cases the installation of a special driver.
MTBF – number of hours between failures
This figure is indicated by the manufacturer and ranges from 1 to 2 million hours, but in reality, not a single disk will work that long due to memory wear. Therefore, you can ignore this figure.
Price
The cost of any new product that has just entered the market is generally always overpriced. Therefore, it is better not to rush, and before purchasing the latest model SSD drive, evaluate the selected model in about 3-4 months, when its price will be much more similar to the real one.