The best ssd drive for a computer. Choosing an SSD drive - how to buy a good SSD (solid state drive) drive

Hello GT! A high-quality SSD unlocks the potential of any laptop. It’s good if it’s installed right away, but what if not? Let's deal with different options solid state drives and determine which one is better suited for upgrading a mobile computer.

The widespread use of solid-state drives in laptops began when Intel company introduced the Ultrabook concept. Even small ultrabooks equipped with SSDs were much faster than devices with HDDs. And this has become the best motivation for laptop users to upgrade since removable processors and graphics accelerators in mobile computers disappeared as a class.

There are many reasons for choosing an SSD today - immunity to vibration and shock, performance, and low power consumption. Until recently, the main obstacle to switching to solid-state drives was the high price, but today it has dropped significantly, and the failure rate of memory cells has become so low that SSDs can be used for everyday work without worrying about your data at all.

Still, you shouldn’t buy the first SSD you come across: the drive should be selected wisely and take into account the system’s features. There are many products on the market in different price categories, and it is possible that a drive for 5 thousand rubles will give you the same result as its equivalent for 15. So is it worth spending the extra money? To better understand this issue, consider different types SSD.

M.2, PCIe, mSATA and SATA

Data transfer speed via SATA 3 is up to 6 Gbit/s. This means that you can use a fairly modern SSD with it. In recent years, solid-state drives have developed like startups and have jumped over their heads more than once, as a result of which they have hit the limit bandwidth SATA 3 interface

Some laptops also have an mSATA interface. It allows you to install a solid-state drive without a housing - a flat board with chips soldered to it. This is practically the same SATA 3, only with a new banana flavor in a different form factor, so it is also suitable for SSD installation into a laptop. Some laptops already have an mSATA interface, but it is either not used, or an outdated SSD is installed in it. Also, the system may often have a mini-PCI interface, which is intended for installing expansion cards (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth modules, 3G modems, and so on). It is very similar to mSATA, but they should not be confused. In any case, installing a new drive will qualitatively increase the speed of the system, and which port to use for this can be found out from the laptop manufacturer or by using the configurator on our website.

The most promising option is the M.2 connector. If you are using a modern laptop, then M.2 will allow the system to operate at maximum speed. M.2 is the bright future that was expected from mSATA. The new standard spread in laptops before mSATA gained popularity, and due to lower prices for drives, it was promoted almost immediately, and mSATA turned into an unpopular “legacy-storage”, for which manufacturers today produce one or two drive models - for example, just in case. In practice M.2 is the output option PCI buses Express 3.0 with support for 4 lines at once. Thus, M.2 allows you to achieve data transfer speeds of up to 4 GB/s, which is much faster than any version of SATA.

But don’t get too excited ahead of time - even if the drive is installed in an M.2 connector, it can still use the SATA interface, which means it can operate at the same speed as with older connectors. However, there will still be an advantage, since the carrier will be able to reveal its full speed potential.

AHCI or NVMe?

True, drives that use an NVMe controller consume 2-3 times more electricity than their AHCI based brothers. Therefore, if we are talking about mobile laptop with a long time battery life, using a drive with an AHCI controller may be preferable, despite the more high performance NVMe. In this case, disks with any of these controllers can be installed in the M.2 interface.

However, if you decide to purchase an NVMe drive, you need to check whether this specification is supported by the laptop manufacturer. If not, then you will not be able to install the operating system and boot from such a disk.

Installation details

But, if you want to install a solid-state drive in your laptop, you must first make sure that the board has a connector for installing it. This information can be found from the manufacturer, found in video reviews with inspection of the internals, using the configurator on our website, or ask about the possibility of an upgrade from Kingston technical support specialists. You can also open the laptop yourself to check the required dimensions of the mounting holes. There is usually a marking next to the M.2 interface that indicates the presence of mounting holes. For example, 2260 means that media 22 mm wide and 60 long are supported, 2280 means 22 wide and 80 long, and so on.

The M.2 interface is universal, but so that life doesn’t seem like honey, it has several varieties with different keys for installing expansion cards. Key B connector is distinguished by the missing pins 12 to 19 and is called M.2 Socket 2. It can work with SATA, USB 3.0, PCIe ×2, PCM, IUM, SSIC and I2C interfaces. When installing an M key with missing pins 59 to 66, the connector is called M.2 Socket 3 in the documentation. This version only supports PCIe x4 and SATA.

At the same time, there are different SSDs on sale - designed for installation in M.2 Socket 2, M.2 Socket 3 and universal ones, which have contacts for both keys. If you are not sure which M.2 connector your laptop has, it is best to purchase a universal drive. In particular, in the Kingston line, M.2 SATA models contain two keys at once and can be installed in any laptop with M.2 support.

Software level

Leading manufacturers also have utilities for setting the optimal SSD operation, which you can use after starting the system on the new disk. For example, Kingston SSD Manager helps you monitor drive health, run self-diagnosis technologies, and update drive firmware.

Which drive should you choose?

SSD drive for laptop in M.2 form factor

Solid state drive in 2.5″ from factor

This type of flash memory is the coolest. Its main feature is that only one bit of information is written to one memory cell. This is the most “correct” location of files in memory.

This technology also allows you to extend the service life of the drive. SSDs using this technology can operate flawlessly for more than 10 years. This is an excellent result for a disk whose service life until recently did not exceed 2 years.

It is also worth considering this fact: SSD with SLC technology on board show best results in terms of performance than their “colleagues” using a different type of memory. But SSDs with SLC are much more expensive.

MLC

Read also: Transferring the system to an SSD: Transferring data and operating system

A simpler type of memory that allows two bits of information to be written into one cell. This increases the wear resistance of the drive, but significantly reduces its performance. However, many people choose this option.

And it’s not even a matter of more resources. It’s just that this type of flash memory is the “golden mean”. The performance of such a drive is still much higher than that of the best HDD. As for “longevity,” such SSDs can live for 7-8 years. This is quite enough.

An important advantage is the price of a device with MLC memory. It is much lower than that of devices with SLT on board. For many users this is a very powerful argument. Why pay more if you can't notice the difference with the naked eye?

TLC

Read also: Which ssd is better? What you need to know when choosing

M.2 disk on TLC chips

Board in M.2 form factor

The most advanced interface option. SSD drives with this interface usually look like regular expansion cards for a PC or laptop. They somehow remind network cards or Wi-Fi transmitters.

Such drives are inserted into an M.2 expansion slot (can be either SATA or PCIe). But the catch is that not all laptops have such a connector. For example, laptops before 2011 definitely do not have this slot.

Now about the data transfer speed. The maximum is 3.2 gigabytes per second. But this is only if PCIe version 3.0 (which is rare). A more common option is PCIe 2.0. But here the speed is limited to 1.6 gigabytes per second.

Regarding the cost, then today such devices are the most expensive. They can be used as system disks. There is, of course, an option with a terabyte of memory. But they are also obscenely expensive.

SATA

Read also: 9 criteria for choosing an external hard drive: How to choose?

The most common SATA interface

This is the most common solid state drive format. The SATA interface is used to connect conventional HDDs. And therefore it is definitely available in any laptop. You can install drives of this type in a classic PC without any problems.

The SATA slot is located exactly where the regular one was connected hard drive. And SSDs with such an interface usually have a standard design, which is identical in size to a 2.5” HDD. Therefore, they can simply be installed in place of the hard drive.

The data transfer speed here depends on the SATA type. Now even budget laptops have SATA III support. This technology provides data transfer speeds of up to 600 megabytes per second. A SATA drive will not be able to produce more.

Solid state drives using the SATA interface are the cheapest today. Their cost rarely exceeds $150. Regardless of volume. Therefore they are very popular.

Form factor

This feature is worth paying special attention to. Because it is by the shape and dimensions of the drive that you can understand whether it will fit in specific laptop. It's somehow easier with a PC. You can fit almost everything there. And laptops have very little free space.

SSD 2.5"

Read also: 5 reasons why the computer does not see the external hard drive: What to do?

Form factor 2.5″

The classic version of a solid state drive. Almost completely replicates the shape and dimensions of a standard mobile HDD. However, it may differ from the latter more slim body. Feels great in place from the hard drive.

Drives of this type, as a rule, are protected more reliably than their “colleagues”, which are simply a board. The metal case reliably protects the SSD from mechanical damage. Also, the board located inside does not become dirty.

These are the most popular SSD drives at the moment. They are purchased for ease of use and reliability. And among them there are real masterpieces that are not much inferior to M2 format solid-state drives.

SSD 1.8"

Read also: The best laptops of 2017: TOP 15 most current models

Very rare size

Very rare formats. They are compact in size and designed for installation in netbooks and ultrabooks. Relevant for devices with almost no free space. The 1.8” SSD has a classic SATA connector, which makes it easy to connect to the user’s device.

The mSATA type is connected via the appropriate connector and is installed only in netbooks. But no one bothers you to put this SSD in a laptop of normal size (if there is an appropriate slot). This way you can leave the HDD in place.

The cost of such drives is slightly higher than their 2.5 format counterparts. This is due to the fact that it is more difficult and expensive to place disk components in a small case. However, the price difference is quite small.

Volume

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Probably the most interesting part for all users. Almost everyone looks first at disk capacity and only then pays attention to other characteristics. Although this approach is fundamentally wrong.

60 GB

At the moment there are almost no such drives left. However, they were in great use in those days when SSD technology just appeared. This is the most cheap option. You can buy such a drive for pennies.

However, you can only use it to install the operating system. It will not be possible to fit any files into it. But the OS will work very quickly. But this doesn't make much sense. To improve performance, you also need to place programs on the SSD.

128 GB

Today, 128 GB SSDs are the most popular. You can easily place an operating system on them and that’s it. necessary programs. For a laptop, these SSDs are almost perfect.

The cost of a 128 GB SSD in modern realities rarely exceeds $100. Therefore, everyone can afford such a disk. However, the price may vary depending on the technology and manufacturer.

256 GB

"Golden mean" for any user. An SSD drive of this size can easily accommodate the OS, programs and even some games. This volume is just right for gamers. Especially if the drive is used in tandem with a classic HDD.

The price of a solid-state drive with 256 gigabytes of memory is already slightly higher than for a similar product with 128 GB on board. However, it is worth overpaying, if only for reasons of practicality. The “extra” space will definitely come in handy in the future.

512 GB

And this is already serious. Half a terabyte SSDs are used in all modern laptops. And usually there is no additional HDD there. Manufacturers believe that this volume for mobile computers enough for the eyes. And in some ways they are right.

A 512 GB solid state drive is enough for any user. Unless, of course, you store a collection of films and music in FLAC format on your laptop. But the cost of such a miracle is already quite noticeable.

1 TB

“Terabytes” are currently the most voluminous among affordable solid-state drives. They certainly have enough space for everything that the average user needs. SSDs of this type are usually used in premium laptops.

Purchasing such a drive will cost a fairly large amount. And if it is also a device from Intel, then its cost will not be less than $1000. Not everyone can afford such a product.

Popular SSD models

The modern market for devices of this type has its own leaders. Their devices have the best price-quality ratio. In addition, they are reliable, productive and have a decent volume. Here are the best ones.

Samsung 850 Evo

Probably the cheapest SSD from Samsung. There are versions with 128, 256 and 512 gigabytes of memory. The flash memory used in the drive is TLC (three bits per cell). This is what explains the low price.

But with this technology, the drive should have a ridiculously short service life. No. To extend the service life of the SSD drive, a proprietary Samsung technology-V. It also allows you to achieve greater productivity.

Advantages:

To ensure reliability and performance, Samsung's proprietary V-NAND technology is used. Thanks to it, the device is able to work for more than 10 years (according to the manufacturer). However, the price of the drive is quite high.

Advantages:

• a brand with a good history
• advanced memory type
• decent volume
• great resource
• M2 interface
• SamsungV-NAND
• convenient form factor
• reliability and stability
• high performance

Flaws:

• high price
• Not all laptops have a PCIe connector

Solid state drives can rightfully be called one of the most useful innovations in the computer market - it’s enough to buy an SSD to even old computer started working very quickly and responsively.

However, choosing an SSD in 2018 is not so easy - the market is saturated with models of the most different types and characteristics. This abundance of options is explained by the fact that it is very easy to produce SSDs, because they are, in fact, the same flash drives, only made a little differently.

Latest SSD Technology

SSD stands for solid-state drive or solid state drive. This is a small flat box containing an electronic board with microcircuits inside. No mechanical, moving parts like in hard drives, not here.

We had what an SSD is and why it is needed (and whether it is needed).

Data is stored in flash memory chips - these are the same chips that are used in USB flash drives. But in an SSD, these chips are combined into an array, where data is read and written in parallel to all chips at once. This gives a high final speed of work.

The distribution of data across the chips is handled by the controller - an important part of the SSD, on which indicators such as speed and reliability depend. Controllers are produced by several companies, including Phison, Samsung, JMicron, Marvell, Toshiba and others. It is impossible to name a unequivocally good and unequivocally bad controller manufacturer; here you have to look at a specific model.

Another important indicator- type of flash memory and its manufacturer. Although there are a huge number of SSD models, they all use flash memory from just a few manufacturers: Micron/Intel, Hynix, Samsung, Toshiba, SanDisk. Currently (2018) there are the following memory types:

• SLC - each memory cell stores only 1 bit, which gives maximum speed and reliability - one cell can be rewritten up to 100 thousand times without the risk of losing data, however, this makes SLC the most expensive type of flash memory, and therefore it is used only in server solutions and as a small cache for mass-produced SSDs;
• MLC - “ golden mean”, where 2 bits of data are stored in each cell, such memory works 2-3 times slower than SLC, and its reliability is 33 times less (only 3 thousand cell rewrites), however, drives with MLC memory are much cheaper and larger;
• TLC is the most budget solution, which is gaining popularity - here each cell stores as many as 3 bits of data, which is why the memory works ~1.5 times slower, and the durability is 3 times less than MLC (1000 rewrite cycles for each cell and the drive can be thrown away), but, as you might guess, the low price and large volume cover all the shortcomings;
• 3D XPoint is a unique development by Intel and Micron, used in Intel Optane drives, and which does not relate to conventional flash memory at all - data is stored here by changing the phase state of certain substances under the influence of electric current, this gives enormous reliability and speed at random operations.

Does it make sense to switch to an SSD now?

If you look at the configurations of new computers and laptops in the middle and high price ranges, then in almost 100% of cases an SSD will be installed. We can say that a more or less productive computer is currently unthinkable without a solid-state drive. There are a number of objective reasons for this.

Firstly, These are speed indicators. The cheapest SSDs provide up to 550 MB/sec sequential read and write speeds, which is almost 2.5 times faster than the fastest hard drives. But for real strong point SSD - random, fragmented operations when you need to read or write many files that are in different folders. The hard drive has to move the head to do this, which is why, for example, the system loads slowly or a heavy game plays. SSDs do not have any heads, so during random operations they, on average, a thousand times faster than HDD, if you look at the number of IOPS, and ten times faster, if you look at the resulting speed in Mb/sec.

Here, for example, are the test results for random reading of a five-year-old HDD Seagate Barracuda 7200.12:

And five years old Intel SSD 320:

As you can see, the SSD spends almost 160 times less time on random searches, which is due to the absence of mechanical parts. And this is an SSD from 2012, and modern samples are much more productive. While HDDs have not become much faster in this regard over the same time.

Secondly, this is the absence of noise and (with some reservations) heating. Inside the hard drive, pancakes are constantly spinning, on which data is stored, and the head also moves, emitting a characteristic crackling or crunching sound. SSD is completely electronic device, and therefore makes absolutely no sounds. The same applies to heating in the general case - solid state materials consume energy and heat up less than hard drives. The exception is top-end NVMe SSDs, which are inserted into PCI Express slots.

Thirdly, SSDs are very resistant to mechanical stress such as shocks, shocks and falls, unlike hard drives. This is why solid state drives are so valued by lovers of reliable laptops - HDD has always been the most weak link, quickly failing due to constant vibrations, knocks and position changes. With the advent SSD laptops have become truly mobile devices.

Fourthly, this is the predictability of the resource. SSDs have a standard indicator such as the resource or degree of wear of flash memory, which can be viewed at any time. Provided there is a good controller, this gives a fairly accurate time frame for the drive to fail. For example, here's what SMART writes about the same five-year-old SSD:

This means that the drive resource is 92%, i.e. Flash memory is worn out by 8%. In the case of a hard drive, there are no such indicators and cannot be due to its mechanical design. An HDD can fail with almost equal probability in a week, six months or 5 years.

About SSD resource There is a myth that hard drives are much more reliable than solid-state drives - the supposedly small number of rewrites of memory cells leads to SSDs breaking almost every few months. Of course this is not true. Even TLC memory, despite seemingly terrible low number rewrites, is more than reliable at home, and can last up to 10 years.

One popular portal, the results of which eloquently indicate that the reliability of most solid-state devices is several times greater than the resource declared by the manufacturer. In short, there is no need to worry about the durability of a solid-state drive. But for this you need to choose a more or less high-quality SSD, because here you can get a drive with a weak controller that will quickly break.

Criteria by which we will select the leaders of 2018

The price range here is as wide as the variety of models - you can buy an SSD for either 2,000 rubles or 500,000 rubles. The main difference between them is capacity and speed. Unfortunately, SSDs are still much more expensive than hard drives per unit of volume. Therefore, you have to look for a compromise - as a rule, you buy a computer SSD capacity 120-250 GB for the system and programs, and HDD size 2-4 TB for everything else.

In general, now there is no point in buying solid state drives with a capacity of less than 120 GB - the cheapest ones SSD size 32-64 GB are only 600-800 rubles cheaper than budget 120 GB ones, and the difference in performance and reliability is very noticeable. After all, SSDs are designed in such a way that the larger the volume, the faster and more durable they are. But it is worth noting that this dependence is nonlinear - somewhere around 500 GB, the increase in speed and reliability becomes very gentle. That is, the difference between the performance of the 120 GB and 500 GB models is much stronger than between the 500 GB and 2 TB models.

Budget SSD models

Budget solid-state drives include models costing up to 3,500-4,000 rubles with TLC memory of a “hit” capacity of 120-128 GB, which are connected to a regular SATA port, like hard drives. This size is quite enough for an operating system, a set of applications, and even a few not too many big games. Work files, music, movies, of course, will have to be stored on larger drives - the same HDDs.

Already in this class of drives you can count on 350-550 MB/sec of sequential reading and writing, which is practically the ceiling for the SATA bus. Budgeting manifests itself in random and mixed loads - as a rule, such models are very leisurely in comparison with more expensive models. Although, of course, even this is much better than the fastest hard drives.

It is useful to install such SSDs on old or cheap computers that usually have a hard drive. This gives a significant increase in speed and responsiveness, thanks to which even weak or outdated hardware can be used quite comfortably for several more years. But for modern, powerful configurations it is better to buy more expensive SSDs so that they are in harmony with the rest of the components.

Good representatives of the class (especially reliable models are highlighted in bold):

• GOODRAM CX300
• Kingston A400
• Kingston SSDNow UV400
• Smartbuy Ignition PLUS
• Smartbuy Revival 2
• Smartbuy Splash 2
• Transcend SSD370
• Western Digital Green

Mid-range SSD

This price range is from 4,000 to 8,500 rubles, which includes drives with a capacity of up to 480 GB, using both TLC and MLC memory. But what’s most interesting is that NVMe solid-state drives are already appearing here, which are inserted into the M.2 slot and produce 2-3 Gb/sec sequential reading and 1-2 Gb/sec write. That is, for quite reasonable money you can achieve the highest performance in disk operations, which is suitable for powerful desktops and workstations.

These NVMe SSDs include:

• A-DATA XPG SX7000
• Apacer Z280
• OCZ RD400
• Patriot Scorch
• Plextor M9PeGN
• SmartBuy M7
• Transcend MTE850
• Western Digital Black

The downside of such affordability is unstable speed under mixed and random loads, as well as a relatively short resource. However, for several years of normal desktop loads, these SSDs are quite suitable.

As for the usual SATA devices, here you can already count on consistently high speeds (up to 580 Mb/sec) and greater durability. Solid state devices based on 3D TLC memory, such as Samsung EVO, deserve special attention.

Mid-segment SSDs are great for office computers, gaming machines and high-performance workstations. If you choose a roomy 480 GB model, then the need for a separate HDD may completely disappear - this volume is more than enough for a work desktop or laptop.

• ADATA Ultimate SU900
• GOODRAM Iridium Pro
• Intel 545s
• Kingston HyperX Savage
• OCZ TR200
• Samsung 850/860 EVO
• Samsung 850 PRO
• Western Digital Blue

Top SSDs

At a price of up to 21,000-22,000 rubles, you can buy a SATA SSD with a capacity of up to 1 TB, or 500-512 GB in NVMe version, providing speeds of several GB/sec and high reliability of data storage. That is, here you can choose - capacity comparable to HDD and standard 550 MB/sec, or 2 times smaller size combined with outstanding performance. At the same time, NVMe solid state devices can use both M.2 connectors and PCI Express slots, like video cards.

It is clear that SATA drives with a capacity of 960 GB or 1 TB can already completely replace a traditional hard drive, while providing tens or even hundreds of times higher performance. However, SATA bandwidth is not enough to handle very heavy content. When working with high-definition photos or videos, it will be useful to purchase an NVMe drive. Moreover, professional solutions like Samsung PRO with corresponding properties are available for such a price.

Good representatives of the class (especially reliable models are highlighted in bold), in addition to the models from the previous paragraph:

• Intel 600p
• Kingston HyperX Predator
• Kingston KC400
• Plextor M9Pe
• Samsung 860/960 PRO

Premium segment

This includes all solid-state drives with a price above 22,000 rubles. These are SSDs for professional and corporate purposes, the volume of which starts from 960 GB/1 TB, and up to tens of terabytes. Many of them are designed in the form of a board that is inserted into a PCI Express x4 or x8 slot and has a massive cooling radiator. This is not just a decoration that should convince the buyer of the seriousness of the device. Such SSDs with read speeds of up to 6 GB/sec (Hitachi/HGST models) get very hot, and can even reach throttling due to overheating.

Of course, in this segment there are also quite traditional SATA drives of large capacity and reasonable cost, and solid state drives for M.2 with sufficient high speeds. But I would like to focus on something very special: Intel Optane drives with innovative 3D XPoint memory.

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, 3D XPoint is a completely different type of memory that uses phase transitions of matter, and has nothing to do with the usual SLC/MLC/TLC. The solid state based on it, Intel Optane 900P, is also made in the form of a PCI Express card. At first glance, its characteristics are no different from other NVMe drives - the same 2-2.5 GB/sec read and write. The power of 3D XPoint is manifested in 2 factors: a colossal resource - 5-8 peta write bytes (5-8 thousand TB), and, compared to any other SSD.

Intel Optane can rightfully be called the SSD of the future or truly full-fledged SSDs that are free of the last remnants typical problem hard drives - severe performance drawdowns during random and mixed operations.

Good representatives of the class (especially reliable models are highlighted in bold), in addition to the models from the previous paragraph:

• Corsair Neutron
• Intel Optane 900P
• Intel Pxxxx and Sxxxx series
• Micron xxxx Pro
• Seagate Nitro
• Transcend JetDrive

Choosing an SSD: final points

• Even budget SSDs are fast and reliable enough for home use.
• Relatively inexpensively you can take NVMe models and get several Gb/sec speeds.
• To work with heavy content, it makes sense to buy a professional-grade NVMe SSD.
• If you need an almost eternal drive with enormous performance, then Intel Optane.
• For 25-40 thousand rubles, you can get an SSD with a capacity of several TB and completely forget about hard drives.

Also on the site:

The best SSDs of late 2018 - early 2019 updated: March 1, 2019 by: alex ferman

One way to improve laptop performance is to replace the mechanical hard drive to a solid state drive (SSD). Let's try to figure out how to do it right choice such a storage device.

• A high degree of reliability, in particular, shock resistance and a wide operating temperature range. This is especially true for laptops, where cooling conditions leave much to be desired;
• Low power consumption;
• High level of productivity.

Features of choice

First, you need to decide on the purpose of the SSD, whether it will be used as only a system one or whether large files will also be stored on it, modern games 40-50 GB each. If in the first case a volume of 120 GB will be enough, then in the second you need to pay attention to models with a larger capacity. The best choice here may be disks with a size of 240-256 GB.

• Installation instead of an optical drive. To do this, you will need a special adapter, when choosing which you need to know the height (usually 12.7 mm). In some cases, you can find a device with 9.5 mm;
• Replacing the main HDD.

After this, you can already make a choice according to the remaining parameters, which are worth considering further.

Memory type

First of all, when choosing, you need to pay attention to the type of memory used. Three types are known: SLC, MLC and TLC, and all the rest are their derivatives. The difference is that in SLC one bit of information is written to one cell, while in MLC and TLC two and three bits are written, respectively.

From here the disk resource is calculated, which depends on the volume of overwritten memory cells. The operating time of TLC memory is the lowest, but it still depends on the type of controller. At the same time, disks on such chips show better read speed results.

Form factor, interface

The most common SSD form factor is 2.5 inches. mSATA (mini-SATA), PCIe and M.2 are also known, which are used in compact laptops and ultrabooks. The main interface through which data reception/transmission operations are carried out is SATA III, where speeds can reach up to 6 Gbit/s. In turn, in M.2, information can be exchanged using both standard SATA and the PCI-Express bus. Moreover, in the second case, the modern NVMe protocol is used, developed specifically for SSDs, which provides speeds of up to 32 Gbit/s. Disks of mSATA, PCIe and M.2 form factors are expansion cards and take up little space.

Based on this, we can say that before purchasing, you need to read the technical documentation for the laptop on the manufacturer’s website and check the availability of the above connectors. For example, if a laptop has an M.2 connector with support for the NVMe protocol, it is recommended to purchase an appropriate drive, since its data transfer speed will be higher than what a SATA controller can provide.

Controller

Parameters such as read/write speed and disk resource depend on the control chip. Manufacturers include Marvell, Samsung, Toshiba OCZ (Indilinx), Silicon Motion, Phison. Moreover, the first two from the list produce controllers with high level speed and reliability, therefore they are mainly used in solutions for the medium and business segment of consumers. Samsung also has a hardware encryption feature.

Silicone Motion and Fison controllers have a good combination of price and performance, however, products based on them have disadvantages such as low random write/read performance and crashes overall speed work when the disk is full. They are intended mainly for the budget and mid-range segments.

There may also be SSDs on the once very popular SandForce and JMicron chips. In general, they show good results, but drives based on them have a relatively low resource and are presented mainly in budget segment market.

Disc rating

The main drive manufacturers are Intel, Patriot, Samsung, Plextor, Corsair, SanDisk, Toshiba OCZ, AMD. Let's look at a few drives that are the best in their category. And as a selection criterion, we will highlight volume.

Note: The list below is based on average prices at the time of writing: March 2018.

Drives up to 128 GB

Samsung 850 120GB presented in 2.5″/M.2/mSATA form factors. Average price per disc is 4090 rubles. It features best-in-class performance and a 5-year warranty.

Parameters:
Sequential reading: 540 MB/s
Sequential recording: 520 MB/s
Wear resistance: 75 TBW
Memory type: Samsung 64L TLC

ADATA Ultimate SU650 120GB has best price in the class, to be precise, 2,870 rubles. It contains a unique SLC caching algorithm, for which all available space is allocated to the firmware. This ensures good average performance. Models are available for all major form factors.

Parameters:
Sequential reading: 520 MB/s
Sequential recording: 320 MB/s
Wear resistance: 70 TBW
Memory type: TLC 3D NAND

Drives from 128 to 240-256 GB

Samsung 860 EVO (250GB)- This newest model from the company of the same name for 2.5″/M.2/mSATA. At the start of sales it costs 6,000 rubles. According to the tests carried out, the disc has best-in-class wear resistance, the value of which increases with increasing volume.

Parameters:
Sequential reading: 550 MB/s
Sequential recording: 520 MB/s
Wear resistance: 150 TBW
Memory type: Samsung 64L TLC

SanDisk Ultra II 240 GB— despite the fact that the manufacturing company was acquired by Western Digital, models under this brand are often found on sale. This is the SanDisk Ultra II, which uses a controller from Marvell, now selling for about 4,600 rubles.

Parameters:
Sequential reading: 550 MB/s
Sequential recording: 500 MB/s
Wear resistance: 288 TBW
Memory type: TLC ToggleNAND

Drives with a capacity of 480 GB or more

Intel SSD 760p 512GB is a representative of the new line of SSDs from Intel. Available only in the M.2 form factor, it has high speeds. The price is traditionally quite high - 16,845 rubles.

Parameters:
Sequential reading: 3200 MB/s
Sequential recording: 1670 MB/s
Wear resistance: 288 TBW
Memory type: Intel 64L 3D TLC

Price for SSD Crucial MX500 1TB is 15,200 rubles, which makes it the most available disk in this category. At the moment it is produced only in the SATA 2.5″ form factor, but the manufacturer has already announced models for M.2.

Parameters:
Sequential reading: 560 MB/s
Sequential recording: 510 MB/s
Wear resistance: 288 TBW
Memory type: 3D TCL NAND

Conclusion

Thus, we looked at the criteria for choosing an SSD for a laptop and got acquainted with several models that are on the market today. In general, installing a system on an SSD has a good effect on its performance and reliability. The fastest drives are the M.2 form factor, but you need to pay attention to whether the laptop has such a connector. Despite the fact that almost all new models are built on TLC chips, it is recommended to also consider models with MLC memory, which have a significantly higher resource. This is especially true when choosing a system drive.

Currently on sale you can find solid state drives capacity up to two terabytes, but for financial reasons, for most PC owners it makes more sense to use a small SSD drive from 120 GB for the operating system and programs. It is better to allocate a capacious hard drive of 1 TB or more for file storage.

Connection: SATA or PCIe

Popular SSD drives with SATA interface can replace a 2.5-inch HDD in a laptop. Of course, they can also be installed in a desktop PC by connecting using a SATA cable to the power supply and motherboard. The case we recommend, for example, boasts a compartment that is located behind the motherboard.

The new M.2 form factor was originally developed as a solution for compact ultrabooks. It involves placing memory chips and controllers on a board measuring no more than 80x22 mm.

If your motherboard has an M.2 slot (like the one we recommend), you'll save two cables and some space in your case. These drives tend to be slightly more expensive than SATA drives of the same type and capacity, although they are easier to install.

Manufacturer, Capacity and Controller

The top ranks of the Top 10 according to Chip are firmly occupied by Samsung drives. New line of solid state drives Samsung 850 in option Evo recommended for home use. At a comparable price, these models are ahead of the products of famous competing manufacturers Crucial, Intel, Kingston, OCZ, Plextor or SanDisk in performance, and also thanks to a five-year warranty.

The solid-state drive for Windows and basic programs must be at least 120 GB, but often this is not enough when other programs and Windows updates begin to be installed. Since using an SSD that is full to the brim is bad for its performance and lifespan, it is better to purchase a larger drive.

The SATA interface limits the SSD's data transfer speed to 550 megabytes per second. 120- and 250-GB drives achieve this speed only for a short time due to the nature of the cache. After about five seconds, their 3 GB cache fills up, and the write speed of the 120 GB model drops to about 150 MB/s, and the 250 GB model to 300 MB/s.

Models of 500 GB and higher write at a constant speed of 550 MB/s. Only PCIe format drives have practically unlimited speed (see right), which, however, will work optimally only starting with a new generation of microarchitecture Intel Skylake.

Since each rewrite process wears out the flash memory used in SSDs, manufacturers specify the expected lifespan of the devices. The longevity of SSDs depends on the memory technology, element base and compensation mechanisms.

In long-term rewrite tests before defects appeared, the results of most SSDs significantly exceeded theoretical indicators. Behind the models Samsung 850 Evo the 3D V-NAND cell structure (compared to NAND flash) has proven to be an advantage in this regard.

Photo: Manufacturing companies; Juliane Weber; Tomasz Czarnecki