Choosing an SSD drive for a laptop. Form factor M.2. Choosing an SSD drive - how to buy a good SSD (solid state drive) drive

Solid-state drives (SSD drives) are increasingly becoming part of the life of the average personal computer user. Widespread adoption is made possible by the very high speeds at which SSD drives operate. Increasingly, laptop manufacturers are abandoning hard drives in favor of solid-state drives in order to provide maximum speed system operation. The choice of an SSD drive has also become relevant, which may seem very difficult to a beginner. Well, let's talk about everything in order.

Looking ahead, I’ll say that it certainly won’t be superfluous. Today, replacing a hard drive is one of the most simple options PC or laptop upgrade. Yes, a solid-state drive is more expensive, but immediately after installation, the user will notice a significant increase in speed. It is worth mentioning that you should not expect a serious increase in games. A good SSD will only marginally improve the launch speed of some games. His main “trump card” is fast loading system and opening folders, files, and so on. Solid state drives perform especially well in laptops. After installing it, you will notice that the device has become not only faster work t, but also quieter, lighter, more autonomous. So, if you want to get a speed boost, be sure to consider an SSD drive.

Volume

A few users immediately decide on the required volume, while others think about this issue for a very long time before buying a high-quality SSD drive. As stated above, such drives do not have a direct impact on performance in games, so it makes sense to buy them for the operating system. See how much your system takes up, as well as the software required. Usually, 60 GB is enough for these purposes, and it is quite difficult to find a smaller volume today. A fast 60 GB SSD costs around 2,000 rubles. If funds allow, then it is better to take a closer look at the 128 GB capacity.

Types

So, we’ll assume that you’re interested in the solid-state drive and you’ve decided on the volume, so let’s move on to a more important question. Many users experience serious problems when choosing a drive type. The Internet is full of advice from experts that even a professional will get confused in. First, let's figure out what the differences are between inexpensive, but good SSD drives.

SLC (Single Level Cell)

The technology involves recording 1 bit of information in 1 cell. This type of data is the fastest and most reliable. SLC drives are quite expensive, so they are used only in server computers.

TLC (Triple Level Cell)

The technology involves recording 3 types of memory in one cell. The process is slower and disk resources are consumed faster. TLC discs are distinguished by their low cost and low resources, although they will last quite a long time.

MLC (Multi-Level Cell)

Despite the name, this type of SSD drive writes 2 bits of data per cell. MLC combines a good resource, performance and an affordable price for most users. Today this type is optimal for purchase.

Connection types

Along with the question of how to choose an SSD drive, the question of options for connecting it is relevant. The most common is SATA 3, and this type is also the cheapest. His throughput is 600 Mbit/s, which is enough for most home computer tasks.

With the proliferation of SSD drives, their speed also increased, which required manufacturers to develop a new type of connection. The solution was the M.2 interface. Its main advantages are speed and compactness. It is worth noting that not every M.2 drive is capable of demonstrating high speed. The reason for this is data transfer interfaces, of which today there are 3 types: SATA, PCI Express 2.0, PCI Express 3.0 (slowest to fastest). To find out how fast a high-quality SSD drive will work, you should check the specification of the interfaces on the motherboard.

The third type of connection is PCI Express, which involves connecting directly to motherboard. A good SSD drive uses all available speed.

Speed

So, let's move on to a more interesting characteristic of a solid-state drive. Most users first look at the speed of operation. Typically, the drive manufacturer specifies it in large print on the front of the box. It is indicated in megabytes per second and indicates the read and write speed. An inexpensive but reliable SSD drive usually has a read speed of 450 MB/s and a write speed of 350 MB/s. Faster is better.

However, random read and write is much more important. The parameter is responsible for the disk’s ability to work with scattered data around its entire perimeter. The response speed of the system largely depends on it. The manufacturer very often tries not to inform the user about this parameter. If the value is not indicated on the box or store website, then you should refer to the official developer page. In the specifications you need to find the IOPS parameter, its value should be: reading - at least 70,000, writing - at least 50,000. Modern SSD drives often have larger numbers.

Many users may wonder why SSD drives with the same type of memory from different manufacturers do they differ in speed? The point is that different companies They install different controllers in the drives - a small microcircuit on which the operation of the disk depends. The total SSD speed. How better job carried out by the company's programmers, the faster the controller operates.

Resources

The resource of a solid-state drive is the number of cell rewrites. Typically, this parameter is specified by the manufacturer, and a special utility helps monitor the health of the disk. Many users are worried that their fast and high-quality SSD drive will very quickly exhaust its supply of overwrites. These experiences are far-fetched. Before your drive cannot be rewritten, it will simply become obsolete, and you will most likely be using a different one. It is also a misconception that the data from the drive disappears. In fact, the user will not only be able to record, but the files will remain on the SSD. Therefore, you don’t have to think too much about the resources of the solid-state drive.

To choose a good SSD drive, you should also pay attention to the access protocols. It would take a long time to describe the moment in full, so I’ll keep it short. The vast majority of modern hard and solid state drives use the AHCI protocol. The technology is quite old, it appeared even before the era of fast SSD drives, so it does not take into account their specifics. It was replaced by the NVME protocol, which was developed for the needs of solid-state drives. The main advantage was the increase in speed with frequent access to information. They are usually used for server computers or for very serious work. They are characterized by high speed, but are expensive. Before you buy the best SSD drive like this, make sure your motherboard supports the protocol. Sometimes a BIOS update is required for it to work.

Speed ​​increase

Despite a bunch of articles, there are people who still doubt the speed increase. It is quite significant and is observed even with very old hardware. The operating system loads much faster - 2 times, or even faster regular HDD. When using a high-quality SSD drive, resource-intensive programs that require a very long wait to run on the hard drive become more responsive. Lovers computer games They will also receive, albeit a small, increase in launch speed.

Today, more and more companies are appearing on the market that produce good and inexpensive SSD drives. However, only a few companies have gained particular popularity and distribution.

• Intel. Expensive and high-quality SSD drives from a well-known company are now the standard. Used for servers and serious tasks. A 5-year warranty is provided.
• Crucial. It produces flash memory together with Intel, so the drives are quite similar. A significant difference from its popular colleague is the budget cost, which determines such distribution.
• Samsung. He is engaged in production independently. It produces inexpensive but good SSD drives, thanks to which it is located at the top of the market.
• Corsair. A popular company that produces various components for personal computers. Solid state drives are of decent quality and affordable cost.
• Sandisk. The company is new to the market of high-quality SSD drives, but has already presented several models that have attracted the interest of users.

Preamble

The article is updated every year, so check back here from time to time. Some information that was relevant in 2014 is no longer relevant in 2019. Pay attention to the notes in the text of the article and read the updating sections at the end of the article.

I keep repeating - in order to make a good choice of technology, it is necessary, at least in general terms, to understand subject area. Know what characteristics the equipment you choose has. Know how these characteristics affect the operation of equipment.

Buying an SSD drive is much more complicated than it seems to the uninitiated. There is a lot that is not obvious, hidden under the surface. This article will list important SSD specifications disks. It will be explained how the parameters of an SSD drive affect its consumer quality. The material is large in volume, since the topic is quite complex.

There are a lot of letters here, but if you have the patience to read everything to the end, then it will be easier for you to decide which SSD drive is better to buy. But if you don't like to read a lot then wait for the truncated version of this article.

Introduction

SSDs are no longer a luxury and are becoming a means of storing data. Over the past couple of years, especially during 2013 and early 2014, prices for SSD drives have dropped so much that it is already possible to purchase such a drive at a very reasonable price. regular computer. At the same time, the speed of modern SSD drives is such that their use provides the greatest increase in performance in terms of money spent.

For $120 - $150 spent on a good SSD drive, you can get more real performance gains than the same money spent on a processor or RAM.

Even the crisis of 2015-2016 did not affect the availability of SSD drives. During these years, SSD drives cost at the level of a 2.5" HDD, although adjusted for capacity by a factor of 4 (128 Gb SSD cost at the level of 500 Gb HDD). In 2017, SSD drives became slightly more expensive relative to HDDs.

Characteristics of SSD drives

This part of the article will describe the most significant characteristics SSD drives. Technical Parameters improving or worsening the consumer quality of SSD drives.

Main characteristics of SSD

These are the SSD parameters that most affect the consumer quality of the drives.

Manufacturer

SSD drives are made by many companies. Even more companies sell them under their own labels without manufacturing them (OEM production). But there are only a few companies whose discs are safe and secure to buy.

• Intel. The company, together with Micron, produces flash memory. Thus, it makes its own disks from its own memory and selects the best memory copies for its disks. It is no coincidence that they provide a 5-year warranty on their discs.
• Micron (trademark Crucial). The company, together with Intel, produces flash memory. Thus, it makes its own disks from its own memory and selects the best memory copies for its disks. The difference from Intel is that Micron (Crucial) focuses on the budget segment of the market. Lower price, shorter warranty period. But the disks are good, although they don’t shine with speed.
• Samsung. One of the leaders in the SSD market. And not only in terms of sales volume, but also technologically. The company produces its own flash memory and its own controllers. The disks are 100% proprietary - both memory and controllers, everything is our own. Although in the budget EVO 850 series, some models may have foreign controllers (Phison or Silicon Motion).
• Plextor. A Japanese company famous for its laser drives. In fact, the SSD is not made by itself - Lite-On makes them for it. But the discs are very good. On Marvell controllers. Plextor is not only about quality, but also about speed.
• Corsair. An American company known for the high quality of various products - RAM, power supplies. The company's products are aimed at so-called "enthusiasts", people willing to pay more for higher quality and speed. However, their budget models can be very average in speed.
• SanDisk. An American company, one of the leaders in the production of flash drives and SSD drives. Partner of Toshiba in the production of flash memory chips. Thus, disks are made from its own flash memory.
• Toshiba. The Japanese company is, among other things, a manufacturer of flash memory chips. Thus, the disks are made from its own flash memory.

SSD disk capacity

SSD drive manufacturers indicate this difference in the specifications of their drive models. Therefore, before buying a fast drive, carefully read its specifications; perhaps the size you have your eye on is not as fast as you expect.

That's when size matters.

There is one more feature related to the capacity of SSD drives. There are groups of models based on capacity, but not all models from this group have the same capacity. Example. Group with a capacity of 120/128 GB. Some models in this group have a capacity of 120 GB, while others have a capacity of 128 GB. What is this connected with?

The fact is that in fact, all disks in this group have a capacity of 128 GB, but on some models 8 GB is reserved both to level out the wear of flash memory cells and to replace failed cells.

Some manufacturers may not be entirely sure of the quality and lifespan of the flash memory used in their model and therefore make such a reserve. Some people make such a reserve simply for greater reliability. For example, the quality of flash memory in Intel drives is very high, however, the company is playing it safe by making a reserve of cells.

Controller used in the disk

The best controllers are considered Marvell And Samsung MDX. More details about controllers later in this article.

Write speed degradation (garbage collection)

Reduced writing speed on the SSD disk after it is completely full and after filling the data will be deleted. That is, writing to reusable memory blocks. Read more about this in the section.

Minor SSD Features

Hardware encryption with support for TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE-1667 standards. This makes it possible to use hardware encryption but manage it from the OS. For example, it will be possible to offload the central processor when using Windows BitLocker.

Power Loss Protection. Some SSD drive models have protection against sudden power failure. Usually these are just capacitors, the charge of which is enough for the disk to complete the necessary write operations to the memory cells.

Interfaces

SATA

Today (2014) all SSD drives are available with the SATA 3 interface. However, there are still many computers in which motherboards SATA 2 (SATA 300) and even SATA 1 (SATA 150) controllers are installed. Is it possible to install a new SSD drive in such a computer?

Of course you can. However, you need to understand that in this case the new SSD drive will produce real speed significantly below their passport specifications.

Modern SSD drives can typically perform read operations at speeds of over 500 MB per second. And recording speeds are more than 400 MB per second. This speed can be fully realized on computers with a SATA 3 (SATA 600) controller, for which the practical data transfer speed limit is approximately 570 MB per second.

But for SATA 2 controllers, practical speed is limited to approximately 270 MB per second. Accordingly, for SATA 1 controllers it is even lower - less than 150 MB per second. So if you put a new SSD drive in old computer, then it will work slower than it can at all.

So for a new SSD drive you need to buy a new computer? No.

There are other ways to get full speed on an old computer. You can install a SATA 3 controller made on a PCI or PCI-express board. And then connect the SSD drive through this controller.

PCI-express

In addition, there are now models of SSD drives that are made in the form of a PCI-express card, for example Plextor M6e. So you don’t need to buy anything else, you just insert the disk card into the PCI-e slot and that’s it. You can also install an M.2 form factor SSD into the PCI-e slot, but through an adapter card from M.2 to PCI-e.

M.2 (Next Generation Form Factor, NGFF)

Also, a new, faster interface for peripheral devices- M.2. You can buy an M.2 adapter made on a PCI-express board and then install an SSD drive with an M.2 interface there. The disk mentioned above Plextor M6e, just such an option - PCI-express card with an M.2 adapter on which a disk with an M.2 interface is installed.

The new M.2 interface (Next Generation Form Factor, NGFF) is essentially a PCI-express bus, only the connector has been changed - it is adapted not for expansion cards, but for small devices. SSD drives in the M.2 form factor are already on sale. This interface should give data transfer speeds higher than the practical limit for SATA 3 - 570 MB per second. The M.2 interface specification assumes the use of 4 PCI-express lines. For SSD drives in the M.2 form factor, 2 PCI-express lanes are used so that theoretically the exchange speed with the drive can reach 2 GB per second.

Memory

There are two types of flash memory (flash-memory) - NAND and NOR.

The difference between NAND memory and NOR is that the cells are combined into blocks and processed in blocks. While in NOR, each cell is processed individually. NAND memory has longer access times to memory cells, but is significantly cheaper to manufacture.

In the production of SSD drives, NAND type flash memory is used.

NAND flash memory manufacturers

Memory for SSD drives is manufactured by only a few companies - Intel and Micron (general production), Toshiba and SanDisk (general production), Samsung, Hynix.

The first such memory was created by Toshiba in the late 80s of the last century. Thus, it is the oldest NAND flash manufacturer.

Based on the type of pin layout in the chip package and subsequent access from the controller, NAND flash is divided into two types:

• Synchronous and asynchronous ONFI. It is manufactured by Intel and Micron, Hynix
• Asynchronous Toggle Mode. It is made by Samsung, Toshiba and SanDisk.

Types of NAND Flash Memory Cells

Today (in 2014) SSD drives use NAND flash memory with three types of cells:

• NAND SLC(single-level cell) - flash memory in one physical cell which stores one bit of information.
• NAND MLC(multi-level cell) - flash memory in one physical cell which stores two bits of information.
• NAND TLC(triple level cell) - flash memory in one physical cell which stores three bits of information.

The difference between these types is that as the number of bits stored in one cell increases, the cost of memory in terms of its capacity decreases. That is, relatively speaking, 128 GB of MLC memory is cheaper than the same 128 GB, but of the SLC type.

However, you have to pay for everything. As the number of bits per cell increases, the number of write cycles that cell can withstand decreases. For example, SLC type memory can withstand up to 5000 - 10,000 rewrite cycles. And the writing limit for MLC memory is up to 3000 cycles. For TLC type memory this limit is even lower - 1000 write cycles.

That is, as the number of bits per cell increases, the lifetime of this cell decreases. But at the same time, the recording speed increases.

In 2017, we can talk about the victorious procession of TLC memory. Probably more than half of all SSD drives are made on this memory.

Basic parameters of flash memory for SSD

The main characteristics of flash memory for SSD drives are:

1. The number of write cycles that a single cell of this memory can withstand. This parameter determines the lifespan and reliability of flash memory.
2. The technical process by which the flash memory crystal is manufactured.
3. Type of flash memory cells.

The second and third flash memory parameters directly affect the first parameter. The dependency is as follows:

• Reducing the process technology reduces the lifespan of flash memory.
• Increasing the number of bits per cell reduces the lifetime of flash memory.

That is, MLC type memory will have a shorter lifespan than SLC type memory. Memory manufactured using a 25-nanometer process will have a longer lifespan than one manufactured using a 19-nanometer process.

Memory capacity (size)

Indicated in gigabytes. The peculiarity of SSDs is that larger capacity disks provide faster data exchange speeds, especially when recording. The difference in write speed between a 120/128 GB disk and a 480/512 GB disk can be up to two or three times.

For example, a disk with a capacity of 120/128 GB can give a maximum recording speed of less than 200 MB per second, and a disk of the same model, but with a capacity of 480/512 GB will give a writing speed of more than 400 MB per second.

This difference is due to the fact that the SSD disk controller works with all memory crystals simultaneously (in parallel). And one disk model uses the same memory crystals. Accordingly, the difference in capacity is the difference in the number of crystals. Fewer memory crystals means less parallelization of operations and lower speed.

There is no need to confuse memory crystals and memory chips. One chip can have from one to four memory crystals. That is, in disks of different capacities the number of microcircuits may be the same - 8, but the number of crystals will be different.

Manufacturers of SSD drives indicate this difference in write speed in the specifications of their drive models. Therefore, before buying a fast drive, carefully read its specifications; perhaps the size you have your eye on is not as fast as you expect.

It happens that a person reads a test review on the Internet, which says that the XX disk gives a write speed of 450 MB per second. And buys this disk model. Installs and is surprised to discover that the write speed is only 200 MB per second. The thing is that he read about a model with a capacity of 512 GB, but bought a model with a capacity of 128 GB.

This difference increases as new 128-bit memory crystals enter the market, instead of 64-bit ones. Simply put, if an SSD is assembled on 64-bit memory chips, then the full speed of read/write operations is possible on disks with a capacity of 240/256 GB. And if the disk is assembled on 128-bit memory chips, then the full speed of read/write operations is only possible on 480/512 GB disks.

For example SSD drive Crucial M500 assembled on 128-bit memory chips. There are 4 models in this line:

• 120 GB - write speed 130 MB per second.
• 240 GB - write speed 250 MB per second.
• 480 GB and 960 GB - write speed 400 MB per second.

As you can see, the difference in recording speed between the younger and older models is more than three times. Although these are the same discs in all respects. Except for the number of memory crystals. By the way, Crucial in its 2014 model M550 uses crystals of different bit depths. For 128 and 256 GB models, 64-bit crystals are used. For 512 GB and 1 TB models, 128-bit crystals are used. Due to this, the difference in speed between the younger and older models has been reduced.

There is one more aspect depending on the disk capacity. The larger the disk capacity, the theoretically longer its service life. The fact is that a flash memory cell can withstand a limited number of write cycles and when this limit is reached, for example, an MLC type cell has been written to 3000 times, it fails.

All SSD disk controllers use cell interleaving during recording in order to even out cell wear. Free memory is used for interleaving. Accordingly, the less the disk is occupied with data and programs, the more opportunities the controller has for interleaving cells and the longer the memory will live.

Large disk capacity is the easiest way to increase free space on disk. Let's assume that your programs and data occupy 100 gigabytes. If this is placed on a 120 or 128 GB disk, then the disk will be almost entirely occupied and few cells will be available for striping. But if the disk capacity is 240 or 256 GB, then a lot of cells will be available for striping - more than 50%. Thus, the load on the cells will be much lower and there will be longer and more even wear.

Controllers

The computer cannot gain direct access to flash memory, so in addition to memory chips, a controller chip is also installed in the disks. Several companies produce such microcircuits:

• SandForce. Now this company is owned by another company - LSI. SandForce controllers, such as the SF2881, are the most common. They dominate the budget SSD segment. Even Intel produces SSD drives on these controllers (models 520, 530).
• Marvell- their controllers 88SS9187 and 88SS9174 are used in high-performance SSD drives from different manufacturers, in particular Micron (Crucial), Plextor, SanDisk. For example, some of the fastest SSD drives in the world are Plextor M5 Pro, Crucial M500, Crucial M550, use controllers Marvell88SS9187, 88SS9189. The company has also released a fast controller for an interface that supports NVMe (M.2).
• Indilinx. Now this company is owned by OCZ and the latest controller model is called Barefoot 3. Accordingly, these controllers are mainly used only in OCZ drives.
• LAMD (Link_A_Media Devices). The fast but rarely used LM87800 controller. For example, it is used in Corsair Neutron drive models. The company was bought by the Korean Hynix and these controllers are used only in conjunction with Hynix flash memory.
• Phison. This company has long been known for its controllers for USB flash drives. IN lately it began an attack on the SSD drive market. It offers low-cost solutions for the production of SSD drives - controller, firmware, board design. Its controllers are used in budget models, for example Corsair LS, SmartBuy Ignition 2.
• MDX. This controller was developed by Samsung and is used in its drives.
• Intel. In some models of its SSD drives, Intel uses its own controller. This server models S3500, S3700, as well as the Intel 730 model aimed at the business segment of the market.
• Silicon Motion. Another company offering budget controllers for SSDs. In terms of performance, nothing outstanding. However, companies like Intel and Micron use Silicon Motion controllers in their very successful 2018 models - Intel 545s and Crucial MX500, which demonstrate high speeds in both read and write.

Various characteristics of the SSD disk depend on the controller. Speed ​​of operation, lifespan of flash memory, resistance to data corruption.

For example, Marvell controllers give high performance with operations on arbitrary data blocks. This is exactly the load that falls on the disks in real computer operation. The Intel controller is focused on high performance under conditions of a large number of parallel requests (server load model).

But SandForce controllers have an unpleasant feature - after the disk is full and cleared, the write speed does not return to its original values ​​(when the disks were empty). The speed of operation also decreases when the disk is very full. At the same time, SandForce controllers provide high recording speed on easily compressible data, such as texts and documents.

Each controller has its own characteristics. Your strengths and weaknesses. If you have certain mandatory requirements for an SSD drive, then when choosing a model it makes sense to study the features of the controllers.

Inexpensive SSD drives

Inexpensive SSD drives are usually made on SandForce controllers, and Phison has been actively working in this segment for the last couple of years.

The reason for this is that both LSI (SandForce) and Phison offer complete solutions for manufacturing SSD drives. There is not only a controller, but also the firmware for it, as well as the board design for mounting all the hardware.

Thus, the manufacturer of finished drives does not need to do anything other than solder the parts onto the board and mount the board into the case.

TRIM (garbage collection)

SSD drives have important difference from the HDD, which affects the recording speed. In HDD, recording is performed “on top” of old data. Disk blocks that previously contained data and then that data was deleted are simply marked as free. And when you need to write, the HDD controller immediately writes to these free blocks.

When using flash memory, blocks that previously contained some information must be cleared before being written. This leads to the fact that when writing to previously used blocks, the writing speed drops significantly, because the controller needs to prepare them for writing (clear them).

The problem is that operating systems traditionally do not work with the file system in such a way that deleting files clears the contents of the blocks on the disk. After all, there was no need for this on HDDs.

Therefore, when using SSD drives, the effect of “performance degradation” occurs. When the disk is new and all flash memory blocks are clean, the write speed is very high, as specified. But after the disk is completely full and some of the files are deleted, re-writing will occur at a lower speed. Because the disk controller will have to clear the flash memory blocks before writing new data there.

The drop in write speed to reused flash memory blocks can be very high. Up to values ​​close to the recording speed of HDD disks. When testing SSD drives, they often even conduct a special test to reduce the write speed of reusable blocks.

To combat this phenomenon, the new operating systems have added the TRIM disk ATA command. Driver file system when deleting a file, sends the TRIM command to the SSD disk controller. With this command, the SSD disk controller clears freed flash memory blocks, but does so in background, in between read and write operations.

Using this command allows you to return full write speed to reused flash memory blocks. However, not all operating systems support this command. But only relatively latest versions:

• Linux kernel starting from version 2.6.33.
• Windows 7, 8 and 10.
• Mac OS X starting from version 10.6.6 (but for this version you need to install an update).

Until now, the popular WIndows XP (as well as Vista) do not support this command.

A workaround for older OSes is to use third-party programs. For example, this could be the hdparm program (version 9.17 and higher) or proprietary programs of the SSD disk manufacturer, for example Intel SSD Toolbox.

There are two models of SSD drives in which the degradation of the speed of reused blocks is less pronounced than others:

• Plextor M5 pro (old model, discontinued).
• Plextor M5S (old model, discontinued).
• Intel 545s (2018 model).

The firmware of these disks can partially clear unused blocks without the TRIM command. Restoring recording speeds to over high values, but not up to the full rated recording speed.

Of course, these are not the only models that can collect “garbage” on their own. Over time, there are more such models, because successful solutions are replicated by other manufacturers.

There are disk models that, even after executing the TRIM command, do not return to the full rated write speed.

The TRIM command is most often disabled when using a RAID array.

Note! When using this function, it will be impossible to recover deleted files!

SSD drives by manufacturer

Personally, I divide all SSD drive manufacturers into two categories - the big eight and all the rest. The Big Eight are Intel, Plextor, Corsair, Samsung, Micron (under the Crucial brand), Toshiba, SanDisk, Hynix. Companies that sell good and excellent SSD drives. Each of them has its own advantages, for example Intel, Samsung, Toshiba, SanDisk, Hynix and Micron make drives from their own flash memory. And Samsung uses not only its own memory in its SSD drives, but also its own controllers.

But in principle, you can buy any disc from any of these seven companies without going into details.

Everyone else is a pretty big list.

Intel. The company, together with Micron, produces flash memory. Thus, it makes its own disks from its own memory and selects the best memory copies for its disks. It is no coincidence that they provide a 5-year warranty on their discs. Some models also have their own controllers - that is, 100% Intel - such models as Intel DC S3500, Intel DC S3700, Intel 730, Intel 545s, Intel 760p. Intel's drives are very good, but the company primarily targets the business segment of the market and therefore its drives are quite expensive.

But her discs are worth the money. For example, server SSD drives DC S3500 and S3700 use not only selected memory, but also functions such as power loss protection, advanced verification checksums for stored data. This makes them very reliable means of storing data.

Micron(trademark Crucial). The company, together with Intel, produces flash memory. Thus, it makes its own disks from its own memory and selects the best memory copies for its disks. The difference from Intel drives is that Micron (Crucial) focuses on the budget segment of the market. Uses its own memory and Marvell controllers. In 2014, the company releases a disc that could become a new hit (like M4) - Crucial M550, Crucial MX500.

Samsung. One of the leaders in the SSD market. And not only in terms of sales volume, but also technologically. The company produces its own flash memory and its own controllers. The disks are 100% proprietary - both memory and controllers, everything is our own. As of the first half of 2014, the model Samsung 840 Pro This is the fastest SSD drive in the consumer segment of the market (drives for regular computers). The speed of this drive already exhausts the capabilities of the SATA 3 interface. New successful models are Samsung 850 and 860 EVO.

Plextor. The Japanese company is famous for its laser drives. In fact, the SSD is not made by itself - Lite-On makes them for it. But the discs are very good. Intel-Micron or Toshiba memory and Marvell controllers are used. Famous model Plextor M5 Pro despite the fact that it is no longer young and in 2014 remains one of the fastest SSD drives. In 2017, the company remains one of the market leaders in terms of disk speed with M.2 drives of the M8Pe G(N) series. Currently brand Plextor belongs to the Taiwanese company Lite-On, which previously manufactured drives for Plextor under contract.

Corsair. An American company known for the high quality of various products - RAM, power supplies. The company's products are aimed at so-called "enthusiasts", people willing to pay more for higher quality and speed. The company has several model lines - GS and GT disks on the SandForce controller, LS disks on the Phison controller, Neutron disks on the LAMD controller.

SanDisk- it has its own production of flash memory (shared with Toshiba) and some models of SSD drives from this company demonstrate very high performance. The company has a long and successful history of various types of flash drives (USB flash drives, memory cards).

Toshiba- it has its own production of flash memory (common with SanDisk). The company has a long and successful history of producing both flash memory and conventional (HDD) disks.

Hynix. This Korean company produces flash memory. And it recently bought a company that makes LAMD controllers. So now she has SSD drives from her own flash memory and with her own controller.

SSD disk lifespan

The time that an SSD drive will work is generally determined by the type of flash memory. That is, what type of cells is used and what process is used to manufacture the memory. It was already written above that SLC type cells have the largest resource, followed by MLC and finally TLC.

What does the limit on the number of write cycles mean in a practical sense? And how can we roughly estimate the possible lifespan of a particular disk?

Let's take a conventional disk that uses MLC flash memory produced using a 19-nanometer technical process. Let's assume that the manufacturer of this memory specifies a write limit of 3000 cycles for it. This is an indicator for good MLC flash memory manufactured using 19 or 20 nanometer manufacturing processes.

Based on this memory, a disk with a capacity of 120 GB was manufactured. The 3000 cycle limit means you can completely write your disc 3000 times. If you fill it completely every day, then empty it completely and fill it completely again the next day, then theoretically the memory will live for 3000 days. That is more than 8 years. If you write only 60 gigabytes per day and erase the disk only once every two days, then the lifespan increases to 16 years.

Of course this is simplified. But it is clear that the lifespan of flash memory is quite long. Even if we take a TLC flash-based disk with a limit of 1000 write cycles, this gives a theoretical disk lifespan of at least 3 years, provided that it is completely filled every day.

That is, in all these complaints about the constantly decreasing recording limit, there is no serious basis.

So you can independently estimate the lifespan of a disk, knowing the type of flash memory that is used in this disk. You can more accurately determine it if you have information about the manufacturer of this memory, because flash memory manufacturers indicate write limits for their products.

Finally, many disk manufacturers, in their disk specifications, explicitly indicate disk write limits in gigabytes per day. For example, Samsung in the specifications of the 840 Pro drive writes: “5 years of warranty are provided provided that no more than 40 gigabytes are written to the disc per day.” And Micron, for its Crucial M550 drive, specifies a recording limit of 72 terabytes, or approximately 66 gigabytes per day for three years.

However, in 2015, Samsung provides a 10-year warranty on some PRO series models.

In 2017, I can say from my own experience that none of the drives that I installed more than 3 years ago have yet broken. True, I have never installed SmartBuy disks. Only Plextor, SanDisk, Samsung, Toshiba, Intel.

Update 2019.

Firstly, the issue of unreliability of TLC memory can be said to be resolved. At least for market leaders. In 2019, the largest flash memory manufacturers, Intel, Micron, Samsung, declare the write resource for their TLC memory to be the same as what they gave for MLC memory several years ago. And this resource is such that it allows them to give a 5-year warranty on their SSD drives. And such a warranty period is very rarely available on an HDD.

Secondly, from my own experience, I can add that out of several dozen SSDs that I have installed in computers over the past 6 years, only one has failed - budget model Plextor (S range). And this Plextor did not die to the state of a brick - at the very least, it worked, so it was possible to copy data from there. For comparison, over the same years I replaced about a dozen HDD drives due to their failure. HDD drives in laptops die especially often.

So today SSD is more reliable than HDD. However, you need to keep in mind that we are talking about SSD drives from the best manufacturers (top eight). Discs like SmartBuy, Dexp and the like are, I think, a big lottery.

How to extend the life of an SSD drive

Free disk space. Don't fill it up completely - try to have 20 - 30 percent free space on the disk. The presence of free space allows the controller to level out the wear of memory cells. This free space should not be allocated, that is, not assigned to any partition with the file system. By the way, the presence of such an unmarked space also allows you not to bother about TRIM.

Uninterruptible power supply. If you are using an SSD in a regular computer, connect the computer via a UPS. If the SSD is in a laptop, monitor the battery condition - do not allow the laptop to turn off when the battery is completely discharged. SSD drives don't like sudden power loss. If there is an abnormal power outage on the disk, the data in the flash memory cells may be damaged. As an option, you can buy a disk model that has Power Loss Protection.

Refrigerate. SSD drives (like HDDs, like any electronics) do not like overheating. The higher the temperature of the disk, the faster it will fail. If you install an SSD in a laptop, then you can only hope that the designers of your laptop have provided for the possibility of sufficient heat removal from the disk.

But if you install an SSD in a regular computer, then your hands are free. The least you can do is use a metal adapter from 2.5" (SSD drive) to 3.5" (drive box in the case). The metal of the adapter will transfer heat from the disk to the body. However, for drives in a plastic case, a metal adapter is useless.

In the context of cooling, the big plus is the aluminum SSD case. If the disk is made wisely, then the metal case is used as a radiator to remove heat from the microcircuits.

In addition, you can install a fan - many cases even provide space for a special fan that blows air over the drive cage. Some cases even have this fan.

No need to defragment. File system fragmentation does not reduce the speed of the SSD. Therefore, by doing defragmentation you will not gain speed. However, by defragmenting, you will shorten the life of the disk by increasing write operations.

Installing an SSD on an old motherboard

You can breathe new life into your old computer by replacing the HDD with an SSD. All disk operations will be performed two to three times faster. And the computer performs a lot of disk operations - starting the OS, launching programs, opening files, using virtual memory(swap), caching in browsers, file editing, etc.

If you have an old motherboard with a SATA 2 (SATA 300) controller, then the new SSD drive will not work at full speed. There are two options to fix the matter:

• Buy a SATA 3 controller on a PCI or PCI-e board.
• Buy an SSD drive mounted on a PCI-e card, for example Plextor M6e.

Although, in my opinion, it’s easier to leave it as is. IN real life the difference in speed between connecting via SATA 2 and via SATA 3 may not be very large. It will only appear in operations that involve reading large amounts of data located sequentially on the disk. And accordingly, when recording large amounts of data sequentially. In practice, usually both writing and reading occur in small amounts in arbitrary (non-sequential) areas of the disk. And in this mode, most budget SSD drives provide speeds of less than 300 MB per second.

However, an SSD drive mounted on a PCI-e card is generally a good idea, as it will work faster than if connected via a SATA 3 controller. But this solution also has a drawback. A disk mounted on a PCI-e card cannot be installed in a laptop, but a simple SATA SSD can be used in any computer - a regular one, a laptop, an all-in-one computer, or a nettop.

Common mistakes when using SSD drives

Error one

Moving a large number of files to a regular mechanical magnetic disk (HDD). Some people install only the operating system and programs on an SSD drive, and transfer everything else to the HDD drive. Temporary file folders, browser cache folders, documents, and even the entire user profile.

They do this in order to save space on the SSD drive and increase its lifespan by reducing write operations. After all, for example, folders of temporary files are permanent write operations.

Indeed, space on the SSD is saved and the lifespan is increased. But this significantly reduces the speed of the computer. After all, the faster the disk reads or writes temporary files, documents, profile files, the faster the work is done.

My categorical opinion is that everything related to the OS and programs should be placed on an SSD drive. Working documents also need to be stored on an SSD drive. It makes sense to store only large amounts of data on the HDD - music, movies. Or data that is very rarely used - archives. Only in this case will you get the highest speed from your SSD drive. Don't forget - the main reason to buy an SSD drive is speed! And that means you need to squeeze this speed to the maximum.

Error two

Disk defragmentation. Out of habit left over from using HDD drives, people also defragment SSD drives. There is no need to do this! The speed of access to arbitrary data blocks on an SSD disk is approximately two orders of magnitude higher compared to an HDD. Therefore, data fragmentation no longer affects the reading speed of this data.

Resume

Basic parameters of SSD drives

• Manufacturer. The best manufacturers of SSD drives are Intel, Micron (Crucial brand), Samsung, Plextor, SanDisk, Toshiba, Corsair.
• Disk capacity. The minimum disk size, which provides greater speed and a good supply of free space to extend life, is 240/256 gigabytes. For drives with a capacity of 60 - 128 GB, the write speed will almost certainly be below 200 MB per second. Although there are some models of such disks with a writing speed of more than 200 MB per second.
• Controller. The best controllers today are Samsung, Marvell, Intel, Silicon Motion. Intel and Samsung controllers are used only in drives from these manufacturers. Marvell and Silicon Motion controllers are used in drives from different manufacturers.

Secondary parameters of SSD drives

• Memory type. SLC memory “lives” the longest, but such memory is not available in retail today. MLC and TLC memory, in descending order, have a shorter lifespan. In 2018, there are already few disks with MLC memory; most disks use TLC memory.
• Memory process technology. Memory crystals created using a 19 or 20 nanometer process have a shorter lifespan than crystals created using a 25 nanometer process. In 2018, memory is produced using a 14-nanometer technical process.
• Hardware encryption with support for TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE-1667 standards.
• Power Loss Protection.

Which SSD drive to choose

Something like this:

• Manufacturer: Intel, Samsung, Plextor, Corsair, Micron (Crucial).
• Memory type: NAND Flash MLC or TLC.
• Disk capacity: ranging from 240 - 256 Gigabytes.

For example these models: Intel 730, Intel S3500, Plextor M5 Pro, Crucial M550, Samsung 840 Pro. From these models Samsung 840 Pro And Crucial M550 will give the highest writing and reading speeds to date. A disk Intel S3500 will provide the highest guarantee of data integrity and safety.

Attention! These are old models, no longer in production. See the update sections at the end of the article - the current models are listed there.

Of course, when choosing a disk, you need to take into account the tasks that will be performed on the computer. If this is a regular home or office computer on which the main work is the Internet and documents, then the cheapest SSD drive with a capacity of 120/128 GB will do.

If this is a gaming computer, then firstly you need to take a volume of at least 240/256 gigabytes, and secondly, select a high-speed model. Because one game sometimes takes up to ten gigabytes on the disk, and during the launch process and during the game, large amounts of information are read from the disk.

If you have a computer for video processing, you need a capacity of more than 240/256 gigabytes and a model with the highest sequential writing and reading speeds.

If the computer will store and process critical information that cannot be lost, then apparently the best choice would be Intel S3500 or even Intel S3700.

If you plan to use the SSD with an old OS, such as Windows XP, it makes sense to think about the effect of “speed degradation” and how to avoid it (more details in the section).

Data Recovery

SSD drives have one drawback compared to HDD drive mi. In the event of a breakdown, recovering data from a “dead” SSD drive will be much more difficult, and most often completely impossible.

This is due to the fact that physically, pieces of data are stored in different cells and even in different flash memory chips. And only the disk controller “knows” how to get complete data from this “mess”. And the loss of some cells, especially those where service information is stored, can lead to the impossibility of data recovery.

There is one more feature. Even on a working SSD, recovering previously deleted files may not be possible. If TRIM is enabled for the drive, then the controller will destroy data from deleted files.

On HDD drives, data from deleted files is not destroyed until space is needed for new files. And this makes it possible to recover deleted files (not always, but often).

So, follow the most important computer rule - it is necessary to make copies of important data. This rule, however, applies to any type of disk in general, and not just to SSD. Any disk can die at any moment.

Update 2015

In rubles, SSDs have become more expensive and plus the general crisis is bad news.

The good news is that there are SSD drives with a 10-year warranty - these are some models Samsung series 850 Pro. And Intel even gives a 5-year warranty for its budget 535 series. Despite the fact that the smallest disks (120 GB) from these companies already cost around $100.

Prices (in dollars) go down, productivity goes up.

An interesting five of the inexpensive SSD drives at the end of 2015 (from the Yulmart assortment) in order of increasing price:

• Samsung 650 MZ-650120Z
• SanDisk Ultra II
• Samsung 850 EVO Series, MZ-75E120BW
• Intel 535, SSDSC2BW120H601
• Samsung 850 PRO Series, MZ-7KE128BW

Update 2016

The good news is that SSD drives that use TLC memory can have a lifespan comparable to drives with MLC memory.

This became possible thanks to the development of a new algorithm for removing signals from memory cells - LDPC decoding. Today (in 2016) there are three controllers that support this algorithm:

• Samsung MGX, SSD drives Samsung EVO 750 and 850.
• Marvell 88SS1074, SSD drives Plextor M7V.
• Silicon Motion SM2256

According to memory wear resistance tests, Samsung EVO 850 and Plextor M7V drives show very impressive results. At the level of good disks with MLC memory.

And the speed of work is very good. For example Plextor M7V 128 GB, on an Intel SATA 3 controller, gives a read speed of 497 MB/sec, and a write speed of 247 MB/sec (measured in the proprietary Plextool program). But Plextor M7V is a budget model, one of the cheapest among all SSD drives in mid-2016.

A disk Samsung EVO 850(250 GB) gives speeds (measured in Samsung proprietary software):

• On the SATA 2 controller (Intel ICH9): 268 MB/sec read and 250 MB/sec write. This speed was also confirmed by measurements in Ubuntu Linux.
• On the SATA 3 controller (Intel): 540 MB/sec read and 505 MB/sec write.

On SATA 2, the speed practically rests on the limit of the SATA 2 standard itself. On SATA 3, the reading speed also rests on the limit of the standard. And at the same time, Samsung gives a 5-year warranty on drives of the line EVO 850. And the result is an extremely fast and very reliable disk.

Update 2017

Many M.2 format SSD drives have appeared on sale, at prices comparable to the 2.5" SATA format. But more importantly, motherboards with an M.2 connector have appeared.

However, a clarification needs to be made. Not all M.2 format drives can provide read and write speeds significantly higher than through SATA III, that is, significantly higher than 570 MB per second. There are models that, having the M.2 format, nevertheless provide speeds at the level of only SATA III.

Speeds closer to 1 GB per second (or higher) depend on whether both the drive and motherboard support the NVMe (NVM Express) protocol. This is a protocol for working with disks via the PCI-e bus. It is similar to the AHCI protocol, but has advantages over it. The NVMe protocol places an emphasis on parallelizing read and write operations. And it has a greater job queue depth.

Before purchasing, you need to check the specifications of the SSD drive and motherboard. To support NVMe on the motherboard, not only the SATA III line, but also the PCI-e lanes (2 or 4) must be connected to the M.2 connector.

Here, for example, are several motherboards with an M.2 connector and NVMe support:

• ASUS H110M-A/M.2
• ASUS H170M-PLUS
• ASUS PRIME B250M-A
• ASUS B150-PRO

And accordingly, for example, SSD drives with NVMe support:

• Plextor M8Pe, PX-128M8PeG(N)
• Samsung EVO NVMe M.2

In addition, to support NVMe you need to use a fairly recent version of the OS. Windows supports NVMe out of the box starting with version 8.1. For Windows 7, you need to install an update and this is non-trivial, because the driver needs to be integrated into the installation image. Microsoft has instructions. There is another instruction in this topic, in Russian.

On Linux you need to use kernel version 3.13 19 or higher.

What are the benefits of using an NVMe-enabled SSD drive? At a minimum, today, this is approximately twice the speed of operation compared to SATA III. And in read mode, the speed is already 3-4 times higher than through SATA III. And over time, this gap will increase. So it makes sense to bother.

If you are buying a new computer in 2017, then I advise you to buy a motherboard and an SSD drive with NVMe support.

Cheap models

There are many SSDs on sale with the cheapest possible hardware platform. Manufacturers are reducing the number of processor cores, the number of memory channels, and removing the DRAM cache (the so-called DRAM-less controllers). For example, the Phison S11 controller is not only single-core, but also dual-channel and without DRAM cache. Such disks have a low price and beautiful figures for read and write speeds, in the specifications

Manufacturers of such SSD drives draw beautiful numbers in the specifications using a software trick called pseudo-SLC cache. The essence of this software solution The problem is that part of the TLC flash memory operates in pseudo-SLC mode, that is, one bit is written to the cell instead of three. This makes it possible to significantly increase the recording speed. However, this only works as long as the write size does not exceed the size of this pseudo-SLC cache or until the disk is completely full so that there are no free cells for the pseudo-SLC cache. And then the disk produces real, sad performance. Under high recording load, such disks can be even slower than HDDs.

And of course, given the weak controller processor and the lack of a DRAM cache, such drives have low performance in access mode to arbitrary blocks with a queue depth of 1-4. And this is the most common operating mode for a disk in a home (non-gaming) and office computer.

Some of these models:

• WD Green and Blue
• Toshiba TR200
• Kingston A400
• Sandisk SSD Plus (SDSSDA)
• GoodRam CL100
• SmartBuy Jolt

Be that as it may, even such an SSD drive will generally be faster than an HDD.

SATA goes down in history

Of course, SSDs with the SATA interface will be produced for a long time. For HDD replacement on work computers. But all major manufacturers make their best models in M.2 format and with NVMe support. The reason for this is that the SATA interface no longer allows for the data transfer speed that modern SSD drives provide. The speed limit for the SATA3 bus is approximately 570 MB per second. And modern SSD drives can transfer data at speeds of more than 1 GB per second.

So if you're looking to buy a new computer or upgrade, look for a motherboard with an M.2 connector and NVMe support. And put M.2 there NVMe SSD. However, you need to take into account that a motherboard with an M.2 connector, or a disk in M.2 format, may not have support for the NVMe protocol - in this case, the disk will operate at SATA3 speed (SATA mode). It is necessary to clarify whether a specific motherboard and a specific M.2 SSD drive have NVMe support.

3D XPoint (Intel Optane memory)

The first disks (from Intel) made on a new type of memory - 3D XPoint - appeared in retail sales. This memory is fundamentally different from NAND flash memory. Firstly, it is not processed in blocks - each cell can be addressed individually. Secondly, the cells do not need to be erased before recording. Thirdly, she has more high resource for recording.

In operations linear reading and writes, these 3D XPoint memory drives deliver speeds comparable to the fastest TLC NAND drives. But in operations of reading and writing small blocks at arbitrary addresses and with a short queue, 3D XPoint memory is faster than NAND flash. And this mode of disk operation is most common in practice.

The capacity of the first (for the retail market) 3D XPoint disks is not yet sufficient for their individual use (16 and 32 GB). And today Intel offers Optane memory technology for these drives. The 3D XPoint disk is installed in the M.2 slot and this disk is used as a cache for a regular HDD disk. It seems to me that this is too complicated to implement and not enough effective solution by price. It's easier to use SATA or M.2 SSD. And if you use an M.2 NVMe SSD, it will also be faster than an Optane drive + HDD.

It will be interesting when Optane disks with a capacity of at least 60 GB and at a competitive (with NAND) price will appear in retail.

Good and inexpensive SSD drive models

SATA Samsung 850MZ-7LN120BW- just 850 without the EVO suffix. There is only one model in the line so far, 120 GB. Costs around 3,500 rubles (summer 2018). In this model everything is like an adult - DRAM cache, good controller, plus a new 64-layer TLC 3D V-NAND memory. The result is very good speed performance. A good recording resource is 75 Terabytes.

SATA Hynix SL308- the line includes models with 120, 250 and 500 GB. DRAM cache, own controller, own memory, aluminum case. Like Toshiba, Intel and Samsung, Hynix also produces SSD drives from its own components. The 120 GB model costs around 3,500 rubles.

SATA Crucial MX500- almost the twin brother of the disk Intel SSD 545s. The differences are that a dynamically variable pseudo-SLC cache is used and there are capacitors to protect against sudden power loss (so that the write operation can be completed).

SATA Crucial Micron 1100- minimum volume in this model line 256 GB. This model costs around 6,500 rubles. It uses a Marvell controller, DRAM cache and its own TLC 3D NAND memory.

M.2 NVMe Intel 760p- the minimum volume in this model line is 128 GB. The 256 GB model costs around 6,400 rubles and has a 5-year warranty. The disk has - DDR4 DRAM cache, 64-layer TLC 3D V-NAND Intel - Micron, 8-channel SM2262 controller. All together this gives fantastic read and write speeds: 3.2 and 1.3 Gigabytes per second. This is the speed of the first computers with DDR2 RAM! Of course, these are numbers when using a pseudo-SLC cache, but its size (in the 256 GB model) is approximately 6 GB, which covers requests when regular work. Past the pseudo-SLC cache, the write speed is about 600 MB per second. According to tests, disks of this series give excellent results when performing operations with random blocks and short queues. As of summer 2018, this is the best option in the budget segment.

M.2 NVMe Samsung 960 EVO- the minimum volume in this model line is 250 GB. The 250 GB model costs around 7,000 rubles. It has the same impressive read and write speed figures: 3.2 and 1.5 Gigabytes per second. These are the numbers when using a pseudo-SLC cache, but its size changes dynamically and, if there is free space, in the 250 GB model, it can reach 13 GB. However, this disc is worse than Intel 760p, copes with reading and writing arbitrary blocks and a short queue. And this disk is option number two, if not available Intel 760p.

The good news is that good quality TLC memory has appeared, with a large recording resource. And SSD drives with TLC memory, on average, provide higher write and read speeds than drives with MLC memory. Moreover, they are also cheaper. A good 250 GB SATA SSD can now be purchased for $50-60.

So, now, in the budget segment, there are models that are more productive and more capacious than those in the premium segment a few years ago.

The bad news is that the number of frankly cheap SSD drives has increased. Which are of course very cheap, but buying them is very risky. Every year the number of “manufacturers” of SSD drives increases. And in these mountains of crap it is not easy to find a good product.

The best SATA SSD options for February 2019:

• SATA Intel SSD 545s- 256 GB.
• SATA Samsung 860 EVO MZ-76E250BW- 250 GB.

Cheap, capacious, fast disks. More details about these models in the 2018 section.

Ivan Sukhov, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 .

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• Small M.2 (NGFF) or mSATA SSD
• Need an SSD for your laptop?
• How to transfer an operating system to an SSD?

How to choose an SSD for a computer?

If your computer is modern or completely new, then be sure to pay attention - these are the fastest drives with a logical interface specially designed for SSDs. Details below in the appropriate section. But most often, we are talking about a 2.5” disk with SATA 6Gb/s. In any case, a solid-state drive is several times faster than any hard drive, and an NVMe SSD is tens of times faster. The case may not have a bay for 2.5" drives - this is not a problem, you just need an adapter from 2.5" to 3.5". To save money, you can use.

The best high-performance SSD drives

It is almost impossible to distinguish a fast drive from a slow one by eye, even old SATA-II from SATA-III. But sometimes speed is important. Who needs tests of solid-state drives - we have plenty of them, NICS tests drives. Comparing SSD performance will help you choose and buy an SSD with the fastest speed characteristics.

Choosing the optimal size of SSD drive

It's easy! Windows 10 will take you 30-40 GB, 8-16-32 GB for hibernation, 8-16 GB for the swap file, office programs 5-10 GB and each game another 10-50 GB. In fact, the minimum volume is 120 or 128 GB, comfortable, allowing you not to save every gigabyte - 240 or 256 GB. On SSD drives of 480 - 512 GB, you can install applications and games without looking back, but if you need to dump everything in a row - photos, music, movies, etc. - there are SSDs of terabytes and higher, if necessary. It is worth remembering that prices for SSD drives directly depend on their capacity, and the larger the memory capacity, the higher their cost.

Small M.2 SSD (NGFF) and mSATA

The fastest growing SSD market, thanks to NVMe Boot technology - instantly launches modern PCs using the fastest M.2 NVMe SSDs with a PCIe interface. Plus, you can install the drive directly on a compatible motherboard, which is important for compact systems. The corresponding M.2 connector and its parameters should be indicated in the description of the motherboard. When installing an NVMe SSD, be sure to make sure that the motherboard supports this technology, otherwise you will not be able to install the OS on the SSD. The situation is the same in laptops, but there may not be information about M.2, mSATA and NVMe, and if there is, it will be scanty - see below about SSDs for a laptop. The mSATA form factor is gradually fading into the background and is practically not found on new motherboards and laptops.

Choosing a reliable SSD for a server or workstation

Such drives require reliability, increased write and rewrite life, and the ability to easily handle multiple input/output operations (IOPS). The most difficult situation is a database server, where data can be constantly rewritten by several SSD volumes per day. For such cases, you need to purchase SSDs suitable for database servers. Usually the same 2.5” SSDs are installed in servers, but if Hot Swap baskets are designed only for 3.5”, then you will have to either replace the basket with a compatible one, or use special adapters that replicate the dimensions and location of the 3.5” HDD interface. Prices for SSD drives for corporate systems based on NAND flash are much higher, and it is best to choose them based on resource (TBW) and the number of rewrites of the entire SSD volume per day (DWPD). Separately, it is worth mentioning the Intel Optane SSD based on 3D XPoint - this is a completely new level of speed and resource. Based on this technology, Intel makes fast and reliable SSDs for workstations, for gamers and enthusiasts, and, of course, high-speed server solid-state drives.

How much SSD resource will be enough to solve your problems?

It's very simple: the life of solid-state drives is reduced every time you write new information to it. If you have a personal computer that you turn on once a day in the evening, after work, then you can buy... any SSD drive, because any modern SSD has sufficient resource for household use and simple office tasks, regardless of the type of memory cells (3D MLC, 3D TLC and others). Low prices for SSD drives make them accessible to every PC or laptop user. If the work involves creating large files, working with photos/videos, then you can and should choose more resourceful SSDs. For example, half the SSD capacity per day for recording (0.5 DWPD) is already a very good indicator of reliability for workstations, computers for designers or photographers.

Need an SSD for your laptop?

Usually we are talking about replacing a 2.5” HDD with a solid-state drive. Just make sure you have access to hard drive Make sure that the hard drive has a SATA interface, and measure the thickness of the drive. If it's 9 mm, any will do. If the thickness is 7 mm, then it is better to choose a thin 7 mm SATA SSD to fit exactly. More complex cases do not have a clear solution - you need to find out which solid-state or hard drive is installed and whether it can be replaced, and this is not always easy. If your laptop has an optical drive, you can replace it with an SSD using it - this is very convenient and allows you to leave the old drive in the laptop.

How to transfer an operating system to an SSD drive?

The easiest way is to buy an SSD disk with special software for transferring the OS. You can also use third-party drive cloning software, such as Acronis True Image.

Despite the fact that the SATA interface is far from the most advanced option for connecting drives today, even years after the appearance of SATA SSDs, it remains in demand. Manufacturers understand this, therefore, along with the latest NVMe SSDs, they continue to produce solid-state solutions based on SATA.

Regardless of which connection interface you choose, the addition of an SSD drive to a gaming PC will significantly add performance to the entire system as a whole. operating system will start up faster, programs will have a shorter launch time, and game locations will load much more quickly.

It is clear that a HDD can still remain a high-capacity storage for containing heavy media files, but a solid-state drive is simply mandatory should be the basis of the PC. Their cost today is not so fabulous as to deny oneself a colossal increase in productivity.

Solid state drives today have several form factors: 2.5-inch SATA SSDs, PCIe expansion cards and compact M.2 drives. For gaming, the best drive is one that combines acceptable capacity, high performance, reliability, and an affordable price.

In terms of cost, it is more logical to opt for SSDs connected via a SATA interface or inexpensive devices operating using the NVMe protocol. We have selected several solutions that meet these requirements and can add power to your gaming computer or laptop.

Best Affordable SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 500GB

What does the term "best" mean when talking about a storage device? Best value for money, great performance or great feature set? The ideal SSD for a gaming PC should have an excellent price/performance/reliability ratio and meet these requirements.

Samsung is the only SSD manufacturer that controls the entire manufacturing process: the company's engineers design the controller, program the firmware, produce the NAND flash memory, and create the finished product without involving third-party developers. In addition, Samsung provides a five-year warranty on its drive.

1.

: 540 MB/s

: 510 MB/s

: 520 MB/s

: 496 MB/s

: 0.036 ms;

: 0.027 ms;

Overall rating: 96.2

Price/quality ratio: 73

Samsung 850 EVO is available in capacities of 120, 250, 500 GB, as well as 1, 2, 4 TB. While it's not the most affordable or fastest SSD in every test, it has proven itself to be very reliable. Other drives also boast high transfer speeds, but in terms of overall performance, reliability and cost, the EVO beats many.

Average retail price: 10,000 rubles

Best Budget NVMe SSD: Intel SSD 760p 512GB

It's no secret that the performance of NVMe drives is three times higher than that of SATA SSDs. If you're considering upgrading from an older PC, you'll likely be stuck with SATA, but newer Intel-based platforms and AMD platforms support work with M.2 drives. If you're the owner of a new PC and want to maximize performance, M.2 storage is the perfect choice.

The read/write speeds of the Intel SSD 760p 512GB are up to 3230/1625 MB/s, respectively. In the case of resource-intensive workloads, these figures may decrease slightly, but even so, the performance will be superior to SATA solutions. When it comes to gaming, you'll hardly notice the difference between the Intel SSD 760p and the Samsung 850 EVO 500GB, but it will be faster in other operations.

If you want to get the maximum level of performance in any tasks other than gaming, and at the same time equip your PC with a modern M.2 drive, the Intel SSD 760p 512GB will be a good solution if you take into account the price-performance ratio.

Average retail price: 13,800 rubles

Best High-End SSD: Samsung 850 Pro 512GB

It is the fastest among SATA SSDs, but it also has a decent price. Think twice before purchasing it: it may be wiser to buy an NVM drive from Intel from our selection - it costs less. But, if you are upgrading an old PC that does not support M.2 solutions, and want to achieve maximum performance, this will be the drive.

Samsung 850 PRO uses more durable cells compared to 850 EVO MLC memory. Plus, the manufacturer provides a ten-year warranty on the device, which is twice as long as in the case of the previous version from the EVO series. In addition, it is one of the fastest SATA SSDs with a capacity of 512 GB. And the cost of 16,000 rubles is quite tolerable for the High-End class.

1.

Average read speed (compressible data)

: 551 MB/s

: 518 MB/s

: 526 MB/s

: 496 MB/s

: 0.036 ms;

: 0.023 ms;

The Polish manufacturer GOODRAM is one of the few that positions its SSDs as gaming ones. Its cost is 3,000 rubles less than the penultimate model (about 13,000 rubles), which immediately makes it a tasty purchase for any gamer. True, unlike the Samsung PRO series drive, it comes with a five-year warranty.

In terms of data read and write speed, the drive is slightly superior to the competitive model from Samsung, so its purchase will be even more justified when choosing a high-end device. Access time is also faster here, and this becomes an additional argument in favor of the Polish product. And in general, during our tests, Iridium Pro showed very good results.

Average retail price: 13,000 rubles