Which ssd is suitable for a laptop. Conclusion. What is more profitable to buy? Main characteristics of SSD

In recent years, the cost of SSD drives has dropped dramatically and today, in 2017, you can buy a good SSD for less than $ 100. Of course it will be a modest capacity, 120 or 128 gigabytes, but it is enough for a system disk. So, it is already possible and even necessary to switch from old mechanical to new electronic disks.

Why you need to use SSD drives

Advantages of SSD drives over old HDDs:

• Less electricity consumption.
• Less heat dissipation.
• No noise as there are no moving mechanical parts.
• Higher reliability due to the absence of moving mechanical parts.
• But the most important thing is several times higher read and write speed. The best SSD models have read and write speeds that even exceed the SATA III bandwidth, which is about 570 MB per second. That is, the speed of the best SSD drives is higher than the speed of the SATA interface. For HDD, the speed limits are 130 - 140 MB per second.

Higher read and write speeds are the most important advantage of SSD drives, because the speed of drives has always been the bottleneck in the overall speed of a computer. Relatively speaking, if the disk can run three times faster, then the computer will run twice as fast. Moreover, the use of an SSD can provide speeds even higher than the limit of the SATA interface. Since these are electronic disks and in fact are just boards with microcircuits, they can be made, for example, with the PCI-express interface, and this is already speeds of more than a gigabyte per second.

For some time, at the beginning of the production of SSD disks, there was a problem of their short life (short in relation to HDD). But today, good models, the best manufacturers, can work for years. It is not uncommon for these discs to have a manufacturer's warranty of 5 or even 10 years. So, the only argument against SSD today is the higher price for 1 GB of capacity. One gigabyte of SSD storage still costs six times more than an HDD. However, this problem can be solved as follows - to store large files (video, etc.), use the HDD, and for the system and programs SSD.

How to Pick a Good SSD

Now let's move on to the topic of the article. When choosing an SSD, you need to look at two main characteristics - speed and reliability. The speed depends on the components (memory and controller) that are used in the disk. And reliability from components (such as memory) and manufacturer. Further, in this article all primary and secondary characteristics of electronic disks will be discussed in detail.

SSD drive characteristics

This part of the article will describe the most significant characteristics of SSD drives. Technical parameters that improve or degrade the consumer quality of SSD drives.

Main characteristics of SSD

These are SSD parameters that have the greatest impact on the consumer quality of drives.

Manufacturer

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

• Intel... The company together with Micron produces flash memory. Thus, he makes his disks from his own memory and selects the best copies of memory for his disks. It is no coincidence that it gives a 5-year warranty on its disks.
• Micron (trademark Crucial). The company together with Intel releases flash memory. Thus, he makes his disks from his own memory and selects the best copies of memory for his disks. The difference from Intel is that Micron (Crucial) is targeting the budget segment of the market. Lower price, less warranty. But the discs are good.
• Samsung... One of the leaders in the SSD market. And not only in terms of sales, but also technologically. The company itself produces flash-memory, controllers are also their own. Disks are 100% own - both memory and controllers, all their own.
• Plextor... A Japanese company famous for its laser drives. In fact, the SSD does not make itself - Lite-On makes them for it. But the discs are very good.
• Corsair... The American company is known for the high quality of various products - random access memory, power supplies. The company's products are aimed at the so-called "enthusiasts", people who are willing to pay more for higher quality and speed.
• Sandisk... American company, one of the leaders in the production of flash drives and SSD drives. Toshiba's partner in flash memory chips. Thus, the disks are made from their flash memory.
• Toshiba... A Japanese company, among other things, a manufacturer of flash memory chips. Thus, it makes disks from its own flash memory.

SSD disk capacity

SSD manufacturers indicate this difference in the specifications of their drive models. Therefore, before buying a fast disc - carefully read its specifications, maybe the size you are looking at is not as fast as you expect.

When size matters.

There is one more feature related to the capacity of SSD drives. There are capacity groups of models, but not all models in 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 128 GB. What is the reason for this?

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 for leveling the wear and tear of flash memory cells and for replacing failed cells.

Some of the manufacturers may not be quite sure about the quality and lifespan of the flash memory used in their model and therefore makes such a reserve. Someone makes such a margin just for greater reliability. For example, in Intel disks, the quality of flash memory is very high, nevertheless, the company reinsures itself by making a reserve of cells.

The controller used in the disk

The best controllers are considered Marvell 88SS9187, Samsung MDX.More on controllers later in this article.

Write speed degradation (garbage collection)

Reducing the write speed to an SSD disk after it is completely full and data will be deleted after it is full. That is, writing to reusable memory blocks. More on this in the section.

SSD secondary characteristics

Hardware encryption with support for TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE-1667 standard. This makes it possible to use hardware encryption but manage it from the OS. For example, you can offload the CPU by using Windows BitLocker.

Power loss protection... Some SSD models are protected against sudden power outages. Usually these are just capacitors, the charge of which is enough for the disk to complete the necessary writes to memory cells.

Interfaces

This part of the article describes the interfaces through which SSD drives are connected to the computer.

SATA

Today (2016) all SSD drives are produced with SATA 3 interface. However, there are still many computers in which motherboards have SATA 2 (SATA 300) and even SATA 1 (SATA 150) controllers. Can a new SSD drive be installed in such a computer?

Sure you may. However, you need to understand that in this case, the new SSD drive will deliver real speed significantly lower than its passport characteristics.

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

But for SATA 2 controllers, the practical speed is limited to about 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 into your old computer, it will run slower than it can.

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

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

PCI-express

In addition, now there are 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, just plug the disk card into the PCI-e slot and that's it. An M.2 form factor SSD can also be installed in the PCI-e slot, but through an M.2 to PCI-e adapter card.

M.2 (Next Generation Form Factor, NGFF)

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

The new M.2 (Next Generation Form Factor, NGFF) interface 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 a data transfer rate higher than the practical limit for SATA 3 - 570 MB per second. The M.2 interface specification assumes the use of 4 PCI-express lanes. For SSD drives in the M.2 form factor, 2 PCI-express lanes are used so that theoretically the exchange rate with the drive can reach 2 GB per second.

Memory

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

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

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

NAND Flash Manufacturers

Memory for SSD drives is made 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 manufacturer of NAND flash. According to the type of pinout in the microcircuit case and subsequent access from the controller, NAND flash can be divided into two types:

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

NAND flash cell types

Today (in 2016) SSDs use NAND flash memory with three types of cells:

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

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 MLC memory is cheaper than the same 128 GB, but SLC type. And 128GB TLC memory is cheaper than the same amount of MLC.

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

That is, with an increase in the number of bits per cell, the lifetime of this cell decreases.

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 the flash memory.
2. The technical process by which the flash memory crystal is manufactured.
3. Type of flash memory cells.

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

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

That is, MLC memory will have a shorter lifetime than SLC memory. A memory manufactured using the 25 nanometer process technology will have a lifespan longer than that manufactured using the 19 nanometer process technology.

Memory capacity (size)

Indicated in gigabytes. The peculiarity of SSDs is that larger drives provide faster data transfer rates, especially when writing. The difference in write speed between 120/128 GB and 480/512 GB discs can go up to two or three times.

For example, a 120/128 GB disk can give a maximum write speed of less than 200 MB per second, and a disk of the same model, but with a 480/512 GB capacity, will give a write 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 - less parallelization of operations - lower speed.

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

SSD manufacturers indicate this write speed difference in the specifications of their drive models. Therefore, before buying a fast disc - carefully read its specifications, maybe the size you are looking at is not as fast as you expect.

It happens that a person reads a test review on the Internet, in which it is written that the XX disc gives a write speed of 450 MB per second. And he buys this model of the disk. Installs and is surprised to find that the write speed is only 200 MB per second. The point is that he read about a 512 GB model, and bought a 128 GB model.

This difference grows as new 128-bit memory dies are released on the market, instead of 64-bit ones. Simply put, if an SSD is built on 64-bit memory chips, then the full speed of read / write operations is possible on 240/256 GB disks. And if the disk is assembled on 128-bit memory chips, then the full speed of read / write operations is possible only on 480/512 GB disks.

For example SSD disk Crucial M500 built 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.
• 480GB and 960GB - 400 MB per second write speed.

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

There is one more aspect that depends on the disk capacity. The larger the disk capacity, the theoretically the 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 3000 times, it fails.

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

Large disk capacity is the easiest way to increase free disk space. Suppose you have 100 gigabytes of programs and data. If this is located on a 120 or 128 GB disk, then the disk will be almost completely occupied and there will be few cells 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 a longer and more even wear.

Controllers

The computer cannot get direct access to the flash memory, therefore, in addition to memory microcircuits, a controller microcircuit 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 (models 520, 530) produces SSD disks on these controllers.
• Marvell - their controllers 88SS9187 and 88SS9174 are used in high-performance SSD disks from different manufacturers, in particular Micron (Crucial), Plextor, SanDisk. For example, some of the world's fastest SSD drives are Plextor M5 Pro, Crucial M500, Crucial M550use controllers Marvell88SS9187, 88SS9189.
• Indilinx... Now this company is owned by OCZ and the latest controller model is called Barefoot 3. Accordingly, these controllers are used mainly in OCZ drives.
• LAMD (Link_A_Media Devices). Fast but rarely used LM87800 controller. For example used in Corsair Neutron drive models. The company was bought by the Korean Hynix and these controllers are used only in tandem with the Hynix flash memory.
• Phison... This company has long been known for its controllers for USB flash drives. Recently, it has launched an offensive on the SSD market. It offers budget 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 is developed by Samsung and is used in its drives.
• Intel... Intel uses its own controller in some of its SSD models. These are the 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 SSD controllers. Nothing outstanding in terms of performance.

Different characteristics of an SSD drive depend on the controller. Speed \u200b\u200bof operation, lifespan of flash memory, resistance to data corruption.

For example, Marvell controllers give high performance with operations on arbitrary blocks of data. Just such a load falls on the disks in the real work of the computer. The Intel controller is focused on high performance in a high concurrent request environment (server load model).

And SandForce controllers have an unpleasant feature - after the disk is full and cleaned, the write speed does not return to its original values \u200b\u200b(when the disks were empty). It also slows down when the disk is very full. At the same time, SandForce controllers provide high write speed on easily compressible data, such as texts, 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 for the last couple of years, Silicon Motion and Phison have been actively working in this segment.

The reason for this is because these companies offer complete solutions for making SSD drives. Not only the controller, but also the firmware for it, as well as the design of the board for mounting all the filling.

Thus, the manufacturer of ready-made disks does not need to do anything other than soldering the parts to the board and mounting the board into the case.

TRIM (garbage collection)

SSDs have an important difference from HDDs that affect write speed. In HDD, recording is performed "over" old data. Disk blocks that previously contained data and then this data was deleted are simply marked as free. And when it is necessary to perform recording, the HDD controller immediately writes to these free blocks.

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

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

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

The drop in write speed to reusable blocks of flash memory can be very high. Up to values \u200b\u200bclose to the recording speed of HDD disks. When testing SSD drives, they often even conduct a special test to reduce the write speed to reusable blocks.

To combat this phenomenon, the disk ATA TRIM command has been added to new operating systems. The file system driver sends a TRIM command to the SSD controller when deleting a file. At this command, the SSD disk controller flushes the freed blocks of flash memory, but does so in the background, between reads and writes.

Using this command returns the full write rate for reusable blocks of flash memory. However, not all operating systems support this command. But only relatively recent versions:

• Linux kernel since version 2.6.33.
• Windows 7
• Windows 8
• 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 (like Vista) does not support this command.

A workaround for older operating systems is to use third-party programs. For example, it can be the hdparm program (version 9.17 and higher) or proprietary programs of the SSD 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 that of others:

• Plextor M5 pro.
• Plextor M5S.

The firmware of these drives can partially clear unused blocks without the TRIM command. By restoring the write speed to higher values, but not to the full nameplate write speed.

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

The TRIM command may not work if the motherboard SATA controller has been set to IDE mode (for compatibility with an older OS or program).

TRIM is most often disabled when using a RAID array.

SSD drives by manufacturer

Personally, I divide all SSD manufacturers into two categories - the G7 and everyone else. The Big Seven are Intel, Plextor, Corsair, Samsung, Micron (under the Crucial brand), Toshiba, SanDisk. Companies that sell good and great SSD drives. Each of them has its own advantages, for example Intel, Samsung, Toshiba, SanDisk and Micron all 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 long list.

Intel... The company together with Micron produces flash memory. Thus, he makes his disks from his own memory and selects the best copies of memory for his disks. It is no coincidence that it gives a 5-year warranty on its disks. Some of the models are also on their own controllers - that is, 100% Intel - such models as Intel DC S3500, Intel DC S3700, Intel 730... Intel drives are very good, but the company is mainly targeting the business segment and therefore its drives are quite expensive.

But her CDs are worth their money. For example, the DC S3500 and S3700 server SSDs use not only selective memory, but also features such as protection against power loss, extended checksum verification for stored data. This makes them very reliable storage media.

Micron (trademark Crucial). The company together with Intel releases flash memory. Thus, he makes his disks from his own memory and selects the best copies of memory for his 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 released a disc that could become a new hit (like the M4) - Crucial M550.

Samsung... One of the leaders in the SSD market. And not only in terms of sales, but also technologically. The company itself produces flash-memory, controllers are also their own. Disks are 100% own - both memory and controllers, all their own. As of the first half of 2014 model Samsung 840 Pro it is the fastest SSD in the consumer segment of the market (drives for conventional computers). The speed of this drive is already exhausting the capabilities of the SATA 3 interface.

Plextor... A Japanese company famous for its laser drives. In fact, the SSD does not make itself - Lite-On makes them for it. But the discs are very good. Uses Intel-Micron or Toshiba memory and Marvell controllers. Famous model Plextor M5 Pro despite the fact that it is no longer young and in 2014 remains one of the fastest SSD drives.

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

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

Toshiba - it has its own production of flash memory (in common with Sandisk). The company has a long and successful history of manufacturing both flash memory and conventional (HDD) drives.

SSD disk lifespan

The time that an SSD drive will run is generally determined by the type of flash memory. That is, what type of cells is used and by what process the memory is made. It has already been written above that the SLC type cells have the largest resource, then MLC and finally TLC.

What does the write cycle limit mean in a practical sense? And how to roughly estimate the possible lifespan of this or that disk?

Let's take a conventional disk that uses MLC flash-memory produced according to the 19 nanometer process technology. Suppose the manufacturer of this memory specifies a write limit of 3000 cycles for it. This is an indicator for a good MLC flash-memory made using 19 or 20 nanometer process technology.

Based on this memory, a 120 GB disk was made. The 3000 cycle limit means you can burn your entire disc 3000 times. If you fill it completely every day, then clear it completely and fill it 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 a day and erase the disk only once every two days, then the lifespan increases to 16 years.

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

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

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

And finally, many disk manufacturers explicitly state disk write limits in gigabytes per day in their disk specifications. For example, Samsung writes in the specifications of the 840 Pro disk: "A 5-year warranty is provided if the disk is written to a maximum of 40 gigabytes per day." Micron, for its Crucial M550 disc, specifies a recording limit of 72 terabytes, or about 66 gigabytes per day for three years.

However, in 2016, Samsung gives a 10-year warranty for some PRO models. And for some models of its budget EVO line, it gives a 5-year warranty. This is despite the fact that the EVO models use TLC memory.

How to extend the life of an SSD drive

Free disk space. Do not "fill" it completely - try to have 20 - 30 percent free space on the disk. Free space allows the controller to even out the wear of memory cells. It is better if this free space is not marked up, that is, it is not assigned to any partition with a file system.

Uninterrupted power supply. If you are using an SSD in a regular computer, connect the computer via UPS (UPS). If the SSD is in a laptop, monitor the battery status - do not shut down the laptop due to the full discharge of the battery. SSD drives don't like sudden power outages. An abnormal power cut on the disk may damage data in the cells of the flash memory. Alternatively, you can buy a drive model that has Power Loss Protection.

Cool it down. SSD drives (like HDDs, like any electronics) don't like overheating. The higher the temperature of the disk, the faster it will fail. If you are installing an SSD in a laptop, then you can only hope that the designers of your laptop have provided the possibility of sufficient heat dissipation from the drive.

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 disk) to 3.5" (disk box in the case). Through the metal of the adapter, the heat from the disk will transfer to the case. However, a metal adapter is useless for drives in a plastic case.

A big plus is the aluminum SSD enclosure. If the drive is designed correctly, then the metal case is used as a heatsink to remove heat from the microcircuits.

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

High quality power supply. If you put the disk in a stationary computer, use a high-quality power supply. However, this item is relevant not only for extending the life of SSD drives, but also for all computer components in general. By the way, HDD drives don't like "bad" power supply either.

Don't defragment... Fragmentation of the file system does not slow down SSD performance. Therefore, by doing defragmentation, you will not get a gain in speed. However, defragmenting will shorten the lifespan of the disk by increasing write operations.

Installing an SSD on an Old Motherboard

You can breathe a second 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, editing files, etc.

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

• Buy a SATA 3 controller on a PCI or PCI-e card.
• Buy an SSD mounted on a PCI-e card, such as the Plextor M6e.

Although, in my opinion, it is easier to leave it as it is. In real life, the difference in speed between a SATA 2 and SATA 3 connection may not be very large. It will manifest itself only on operations with reading large amounts of data located on the disk sequentially. And accordingly, when sequentially recording large amounts of data. In practice, both writing and reading are usually performed in small volumes in arbitrary (non-sequential) areas of the disk.

However, an SSD mounted on a PCI-e board is generally a good idea, as it will run faster than when connected even via a SATA 3 controller.

Common mistakes when using SSD drives

The first mistake

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

They do this in order to save space on the SSD disk and increase its life by reducing write operations. After all, for example, temporary file folders and swap file are permanent write operations.

Yes, and SSD space is saved and lifespan is increased. But at the same time, the speed of the computer is significantly reduced. 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 OS and programs should be placed on an SSD disk. Working papers also need to be stored on an SSD drive. It makes sense to store only large data on the HDD - music, movies, images of laser discs, etc. And also data that is very rarely used - archives. Only then will you get the fastest speed from your SSD drive. Don't forget - the main reason for buying an SSD is speed! And that means you need to squeeze this speed to the maximum.

The second error

Disk Defragmenter. Out of the habit left over from using HDDs, people defragment SSDs as well. You don't need to do this! The speed of access to arbitrary data blocks in an SSD is about two orders of magnitude higher than in an HDD. Therefore, data fragmentation no longer affects the speed of reading this data.

Summary

Basic parameters of SSD drives

• Manufacturer... The best SSD manufacturers are Intel, Micron (Crucial), Samsung, Plextor, SanDisk, Toshiba, Corsair.
• Disk capacity... The minimum disk size, which gives a high speed of work and a good supply of free space to extend the lifespan is 240/256 gigabytes. For disks 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 write speed of more than 200 MB per second.
• Controller... The best controllers for today are Marvell, Intel, Samsung.

Secondary parameters of SSD drives

• Memory type... SLC memory "lives" the longest, MLC and TLC, in decreasing order, have a shorter lifespan.
• Memory process technology... Memory crystals created using the 19 or 20 nanometer process technology have a shorter lifespan than the crystals created using the 25 nanometer process technology.
• Hardware encryption with support for TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE-1667 standard.
• 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: from 240 - 256 Gigabytes. However, 120-128 GB is also a good option.

For example such models: Intel 730, Intel S3500, Plextor M5 Pro, Crucial M550, Samsung 840 Pro... Of these models Samsung 840 Pro and Crucial M550 will give the highest read and write speed to date. A disk Intel S3500 will give the highest guarantee of data integrity and safety.

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

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

If the computer for video processing means you need more than 240/256 gigabytes and the model with the highest sequential write and read speed.

If the computer stores and processes critical information that cannot be lost, then the best choice would probably be Intel S3500 or even Intel S3700.

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

Update 2016

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

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

Prices (dollar) go down, productivity goes up.

Another good piece of news relates to TLC drives. Such disks can have a lifespan comparable to disks on MLC memory.

This became possible due to the development of a new algorithm for removing the signal 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 the memory wear tests, the Samsung EVO 850 and Plextor M7V drives show very impressive results. On the level of good disks with MLC memory.

And the speed of work is good. For example, Plextor M7V 128 GB, on an Intel SATA 3 controller, gives a read speed of 497 MB / s, and a write speed of 247 MB \u200b\u200b/ s (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 the proprietary Samsung program):

• On a SATA 2 controller (Intel ICH9): 268 MB / s read and 250 MB / s write. This speed has been confirmed by measurement in Ubuntu Linux.
• On a SATA 3 controller (Intel): 540 MB / s read and 505 MB / s write.

On SATA 2, the speed practically rests against 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 the disks of the line EVO 850... And the result is an extremely fast and very reliable drive.

Interesting inexpensive SSD drives (120 and 128 GB), as of mid-2016 (from the Yulmart range) in order of price increase:

• SanDisk Z400s (5 years warranty).
• Plextor M7V
• Samsung 750 EVO Series
• SanDisk Ultra II
• Samsung 850 EVO Series
• Intel 535 AND 540 (5 years warranty).

And the champion, in terms of speed and warranty period, Samsung 850 PRO Series (10 years warranty). Although not cheap.

Update 2017

There are many M.2 SSD drives on the market, at prices comparable to 2.5 "SATA, but more importantly, there are M.2 motherboards.

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

Speed \u200b\u200bcloser to 1GB per second (or faster) depends on whether both the drive and the motherboard support NVM Express technology.

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

Here are some M.2 motherboards with NVMe support for example:

• 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 OS version. Windows out of the box supports NVMe since version 8.1. For Windows 7, you need to install an update and this is not 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 must use kernel version 3.13 19 or higher.

What is the benefit of using an NVMe-enabled SSD? At the minimum, as of today, this is about twice the speed of work 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 get a motherboard and SSD with NVMe support.

Update 2018

Cheap Models

Many SSDs have appeared on sale with the lowest possible hardware platform. Manufacturers reduce the number of processor cores, the number of memory channels, remove DRAM cache (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 nice numbers in terms of read and write speed, in specifications

The manufacturers of these SSDs draw pretty numbers on the specs using a software trick called pseudo-SLC cache. The essence of this software solution 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 write 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 clogged so that there are no free slots for the pseudo-SLC cache. And then the disk gives out real, sad performance. Under high recording load, such drives can be even slower than HDDs.

And of course, given the weak controller processor and the absence of DRAM cache, such disks have low performance in the mode of accessing random blocks with a queue depth of 1-4. And this is the most common operating mode for a disk in a home (not a game) 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 SATA interface will be released for a long time. For replacing HDD in work computers. But all major manufacturers make their best models already in M.2 format and with NVMe support. The reason for this is that the SATA interface no longer allows you to realize the data transfer rate 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 a speed of more than 1 GB per second.

So if you're looking to buy a new computer or upgrade, look for an M.2 motherboard with NVMe support. And put the M.2 NVMe SSD there. However, it should be noted that a motherboard with an M.2 connector, or an M.2 drive, may not have support for the NVMe protocol - in this case, the drive will operate at SATA3 (SATA mode).

3D XPoint (Intel Optane memory)

The first discs (from Intel) made on a new type of memory - 3D XPoint - appeared in retail. This memory is fundamentally different from NAND flash memory. First, it is not processed in blocks - each cell can be addressed individually. Secondly, cells do not need to be erased before writing. Third, it has a higher write resource.

In linear read and write operations, these 3D XPoint 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 separate use (16 and 32 GB). And today Intel offers Optane memory technology for these drives. The 3D XPoint is installed in an M.2 slot and is used as a cache for a regular HDD. It seems to me that this is too difficult to implement and not an effective solution for the price. Easier to use SATA or M.2 SSD. And if you use M.2 NVMe SSD, it will also be faster than Optane disk + HDD.

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

Good and inexpensive SSD drives

SATA Intel SSD 545s - the minimum volume in this model line is 128 GB. The 256 GB model costs around 5500 rubles. The disk has - DDR3 DRAM cache, 64-layer TLC 3D V-NAND Intel - Micron, 4-channel SM2259 controller, aluminum case. For the 256 GB model, read and write speeds are stated: 550 and 500 megabytes per second. These are figures when using a pseudo-SLC cache, its size (in the 256 GB model) is 3 GB. Past the SLC cache, the write speed is around 400 MB per second. As of summer 2018, this is the best option in the budget segment.

SATA Samsung 850 MZ-7LN120BW - just 850 without the EVO suffix. There is only one model in the line, for 120 GB. It costs around 3,500 rubles. Everything in this model is grown-up - DRAM cache, a good controller, plus a new 64-layer TLC 3D V-NAND memory. As a result, very good speed indicators. A good resource for writing is 75 Terabytes.

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

SATA Crucial Micron 1100 - the minimum volume in this model line is 256 GB. Such a 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 this together gives fantastic read and write speeds: 3.2 and 1.3 Gigabytes per second. That's 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 about 6 GB, which covers requests during normal operation. Pseudo-SLC cache write speed is about 600 MB per second. According to tests, the drives of this series give excellent results in operations with arbitrary 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 speeds: 3.2 and 1.5 Gigabytes per second. These are figures when using a pseudo-SLC cache, but its size changes dynamically and if there is free space, in a 250 GB model, it can reach 13 GB. However, this drive is worse than Intel 760p, handles reading and writing arbitrary blocks and a short queue. And this disk is option number two if not available Intel 760p.

Assistant.ru, 2016, 2017, 2018

We have already talked about SSD many times and I am more than sure that many of you know what it is, who does not know.

So, if you want your computer to run better and faster, then an SSD drive will help you with this. Access to data occurs almost instantly and this speeds up loading, for example, the system or launching programs. In other words, anything you try to open will open almost instantly.

If you replace your HDD with such a device, then the benefits will be noticeable to a greater extent than if we simply replaced the RAM. As I have said in many of my articles, the only drawback of these devices is that they are very expensive, so many cannot afford them.

Also, information on the service life of an SSD is also considered important, since memory cells are subject to wear and tear. To increase the lifespan, I will tell you several methods, but this is only for solid-state drives, for ordinary hard drives this practically does not apply.

Purchase and operation

In this article, we will consider 5 points of using SSD-drives, they need to be known before choosing a drive. In paragraph 6, we will consider the principle of operation, the differences between SSDs and conventional hard drives, for example, when deleting data.

Choosing a universal hard drive

Those users who want to buy a new hard drive instead of the old one should pay attention to an interesting 500 GB SSD drive. They cost about 13,000 rubles, but will provide you with the speed of work and a lot of space.

Even if we take into account the fact that the SATA-3 interface limits the data transfer rate to 600 Mb / s, then SSD-drives have a speed 5 times faster than conventional hard drives. Also, solid-state drives can have a 3-year warranty and are designed for such an amount of recorded information that would be achieved only after 10 years.

SSD Model - Transcend SSD370S has a volume of 512 GB and costs about 15 thousand rubles, the access time to data is achieved almost immediately, and there is also optimal energy efficiency. There is also a similar model - Samsung SSD850 Evo for 500 GB, price 14 thousand rubles, warranty up to 5 years.

We look at performance

In order to squeeze all the advantages out of an SSD, you need to use PCI Express 3.0, not SATA, the best option would be to purchase a motherboard.

Now you can find the following models of this product: Intel SSD 750 400 GB or 1200 GB, the price is from 37 thousand rubles to 98 thousand rubles, a little expensive, but this is the best option. The second model is Samsung SSD 950 Pro from 256 to 512 GB, the price is 17-29,000 rubles. There is also a form factor of the model - M.2, which creates compatibility with modern motherboards for computers and laptops with an M.2 slot.

The data transfer speed of such SSDs is more than 2 Gb / s, as you can see, compared to SATA-SSD there is a big difference.

Transferring OS to SSD

If your operating system is on an HDD, then you should think about transferring it to an SSD. After that, the performance will noticeably improve and you will charmingly notice it.

There is a utility O&O SSD Migration Kitwhich helps to do the transfer to SSD. Of course, there are failures, so you can use software, for example, from a manufacturer. Example - Samsung Data Migration... Either way, connect the SSD to your computer or laptop first.

In a computer, you can use a SATA port, and in laptops, a special 2.5-inch compartment, and, of course, a SATA port. Or, to insert an SSD into a laptop, you need to purchase an external case with a USB connector, and then you can easily connect the drive to a laptop or computer.

Using SSD and HDD in a laptop

Usually, in almost any laptop where there is an HDD drive, you can change the drive to a SATA-SSD, and in a 2.5-inch form factor. If your laptop has a floppy drive, then you can replace it with OptibayHD-adapter into which the SATA-SSD is connected.

Installing an SSD in a computer

In ordinary computers, there is no room for an SSD drive, since they are smaller in size. Although some computers have bays for these drives. Or you can purchase a dedicated compartment.

Optimizing the operating system

Once you've installed the SSD, you need to make sure to install the software from the manufacturer. For example, if you install the Intel SSD Toolbox software, your device will always have new firmware.

Also, you can use it to align partitions, adjust the operating system.

If there is no tool for optimizing SSD and OS, then you can use the AS SSD utility to align partitions.

If there is a value of 1024 in the upper left corner and a green button OK, then this means that everything is fine, but if the red button BADthen everything is bad. If the Bad button came out, then, to fix the problem, you can use the Live-USB Parted Magic utility, the program costs about 700 rubles.

What's the best way to organize your data?

When using a 500 GB SSD drive, the best option would be to use one partition for the system (C :), while it is desirable to have a little free space. There is also another option: use the entire SSD for the operating system, and a regular hard drive is suitable for storing files.

In any case, if you use the SSD as I wrote just above, it will increase the spare area that you yourself allocated, thus, the number of memory cells will be increased, and they will replace the failed ones.

Free up disk space periodically

As we know, SSD capacity is very limited, and if you have a 120 GB drive, then naturally the space can quickly run out. It is worth thinking about this, especially since if the disk is used at the limit of its capacity, it greatly harms its characteristics. To solve this problem, you need to clean up the disk from files that you no longer need and garbage.

If there are important files that you cannot delete, then transfer them to another hard drive. You can use the CCleaner program to remove files and junk. If after cleaning, the degree of filling is not below 90%, then you should run the disk cleaner.

How to securely erase data from an SSD?

It's worth knowing that deleting files from an SSD will be more difficult than from a regular hard drive. To completely delete files from a solid-state drive, you first need to delete it using Windows or third-party tools, and then use the Eraser program to overwrite the free memory several times.

Hello GT! A quality SSD unlocks the potential of any laptop. It's good if it's installed right away, but if not? We understand the different options for solid state drives and determine which one is best for upgrading a mobile computer.

The mainstream use of solid state drives in laptops began when Intel introduced the Ultrabook concept. Even small ultrabooks with SSDs were much faster than HDDs. And it has become the best upgrade motivation for laptop users since removable processors and GPUs in mobile computers disappeared as a class.

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

And yet, buying the first SSD that comes to hand is not worth it: the drive should be selected with knowledge of the matter and take into account the features of the system. 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 counterpart for 15. So is it worth spending extra funds? To better understand this issue, consider the different types of SSD.

M.2, PCIe, mSATA and SATA

In really old laptops, the interface for connecting solid-state drives can be anything, as long as it is SATA. Almost every model (except for the most compact ones) deals with the classic-full-size SATA. It is also used to connect drives to stationary computers, and it is through SATA that the most affordable SSDs are connected. Depending on the antiquity of the laptop, it can be version SATA 1, 2 or 3. In the most prehistoric laptops, SATA 1 is used, and an upgrade to an SSD in this case would be rather pointless - this interface barely gives the required speed for a regular disk, and many models Solid-state drives do not support the SATA 1 protocol at all. However, the vast majority of modern laptops use the controller of the third version.

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

Some laptops also have an mSATA interface. It allows you to install a solid state drive without a case - 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 installing an SSD in a laptop. Some laptops already have an mSATA interface, but it is either not used, or an older SSD is installed in it. Also, the system can often provide a mini-PCI interface, which is designed to install expansion cards (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth modules, 3G modems, and so on). It looks a lot like mSATA, but you shouldn't confuse them. In any case, installing a new drive will qualitatively increase the speed of the system, and you can find out which port to use for this from the laptop manufacturer or using the configurator on our website.

The most promising option is the M.2 connector. If you are using a modern laptop, then it is M.2 that will allow the system to work at maximum speed. M.2 is the bright future expected from mSATA. The new standard spread in laptops before mSATA gained popularity, and due to the reduction in prices for drives, it was promoted almost immediately, and mSATA turned into an unpopular "legacy-storage", for which manufacturers today release one or two models of drives - for example, just in case. In practice, M.2 is a variant of the PCI Express 3.0 bus output with support for 4 lines at once. Thus, M.2 can achieve data transfer rates up to 4 Gb / s, which is much higher than any of the SATA versions.

But don't be too happy about it - 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 high-speed mode as with older connectors. Nevertheless, the advantage will still be there, since the carrier will be able to unleash its full speed potential.

AHCI or NVMe?

The further into the woods, the more complex the specifications, because the interface is not everything. Drives with different types of controllers can operate on the same physical connector. In the era of the greatest popularity of hard drives, the AHCI controller has learned to pump them by working with the NCQ (Native Command Queuing) command queue. But today it is a bottleneck between the disk and the processor, and its more modern competitor NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory) is actually a PCI device and, in theory, could operate at the speed of the PCI Express bus itself. Consider the fact that NVMe can handle up to 65536 requests when AHCI mode only supports 32 concurrent requests.

True, drives that use an NVMe controller consume 2-3 times more electricity than their AHCI-based brothers. Therefore, when it comes to a mobile laptop with long battery life, using a drive with an AHCI controller may be preferable, despite the higher performance NVMe. In this case, drives 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 if 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 subtleties

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 obtained from the manufacturer, found in video reviews with inspection of the internals, using the configurator and on our website, or ask Kingston technical support about the possibility of an upgrade. You can open the laptop yourself to check the required dimensions of the mounting holes. The M.2 interface is usually labeled next to it to indicate the presence of mounting holes. For example, 2260 means 22mm wide x 60mm long, 2280 22mm wide x 80mm long, and so on.

The M.2 interface is universal, but so that life does not seem like honey, it has several varieties with different keys for installing expansion cards. The B key connector has missing pins 12 through 19 and is called M.2 Socket 2. It can handle SATA, USB 3.0, PCIe × 2, PCM, IUM, SSIC, and I2C interfaces. When installing the M key with missing pins 59 to 66, the connector is referred to in the documentation as M.2 Socket 3. This version already supports only 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, which have contacts for both keys. If you're not sure which M.2 slot your laptop has, it's best to buy a universal drive. In particular, in the Kingston lineup, M.2 SATA models contain two keys at once and can be installed in any laptop with M.2 support.

Program level

But just plugging a disk into a laptop is not enough. That is why many people rent a laptop for an upgrade to a service center. By the way, if your car is still under warranty, it is possible that in order to save it and at the same time replace the drive, contacting the SC will be a prerequisite. But many large manufacturers do not even mind replacing the drive themselves - you can always check this with the technical support of your laptop. It is also important to copy the contents of the old disc safely. If you choose to do this yourself, it is best to use the dedicated migration software that comes with many Kingston SSDs.

Leading manufacturers also have utilities to tune the SSD for optimal performance that you can use after starting up on a new drive. For example, Kingston SSD Manager helps you monitor drive health, run self-diagnostic technologies, and update drive firmware.

Which drive should you choose?

For those with only an mSATA connector, finding a suitable replacement model is difficult - there are not many mSATA drives on the market, and the only option from the Kingston line is

If you are building a powerful computer or want to speed up an old one, then an SSD will come in handy. Finally, the cost of these drives has dropped so much that they can be considered a reasonable alternative to hard disk drives (HDD).

The SSD features listed below will help you choose the best drive that is compatible with your computer and meets your needs.

1. Which form factor to choose: SSD 2.5 ″, SSD M.2 or another

SSD 2.5 ″

This form factor is the most common. The SSD looks like a small box that resembles an ordinary hard drive. SSD 2.5 ″ is the cheapest, but at the same time their speed is enough for most users.

2.5 ″ SSD compatibility with computers

An SSD of this form factor can be installed in any desktop or laptop computer that has a free 2.5-inch drive bay. If your system only has room for an old 3.5 "hard drive, you can fit a 2.5 ″ SSD in that too. But in this case, look for an SSD model that comes with a special latch.

Like modern HDDs, a 2.5 ″ SSD is connected to the motherboard using the SATA3 interface. This connection provides bandwidth up to 600 MB / s. If you have an old motherboard with a SATA2 connector, you can still plug in a 2.5 ″ SSD, but the storage bandwidth will be limited by the old interface version.

SSD M.2

More compact form factor, due to which it is suitable even for especially thin ones, in which there is no room for a 2.5 ″ SSD. It looks like an oblong stick, it is installed not in a separate compartment of the case, but directly on the motherboard.

To connect to the board, each M.2 drive uses one of two interfaces: SATA3 or PCIe.

PCIe is several times faster than SATA3. If you choose the first one, then it is worth considering a few more things: the version of the interface and the number of lines connected to the connector for data transmission.

• The newer the PCIe version, the higher the bandwidth (data exchange rate) of the interface. Two versions are widespread: PCIe 2.0 (up to 1.6 GB / s) and PCIe 3.0 (up to 3.2 GB / s).
• The more data lines are connected to the SSD connector, the higher its bandwidth again. The maximum number of lines in an M.2 SSD is four, in this case, in the description of the drive, its interface is referred to as PCIe x4. If there are only two lines, then - PCIe x2.

M.2 SSD Compatibility with Computers

Before purchasing an M.2 SSD, you need to make sure that it will fit your motherboard. To do this, first check the physical and then software compatibility of the connector on the drive with the slot on the board. Then you need to find out the length of the drive and compare it with the allowable length of the slot allocated for M.2 in your system.

1. Physical compatibility of interfaces

Each connector on the motherboard for connecting M.2 drives has a special cutout (key) of one of two types: B or M. At the same time, the connector on each M.2 drive has two B + M cutouts at once, less often only one of two keys: B or M.

The B-connector on the board can be connected with a B-connector. To the M-slot, respectively, a drive with a M. SSD type connector, the connectors of which have two M + B cutouts, are compatible with any M.2 slots, regardless of the keys in the latter.

M.2 SSD with B + M key (upper) and M.2 SSD with M key (lower) / www.wdc.com

So, first make sure your motherboard has an M.2 SSD slot at all. Then find out the key of your connector and select the drive, the connector of which is compatible with this key. Key types are usually indicated on connectors and slots. In addition, you can find all the necessary information in the documents for the motherboard and drive.

2. Logical compatibility of interfaces

For an SSD to fit your motherboard, it is not enough to take into account the physical compatibility of its connector with the connector. The point is that the drive connector may not support the logical interface (protocol) that is used in the slot of your board.

Therefore, when you understand the keys, find out which protocol is implemented in the M.2 connector on your board. It can be SATA3 and / or PCIe x2 and / or PCIe x4. Then choose an M.2 SSD with the same interface. Check the device documentation for the supported protocols.

3. Dimension compatibility

Another nuance that determines the compatibility of the drive with the motherboard is its length.

In the specifications of most motherboards, you can find numbers 2260, 2280 and 22110. The first two digits in each of them indicate the supported width of the drive. It is the same for all M.2 SSDs and equals 22 mm. The next two digits are the length. Thus, most boards are compatible with 60, 80 and 110 mm drives.

Three M.2 SSD drives of different lengths / www.forbes.com

Before purchasing M.2, be sure to check the supported length of the drive, which is indicated in the documents for the motherboard. Then choose the one that matches this length.

As you can see, the M.2 compatibility issue is very confusing. Therefore, just in case, consult the sellers on this matter.

Less popular form factors

Your computer may not have a 2.5 ”SSD bay, and your motherboard will not have an M.2 slot. The owner of a thin laptop may face such an atypical situation. Then for your system you need to choose SSD 1,8 ″ or mSATA - check in the documents for your computer. These are rare form factors that are more compact than a 2.5 ”SSD, but are not as fast as M.2 drives.

Plus, Apple's thin laptops may not support traditional form factors either. In them, the manufacturer installs a proprietary SSD format, the characteristics of which are comparable to M.2. So, if you have a thin laptop with an apple on the lid, check the supported SSD type in the documentation for your computer.

External SSD

Besides the internal ones, there are also external drives. They vary greatly in shape and size - choose the one that is most convenient for you.

As for the interface, they are connected to computers via the USB port. For full compatibility, make sure the port on your computer and the drive connector support the same USB standard. The fastest data exchange rates are provided by the USB 3 and USB Type-C specifications.

2. Which memory is better: MLC or TLC

According to the number of bits of information that can be stored in one flash memory cell, the latter is divided into three types: SLC (one bit), MLC (two bits), and TLC (three bits). The first type is relevant for servers, the other two are widely used in consumer drives, so you have to choose from them.

MLC memory is faster and more durable, but more expensive. TLC is correspondingly slower and withstands fewer rewrite cycles, although the average user is unlikely to notice the difference.

TLC memory is cheaper. Choose it if economy is more important to you than speed.

The description of the drive can also indicate the type of mutual arrangement of memory cells: NAND or 3D V-NAND (or just V-NAND). The first type implies that the cells are located in one layer, the second - in several layers, which allows you to create an SSD of increased capacity. According to the developers, the reliability and performance of 3D V-NAND flash memory is higher than that of NAND.

3. Which SSD is faster

In addition to the type of memory, other characteristics, such as the model of the controller installed in the drive and its firmware, affect the performance of an SSD. But these details are often not even mentioned in the description. Instead, endpoints of read and write speed appear, which are easier for the buyer to navigate. So, choosing between two SSDs, all other things being equal, take the drive whose declared speeds are higher.

Remember that the manufacturer only indicates theoretically possible speeds. In practice, they are always lower than stated.

4. How much storage is right for you?

Of course, one of the most important characteristics when choosing a drive is its volume. If you buy an SSD, a 64GB device is sufficient to make it a fast operating system. If you are going to install games on an SSD or store large files on it, then choose the volume that suits your needs.

But keep in mind that storage capacity greatly affects the cost.

Buyer's checklist

• If you need a drive for office work or watching movies, choose a 2.5 ″ or M.2 SSD with SATA3 interface and TLC memory. Even a budget SSD like this will run much faster than a conventional hard drive.
• If you are in the business or other applications where high performance is critical, opt for an M.2 SSD PCIe 3.0 x4 with MLC memory.
• Please carefully check the compatibility of the drive with your computer before purchasing. If in doubt, consult your dealer.

and so on. It's time, finally, to move from words to deeds and see (or look after) which SSD drive for a laptop to choose for the planned upgrade. For convincing that in terms of speed characteristics solid-state drives are preferable to conventional hard drives, no one is needed. I will divide the material into 2 parts, and in the first part we will focus on M.2 form factor SSDs.

Selection criteria

As usual, let's outline some criteria. First of all, let's define the purpose of the disc. An SSD drive will have to work as a system drive with all the ensuing consequences.

Further, I will consider those models that are currently on sale (end of April 2017), leaving out of the review semi- and completely unknown drives that are abundantly offered on Ali and other similar sites.

Another criterion is capacity. In my opinion, a 240-256 GB drive is currently the best option in terms of the ratio of space sufficiency and the cost of such a disk. If there is an opportunity to buy a more capacious version, good. In an extreme case, you can stop at the 128 GB version, but this should be done with a limited purchase budget or if, in addition to the OS and the very minimum of programs (office, browser, messenger), nothing else will be installed.

Perhaps that's all. Go.

Which interface should you prefer?

I have already written about the interfaces of SSD drives, in particular, in the M.2 format, and I will briefly repeat that such drives can operate on two buses: SATA or PCI-express. They differ in the key in the connector, as well as in the fact that if the laptop has an M.2 connector operating on the SATA bus, then drives designed specifically for this interface can be installed in it. Models designed for the PCIe bus will not work, even mechanically.

If the installed M.2 slot runs on PCIe, then SATA and PCIe SSDs can generally be used. The possibility of installing a SATA drive should be specified in the specifications. Another thing is that it is not entirely reasonable to hang a slow SATA disk on a high-speed interface.

If your laptop model has an M.2 slot with PCIe bus support, then it is better to use SSD drives designed for that bus. They are much faster than their counterparts operating on the SATA bus, although they are more expensive. True, not always, and we will see this when we consider specific models.

SATA

If we talk about ordinary hard drives, then the possibilities of this interface in the SATA III version are too many for them. Strictly speaking, even SATA II is quite enough for most hard drives.

SSD drives are another matter. They quickly exhausted the capabilities of this interface, which is clearly seen from the characteristics of solid-state drives. Almost all of them have the declared read speed corresponding to the maximum interface bandwidth - about 520-560 MB / s. I must say that the real reading speed, at least linear reading, is really close to the declared values.

The difference manifests itself in the read / write speed on blocks of different lengths, during random read / write, as well as when working with a large queue of requests and with mixed load, when read and write operations are interleaved. True, this no longer depends on the interface used, but on the characteristics of the memory used, the capabilities of the controller, the quality of the firmware optimization, etc.

Models available with TLC or MLC memory. Considering that one of the main tasks facing manufacturers is to reduce the cost, the process of actively replacing MLC with TLC is underway, whether someone likes it or not. As the tests for the reliability of drives with this type of memory show, including the test I have carried out on the Plextor S2G drive, this memory is not as scary as people say.

A few words should be said about the capacity and why it makes sense to consider models with a larger capacity. Most manufacturers offer SSDs of different sizes within the same model. If you look closely at the characteristics, you will notice that such a parameter as the TB recording resource (aka TBW), which shows the maximum amount of information that can be guaranteed to be written to the drive, changes.

So, in more capacious models this parameter is usually higher. For example, for a 128 GB volume, this parameter is 75 TB, and for the same model, but with a 256 GB capacity, it is already 150 TB. Stress testing shows that these numbers are well founded. So, my drive "gave up" after writing a little over 300 TB, and the tested 256 GB drive withstood more than 400 TB.

With some restrictions, but we can say that the larger the disk, the more reliable it is, that is, you pay not only for the available space, but also for more durable memory chips.

Let's move on to an overview of the models.

A table is the main characteristics. Values \u200b\u200bare for 240-275 GB drives. For modifications with other volumes, the figures may differ.

Model	Intel 540s Series	Western digital green	Samsung CM871a	Western digital blue	Patriot Ignite M2
Available volumes, GB	120, 180, 240 , 360, 480, 960	120, 240	128, 256	250 , 500, 1000	120, 240 , 480
Controller	Silicon Motion SM2258	Silicon Motion SM2258XT	Samsung Maia	Marvell 88SS1074	Phison PS3110-S10
Memory	SK Hynix 16nm TLC NAND	SanDisk 15nm TLC NAND	TLC NAND	SanDisk 15nm TLC NAND	Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND
Buffer	DDR3-1600,	—	—	LDDR3-1866,	DDR3-1600,
Last read, MB / s	560	540	540	540	560
Last write, MB / s	480	430	520	500	320
	74000	37000	97000	97000	90000
	85000	68000	57000	79000	70000
Resource (TBW), TB	—	80	—	100	—

Model	Crucial MX300	A-DATA Ultimate SU800	Plextor M7VG	Kingston SSDNow G2	Transcend MTS820
Available volumes, GB	275 , 525, 750, 1050	128, 256 , 512, 1024	128, 256 , 512	120, 240 , 480	120, 240	120, 250 , 500, 1000
Controller	Marvell 88SS1074	Silicon Motion SM2258	Marvell 88SS1074	Phison PS3110-S10	—	Samsung MGX
Memory	Micron TLC 3D NAND		Toshiba 15nm TLC NAND	Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND	TLC NAND	Samsung TLC V-NAND
Buffer	LDDR3-1600, 256MB		DDR3-1600, 256 MB	DDR3-1600,	DDR3-1600, 256MB	LPDDR2-1066,
Last read, MB / s	530	550	560	550	550	540
Last write, MB / s	500	300	530	330	420	520
Production speed reads, IOPS	55000	50000	98000	79000	78000	98000
Production speed writes, IOPS	83000	75000	84000	79000	78000	87000
Resource (TBW), TB	80	—	160	300	—	75

Intel 540s Series, estimated cost - 5500 rubles. One of the cheapest drive options based on the Silicon Motion SM2258 controller. The main advantage of this model is the price, and the main disadvantage is the performance. This is one of the slowest drives on the market, and it's not about the budget of the controller used. Even from it, you can squeeze out good performance, which is confirmed by the Plextor S2G SSD, for which the firmware was significantly rewritten. As a result, performance has improved significantly, although the drive is still in the budget class. In this case, only a big name can serve as an argument in favor of the purchase.

Western digital green, estimated cost - 5500 rubles. Actually, it is practically analogous to the capabilities of the previous drive from Intel.

SamsungCM871a, estimated cost - 6100 rubles. A budget option in everything, including in terms of speed indicators.

WesternDigitalBlue, estimated cost - 6200 rubles. Unlike the very budgetary Green series, this model is positioned as a mid-range drive, which, in particular, can be said about the used controller - Marvell 88SS1074. The disc has good read characteristics, copes with writing a little worse, but, nevertheless, fully corresponds to the positioning. Quite a solid middling, and considering the recording resource (TBW) of 100 TB, this is also a very reliable model. In general, a worthy candidate for a purchase.

PatriotIgniteM2, estimated cost - 6200 rubles. The use of the Phison PS3110-S10 controller in this case means that this is a reference model by the manufacturer Phison, and Patriot only packs and sells a ready-made solution under its own brand. Another strong middle peasant, who works with the MLC memory type, if that's important to anyone. Given its potential reliability, performance and price, this model is highly recommended for consideration as an option.

Crucial MX300, approximate price - 6400 rubles. A very decent model for the money. Until Samsung 850 EVO does not hold out, but overtakes many competitors on planar TLC memory. The used controller copes well with autonomous "garbage collection", which can be useful if the TRIM command cannot be used for one reason or another. It is worth taking a closer look at this drive.

A-DATA Ultimate SU800, approximate price - 6400 rubles. This is the first drive with 3D memory from this manufacturer. If we talk about speed indicators, then they are more than decent, and, starting with the 256 GB modification, the drive shows everything it is capable of. The younger version, with a capacity of 128 GB, loses in speed performance due to the small size and limitations of the degree of parallelism of flash memory (by the way, another argument in favor of paying attention not to the youngest modification of the SSD drive). Due to the weak controller, this model cannot correspond to the class of productive solutions, nevertheless, the SU800 performs very well under mixed loads and write operations. Disadvantages appear with random read operations. In this it is similar to the Crucial MX300 drive built on the same memory. In general, more than an interesting model for reasonable money.

Plextor M7VG, approximate price - 6400 rubles. The advantages are the Marvell 88SS1074 controller and its ability to automatically perform such an operation as "garbage collection", which is useful in those systems where the TRIM command does not work. In general, it is a very decent model, which does not set records, but it is quite productive. Problems arise only under intense load, however, such modes are rare in a home computer. It is worth taking a closer look at this drive.

Kingston SSDNow G2, approximate price - 6500 rubles. It is based on the Phison PS3110-S10C controller, has good read performance, slightly worse write performance, but in general - a balanced model on a reliable memory type.

Transcend MTS820, approximate price - 6700 rubles. For some reason, the manufacturer is heavily "encrypted", carefully hiding the controller used and the manufacturer's type of used memory. In some places it is indicated that the controller is a Marvell 88NV1120, in others it is a Silicon Motion SM2256K. It is also unclear with memory, apparently, there is Samsung K9BFGD8U0D, made according to 16nm process. Memory, so to speak, is far from the fastest. The model does not stand out for anything special and, given the presence of competitors with similar performance and for less money, it is not of great interest. The choice of this model's SSD, in my opinion, is very controversial.

Samsung 850 EVO, estimated price - 6900. For many manufacturers it remains a benchmark in terms of performance, although the model is not new at all. At the same time - one of the most expensive SSD-drives, it justifies the cost with its capabilities. True, we must make a reservation that the younger models with capacities of 120 and 250 GB are not as fast as their more capacious brothers. Nevertheless, if the issue of saving is not acute, then you can take it, you won't be mistaken.

If we summarize the subtotal of drives with SATA interface, then using even the most budgetary of them will give a very noticeable increase in performance compared to a conventional hard drive. If we talk about purchase options, then it probably makes sense to choose either the cheapest option, which is "by the eye" enough to be used as a system drive in a laptop in most cases of use, or look closely at the top options, which will allow you to achieve maximum performance and full taking full advantage of the rather slow SATA bus

PCI-Express

More and more laptops come with an M.2 slot using the PCIe interface. There are several versions of it, these are PCIe 2.0 with two or four lanes, and the new PCIe 3.0 with four lanes and NVMe protocol. These drives are for the enthusiast, for whom SATA speeds are already absolutely not enough, and you want to get everything from an SSD drive that these drives have to offer.

Manufacturers of controllers, memory, and the SSD drives themselves are naturally "in trend", for this interface all controller developers have presented their models. Accordingly, drives are announced that differ in performance and price. This is good, because it allows you to choose a model for your "Wishlist" and "Mogelki", that is, with the required level of performance and for the allocated budget. So let's see what the stores offer us. The listing will go in ascending order of the average price.

First, I'll summarize the main characteristics in a table. Speeds, buffers, etc. are for versions with a capacity of 240-256 GB.

Model	Intel 600p	Patriot Hellfire	Samsung 960 EVO	PNY CS2030	Plextor M8PeGN
Available volumes, GB	128, 256 , 512, 1024	240 , 480	250 , 500, 1000	240 , 480	128, 256 , 512, 1024
Interface	PCIe 3.0 x4
NVMe	+
Controller	SMI SM2260	Phison PS5007-E7	Samsung Polaris	Phison PS5007-11	Marvell 88SS1093
Memory	Intel TLC 3D NAND	Toshiba MLC NAND	Samsung TLC 3D V-NAND	Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND	Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND
Buffer	LPDDR3-1600,		LPDDR3-1600,	—	LPDDR3-1600,
Last read, MB / s	770	2700	3200	2750	2000
Last write, MB / s	450	1100	1500	1500	900
Production speed reads, IOPS	35000	130000	330000	201000	120000
Production speed writes, IOPS	91500	205000	300000	215000	130000
Resource (TBW), TB	72	115	100	—	384

Model	Kingston HyperX Predator	Corsair Force MP500	Plextor М6е Gen2x	OCZ RD400	Samsung 950 Pro
Available volumes, GB	240 , 480, 960	120, 240 , 480	128, 256 , 512	128, 256 , 512, 1024	256 , 512
Interface	PCIe 2.0 x4	PCIe 3.0 x4	PCIe 2.0 x2	PCIe 3.0 x4
NVMe	—	+	—	+
Controller	Marvell 88SS9293	Phison PS5007-E7	Marvell 88SS9183	Toshiba TC58NCP070GSB	Samsung UBX
Memory	Toshiba 19nm MLC NAND	Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND	Toshiba 19nm MLC NAND	Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND	Samsung MLC V-NAND
Buffer	DDR3-1600,	LPDDR3-1600,	DDR3-1600,	LPDDR3-1600,	LPDDR3-1600,
Last read, MB / s	1400	3000	770	2600	2200
Last write, MB / s	600	2400	580	1150	900
Production speed reads, IOPS	160000	250000	105000	21000	270000
Production speed writes, IOPS	119000	210000	100000	140000	85000
Resource (TBW), TB	415	349	—	148	200

Intel 600pSeries, approximate price - 7200 rubles. As with SATA drives, the Intel product comes first. Probably, there is some regularity in this, because in terms of price and performance, this drive, although it uses high-speed PCI Express 3.0 with the NVMe protocol in addition, is more likely a competitor to SATA drives. Its performance is rather dull, while it is prone to overheating. But the price ... If the budget is very limited, but you definitely need a PCIe drive, then why not. There are no other arguments in favor of this disc.

PatriotHellfire, approximate price - 7700 rubles. The weak point of the drive is reading with a small depth of requests, that is, exactly the situation that is most typical for home computers. However, it does not descend to the Intel 600p level. We can say that this is a budget drive for the PCIe bus. Considering the price, it is a better option than the previous model.

Samsung 960EVOSeries, estimated cost - 8700 rubles. You expect incredible power from the Samsung, but in this case, a budget-class drive is presented, and with its own characteristics. One of its features is that in terms of speed indicators, the younger model (250 GB) is the slowest. When recording, when the supply of SLC-cache is exhausted (though it is by no means small, 13 GB), the speed is very low, and in this parameter it loses even to the SATA-drive Samsung 850 PRO. Although he is good at reading, he is not very good at mixed workloads. And again, only the oldest version with a capacity of 1 TB shows decent results. In general, I would think well before buying this particular drive, and if I decide in its favor, then take at least a model with a capacity of 500 GB. If you need a drive with a capacity of around 256 GB, then, perhaps, this is not the best option, primarily due to the problems with recording in the younger model. The terabyte version is very fast, as befits a Samsung. With all due respect to the manufacturer, in this case there are more interesting proposals.

PNY CS2030, approximate price - 9000 rubles. The new model is very similar in configuration to the Patriot Hellfire. Nevertheless, despite the same Phison PS5007-E7 controller, the performance is noticeably higher, and in general, the drive looks very, very attractive.

Plextor M8PeGN, approximate price - 9000 rubles. Available in two versions, with and without heat dissipating cover. The drive is prone to overheating under high load, so a heatsink is desirable, however, it increases the thickness of the drive, which may cause it to not fit into its intended slot in a laptop. In general - a very good option for quite reasonable money.

Kingston HyperX Predator, approximate price - 9000 rubles. A rather old model, using not the latest Marvell 88SS9293 controller. At a comparable price with the same Plextor M8PeGN, it loses to the latter in all respects. At the moment, the drive no longer justifies its price, since there are more tempting offers.

Corsair Force MP500, volume - 240 GB, memory - MLC, approximate price - 10,000 rubles. Another model based on the rather successful Phison PS5007-E7 controller. The drive shows very good read / write performance. Although the 240GB model is slower than the larger options, choosing the 240GB SSD has its own pros and cons.

Plextor М6еGen2x, approximate price - 11,300 rubles. Quite an old model, with good linear read / write performance, considering the fact that it uses PCIe 2.0 with two lanes. In my opinion, there are no arguments in favor of this particular drive now, it has already outlived its own.

OCZ RD400, approximate price - 11,400 rubles. A Toshiba controller is used, which is, in fact, a modified Marvell 88SS1093, which is not bad in itself. And even very good, because in terms of the totality of qualities it loses only to the recognized leader - Samsung 950 PRO, and even surpasses it in some disciplines. In particular, the RD400 performs very well in a mixed load, that is, in the most typical situation encountered when working with a conventional computer. More than a worthy candidate for a purchase, if not confused by the price.

Manufacturers offer PCIe drives for every taste, price, and performance level. The cheapest show results that are on the level of good SATA drives, the most advanced ones raise the performance bar to a completely different level. True, for this you have to pay a substantial amount. You should also take into account the fact that performance tends to increase with increasing capacity, and the same model, for example, 128 GB and 512 GB, may differ significantly.

I do not have a Samsung 960 PRO drive listed, since the minimum capacity is 512 GB, which is somewhat beyond the selected criteria. Nevertheless, if you are ready to shell out about 22,500 rubles. for the younger model, you will get a truly top-end drive with the highest operating speeds.

Conclusion. SSD for laptop in M.2 form factor

SATA has practically exhausted itself, and, by and large, there is no fundamental difference between SSD drives on this bus. Yes, MLC memory is faster and more reliable, but TLC is cheaper and, by and large, is also quite reliable. There is practically no difference in reading, especially with linear reading, problems can arise only during writing, especially under mixed loads (which is typical for a home computer) or with a large queue of requests (which is NOT typical for a home computer).

The future belongs to the PCI-Express interface, which is confirmed by the increased interest of manufacturers in this particular segment. Surely in the near future we will see new models and modifications of such drives. Here the difference is much more noticeable, especially since such drives are more often purchased by those who know exactly what and how much they want. If only for “so that it was” - there are cheap options, although among them there are very interesting models, for those who are not ready to compromise, there are top solutions. The only question is cost.