Many of the computer users periodically think about upgrading their equipment, and one of the modern and effective upgrade methods is installing a solid-state drive or SSD in tandem on a personal computer or laptop, and, as an option, instead of the already familiar HDD (hard drives or hard drives) ...

But since volumetric solid-state drives have become ubiquitous not so long ago, many users are rather poorly guided by them. Should I buy an SSD drive for my computer? Which is better? There are a number of major differences that characterize SSDs. We will try to tell you about them. And then we will also consider individual models of the main manufacturers.

SSD is an abbreviation that translates into Russian, roughly like "solid state drive". It is a non-mechanical storage device. There are no moving parts in it, in contrast to the mechanical and usual HDD for all of us. Consists of an SSD from memory chips and a control controller. On average, the speed of data exchange (read and write operations) of an SSD is 100 times higher than that of an HDD. So, for example, the response speed of hard drives is in the range of 10 - 19 milliseconds, and solid state drives operate in the range of 0.1 - 0.4 milliseconds. For an SSD user, there are several strengths and weaknesses of such hardware.

Positive points:

• High speed of data processing - both reading and writing.
• Low power consumption and low heating during operation.
• Complete absence of noise during operation.
• Small dimensions of the device.
• Resistance to mechanical damage, electromagnetic fields, temperature extremes.
• Stable speed of working with data, regardless of the level of data fragmentation.

Negative points:

• The high cost of the device.
• Immunity to electrical shock.
• Limited number of data rewriting cycles.
• The possibility of losing information without the possibility of its recovery.

Main indicators of SSD

Storage capacity

When purchasing an SSD, first of all, we pay attention to its capacity and must select it depending on the tasks that we plan to perform on such a device.

When working in standard user mode, as a home multimedia device with small toys and basic simple tasks, you can choose a small SSD - an operating system and software will be installed on it, and data archives, such as photos, films, documents, etc., can be stored on the second device - the good old HDD. A 60-64 GB SSD is fine.

If the user sets somewhat more complex tasks for the equipment, such as working with video editors, design software and other professional applications, you will have to purchase a larger SSD. In this case, we can recommend drives with a capacity of 120-128 Gigabytes of memory.

In turn, gamers will need an even larger drive, because modern games take up fairly large sections of disk space. Here it will be better to take a closer look at SSD with a capacity of 240-256 Gigabytes.

In the case of a complete transition of the user from HDD to SSD, there are already models of solid-state drives with high capacities on the device market - 480, 960 Gigabytes and above.

Of course, first of all, you will have to focus on financial opportunities and tasks that you personally set for your personal computer. The cost of solid state drives directly depends on their volume. Simple storage of data that you don't work with on a daily basis is still more expedient to store on more capacious and cheaper, albeit slower HDD.

It is worth knowing about the next nuance of SSD: the larger the storage capacity of the drive, the higher speeds it will work. The difference in the speed of reading and writing data can increase two to three times depending on the amount of memory. For example, SSDs of the same model range, produced by one company, with a capacity of 128 GB will give us a speed of up to 200 MB / s, and with a capacity of 512 GB, more than 400 MB / s. This is due to the fact that during its operation the SSD controller accesses all memory crystals in parallel and, accordingly, the higher the capacity - the higher the number of crystals - the more parallel operations.

You can also pay attention to the fact that different manufacturers indicate different disk sizes with seemingly one capacity group. For example, 120 and 128, 480 and 512. The fact is that these disks have a volume of 128 and 512 GB, respectively, but the manufacturer, for one reason or another, reserves a part of the memory of its drives (this reserve is usually intended to level out the wear of flash memory cells and to replace those cells that fail).

Drive connection interface

The speed of work when upgrading a computer by installing an SSD drive on it directly depends on its interface for connecting to the motherboard.

Many current SSDs come with SATA 3 interfaces. If your motherboard has SATA 1 or SATA 2 controllers, the SSD you plug into them will not be able to operate at the full performance and speeds claimed by the manufacturer. To solve this problem, you need to install a SATA 3 controller on the motherboard, otherwise the upgrade will be insufficient, or even almost imperceptible. Modern SSDs are ready to deliver speeds of up to 400 MB / s when writing data, and up to 500 MB / s when reading. This speed can only be provided by working with the SATA 3 connection interface, since SATA 2 is designed for data exchange rates up to about 270 Mb / s, and SATA 1 and even lower - no more than 150 Mb / s.

In addition to the usual connection of the drive to the SATA ports, SSD drives with a PCI-express connection interface appeared, which are installed in the corresponding ports.

There are M.2 form factor drives that can also be connected to PCI-express and PCI ports via an optional adapter.

Drive controller

Flash memory cells do all their work with the rest of our computer systems through the controller chip built into the SSD. Many indicators of the drive depend on this controller, such as: speed, memory "lifespan", resistance to data corruption in cells, as well as support for various technologies that improve SSD performance. There are many controllers currently available, and even one solid state drive manufacturer uses different controllers in different models. It should be noted that at present, controllers from such manufacturers as Marvell, Samsung, Intel have proven themselves in the best way. Phison and SandForce controllers show themselves worthy in the middle class SSD. Pay attention to SSDs with reliable Indilinx controllers.

Dealing with the models of certain controllers is not always easy, so attention should be paid first of all to a well-known brand (due to the fact that production quality control from well-known manufacturers is still much higher), to the tests actually carried out for a specific selected drive model and to the declared manufacturer specifications.

Drive memory type

One of the most important technical indicators of an SSD is the drive on which it is built. Modern manufacturers build their devices on three main types of memory, which differ in the number of bits of memory per physical cell:

• NAND TLC - 3 bits of information per 1 physical cell
• NAND MLC - 2 bits of information per 1 physical cell
• NAND SLC - 1 bit of information per 1 physical cell

The technology used to create the memory directly affects both the cost of the drive and the duration of its "life", that is, the possible number of rewriting cycles. The cost of memory decreases as the number of bits per physical cell increases, but this reduces the possible number of rewriting cycles that a given cell can take. That is, in simple terms, a 128GB SSD with a TLC memory type will cost much less than an SSD of the same capacity but with an MLC memory type, but it will also survive a relatively small number of rewriting cycles. Approximate figures are as follows: write limit on drives built on TLS memory is only 1000 cycles; on MLC memory - up to 3 thousand cycles; and the SLC type already, in turn, withstands from 5 to 10 thousand rewriting cycles.

When buying an SSD, it seems the best option with the NAND MLC type of drive memory, since the NAND SLC type of memory is usually used in the most expensive segment of solid-state drives and, rather, is necessary for work at server stations, where data is constantly being overwritten. At the same time, delighting us with their cheapness, SSD drives with the NAND TLC memory type can upset us by the fact that they will lose their performance much earlier than we expect.

Modern technologies do not stand still and to replace the old types of memory, leading companies are already starting to release types of memory for SSDs, built on new types of architecture. After the previous in-plane memory cells, Samsung, and then Toshiba, together with SanDisk and Intel, together with Micron, are developing 3D NAND technology, which significantly improves the performance of previous "bit-cell" models. Currently, SSDs with 3D NAND memory technology are among the most expensive segment of the solid-state drive market.

Drive clipboard

The presence of a clipboard (cache) based on DDR3 memory somewhat speeds up the operation of the SSD, but also makes it more expensive for the buyer. The calculation is simple - for 1 GB of disk space for optimal operation of a drive with this type of cache, there should be 1 MB of DDR3 memory. That is, an SSD with a capacity of 120-128 GB should have 128 MB DDR3 memory, with a capacity of 480-512 GB - 512 MB DDR3, and so on.

Cheaper SSD models have a clipboard based on older memory types - DDR2. The difference in the speed of drives on different types of clipboard is not a significant indicator.

Drive protection against power failure

SSDs with a clipboard based on DDR3 memory should ideally be equipped with sudden power outage protection technology. The technology is called "Power Protection" and allows you to save data from the clipboard to memory in the event of a sudden power outage. The same function is performed by an ordinary UPS (UPS), allowing you to correctly shutdown with data. So if you have a UPS or an SSD clipboard that is not built on DDR3, this function does not really matter.

TRIM function

Depending on the manufacturer, SSDs support a wide variety of technologies that are created to improve their functionality. The most important of these technologies for SSDs is function. A non-TRIM solid state drive will start operating at a reduced speed when working with memory cells where information was previously saved and then deleted. This is due to the fact that before a new write to previously used memory cells, the SSD is forced to first clear them. At the same time, the TRIM function clears previously used memory cells in advance at the moment of not very active disk use. So the TRIM function is a "garbage collection" function and it is important to preserve the overall speed of the SSD during the second and subsequent overwrites of data in memory cells. Without TRIM, the speed of the drive decreases very noticeably.

Understanding SSD manufacturers

Consider further the main manufacturers of SSD drives. Does it make sense to buy not-so-cheap new equipment made by completely unknown manufacturers, albeit at more attractive prices? It is fairly believed that well-known brands make higher claims to their production and care about the quality of products much more than those who do not have to maintain a decent level of equipment put on the market. Buying a drive from an unknown company, we are simply acquiring a "pig in a poke".

Let's list the manufacturers, under the brand of which reliable products are produced, which have long and firmly established themselves in the market of electronic devices.

• Toshiba is one of the oldest and best-known SSD brands. They do not just assemble devices, but they also have their own production of flash memory and have adequately proven themselves in the long-term production of HDD.
• Samsung is a well-known company, one of the leaders in the SSD market. They have made and continue to do many developments in the field of solid state drives. The company equips SSD with flash memory and controllers of its own production.
• Intel is also a leader in the production of modern equipment and the latest technological developments. Devices manufactured by Intel, as a rule, belong to the expensive price segment, but they are usually extremely reliable. Some of the SSD models are produced by it on its own controllers, and the flash memory is created at its own production facilities (jointly with other well-known companies). The five-year warranty from Intel also perfectly characterizes the equipment from this company.
• Crucial is a trademark used by the well-known Micron company in the production of SSD drives. Many users have been familiar with Micron products for a long time and are used to trusting them. Micron manufactures flash memory in conjunction with Intel, and the controllers it installs in its equipment are Marvell controllers. At the same time, Crucial drives in terms of their cost category are focused on the budget segment of the market.
• Corsair is a manufacturer with a long history of excellence in the electronics market. The SSD drives they produce are somewhat more expensive, but they are quite capable of maintaining the high quality of their model lines. Corsair is attentive to the components of its solid-state drives and uses in the production of SSD controllers from manufacturers that have proven themselves in this market - Phison, SandForce, LAMD. Several lines of SSD are released.
• SanDisk is a fairly popular brand and cares about the quality of its products. SSDs are equipped with flash memory, which is used by the already named Toshiba. The company has long been engaged in the production of equipment, one way or another related to solid-state drives - USB flash drives, memory cards.
• Plextor - SSD for this brand is manufactured by Lite-On. The quality is nevertheless very decent. Plextor SSDs are equipped with Intel-Crucial (Micron) or Toshiba flash memory, and controllers are installed all from the same Marvell. The drives marketed under the Plextor brand have some of the best speeds and reliability.
• Kingston is a company that has been well established in the electronic equipment market for a long time. On the market, it is represented by a fairly wide range of SSD drives, which are equipped with controllers from well-known manufacturers - Phison, SandForce.

As we already said, when purchasing a solid-state drive, you need to focus, first of all, on your budget and the tasks that you set for new equipment. But the fact that the equipment must be a trusted manufacturer, with a sufficiently long warranty, is beyond doubt. The market for solid state drives is large, however, let's summarize our recommendations.

1. It is better to purchase a well-known brand with a reliable long-term warranty.
2. The manufacturer of the controller is as important as the manufacturer of the memory cells.
3. The higher the total disk volume, the higher its speed performance.
4. The lifespan of an SSD primarily depends on the technology used to create the memory cells. Optimal technology - MLC storage type.
5. When purchasing an SSD, you need to consider how the new equipment will be connected, that is, the interface for connecting it to the system should be clear to you.
6. TRIM support is important.

Understanding SSD prices

Here are some of the optimal SSD options, in our opinion.

Among the models designed for an ordinary user with a capacity of 120/128 Gigabytes, you can pay attention to SSD data, they can be purchased from 3.5 to 4.5 thousand rubles:

• Intel SSDSC2KW120H6X1
• Kingston SUV400S37 / 120G
• Toshiba THN-S101Z1200E8

Acceptable models, with a capacity of 250 Gigabytes, will cost from 5 to 10 thousand. You can pay attention to such as:

• Samsung MZ-75E250BW
• Kingston SV300S37A / 240G

A good choice would be SSD models with a larger volume (480/512 GB), the cost will be from 10 to 15 thousand:

• Samsung MZ-75E500BW
• Plextor PX-512M8PeY
• Intel SSDPEKKW512G7X1

Larger drives will cost more - the cost starts on average from 20 thousand:

• Samsung MZ-7KE1T0BW
• Intel SSDSC2BX012T401
• Samsung MZ-75E2T0BW

If you have already begun to decide on specific SSD models for purchase, you should find detailed user reviews on their account on the Internet, try to evaluate all aspects of specific models, even from well-known manufacturers.

Finally, here are some quick tips on how to extend the life of your SSD.

• Do not fill the disk "to the eyeballs" - 20-30% of free space is necessary for it for normal operation;
• Take care of uninterrupted power supply - sudden shutdown is bad for SSD;
• Temperature control - SSDs, like any electronic equipment, do not like overheating - take care of cooling.

Starting a conversation about SSD-drives, and this topic is interesting and quite extensive (which only there are numerous disputes about technology, speed, reliability and other characteristics on specialized forums), you should define the concepts of what is an SSD-drive for a computer. What are its differences from conventional hard drives, what advantages it has, what is worse in it when compared with classic hard drives. So let's go?

What is an SSD drive for a computer

First, let's decipher the abbreviation SSD - eng. "Solid-State Drive", or "solid state drive" in our opinion. The name, at first glance, is not very clear, but it contains the principle of the drive's operation.

A classic hard drive is a set of plates rotating at high speed (of which there can be from one to several), on which all information is written, and a block of magnetic heads moving above the surface of these plates and reading (or writing) the required files.

I must say that if, in the application to traditional hard drives, the concept of "disk" has a well-defined basis (the recording is actually performed on a disk installed inside this device), then in the case of solid-state drives, parts that at least somewhat resemble this geometric figure are simply no. Probably, it is more appropriate to use the term “drive”, although “disk” is familiar, short, and understandable.

One of the drawbacks of the classical data storage technology is immediately visible here - hard drives are sensitive to vibrations, shocks, which can quickly disable them. The slightest touch of the disk head can lead, if not to instant breakdown, then cause problems in the foreseeable future.

A solid-state hard drive is another matter. There is not a single rotating or moving part here. If you look at what the insides of such a disk look like, then there is nothing particularly interesting there, a regular printed circuit board with microcircuits located on it. And that's all. All information is stored in these microcircuits (NAND memory), and the controller controls the read / write process, the microcircuit of which is located here.

Since there are no moving parts, then such a drive is much less afraid of shaking, displacement, or shock. Within reasonable limits, of course. It's not worth hitting him with a hammer or throwing at a neighbor's cat.

What an SSD drive looks like

When it comes to drives, one of the characteristics that determine the fundamental possibility of using a particular device in a given laptop or stationary PC is the "form factor", which is also the standard size. This is a standard that specifies its dimensions, the location and number of connectors, other elements that devices must comply with. For example, drives, motherboards, etc. have a "form factor".

Externally, an SSD drive is the same size as a 2.5-inch hard drive, which is used in laptops, netbooks and other similar computers. This was done on purpose so that it was possible to easily replace one drive with another.

Theoretically, the absence of mechanical parts allows these drives to be manufactured in any shape, which is what manufacturers use, however, within the existing form factor limitations. In addition to the usual small rectangular boxes, solid-state drives are available in the form of compact oblong printed circuit boards with a connector (M.2 or mSATA) and microcircuits. This is a different form factor designed for installation in an appropriate slot (for example, M.2), which allows you to greatly reduce the size of the device by placing such a drive directly on the motherboard or special riser board. However, we will talk about form factors (i.e. dimensions and used connectors) another time.

It is important that if your computer uses a 2.5-inch (laptop) hard drive, then installing an SSD of the same form factor in its place will not be a problem. Even if we are talking about a desktop computer where hard drives are in use 3.5 inches, many case manufacturers already provide space for installing smaller drives. As a last resort, you can use an adapter from 3.5 to 2.5 inches.

SSD advantages and disadvantages

When it comes to SSD drives, the first thing they say is a significantly higher speed. And indeed it is. Even the most inexpensive, budget SSD will be much faster than any mechanical hard drive. Computer speed will change for the better.

What else are these drives good for:

• As I said above, they are not afraid of shaking, mechanical shock.
• Very high read and write speed, it can exceed that of hard drives several times.
• Less power consumption. A laptop with such a disk will work a little longer on battery power.
• Less heating.
• Quiet work.

A comparison of some characteristics of two drives (SSD and HDD) that are installed in my laptop are shown in the pictures at the end of the article.

Naturally, it cannot be that everything was so good and there was nothing bad. In fact, there really is no bad, but some disadvantages are present. The first one that is mentioned when it comes to an SSD drive for a computer is a price that is higher than that of conventional hard drives.

In this case, we are talking about the so-called "price per GB". This is the value that can be obtained by dividing the price of an average hard drive by its size. For example, let's take a regular 500 GB HDD. At a price of 2800 (approximately) rubles, the cost of a gigabyte of volume will cost 2800/500 \u003d 5.6 rubles.

The cost of the cheapest SSD-drive of about this volume (480 GB) is approximately 8700 r (retail prices). It turns out that in the case of SSD, the cost of 1 GB will be 8700/480 \u003d 18.13 rubles. Immediately comes to mind: "Do you want checkers or go?"

I think about connecting an SSD drive, we will talk about configuration options for a computer's disk system in a separate article. But now it should be understood that SSD is faster, but more expensive.

Finishing about the shortcomings, we also mention reliability. In this case, not mechanical reliability or fear of overheating, but the reliability of the technology for storing the recorded data and ensuring that what has been written to the disk can be read. This is a debated question and it is difficult to give a clear answer. This is due to both the type of NAND memory used in each specific SSD model and the conditions of use.

Conclusion

So, an SSD-drive for a computer with dimensions (if we are talking about 2.5-inch models "is identical to ordinary notebook hard drives, has the same connectors for connection and performs the same function - stores and processes data. And I must say, it does it very quickly.

The only difference is in the principles of storing information, and in a greater variety of form factors, which somewhat expands their application possibilities. Can I install an SSD instead of a regular one? I see no obstacles. You take out one, put another in its place - that's it! There are more interesting possibilities though.

Which SSD is the best? Perhaps we will talk about this, but there are enough different factors on which the answer depends, and it is difficult to say unequivocally. The best one, which is the fastest - probably yes, but the price ... The best one, which strikes a balance between speed, reliability, durability and price? Why not? In general, this is a topic for a separate conversation and, possibly, a dispute.

Now we are finishing up about what an SSD is.

Recently, solid-state drives have been increasingly installed on computers and laptops. So what is an SSD drive? In simple terms, this is a huge flash drive, only with faster read and write parameters. There is not a single mechanical part in an SSD. It consists only of microcircuits. Hard drives have a large amount of memory, but low speed, and solid-state drives, with a low capacity, have speeds several times faster than HDDs.

Features of work

Let's take a look at how HDD and SSD work when copying or reading small files. The smaller the file size, the greater the difference in speed between the hard drive and the solid state drive.

Imagine that your hard drive is a notebook with some information. And to find and add this information, you need to leaf through the notebook. And an SSD is a sheet of paper with data in full view. Accordingly, he will find information much faster.

HDD spends a lot of time on moving the read heads, on finding the necessary sectors on magnetic plates. The SSD simply gives you the information you need. This happens when the system starts up, when copying or reading several thousand small files (eg photos). Therefore, the speed of this type of media is several tens of times higher than that of HDD. Programs and the system itself installed on a solid state drive will start much faster than on a regular hard drive.

It is best to buy SSDs from manufacturers that have proven themselves on the positive side in the production of these products. These firms include Crucial, Kingston, Corsair, Samsung, Tohiba, Transcend, Intel, OCZ, SunDisk. You shouldn't buy solid state drives from Chinese brands or little-known companies. These are: Apacer, Silicon Power, A-Data.

Since most SSDs have a small amount of memory, but very high performance, they serve mainly to install an operating system and programs on them, to increase their boot speed.

disadvantages

The main disadvantages of solid state drives include their cost. Even SSDs with a small volume are much more expensive than conventional hard drives, and their prices fluctuate in different directions every year.

An SSD is a flash memory made up of thousands of cells that tend to wear out. Basically, wear occurs when writing information to disk. Cells fail much more slowly when read. It is conventionally believed that the smaller the capacity of a solid state drive, the more reliable it is, since it does not have additional microcircuits and consumes less power. But this is all in theory, and has not been confirmed in any way.
Another disadvantage of SSDs is the inability to recover data when deleted. If you accidentally have a power surge, then only a small board will burn in the hard disk, and the information that remains on the magnetic plates can be restored. The solid state drive fails completely with all the files on it.

pros

Read and write speed is one of the most important parameters of an SSD. For solid-state drives, this speed ranges from 150 to 560 mbps. A medium-priced disk can have read and write speeds in the range of 450 MB / s. Random access time is not counted for solid state drives, as it is 0.1 - 0.2 ms. SSDs have a SATA - 3 connector, therefore, the same connector should be installed on the motherboard. Otherwise, the disc will not work at full capacity. Also, a solid state drive is much stronger than a conventional hard drive. He is not afraid of blows or
falls.

So what should you choose?

Now you have an idea of \u200b\u200bwhat SSD drives are. Let's see when it makes sense to apply them.

Only one 320 GB hard disk can be installed for an office computer. If you play games, or you have a professional computer, then the best option is to install two discs. SSD sizes 60 - 128 GB. for installing programs, and the operating system, and a 1 - 2 TB hard drive. If you use a laptop as an addition to your main computer, then it will be enough to install a hard drive with a capacity of up to 500 GB. If the laptop is the main computer, then it would be best to use a 750 GB HDD in it - and higher, depending on what purpose it is used for.

More and more users are purchasing SSD drives for installation in PCs. They are used in parallel with the HDD or instead of them. Most often, the operating system is installed on the SSD disk, and files are stored on the HDD. It is with this arrangement that you can feel the multiple increase in the speed and performance of your computer.

Solid state drives have many advantages over hard drives. Therefore, you need to know how to choose the right SSD drive for your computer.

What is it?

A hard disk (HDD) is a device in your computer that stores all data (programs, movies, images, music ... the Windows operating system itself, Mac OS, Linux, etc.) and looks like this ...

Information on the hard disk is written (and read) by magnetizing cells on magnetic platters that spin at a wild speed. Above the plates (and between them), a special carriage with a reading head is worn like a frightened one.

Since the HDD is in constant rotation, it works with a certain noise (buzzing, crackling), this is especially noticeable when copying large files and launching programs and the system when the hard disk is under maximum load. In addition, it is a very "thin" device and is afraid of even simple wobbling during its operation, not to mention falling to the floor, for example (the read heads will meet the rotating disks, which will lead to the loss of the stored information on the disk).

Now let's take a look at a solid state drive (SSD). This is the same device for storing information, but based not on rotating magnetic disks, but on memory chips, as mentioned above. The device is similar to a large USB flash drive.

Nothing spinning, moving or buzzing - the SSD is absolutely silent! Plus - just crazy speed of writing and reading data!

Advantages and disadvantages

Benefits:

• high speed of data reading and writing and work performance;
• low heat generation and power consumption;
• no noise due to the absence of moving parts;
• small size;
• high resistance to mechanical damage (overload up to 1500g), magnetic fields, temperature changes;
• stability of data reading time regardless of memory fragmentation.

Disadvantages:

• limited number of rewriting cycles (1,000 - 100,000 times);
• high price;
• exposure to electrical damage;
• the risk of complete loss of information without the possibility of its recovery.

And now in more detail:

SSD advantages

1. Speed \u200b\u200bof work

This is the biggest advantage of SSD drives! After replacing the old hard drive with a flash drive, the computer gains multiple acceleration due to the high speed of the transmitted data.

Before the advent of SSDs, the slowest device in a computer was the hard drive. It, with its ancient technology from the last century, incredibly slowed down the enthusiasm of a fast processor and fast RAM.

2. Noise level \u003d 0 dB

Logically, there are no moving parts. In addition, these disks do not get warm during operation, so cooling coolers turn on less often and work less intensively (making noise).

3. Shock and vibration resistance

This is confirmed by numerous videos with tests of these devices - the connected and working SSD-disk was shaken, dropped on the floor, knocked on it ... and it continued to work quietly! If you are purchasing an SSD drive for yourself, and not for testing, we advise you not to repeat these experiments, but limit yourself to watching videos on Youtube.

4. Light weight

Not an outstanding factor, of course, but still - hard drives are heavier than their modern competitors.

5. Low power consumption

I can do without numbers - the battery life of my old laptop has increased by more than one hour.

Disadvantages of an SSD drive

1. High cost

This is at the same time the most limiting drawback for users, but also very temporary - prices for such drives are constantly and rapidly falling.

2. Limited number of rewriting cycles

A typical, medium MLC flash-based SSD is capable of approximately 10,000 read / write cycles. But the more expensive type of SLC memory can already live 10 times longer (100,000 rewriting cycles).

In both cases, the flash drive can easily last at least 3 years! This is just the average life cycle of a home computer, after which there is a configuration update, replacement of components with more modern ones.

Progress does not stand still, and tadpoles from manufacturing companies have already come up with new technologies that significantly increase the lifespan of SSD drives. For example, RAM SSD or FRAM technology, where the resource, although limited, is practically unattainable in real life (up to 40 years in continuous read / write mode).

3. Impossibility of recovering deleted information

Deleted information from the SSD cannot be restored by any special utility. There are simply no such programs.

If, in 80% of cases, only the controller burns out with a large voltage surge in an ordinary hard drive, then in SSD disks this controller is located on the board itself, along with memory chips, and the entire drive burns out - hello to family photo album.

This danger is virtually eliminated in laptops and with an uninterruptible power supply.

Main characteristics

If you are buying an SSD to install on a computer, pay attention to its main characteristics.

Volume

When buying an SSD drive, first of all pay attention to the volume and purpose of use. If you only purchase it to install the OS, select a device with at least 60GB of storage.

Today's gamers prefer to install games on solid state drives to increase performance. If you are one of them, then you need a variant with a storage capacity of 120 GB or more.

If you are purchasing a solid state drive instead of a hard drive, consider how much information is stored on your computer. But in this case, the capacity of the SSD disk should not be less than 250 GB.

Important! The cost of a solid state drive directly depends on the volume. So if your budget is tight, use an SSD to install the operating system and HDD to store your data.

Form factor

Most modern SSD models are sold in a 2.5-inch form factor and are built into a protective box. Because of this, they are similar to classic hard drives of the same size.

Good to know! Special adapters are used to install a 2.5-inch SSD into a standard 3.5-inch mount inside the PC case. Some chassis models have 2.5-inch slots.

There are 1.8-inch and smaller solid state drives on the market that are used in compact devices.

Connection interface

Solid state drives have several connection interfaces:

• SATA II;
• SATA III;
• PCIe;
• mSATA;
• PCIe + M.2.

The most common option is to connect using a SATA connector. There are still SATA II models on the market. They are no longer relevant, but even if you purchase such a device, due to the backward compatibility of the SATA interface, it will work with a motherboard that supports SATA III.

If you are using a PCIe SSD, you may need to install drivers, but the data transfer rate will be faster compared to a SATA connection. But there are not always drivers for Mac OS, Linux and the like - when choosing, you should pay attention to this.

The mSATA models are used on compact devices, but work in the same way as the standard SATA interface.

The M.2 or NGFF (Next Generation Form Factor) models are a continuation of the development of the mSATA line. They are smaller and more flexible for digital manufacturers.

Read / write speed

The higher this value, the more productive the computer. Average speed indicators:

• read 450-550 Mb / s;
• write 350-550 Mb / s.

Manufacturers can indicate not the actual, but the maximum read / write speed. To find out the real numbers, browse the Internet for reviews and reviews of the model you are interested in.

Also, pay attention to the access times. This is the time it takes for the disk to find the information required by the program or OS. The standard rate is 10-19 ms. But since SSDs have no moving parts, they are significantly faster than hard drives.

Memory type and runtime

There are several types of memory cells used in SSD drives:

• MLC (Multi Level Cell);
• SLC (Single Level Cell);
• TLC (Three Level Cell);
• 3D V-NAND.

MLC is the most common type that allows two bits of information to be stored in one cell. It has a relatively small resource of rewriting cycles (3000 - 5000), but a lower cost, due to which this type of cells is used for mass production of solid state drives.

The SLC type stores only one data bit in one cell. These microcircuits are distinguished by a long life time (up to 100,000 rewriting cycles), high data transfer rates, and minimal access times. But due to the high cost and small amounts of data storage, they are used for server and industrial solutions.

The TLC type stores three bits of data. The main advantage is the low production cost. Among the disadvantages: the number of rewriting cycles is 1,000 - 5,000 repetitions, and the read / write speed is significantly lower than the first two types of microcircuits.

Helpful! Recently, manufacturers have managed to increase the lifetime of TLC disks up to 3,000 rewriting cycles.

3D V-NAND models use 32-layer flash memory instead of standard MLC or TLC chips. The microchip has a three-dimensional structure, due to which the volume of recorded data per unit area is much higher. This increases the reliability of information storage by 2-10 times.

IOPS indicator

An important factor IOPS (the number of input / output operations per second), the higher this figure, the faster the drive will work with a large amount of files.

Memory chip

Memory chips are divided into two main types, MLC and SLC. The cost of SLC chips is much higher and the service life is on average 10 times longer than that of MLC memory chips, but with proper operation, the service life of drives on MLC memory chips is at least 3 years.

Controller

This is the most important part of SSD drives. The controller manages the operation of the entire drive, distributes data, monitors the wear of memory cells, and evenly distributes the load. I recommend giving preference to the time-tested and well-proven controllers SandForce, Intel, Indilinx, Marvell.

SSD memory capacity

It will be most practical to use an SSD only for the placement of the operating system, and all data (movies, music, etc.) is best stored on a second, hard drive. With this option, it is enough to buy a ~ 60 GB disk. Thus, you can save a lot and get the same acceleration of the computer (in addition, the service life of the drive will increase).

Again, I will give an example of my solution - special containers for hard drives are sold on the network (very inexpensively), which are inserted into a laptop in 2 minutes instead of an optical CD drive (which I have used a couple of times in four years). Here's a great solution for you - an old disk in place of a floppy drive, and a brand new SSD in place of a regular hard disk. It couldn't have been better.

And finally, a couple of interesting facts:

Why is a hard drive often called a hard drive? Back in the early 1960s, IBM released one of the first hard drives and the number of this development was 30 - 30, which coincided with the designation of the popular Winchester rifled weapon (Winchester), so this slang name stuck to all hard drives.

Why exactly hard disk? The main elements of these devices are several circular aluminum or non-crystalline glassy plates. Unlike floppy disks (floppy disks), they cannot be bent, that's why they called it - a hard disk.

TRIM function

The most important additional feature for a solid state drive is TRIM (garbage collection). It is as follows.

Information on the SSD is first written to free cells. If the disk writes data to a cell that was previously used, it first clears it (unlike HDD, where data is written over the existing information). If the model does not support TRIM, it clears the cell just before writing new information, which causes the speed of this operation to drop.

If the solid-state drive supports TRIM, it receives a command from the OS to delete the data in the cell and clears it not before overwriting, but during the "idle" of the disk. This is done in the background. This maintains the write speed at the manufacturer's specified level.

Important! The operating system must support the TRIM function.

Hidden area

This area is not accessible to the user and is used to replace failed cells. In high-quality solid-state drives, it is up to 30% of the device volume. But some manufacturers, in order to reduce the cost of an SSD drive, reduce it to 10%, thereby increasing the amount of storage available to the user.

The flip side of this trick is that the hidden area is used by the TRIM function. If its volume is small, it will not be enough for background data transfer, which is why at the SSD "load" level of 80-90%, the write speed will drop sharply.

Bus bandwidth

So when choosing a flash drive, the speed of reading and writing data is also of paramount importance. The higher this speed, the better. But you should also remember about the bus bandwidth of your computer, or rather, the motherboard.

If your laptop or desktop computer is very old, there is no point in buying an expensive and fast SSD drive. He simply will not be able to work even at half his capacity.

To make it clearer, I will voice the bandwidth of various buses (data transfer interface):

IDE (PATA) - 1000 Mbit / s. This is a very ancient interface for connecting devices to a motherboard. To connect an SSD to such a bus, you need a special adapter. The point of using the described disks in this case is absolute zero.

SATA - 1,500 Mbit / s. More fun, but not too much.

SATA2 - 3,000 Mbit / s. The most widespread bus at the moment. With such a bus, for example, my drive works at half its capacity. He needs ...

SATA3 - 6,000 Mbit / s. This is a completely different matter! This is where the SSD will show itself in all its glory.

So before buying, find out which bus you have on the motherboard, as well as which one the drive itself supports, and make a decision on the expediency of buying.

Here, for example, how I chose (and what was guided by) my HyperX 3K 120 GB. The read speed is 555 MB / s and the data write speed is 510 MB / s. This drive works in my laptop now at exactly half of its capabilities (SATA2), but exactly twice as fast as a standard hard drive.

Over time, it will move to a children's gaming computer, where there is SATA3 and it will demonstrate there all its power and all the speed of work without constraining factors (outdated, slow data transfer interfaces).

We conclude: if you have a SATA2 bus in your computer and you do not plan to use the disk in another (more powerful and modern) computer, buy a disk with a bandwidth of no higher than 300 MB / s, which will be significantly cheaper and at the same time twice as fast as your current hard drive.

13. 03.2017

Dmitry Vassiyarov's blog.

What's the catch with solid state drives?

Hello readers. Today we'll talk about what an ssd drive is. For some ordinary computer users, the concept of ssd - solid state drives is new and incomprehensible.

After reading this article, you will not only understand what it is about, but you will also be able to keep up the conversation about this device and choose the right one for yourself. After all, the old iron goes down in history and each of us sooner or later has to change it. What do modern developments look like? Read on.

What is Solid State Drive?

A solid state drive, referred to in English as "Solid-State Drive" (SSD), is a mass storage device based on memory chips.

The situation is not very clear, is it?

I will not torment you anymore and I will explain in a simpler way: this is a semblance of a flash drive, which replaces at work, but has a different configuration and operating technology, and besides, it works faster and has large amounts of memory.

If you are reading this article, most likely your computer has a regular hard drive: it has platters, read and write heads that spin at breakneck speed. This causes the propeller to make noise. With a solid-state drive, this cannot be, because it is only a microcircuit - no rotating and buzzing mechanisms.

This is how HDD and SSD differ from the inside:

Types of microcircuits

Solid state drives are different depending on the specifics of data storage on microcircuits:

SSD advantages

In addition to noiselessness, a modern drive has the following advantages:

• Strength. It is not afraid of shocks and vibrations, unlike the usual hdd disk. The latter must be protected from shaking, because if the read heads hit the rotating discs, you can say goodbye to the photographs accumulated over the years, reporting documentation and other important data that you store on the screw.
• Small size. Compared to conventional screws, SSDs are much lighter and smaller.
• Low power consumption.
• Incredibly high speed of data exchange. This is the biggest plus.

disadvantages

As they say, not without a fly in the ointment:

• The price is high. Most likely, this will not be long, because now the cost of solid-state drives is gradually decreasing.
• Impossibility of data recovery.
  If, in the event of a hard disk breakdown, there is a chance to get at least some of the information, then there is no way to do this in the SSD - there are simply no programs or any methods.

Why? Let me explain with an example. In case of voltage drops in a regular hard drive, only the controller often burns out, but in the ssd drive it is located next to the memory chip.
Therefore, if something catches fire, then the whole thing burns out.

• Limited number of rewriting cycles. Many may not even notice this drawback, because an MLC disk can last 3-4 years on average (this is only in theory), and a more expensive SLC even longer.

Moreover, during this period, as a rule, any computer requires one or another update. But there is also good news: FRAM technology has already been developed, capable of operating in continuous read and write mode for 40 years. Not weak?

In addition to the types of microcircuits, SSDs differ in several other criteria. They must be taken into account when choosing. Let's take a closer look.

Interface

This parameter means what type of connection the drive has. The data transfer rate also depends on it. The main types of bus bars:

• works at a speed of 1000 Mbps. This is an outdated option, but still occurs sometimes.
• SATA (1500 Mbps) is slightly faster.
• The faster one is SATA2 (3000 Mbps).
• Want to fully experience the power of an SSD? Choose 3rd generation buses with twice the speed of the previous one (up to 6000 Mbps).
• There are also devices with the PCI Express connection type. Do you want to turn your computer into a super-fast car? Prefer PCI-e because it is even faster than SATA3. This interface is capable of transferring data at a speed of 2 Gb / s.

• There is one more tire. This is the M.2 interface (in theory, it should reach speeds faster than even PCI-E), but so far such drives are not quite popular, and manufacturers have not yet learned how to make fast products using its potential. Another advantage is that such devices are not very large.

Form factor

This criterion indicates the size of the drive.

SSD with dimensions of 3.5-inch device. Basically they are taken for server computers, they are rarely used at home.

Just know that they are :-)

Basically, the most common are 2.5 inch devices.

The "2242" format is a small card with a diameter of 22 × 3.5 × 42 mm (in the image it is a disc with the mSATA signature)

There are also sizes "2260" and "2280" - these are drives also in the form of a scarf, connected to the M.2 interface.

Memory size

Are you going to install a system on a solid state drive? Then 60 GB will be enough for you. If you take it for storing multimedia data, give preference to a larger volume. It can reach 4 terabytes, so start from your financial capabilities.

Most often, they choose a capacity of 240/256 GB. Minimum - 120/128 GB - this is enough to install an operating system and store a small amount of media files. Solid-state disks are usually not purchased for other types of files, well, not counting the majors :).

Performance

In addition to the speed of a flash card, another important feature is the number of I / O operations that it can perform per second. In English it looks like this: input / output operations per second (IOPS). In this situation, choose according to the principle: the more, the better.

Although, by and large, these numbers are relative. Many factors affect performance (controller model, microcircuit type, capacity, cache algorithm, etc.), so to find out the capabilities of the drive, you need to test it. But since it is impossible to do this before buying, it remains only to trust the manufacturer's data.

Well, that's basically all that I wanted to highlight in this topic. I hope I wrote it in detail and clearly. Now you know what device is behind the abbreviation SSD and its features, so you can safely upgrade your computer.