I will try to explain in an accessible and brief way what an SSD disk (solid-state drive) is and what it is for. I think most of you are familiar with the device of an ordinary hard disk (hard drive). In short, the structure of a modern hard drive resembles an old turntable for gramophone records. That is, one or more plates are located inside the body, information from which is read using a special reading head. Of course, modern technologies allow you to store a huge amount of information on a hard disk and very quickly get access to it, and the recording technique is different from that on gramophone records. But the essence of the storage device principle is very similar.
An SSD drive, in turn, is essentially a large USB flash drive. Information on which is stored on special memory chips. The technical differences between SSD and flash drives are of course very significant. But the main difference between SSDs and hard drives is that there are no moving mechanical parts inside the drive enclosure.
So, if we consider the average modern (and not even so) home computer, it turns out that the main components that affect the performance of the computer (processor, RAM and video card) are developing quite dynamically. As for hard drives, over the past five years, only the capacity has actually changed, please do not throw rotten tomatoes at me, everyone can have their own opinion on this matter. Now the end of 2012, I took a 2005 disk for testing, the system installed on it is loaded a little slower than on modern ones. But such a "breakthrough" in seven years is simply negligible in comparison with the same processors.
A hard disk is capable of hundreds of searches per second, modern processors and video cards have millions, if not billions of operations. This is the same as buying a modern racing car with a low seating position somewhere in the outback - top speed will still be limited by the quality of the roads.
SSD drives, in turn, are an order of magnitude faster than hard drives in terms of read and access speed. The processor will be less idle while waiting to receive data from the hard disk. That is, your system and applications will load faster and perform more responsively. This can be seen with the naked eye right after installing the drive into the system.
Solid-state drives also have disadvantages - less durability, higher cost with less volume. Now it is considered optimal to install a small-capacity SSD drive for the system and basic programs and a separate large-capacity hard drive for all other user data.
It should be noted that technologies do not stand still, some of the "childhood diseases" of SSD drives have already been overcome and the future is definitely for solid-state drives.
Hello friends! Today I will tell you about SSD drives. In this article you will find out what it is and whether it is worth purchasing them at all. We will also consider the positive and negative aspects of this device. Well, at the end of the article, you can find out by what parameters (characteristics) you need to choose when buying an SSD drive on your computer.
SSD disk Is a computer storage device that has no mechanical elements. It uses memory chips to store information. That is, in other words, an SSD is the same, roughly speaking, a big flash drive. The advantages of this device are obvious: high speed of reading and writing information, noiselessness, as well as low power consumption.
To make it easier to understand, let's first understand what a hard drive is. A hard disk (HDD) is a computer storage device that stores information (system files, videos, music, games, etc.) at all times. This information is written or read out thanks to magnetic plates located in parallel with each other, and which rotate at a tremendous speed (5600 - 7200 rpm). A so-called carriage with a head also moves at high speed between the plates and above them, which also reads information.
SSD drive
Let's go back to the SSD drive. This solid state drive is functionally similar to an HDD, but instead of magnetic platters, a motor, and a carriage, it uses flash memory chips.
A silent device that is not susceptible to vibration and has incredible read / write speeds, it can compete with a hard drive. However, like any detail, there are nuances. Let's take a closer look at the positive and negative aspects of using an SSD drive with you.
Benefits of SSD drives
Resistance to mechanical damage... As I said above, HDDs are susceptible to vibration, especially shock. The hard drive in this situation can easily "crumble". Unlike such drives, SSDs do not have plates spinning at high speed, because memory chips are used to store information. Therefore, you can not be afraid for a laptop with an SSD drive when walking or driving around on business trips.Reading / writing speed... Friends, this is an important factor, you must agree. After all, with the help of new drives, we can observe the speed as never before. In some tests, SSDs outperform HDDs in reading information by 80-100 times in speed. Can you imagine it? For example, a Windows operating system with an SSD can boot completely in seconds.
Silent device... During operation, the HDD-disk makes a certain noise, since, I repeat, magnetic plates are spinning inside at great speed. As for the SSD, no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to hear any noise, because the microcircuits are absolutely silent.
Economical power consumption... Powering an SSD drive consumes much less energy than an HDD, so laptop owners will especially feel this positive point.
Disadvantages of SSDs
Whatever the positive aspects of using an SSD, alas, there are also negative aspects, as in principle in any computer device. Let's consider the most significant disadvantages with you.Pricing... It just so happened that SSD drives are 4-6 times more expensive than HDDs of the same memory size, or even more. For example, SSD 512 Gb SATA 6Gb with a capacity of 512 GB will cost around 15,000 rubles.
MTBF... This parameter means that the drive will operate for N number of hours. In the characteristics of an SSD, the operating time is always written, which on average fluctuates in the region of 1.5 - 2 million hours. If you translate 1,500,000 hours per year, then theoretically the drive will live for 171 years.
Poor OS compatibility... If you use Windows 7, 8 or 10, then you don't have to worry too much about the SSD, since the system provides for disabling services that are dangerous for such drives (for example, indexing). If you use older versions of Windows, the SSD drive will wear out, which in turn will significantly reduce the operating time of this device.
Solid-state drives are gaining more and more popularity, and the price is slowly dropping, thereby making it possible for anyone to purchase this gadget. This device is able to open a second wind to your computer!
So, if you decide to buy yourself an SSD drive, then I will be happy to help in this matter. Read my advice to the end1. Generally, the speed of an SSD depends on the amount of memory. This is not an unimportant moment, believe me. That is, a 64GB drive will run slower than a 128GB SSD. The same goes for 256GB solid state devices. If you take drives of even larger volume, then you will not see a special increase in speed. Moreover, the larger the volume of the drive, the larger its so-called reserve zone. Hence, I would recommend choosing a drive with at least 128GB of storage.
2. When buying an SSD, consider the specifications of your motherboard. If the motherboard is pretty old, then installing a solid state drive would be counter-intuitive.
3. To "feel" the full potential of SSD technology, I advise you to choose the SATA III or PCI-E interface. It is in this case that the information transfer rate will be maximum.
4. Sometimes, purchasing two solid state drives will reduce the risk of permanent data loss. I explain: you buy the first SSD for the system drive, where the operating system and all the necessary programs will be installed, while the second will serve as storage of multimedia information. As you understand, this option involves significant financial costs.
5. I also recommend choosing an SSD with the longest warranty period. After all, the bigger it is, the better. This applies not only to SSDs, but also to any other computer equipment.
In this article I will try to explain to you what is an SSD drive, what is its difference from a conventional hard drive, I will tell you about its advantages and disadvantages, and you will also learn by what parameters (criteria) you should choose an SSD when purchasing.
This article on SSDs today was not born by accident. It turned out that many readers do not know at all what it is.
So, after my description of the SSD life program, the vast majority of users rushed to check their ordinary hard drives with this utility, which led to confusion in the comments. There I promised to write in more detail about SSD disks - I'm doing it.
What is an SSD drive
In dry language, the definition of an SSD is: solid state drive(SSD , solid-state drive) - computer non-mechanical storage device based on memory chips.
It is unlikely that you are imbued with this stingy definition. Now I’ll try to explain what an SSD drive is with “wet tongue,” as they say, on my fingers.
I'll come from far away ... First, you need to remember (or learn for the first time) what an ordinary computer hard disk is (it is also called a hard drive).
A hard disk drive (HDD) is a device in your computer that stores all data (programs, movies, pictures, music ... the Windows operating system itself) and looks like this ...
Information on a hard disk is written (and read) by magnetizing cells on magnetic platters that rotate at a wild speed. Above the plates (and between them), a special carriage with a reading head is worn like a frightened one.
The whole thing is buzzing and moving constantly. In addition, this 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 reading heads will encounter rotating disks and hello to the information stored on the disk).
And now the solid state drive (SSD) is entering the scene. This is the same device for storing information, but based not on rotating magnetic disks, but on memory chips, as mentioned above. Such a big flash drive.
Nothing spinning, moving or buzzing! Plus - just crazy speed of writing / reading data!
On the left is the hard drive, on the right is the SSD.
It's time to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of SSD-drives ...
Benefits of SSD drives
1. Speed of work
This is the fattest plus of these devices! Changing your old hard drive to a flash drive, you will not recognize your computer!
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 = 0 dB
Logically, there are no moving parts. In addition, these drives stay cool during operation, so cooling coolers turn on less often and work less intensely (making noise).
3. Shock and vibration resistance
I watched the video on the network - the connected and working SSD-disk was shaken, dropped on the floor, knocked on it ..., and it continued to work quietly! No comment.
4. Light weight
Not a huge plus, 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 SSD drives
1. High cost
This is at the same time the most limiting disadvantage for users, but also very temporary - prices for such drives are constantly and rapidly falling.
2. Limited number of rewriting cycles
A typical, medium-sized flash-based SSD with MLC technology 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).
As for me, in both cases, a flash drive can easily work for 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, faster and cheaper ones.
Progress does not stand still, and tadpoles from manufacturers have already come up with new technologies that significantly increase the lifespan of SSDs. 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. Inability to recover deleted information
Deleted information from an SSD cannot be recovered 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 a regular hard disk, 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.
Bus bandwidth
Remember, I advised you, how to choose a USB flash drive? So, when choosing a flash drive, the speed of reading / 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 too 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. Already 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 what kind of bus you have on the motherboard, as well as what the drive itself supports, and make a decision on the expediency of buying.
Here, for example, how I chose (and what was guided) for myself 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 the 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 more than 300 MB / s, which will be significantly cheaper and at the same time twice as fast as your current hard drive.
Form factor
Also pay attention when choosing and buying a flash drive by form factor (size and dimensions). It can be 3.5 ″ (inches) - larger and slightly cheaper, but it will not fit into a laptop, or 2.5 ″ - smaller and fits into any laptop (for stationary computers, they are usually equipped with special adapters).
Thus, it is more practical to buy a disk in the 2.5 ″ form factor - and you can install it anywhere and sell (if anything) easier. And it takes up less space in the system unit, which improves the cooling of the entire computer.
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 in 2 minutes are inserted into a laptop 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 drive. 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 rifled weapon Winchester (Winchester), so this slang name stuck to all hard drives.
I only review programs! Any claims - to their manufacturers!
SSD stands for Solid-State Drive. That, in fact, is translated - solid state drive. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it does not contain moving mechanical parts: inside there are only boards and microcircuits, with the help of which information is recorded, stored and read.
The history of the SSD began a long time ago. For the first time, StorageTek was able to implement some kind of similarity in 1985. But at that time, the high cost and low manufacturability of components did not allow the massive introduction of solutions to the masses, and there was no particular answer for what a fast SSD disk was needed in a computer, if the interfaces and peripherals were still working slowly. But in the early 2010s, the popularity of SSDs has increased dramatically. Almost every new laptop now comes with either an SSD or a hybrid hard drive configuration. Next, we will look at what it is - an SSD in a laptop or desktop computer.
What is an SSD drive in a computer for?
SSDs are no different from HDDs in terms of their purpose. It is designed to perform the same function - to store data, operating system, paging files, and the like. Naturally, this replacement is more expensive if translated in terms of gigabytes / ruble. It is more than likely that the situation will change in the near future.
SSD hard drive device of laptop and in computer
There is essentially no difference between what an SSD is in a laptop and a desktop computer. It can be a housing similar to an HDD, or it can be made in the form of a board for installation in an M.2 connector. If you disassemble the SSD or look at the board, then it is very similar in design to a regular USB flash drive. In general, an SSD is a large flash drive, with the same principle of operation.
The controller manages the entire device, which distributes data to the cells, monitors their status, deletion and, in general, performs all functions similar to the functions of a processor in a computer.
The memory itself is a flash memory, the same as on flash drives. The SSD uses the NAND type, which is a three-dimensional arrangement of conductors where a series of cells are used at the intersections.
According to the method of writing data to a cell, two types of implementation are distinguished: SLC - Single-level Cell and MLC - Multi-level Cell. As you might guess, in the first case only one bit is written in one cell, in the second - several. Now another type has emerged from the MLC, the name of which has become established in everyday life, although it is included in a subset of this type - TLC, Triple-level Cell.
There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to each implementation. MLC comes out cheaper in terms of volume / price ratio. This makes the SSD hard drive cheaper in the long run, which affects consumer choice as well. But the structure of recording in several layers imposes restrictions on the number of write cycles and performance. The more levels of nesting are used, the more complex the algorithm for working with cells becomes and the less resource. SLC is proportionally more expensive, has a greater resource and performance.
Manufacturers solve problems with the resource and reliability of memory using algorithms that allow you to control the process of using cells: recording is made to those parts of memory that are least used. Another approach is also used - memory reservation. Almost every SSD reserves about 20% of the memory in order to replenish it from there in case of loss of a cell.
How an SSD works
Probably, many people know how a regular hard disk works - a magnetic head runs from the beginning to the edge of a rotating disk and reads data from the tracks. The main problem with magnetic disks is that it takes too much time to position the head in the area with the desired data. And if the file is also split into several pieces in different sections, then the time of the reading or writing process increases significantly.
To understand what an SSD disk is, you need to know how it works. To access data for reading or cells for writing, the system only needs to know the address. The controller then simply returns the blocks of data. Time is spent only looking for an address and transferring data - literally milliseconds.
Types of hard solid state drives
By type, SSD can be characterized by form factor and type of interface. There are three main form factors:
- 2.5 ". The disc is wrapped in a 2.5-inch case. Provides compatibility between almost all types of systems: laptops, servers, PCs.
- As a separate board for the PCIe slot. Provides good speed and reliability, uses PCI Express interface.
- M.2. A relatively new format, presented mainly in the form of a board that is installed directly on the motherboard in the M.2 connector, which is very compact. This SSD can be found in three different designs depending on the length: 2242, 2260, 2280. The last two digits indicate the length in mm.
There are several other formats that are rare and needed for a narrow range of tasks, such as 1.8 ", 3.5" or mSata.
Interfaces are harder to figure out. This is a mess of standards and specifications. Let's start with the most popular - SATA. To date, there are three main revisions and two additional ones. SATA - Supports up to 1.5Gbps. Now it is found less and less. SATA II - up to 3Gb / s. SATA III - up to 6 Gb / s. The SATA 3.2 revision received an additional Express prefix. It has speeds up to 8 Gb / s and is backward compatible with other SATA, and, most interestingly, is based on the PCI Express interface. The interface can be implemented in both 2.5-inch and M.2 form factors.
The PCI-E interface is a little easier. It is implemented mainly in M.2 for SSDs. Note that PCI can be multi-lane. The more channels there are, the faster the data transfer rate.
General characteristics of SSD (Solid State Disk)
Let's take a look at the basic characteristics by which you can identify an SSD, analyze what it is, and compare it with an HDD.
Interface and form factor
We have already talked about this a little. Now let's look at this in the context of choice and relevance for different systems. With interfaces, everything is simple - eSATA is now considered the most productive, which in the specifications in some stores and manufacturers can be designated as PCI-E. It is by far the fastest interface.
The form factor must be chosen depending on the type of PC - laptop or stationary. In a stationary, for compactness, you can use M.2, which will take up little space on the board and does not require additional power. Newer laptops also support M.2. For the old, the 2.5-inch form factor is relevant.
Disk capacity and speed
SSD capacities are quite expensive. The most budgetary version of a 32 GB SSD can be bought for about 1,500 rubles, while an HDD for the same money will already have a volume of 160 GB or more. As for the speed, then everything is not so simple. Very often the speed of reading and writing data in the specifications for disks is greatly overestimated. And not necessarily only for little-known small companies, but even for well-known brands. Therefore, one has to focus on reviews and measurements of reputable services and testers.
Type of memory chips
It is interesting that now both types of memory - MLC and SLC - are practically the same in terms of performance and write / rewrite resource. Much depends on the implementation of a particular manufacturer. Before purchasing each specific model, we would recommend looking at the tests and reviews on these gadgets.
Leading manufacturers of SSD drives for PC
Well-known drive manufacturers are in the top. Something special about their implementation does not differ. Moreover, controllers made by Samsung or Intel can be found not only in their own drives, but also in devices of competing brands. The main names in the top:
- Samsung... Produce a wide range of SSDs for a wide variety of tasks;
- Western Digital. One of the oldest media manufacturers. Launches three different drive lines - Green, Blue and Black;
- Intel. Everything is clear here. Reliability and quality;
- Transcend. Known mainly for its flash drives. Now we are releasing full-fledged SSDs.
Which SSD is better to buy
If the budget is not limited, then there are no problems. If every ruble counts, then it is better to approach the issue thoroughly. Let's take a look at a couple of models to look out for.
The memory type it uses is TLC. The declared read / write speed is 540/520 MB / s. The total storage capacity is 120 GB. A total of 75 TB of data can be stored on disk. On average, users write from 5 to 30 GB per day to their disk, which translates into approximately 10 TB per year. Thus, the resource of this SSD should be enough for about 7.5 years. The SATA interface is used for connection. You can buy a disc for 3600 rubles. And its 2.5-inch form factor will allow you to use it both in a "stationary" and in a laptop.
And here are a couple of reviews about him:
Review of Samsung SSD 850
Review of Samsung SSD 850
More details on Yandex.Market: https://market.yandex.ru/product/1973235126/reviews?track=tabs
If compactness and space saving are in the first place, then you can consider SSD with M.2. Within 5000 rubles, you can buy Intel SSDPEKKW128G8XT.
This is a disk with M.2 connector and size 2280. Please note that the free space from the connector to the nearest component must be more than 80 mm. Memory type - TLC. The total disk size is 120 GB. This disk is interesting in that it is connected using the PCI-E interface with 4 channels via the M.2 connector. And this means that the bus does not limit the capabilities of the SSD and fully allows it to deliver excellent write and read speeds - which, by the way, are declared by the manufacturer at 650 MB / s for writing and 1640 MB / s for reading. The total resource is 72 TB of data. The device costs 4290 rubles.
More details on Yandex.Market: https://market.yandex.ru/product/1974689676/reviews?track=tabs
Intel SSDPEKKW128G8XT
In general, prices over RUB 5,000 inherently do not imply big leaps in performance. Only the total disk space changes. By the way, for SSDs, the volume indicator also affects durability. For example, a 120 GB drive with a daily recording of 30 GB will last approximately 7.5 years. With the same recording rate, a 500GB device should last 4 times longer.
You can give this: you need a disk only for the system and programs - you can choose a smaller one, 60 or 120 GB, and store all data, movies, pictures, etc. on another HDD. If you plan to store everything on one SSD, it is better to immediately choose a larger one. PCI-E interfaces are still more expensive than SATA, but they are not limited in speed, therefore, if the budget allows, it is better to choose the PCI-E interface.
Answers to frequently asked questions about SSD drive
During its existence, SSDs managed to acquire myths and legends, as well as constant questions. We will consider several of them.
Special rules of operation
Many people believe that with proper use of a drive, you can extend its lifespan. This includes various optimizations - disabling caches, indexing, paging file, performing defragmentation. In fact, to a large extent these actions will not affect the SSD resource. Rather, a decrease in overall performance due to disabling functionality will be less justified than a shared resource increased by a couple of tens of gigabytes.
The only thing that can be advised is to make backups: save your important data on alternative media - the cloud or another disk. Although this advice applies to all media in principle.
How SSD differs from HDD
Read and write speed, shock and vibration resistance, noise level, power consumption and weight. These are the main advantages of SSD over HDD.
What is TRIM in SSD
TRIM is an instruction for ATA interfaces that allows the operating system to tell the disk which blocks of memory can be unused and considered empty. Why do SSD drives need it? It was introduced in connection with the specifics of the operation of solid-state drives. When writing new data to a cell, the SSD cannot simply take and replace the old data with the new one. He has to first read the data into the cache, clear the cell, and then write it down - while the access speed decreases significantly. TRIM has solved this problem. The system and the drive are constantly exchanging information about which cells are no longer needed, and upon a TRIM signal, it resets these cells. The next time the SSD is written, it just immediately quietly writes data to it.
Do i need an SSD for gaming?
Here, too, not everything is so simple. Firstly, you can't expect a significant increase in FPS in games from using an SSD. The solid-state drive will be relevant when loading worlds and levels - locations will load faster. There is a possibility that the SSD drive can help in cases where performance is limited by the amount of RAM, when this data is thrown into the paging file. But in such a situation, changing the HDD to an SSD instead of increasing the "RAM" is a dubious pleasure.
By the way, there is an interesting video of testing popular games on different discs:
Probably every person who is familiar with computer technology knows or at least heard about such a device as an SSD drive. What is it and what role does it play in the operation of a computer? In short, an SSD is used to record and store a user's personal data. One might argue that there are hard drives for this. And this statement will be absolutely correct, because these components of the computer perform identical functions. So why was the SSD invented, what is it, how does it work, and how is it different from a conventional HDD? All these questions can be answered in this article.
What is the difference between a hard drive and an SSD hard drive? What is this device and what are the main principles of its operation?
Today, the hard drive is the main place for storing most of the files on a computer. If you take it apart, you can find a rather fragile mechanism inside. It consists of magnetic plates rotating on a special head. A carriage moves between these plates, which finds and reads the necessary information. The mechanism of the hard disk resembles a gramophone, only these devices perform different functions. Unlike the mechanism of a musical device, the hard drive carriage moves at a speed of several thousand revolutions per minute and performs work related to copying and recording information.
As for the SSD-disk, or, as it is commonly called, solid-state drive, it is used for the same purposes as a hard drive. But it works in a completely different way. There are no moving elements inside this device, and special chips are installed to store information. A solid state drive resembles a large USB flash drive that you can put in place of a hard drive.
Basic principles of solid state drives
The memory of SSD disks consists of special blocks, which are divided into cells, where the necessary data is stored. Everything would be fine, but the main problem arises when you need to delete or re-record existing information. The fact is that it is impossible to delete part of the information from one block, but you have to format the entire sector. In this case, the necessary data are stored in the cells of neighboring blocks and only then are they overwritten to the old place. Suppose you want to save 10KB of data. In this case, the memory block has a volume of 20 KB, 10 KB of which are already taken. In this case, the information available on the disk is transferred to another location, the entire block is deleted, and only then the old and new data are written. It turns out that for one operation, the system performs several more additional steps, which leads to slowdowns and accelerates the wear of the solid-state drive.
To increase the performance of the device, you must use a special program TRIM, or, as it is sometimes called, truncate the SSD. What it is and how it works, we will consider further. TRIM is not even an application, but a special command that the operating system sends to the SSD to denote unused items. Thanks to this function, you can immediately delete unnecessary files, avoiding additional operations with transferring information to neighboring blocks. This greatly improves the performance of the SSD. However, this command is not supported by outdated versions of operating systems. Therefore, to enable TRIM, the computer must have Windows 7 or 8, Linux version 2.66.33 or higher.
What is an SSD made of?
Having studied the differences between the two types of information storage, we will dwell in more detail on how SSD solid-state drives are arranged, what kind of devices they are and how they function. It looks like an ordinary box with connectors for connecting to a computer. Basically, SSD drives for home use are equipped with Sata, USB 3.0 and PCI-Express interfaces, which provide the required write and read speed without any problems.
Solid state drives do not have any moving mechanical parts. Thanks to this, they are much more resistant to external factors of influence. For example, an ordinary HDD disk is a rather fragile thing, because if the reading head comes into contact with the magnetic plate during shaking or falling, it will lead to the destruction of the medium. But solid state drives are very different. Inside these devices, special boards are installed on which memory chips and a controller are soldered. Some SSDs are additionally equipped with compact batteries, which, in the event of a sudden power outage, provide additional power to the cache, and the data is saved to the main memory chips. Now let's take a closer look at the main components of a solid state drive.
SSD memory: what is it and what are its main functions?
Most SSDs use NAND, or flash memory as it is also called. Such chips are used in ordinary flash drives, only in solid-state drives they are more reliable and have higher speed due to the presence of a controller. Due to their low cost, they are widely used in SSDs, making these devices affordable enough for most users. Another advantage of this is that it is non-volatile and does not require additional power to operate.
Besides NAND technology, solid state drives sometimes use RAM-SSDs. This type of memory has a high speed of writing and reading data due to the use of chips used to create RAM. It will require a constant electrical connection, so SSDs using RAM often have extra batteries installed in case of a sudden power outage. Due to the high manufacturing cost of these drives, they are rarely found in home PCs and laptops. Basically, RAM-SSD are used in computer systems of large companies to increase the speed of working with databases.
Most drives today use NAND memory. Despite this, these SSDs differ from each other in write speed, data read speed and cost. It all depends on the chips used in the drive: SLC, TLC or SSD MLC. What is it and what is the difference between them? This is how different are designated. The most common technology is MLC, thanks to which two bits of information can be stored in one cell. TLC makes it possible to write as many as 3 bits, but this leads to faster wear and tear of cells, so this technology is not very popular. The fastest and most durable is the SLC memory, with which you can write only one bit of data to each cell. Among the disadvantages, only the high cost can be distinguished, which is 2 times higher than the price of an MLC SSD.
Controller
The controller is the most important element, without which the SSD cannot function. What it is and what is its role, we will find out further. These devices perform work on distributing the load between memory blocks, are responsible for reading and writing information, correcting errors and compressing files. The controller resembles a command center where decisions related to data processing are made. It is on this part that the speed of the solid-state drive and its durability depend. The main component of the controllers is a special microprocessor, which carries the entire load. Also, the speed of the device depends on the quality of the firmware.
Quite a lot of companies are engaged in the production of SSD disks, because the technology for their manufacture is quite simple and takes less time than creating a classic hard disk. All you need is to purchase memory chips, controllers and boards, where everything will be soldered. After that, the structure is placed in a beautiful case with a corporate logo - and the product is ready for sale. But the components for solid-state drives themselves have a high price, besides, the creation of a controller and high-quality firmware for it will require high costs. Because of this, the cost of SSDs today is much higher than conventional HDDs.
Hybrid SSD HDD
Now let's take a look at a hybrid SSD HDD. What is this device and what is it intended for? Solid state drives are gaining in popularity every year. Technologies do not stand still, and standard hard drives are gradually replacing more technologically advanced systems. SDD-disks are present in many computers, but they are used not as the main storage of information, but as an additional one. And all because their cost is much higher compared to conventional hard drives. To compensate for this gap between the two types of storage, a hybrid HDD SSD was created. What kind of device it is and what advantages it has, let's try to consider in more detail.
The hybrid drive is based on the same HDD without any changes. But in the case of these drives, chips with flash memory are also installed, which is used as a buffer zone. The information that is most often used is copied onto it. This made it possible to increase the loading speed of some applications and the operating system itself, when compared with conventional hard drives. The maximum amount of flash memory in these hybrid SSDs is 8GB. What is the result of this? In fact, we have something in between a hard drive and a small solid-state drive. Data cannot be loaded into buffer memory or applications cannot be installed. It is used as a reserve for running priority programs that the user cannot control on his own. As for the price, the cost of hybrid drives is lower than standard SSDs, but higher than HDDs, besides, they are not very popular in our country, therefore they are not sold everywhere.
Benefits of a solid state drive
An integral part of a modern computer is an SSD. What kind of device it is and how it works, we found out, it remains to highlight its main pros and cons compared to conventional HDDs. Let's start with the positives of SSDs.
The biggest advantage of SSD is incredible and recordable information. They are several times more efficient than hard drives. For example, the data processing speed of some drives exceeds 500 MB / s. In practice, this gives faster programs and the operating system itself, which loads in a matter of seconds. This is very important, because the current generation of computers has high performance, which is greatly slowed down by HDDs. But with the advent of new drives, their speed has increased significantly.
The next advantage of SSD devices is their higher resistance to external factors. They do not have such a fragile mechanism as those of hard drives. As a result, they can easily withstand shock, vibration and moderate shock to the body. These devices will be an excellent solution for laptops. In addition, they cope better with temperature extremes.
Another advantage of SSD is its quietness and low power consumption. Due to the fact that there are moving mechanical parts in hard drives, they emit a certain level of noise. In addition, HDDs in working order have a rather high temperature, so the coolers have to rotate at an accelerated rate. But all these problems are devoid of SSDs, which do not heat up, do not make noise and consume less electricity.
Flaws
After evaluating all the advantages of solid state drives, it remains to find out what weaknesses an SSD hard drive has. What are these flaws? The first is the high cost of such drives. Despite the simplicity of its design, the manufacture of flash memory chips and controllers is quite costly. But do not be upset about this, because technologies are constantly developing, and gradually the price of these goods goes down. In a couple of years, they may well equal the price of HDDs.
After the first drawback, the second can be distinguished. Due to their high cost, solid state drives have a lower storage capacity than hard drives. For example, the storage capacity of some HDDs is 8 TB, while SDDs only reached 1 TB.
SSD memory is short-lived, and after a certain number of overwrite cycles, it fails. Although the current generation of these devices has a fairly large service line, one must be prepared for the fact that one day the drive will stop working, and it will be problematic to restore information.
I would like to add that SSD does not tolerate surges in electricity quite well. If after one of these voltage drops it burns out, then it will be impossible to get the data. In the case of an HDD, a certain sector will fail in it, and most of it will remain intact, thanks to which all intact information can be retrieved.
What to look for when buying an SSD?
After examining the information about solid state drives, many users probably wanted to purchase this device for their computer. But do not immediately run to the store and take the first product that comes along. Here are some tips to help you choose an SSD.
First, you need to pay attention to the size of the SSD. What it is? In other words, this is the amount of built-in. The higher the value, the more information can be recorded. But you don't need to buy the most expensive items, because solid-state drives are mainly used to install operating systems and applications on them, and the hard disk remains the main storage location. By equipping your system with an SSD of only 60-120 GB, you can achieve a significant increase in the speed of your computer.
The speed of reading and copying plays an important role. The higher it is, the better, but it so happens that the motherboard cannot reveal the full potential of the SSD due to the low bandwidth of the bus. It so happens that it makes no sense to install smart drives in old laptops or PCs, because even after the update, the system will work the same way as on a regular HDD. Therefore, it is worth examining the configuration of your computer, and only then go to the store. They have the largest, and for outdated IDE ports, you will need a special adapter for installing an SSD.
The most important component of any solid state drive is the controller. It is this detail that controls all processes related to information processing. The durability of the entire device depends on how well it is made, therefore it is recommended to give preference to proven and well-proven manufacturers. The leaders in production are SandForce, Marvell, Intel, Indilinx.
At the end, you should pay attention to the dimensions of the drive. For a PC, this is not so important, because any SSD can be installed in the system unit, but problems can arise with laptops.
Basic rules for operating solid state drives
After reviewing the reviews of users and experts, we can conclude that an integral part of a modern computer is an SSD hard drive. We have already covered what it is and how it works. Now you need to learn how to use it correctly. As strange as it sounds, in order to understand the full benefits of solid state drives, you need to adhere to a few simple rules.
You don't have to fill up all the available memory to capacity. Many people neglect this rule, because SSDs have a considerable price, so users buy small drives and completely load them with the necessary and not very information. But we must remember that if you leave less than 25% of free space, then the data processing speed will decrease significantly. The fact is that the more memory there is, the higher the number of free blocks where data can be written. When there is too little space left, the information is distributed among the cells of neighboring blocks, and this leads to a decrease in performance.
It is worth remembering that using solid-state drives you can significantly improve the performance of your computer, so it is recommended to install the operating system, applications and demanding games on them. But as the main storage of information, it is worth using the HDD. It will be more economical and practical, because they can easily cope with the playback of audio and video files no worse than an SSD.
It is best to have one of the latest operating systems installed on your computer. For example, Windows XP or Vista is poorly optimized for SSDs and does not support the TRIM command.
