How many megabytes are in a gigabyte, bits in a byte (or kilobyte) and what are these units of information. RAM: gigabytes, types, speed and other subtleties

24.04.2019 Safety

Hello dear readers of the blog site. What information units do you know? You've probably heard about bytes, bits, as well as megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes. However, it is not always clear how these quantities are related to each other and how can one convert, for example, bytes to megabytes, bits to bytes, and gigabytes to terabytes.

The difficulty lies in the fact that we are used to operating with units of measurement in decimal system reckoning (everything is simple there - if there is a prefix "kilo", then this is equivalent to multiplying by a thousand, etc.). But when measuring the volume of stored or using values from the binary system, where to convert, for example, megabytes to gigabytes, it will not be enough to carry out the usual division by a thousand. Why? Let's figure it out.

What is a byte / bit and how many bits are in a byte?

Described below information units are used in computer technology, for example, to measure the amount of RAM or the size of hard drives. The smallest unit of information is called a bit, followed by a byte, well, and then there are derivatives of the byte: kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, terabyte, etc. What is remarkable, despite the prefixes kilo-, mega-, giga-, recalculating these values into bytes is not a task, because simple multiplication by a thousand, a million or a billion is not applicable here. Why? Read below.

Also, similar units are used to measure the speed of information transfer (for example, via an Internet channel) - kilobits, megabits, gigabits, etc. Since this is speed, it means the number of bits (kilobits, megabits, gigabits, etc.) transmitted per second. How many bits are in a byte and how to convert kilobytes to kilobytes? Let's talk about it right now.

As you all know, the computer only works with numbers in binary system, namely with zeros and ones ("Boolean algebra", if someone went to college or school). One bit of information is a bit and it can take only two values - zero or one (there is a signal - there is no signal. I think that with a question what is bit it became more or less clear.

Go ahead. What, then, is a byte? This is a bit more complicated. One byte consists of eight bits(in the binary system), each of which is a two to the power (from zero to two in the seventh - counted from right to left), as shown in the figure below:

It can also be written as:

11101001

It is not difficult to understand that all possible combinations of zeros and ones in such a construction can only be 256 (this is the amount of information that can be encoded in one byte). By the way, converting a number from binary to decimal is quite simple. You just need to add up all the powers of two in those bits where the ones are. It couldn't be easier, right?

See for yourself. In our example, the number 233 is encoded in one byte. How can this be understood? We simply add the powers of two where the one stands (i.e. there is a signal). Then it turns out we take one (2 to the power of zero), add an eight (two to the power of 3), add 32 (two to the fifth power), add 64 (to the sixth), add 128 (two to the seventh). The total gets 233 in decimal notation. As you can see, everything is very simple.

In the above figure, I have split one byte into two pieces of four bits. Each of these parts is called nibble or nibble... In one nibble, using four bits, you can encode just any hexadecimal number(the number from 0 to 15, or rather to F, because the numbers following the nine in the hexadecimal system are designated by letters from the beginning of the English alphabet). But this is no longer the point.

How many megabits are in a megabyte?

Let's be clear. Very often, the Internet speed is measured in kilobits, megabits and gigabits, and, for example, programs give the speed in kilobytes, megabytes ... And how much will it be in bytes? How to convert megabits to megabytes?... Everything is simple and without pitfalls. If there are 8 bits in one byte, then in one kilobyte there are 8 kilobits, and in one megabyte - 8 megabits. All clear? It's the same with gigabits, terabits, etc. The reverse translation is carried out by dividing by eight.

How many megabytes are there in 1 gigabyte (bytes and kilobytes in megabytes)?

The answer to this question will no longer be so prosaic. The fact is that historically it so happened that to designate units of measurement of information, significantly larger bytes, incorrect terms are used(or rather - not true at all). The fact is that, for example, the prefix "kilo" means multiplication by ten to the third power, i.e. 10 3 (per thousand), "mega" - multiplication by 10 6 (tobish per million), "giga" - by 10 9, "tera" - by 10 12, etc.

But this is a decimal system, you say, and bits and bytes are binary. And you will be absolutely right. And in the binary system, the terminology is different and, which is especially important, other counting system- how many bytes are contained in 1 kilobyte (how many kilobytes are in 1 megabyte, how many megabytes are in 1 gigabyte and ...). Everything is based not on powers of tens (as in the decimal system, which uses the prefixes kilo, mega, tera ...), but on powers of two(in which other prefixes are already used: kibi, mebi, gibi, tebi, etc.).

Those. in theory, to denote large units of information names should be used: kibibyte, mebibyte, gibibyte, tebibyte, etc. But for a number of reasons (a habit, and these units are not very euphonious, especially in the Russian version it sounds cool yobibyte, instead of yotabytes) these correct names did not take root, and instead they began to use the wrong ones, i.e. megabyte, terabyte, iotabyte and others, which, in fairness, cannot be used in a binary system.

This is where all the confusion comes from. We all know that "kilo" is a multiplication by 10 3 (one thousand). It is quite logical to assume that a kilobyte is simply 1000 bytes, but this is not the case. We are told that in 1 kilobyte 1024 bytes... And this is true, because, as I explained just above, they initially began to use the wrong terminology and continue to do so to this day.

How are kilo, mega, giga and other large bytes converted to normal bytes? As I said, in powers of two.

How many bytes in 1 kilobyte - 2 10 (two to the tenth power) or the same 1024 bytes
And how many bytes in 1 megabyte - 2 20 (two in the twentieth) or 1048576 bytes (which is equivalent to 1024 times 1024)
And how many bytes in 1 gigabyte - 2 30 or 107374824 bytes (1024 × 1024x1024)
1 kilobyte = 1024 bytes, 1 megabyte = 1024 kilobytes, 1 gigabyte = 1024 megabytes and 1 terabyte = 1024 gigabytes

How to convert kilobytes to bytes and megabytes to gigabytes and terabytes?

Complete table (for comparison, the decimal system is also shown) converting bytes to kilo, mega, giga and terabytes is given below:

Decimal system			Binary system
Name	Dimension	Ten in ...	Name	Dimension	Deuce in ...
byte	B	10 0	byte	V	2 0
kilo byte	kB	10 3	kibi byte	KiB KB	2 10
mega byte	MB	10 6	mebi byte	MiB MB	2 20
giga byte	GB	10 9	gibi byte	GiB GB	2 30
tera byte	TB	10 12	you byte	TiB TB	2 40
peta byte	PB	10 15	peby byte	PiB PB	2 50
exa byte	EB	10 18	exby byte	EiB Ebyte	2 60
zetta byte	ZB	10 21	zebi byte	ZiB ZB	2 70
iotta byte	YB	10 24	yobi byte	YiB Ybyte	2 80

Based on the given table, you can make any recalculation, but you need to take into account that you should compare the names from the decimal system with the formula for calculating from the binary.

To simplify"Unnecessary" data from the table can be simply removed:

Name	Dimension	Conversion formula to bytes
byte	V	2 0
kilo byte	Kbyte	2 10
mega byte	MB	2 20
giga byte	GB	2 30
tera byte	TB	2 40
peta byte	PB	2 50
exa byte	Ebyte	2 60
zetta byte	Zbyte	2 70
iotta byte	Ybyte	2 80

Let's let's practice a little:

How many megabytes are there in 1 gigabyte? That's right, 2 10 (calculated by dividing 2 30 by 2 20) or 1024 megabytes in one gigabyte.
How many kilobytes are in a megabyte? Yes, the same is 1024 (calculated by dividing 2 20 by 2 10).
And how many kilobytes are there in 1 terabyte? It's a little more complicated here, because you need to divide 2 40 by 2 10, which will give us as a result 2 30 or 1073741824 kilobytes contained in one terabyte (and not a billion, as it would be in the decimal system).
What should be done to convert bytes to megabytes? We look at the table: divide the available number of bytes by 2 20 (by 107374824). Those. you are not just dividing by a million, as in the decimal system (in fact, moving the comma to the left by six digits), but dividing by a slightly larger number, as a result of which you get a megabyte less than you expected.
How many bytes are there in 1 kilobyte? Obviously 2 is 10 or 1024 bytes in one kilobyte.

I think the principle is clear to you.

Why is a terabyte hard drive 900 gigabytes in size?

However, the confusion described above is used by many hard drive manufacturers. You were never surprised that having bought, for example, a 1 terabyte disk, after installing it in your computer and formatting it, you get a little more than 900 gigabytes. Where do almost ten percent of the size of the railway declared by the manufacturer disappear?

The fact is that, for example, when measuring the amount of RAM, a binary (correct) calculation system is always used, when 1 kilobyte is equal to 1024 bytes, but hard drive manufacturers went to the trick and consider the sizes of their products in decimal megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes. What does this mean and what are the benefits in practice?

Well, look for yourself - they have one kilobyte of memory containing 1000 bytes. It seems that the difference is nonsense, but with the current the size of the rigid disks measured in terabytes all result in the loss of tens of gigabytes.

Thus, it turns out that a terabyte disk contains just 10 12 bytes (trillion). However, when formatting such a disk, the calculation will be carried out according to the correct binary system and as a result we will get from a trillion bytes only 0.9094947017729282379150390625 real (not decimal) terabytes. For conversion, you just need to divide 10 12 by 2 40 - see the above comparison table.

That's all. With such a simple trick, they sell us a product that is ten percent less useful than we assume. From a legal point of view, you can’t get in there, but from the usual point of view of the layman we are pretty well misled. True, depending on the manufacturer, the figure may slightly differ, but a terabyte still won't work in the end.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site

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A-Data PD17

The flash drive has a very original look, clearly "optimized" for wearing on a key ring - but somewhat inconvenient to use: the small, smooth body is difficult to grasp with your fingers. It is most convenient to hold the flash drive with one hand, while the other - with a fingernail - to push or slide its connector. In addition, the connector extends too little from the case - if the USB connectors of your case are slightly recessed into bezel, PD17 may simply not work in them.

Dimensions: 36.4 x 25.6 x 5.7mm, Weight: 4.2g.

A-Data PD19

One of the most interesting in terms of the principle of opening flash drives is at the same time one of the most compact. The design of the PD19 is very simple, the flash drive is brought into working condition without the slightest problems - however, the strength of its case raises some doubts in us. However, even if the external "clip" breaks, you can continue to use the flash drive itself. Among the shortcomings, we can only note the lack of an activity indicator.

The scope of delivery is limited to the flash drive itself.

Dimensions: 35.1 x 18.5 x 3.4mm, Weight: 2.5g.

A-Data T730 "Something like Mickey. With the memory"

To be honest, I never thought that Disney's Mickey Mouse had any memory problems - but judging by the accompanying slogans "Something like Mickey" and "With memory", the latter is what distinguishes the T730 from the original Mickey.

She is related to Mickey by the "head - two ears" shape, and one of the ears is removable and equipped with a USB connector; it is this that is the flash drive, while the rest plays a decorative role (well, the role of the cap at the same time).

A tiny mirror on the case of "Mickey with Memory" can be used both for its intended purpose, and by placing a photograph under the window covering it - however, due to its rather modest size, neither one nor the other makes a big impression.

In general, a strange construction.

The scope of delivery is limited to a tiny metal chain and a huge cardboard box.

Dimensions: 39.7 x 45.7 x 28.4mm, Weight: 18.5g.

ATP Petito

One of the smallest flash drives in our review - only 37 mm long, including the cap and lanyard ring. Fortunately, the manufacturer did not pursue ultra-compactness and left the thickness of the case sufficient for the flash drive to be comfortable to hold. Of the minuses, you can easily get lost cap - you cannot fix it while the flash drive is working on its back side.

The body of the flash drive is aluminum with plastic caps at the ends.

The set comes with a lanyard for wearing around the neck.

Dimensions: 37.0 x 17.6 x 9.7mm, Weight: 7.1g.

Filemate Mini

Due to its compactness and white glossy plastic, this flash drive looks pretty nice and neat - but in practice it is not very convenient: the cap is removed with a noticeable effort, because of its smoothness it can be difficult to do this. Plus, the small plastic caps are easy to get lost - thankfully, there are four spare different colors included.

Operation indicator - Green colour, illuminates the transparent eyelet for attaching a lace.

The scope of delivery is limited to a set of replaceable caps.

Dimensions: 52.5 x 18.9 x 8.2 mm, Weight: 7.5 g.

Filemate Mini Pro

USB stick of classic design - with a removable cap - in a stylish steel case. However, to be precise, only the outer shell is made of steel - the inner plastic frame. Perhaps in its appearance Mini Pro- this is one of best options for people who prefer a strict, but at the same time memorable style.

The cap can be removed easily enough, it is held without latches, on the friction force alone - however, confident enough not to get lost. But during operation, alas, there is nowhere to put it - the cap is not put on the back of the flash drive.

The activity indicator is green and is built into the corners of the flash drive. The brightness of the indicator is so low that at daylight it is barely visible.

Dimensions: 52.5 x 20.4 x 7.8mm, Weight: 16.7g.

Kingston DataTraveler mini

One of the most compact sliding flash drives has a very original design, but, alas, extremely inconvenient - it opens and closes with great effort, which is difficult to apply due to the small size of the case. It is almost impossible to open or close a flash drive with one hand.

The activity indicator is green and the brightness is so low that when daylight it is almost invisible.

A small cord is supplied with the flash drive, with which it can be fastened to a large lace - for wearing around the neck.

Dimensions: 36.1 x 18.4 x 11.0 mm, Weight: 5.7 g.

Kingston DataTraveler mini fun

The unusual shape of this flash drive is due not so much to aesthetic as to ergonomic considerations - while many competitors of this size literally slip out of your fingers, the DataTraveler mini fun's expanding case is quite comfortable to hold.

The cap is removable, you can put it on during operation back part flash drives - and, unlike many other products, this does not interfere even with a strap for wearing around the neck.

The activity indicator is green, very small, but clearly visible.

The package includes a tiny thin lanyard that allows you to attach a full-size lanyard to the flash drive for wearing around the neck.

Dimensions: 38.2 x 18.9 x 8.0 mm, Weight: 5.4 g.

Patriot Xporter Mini

One of the most uncomplicated flash drives in our today's review - in a compact case made of soft light green rubber. It is difficult to call the Xporter Mini stylish or beautiful - but nevertheless, it is attractive in its own way precisely for its simplicity.

The cap is removable, it fits on the flash drive rather tightly, so the chances of loss are small. During operation, the cap - due to its fair amount of elasticity - can be pulled over the end of the flash drive, but, as usual, only if you do not use a lanyard to wear around your neck.

The activity indicator is red, quite bright and perfectly visible; it shines through directly through the body of the flash drive.

Dimensions: 42.4 x 17.9 x 9.5mm, Weight: 7.9g.

Sandisk Cruzer Titanium U3

One of the few flash drives made in an all-metal case - that is, without an internal plastic frame. The Titanium U3 case is assembled from two halves, stamped from "Liquidmetal" titanium alloy - according to the manufacturer, it is no less durable than pure titanium, but much easier to process. In other words, Titanium U3 cannot be broken even by stepping on with a heel - at most, you will scratch the case a little, but that's all.

Compared to the previous Titanium series, the U3 has become more compact, and its finish has acquired shiny parts that noticeably enliven the flash drive's appearance.

The USB connector is retractable; to open or close it, you need to press your finger on the plastic insert in the central part of the flash drive and slide it in the desired direction. The flash drive can be easily opened and closed with one hand.
The activity indicator is built into the slider for opening the flash drive, it is blue and quite bright - but not overly bright, like the first version of Titanium.

The set includes a lanyard for wearing around the neck, as well as a clip for attaching a flash drive, for example, to a shirt pocket.

Dimensions: 57.9 x 21.0 x 9.1mm, Weight: 21.7g.

Super talent pico-a

Another attempt by manufacturers to combine the compactness of ultra-thin plastic flash drives with the strength of their larger counterparts: in the Pico-A, in the idle position, the flash drive is retracted into a durable metal case. Unfortunately, in the working position it is not protected by anything, moreover, it protrudes from the case by more than five centimeters, so it is quite possible to break the Pico-A with an awkward movement.

No activity indicator provided.

A short chain is supplied with the flash drive.

Dimensions: 38.5 x 12.7 x 4.3mm, Weight: 5.1g.

Super talent pico-c

Unlike most flash drives of this ultra-compact form factor, the Pico-C case is metal, not plastic. Unfortunately, in addition to the obvious advantages, the solution has one drawback: it is difficult to insert a flash drive into the connector, and it is even more difficult to remove it from it due to the smoothness of the case. However, if you want the smallest possible model, the Pico-C is a good choice.

No activity indicator provided.

The scope of delivery is limited to a small but useful chain - flash drives of this size are very easily lost, the chain will help to avoid this.

Dimensions: 31.4 x 12.6 x 3.4mm, Weight: 4.9g.

Transcend JetFlash T3

The smallest and lightest flash drive among those that got into our laboratory, unfortunately, does not inspire confidence - thin plastic case It bends easily, threatening to break if you carelessly move, and the tiny size, combined with the low weight and black color of the plastic, make the accidental loss of the flash drive very likely. A small corrugation of the case makes it quite convenient to remove the flash drive from the connector.

There is an eyelet for a lanyard on the case, but it is not included in the delivery set.

No activity indicator provided.

Dimensions: 30.3 x 12.4 x 2.8 mm, Weight: 1.3 g.

Transcend JetFlash V90

This flash drive is similar in design to the Super Talent Pico-A described above: the plastic body of the flash drive itself is hidden in a metal casing by turning it around the axis. Unfortunately, in addition to its rather large size and low bending strength when opened, the JetFlash V90 also has such a drawback as a very tight opening - it must be opened with two hands, prying the flash drive with a fingernail.

This flash drive, made in a chrome case with a mother-of-pearl finish, would be a good gift for a lady friend - but, alas, a gift more beautiful than useful.

No activity indicator provided.

The set comes with two laces of different lengths - and they are made very nicely, "silver".

Dimensions: 34.1 x 13.5 x 5.0 mm, Weight: 7.2 g.

Testing technique

Flash drives were tested in the following programs:

FC-Test version 1.0;
FC-Test version 2.0;
IOMeter version 2003.02.15.

We use two versions of the FC-Test program in order to be able to compare the test results with those obtained in previous articles.

The drives were connected to a computer with the following configuration:

Mainboard - Albatron PX865PE Pro;
Central processing unit - Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz;
Hard drive - IBM DTLA-307015 15 GB;
Graphics adapter - Radeon 7000 32 MB;
RAM - 256 MB;
Operating system - Microsoft Windows XP SP2.

In addition to the flash drives described above, which first came to our laboratory, we will also present the results of some drives tested earlier - in the tables they will be highlighted in blue. This:

Apacer Handy Steno AH123 2GB
Kingston U3 DataTraveler
Pretec i-Disk BulletProof
Transcend JetFlash 130
Transcend JetFlash 185
Transcend JetFlash V90c
TwinMOS Mobile Disk X4 FMX2GBM

IOMeter: Sequential Read & Write

First of all, we will turn our attention to a test that allows you to determine the speed of linear read and write. The template we use measures these indicators using data blocks of various sizes (from 0.5 to 1024 KB).

In the diagram, we can see that, according to the results of measuring the linear read speed, the Super Talent Pico-A drive turned out to be the best, breaking the 30 MB / s mark. Few were Super Talent Pico-C, ATP Petito, Transcend JetFlash V90 and V90c flash drives. In addition, the group has the most fast devices we can also refer to our "Mickey Mouse" - A-Data T730, which demonstrated a linear read speed of more than 20 MB / s. Seven drives maximum performance turned out to be less than 15 MB / s, which is very modest by modern standards.

Highest speed sequential recording turned out to be on the Transcend JetFlash 185 flash drive. Besides it, we can note three more drives: Transcend JetFlash V90 and V90с, as well as ATP Petito, which surpassed the 10 MB / s milestone. Five more flash drives have the highest speed ratings linear recording turned out to be below 5 MB / s, which today looks completely insufficient.

IOMeter: Average Access Read & Write Time

One metric that can affect the performance of flash drives is read and write access times. In the IOMeter benchmark, it is represented by the average response time of flash drives for random read and write sectors. The totals are calculated based on a ten-minute test of reading or writing 512-byte chunks of data with an outbound queue depth of one.

The first diagram shows the results of measuring the average reading time. Naturally, drives with maximum performance are in in this case the worst - we can safely classify three flash drives as such: TwinMOS X4, Transcend JetFlash 130 and Pretec Bulletproof. Their average access time for reading is many times higher than that of other devices.

Naturally, in the case of an average write access time, the indicators turn out to be noticeably worse than when reading. Based on the results presented in the diagram, we can single out an unconditional leader - Transcend drive JetFlash 185. This device demonstrated an average write access time several times less than that of its closest pursuers. In addition, we can also note seven flash drives, on the contrary, lagging far behind the competitors - and TwinMOS X4, which previously lost in the same way in read access time, became an absolute outsider.

IOMeter: Windows Vista ReadyBoost

While discussions about the usefulness and necessity of the built-in Windows Vista ReadyBoost technologies are far from complete, we can't help but pay tribute to the time and test the flash drives to meet the formal ReadyBoost requirements as well. Let us remind our readers that in order to successfully pass the test, drives must have a volume of at least 256 MB, provide a data transfer rate at free reading blocks of 4 KB in size not less than 2.5 MB / s and with random writing of blocks of 512 KB - not less than 1.75 MB / s. In our case, we used the capabilities of the IOMeter program to determine these two indicators. The required speed parameters were determined during a 10-minute test. Flash drives are blue in the charts, and devices that do not fit in pink are in pink.

As we can see, four flash drives do not meet the Vista requirements in terms of read speed: Kingston DataTraveller mini, Kingston DataTraveller mini fun, Filemate Mini and Filemate Mini Pro. The ATP Petito drive became the winner in this test, however, its lead over the competitors is small.

In the case of random write speed, six devices have already become losers, their results are also highlighted in the diagram in pink - they could not reach the 1.75 MB / s mark. Curiously, all four outsiders of the reading test could not pass the write test either.

FC-Test 1.0

Above, using the IOMeter program, we obtained a number of undoubtedly interesting, but still "synthetic" results. Now we are moving on to the FC-Test program, which allows us to test drives in a mode as close as possible to real use- to read, write and copy sets of files.

We still use both versions of this utility, which differ from each other in details in the algorithm of their work. While the program is running, it writes and reads sets of files of a certain size and number, accompanied by the measurement of the time required to perform these operations, which makes it possible to calculate the speed of the drives. In our case, three sets of files are used, each of which takes 100 MB in total - the first of them contains 100 files of 1 MB, the second contains 10 files of 10 MB, and the third, as you might have guessed, has 1 file of 100 MB. As our practice shows, this size is quite enough to reveal the maximum performance of USB drives, and its subsequent increase does not lead to a fundamental change in the results.

When reading files of a megabyte size, the Transcend JetFlash 185 flash drive is out of any competition. Its closest rival shows the result almost twice as bad. A trio of drives, consisting of TwinMOS X4, Filemate Mini and Filemate Mini Pro, looks like the obvious outsiders.

A much more pleasant picture appears before our eyes on the diagram with the results of measuring the speed of reading one hundred files by one megabyte. Most flash drives performed at acceptable levels of performance, with six drives exceeding the 20MB / s read speed mark. Both were in the leading three Super devices Talent and ATP Petito, followed by the Transcend JetFlash 185 and JetFlash V90, as well as the A-Data T730 "Mickey".

Using a set of ten files of ten megabytes for the write speed test leads to a quite predictable increase in performance in most drives - flash memory traditionally copes well with large files. But these amendments do not lead to fundamental changes in the alignment of forces: the Transcend JetFlash 185 flash drive is still soloing, and the rest of the devices cannot compete with it, except that the Sandisk Cruzer Titanium U3 stands out a little better. But the trio TwinMOS X4, Filemate Mini and Filemate Mini Pro once again closes the diagram ...

The increase in the file size up to ten megabytes had a positive effect on the read speed, but not as noticeably as on the write. We see nothing fundamentally new in this diagram either - the 20 MB / s mark is again overcome by the same six flash drives as in the test with megabyte files.

Using a file of one hundred megabytes in the write speed test allows the devices to demonstrate the most high results, but they don't give us any surprises either. Still, no one can dethrone the Transcend JetFlash 185 from Olympus, and in the same way we see TwinMOS X4, Filemate Mini and Filemate Mini Pro flash drives in the rear guard - they have no chance in the competition.

FC-Test 2.0

As a rule, the use of the second version of FC-Test, which is distinguished by a more accurate measurement technique, does not bring significant changes in the alignment of forces - however, there are some nuances ...

The Transcend JetFlash 185 is expected to become the leader in the speed of writing one-megabyte files, significantly surpassing the rest of the devices. We can also note two more Transcend flash drives, as well as ATP Petito - they just fell short of 10 MB / s. The diagram is closed by the usual trinity of flash drives TwinMOS and Filemate.

In the case of reading one hundred files, one megabyte at a time, the fastest drive turned out to be Super Talent Pico-A, breaking the 30 MB / s mark. The Super Talent Pico-C, ATP Petito, Transcend JetFlash V90 and V90c flash drives are slightly inferior in speed. Another flash drive also managed to overcome the 20 MB / s threshold - A-Data T730 "Mickey".

In addition to our predictable leader Transcend JetFlash 185, using a set of ten files of ten megabytes to write, three more flash drives were able to overcome the 10 MB / s threshold. The outsider trio remained the same.

We do not see any special changes in the diagram with the results of measuring the speed of reading ten files of ten megabytes. The leading six flash drives have retained their positions; minimal local permutations are among the devices located below. And even then, these changes are associated with an insignificant difference in results - within their group, flash drives go very close to each other.

The record for the largest file in our testing leaves everything in place. The fastest drive is again the Transcend JetFlash 185 drive, which simply has no real competitors in terms of speed. Behind him are three more flash drives that have surpassed the 10 MB / s mark, but the position of TwinMOS X4, Filemate Mini and Filemate Mini Pro is still unattractive.

The last diagram shows the results of measuring the read speed of the largest file in our testing. We see that although there are minor permutations, they are due to a slight difference in indicators. In particular, among the six devices that surpassed the 20 MB / s mark, after the leader - they again turned out to be Super Talent Pico-A, now comes its relative - Super Talent Pico-C, pushing ATP Petito into third place. There are other small changes in “ standings”, But for us they are not fundamental - just an increase in the size of the test file had a slightly different effect on the speed of reading flash drives.

Summarizing

The Transcend JetFlash 185 flash drive has become an unambiguous record holder in write speed - and it also has a good read speed, so this flash drive can be safely called well balanced. Despite the fact that it was tested by us almost a year ago, none of the newer drives from among the ones that came into our laboratory not only surpassed the results of the JetFlash 185, but, by and large, did not even come close to them. So if write speed is of paramount importance to you, take a look at the Transcend JetFlash 185.

Considering the write speed of 10 MB / s, as a certain conditional milestone, below which today we do not want to go down, we can single out three more flash drives - Transcend JetFlash V90, Transcend JetFlash V90c and ATP Petito, especially since they were among the leaders and by reading speed. Note that all of the above drives fully comply with Windows requirements Vista ReadyBoost (excluding Transcend V90c, which we did not check for ReadyBoost compatibility at the time). ATP Petito looks especially unexpected in this trio - given the somewhat frivolous appearance of the flash drive, it was difficult to imagine that it would be among the best in terms of speed.

At the same time, both ATP Petito and Transcend JetFlash V90 can be attributed to fashion, gift items - thanks to the beautiful and original finish of the case. Unfortunately, in terms of ergonomics and usability in everyday use, these Transcend flash drives are far from ideal, but Petito is definitely worth paying attention to.

Also interesting is the result of two Super Talent drives - Pico-A and Pico-C. Demonstrating excellent file reading speed, they could not confirm their leadership in write tests, showing results in them no higher than average. However, if you need the ultimate compact flash drive, Pico-C is a good choice - but with Pico-A it is worth remembering that when opened, its dimensions are not so small, and the strength of the case leaves much to be desired.

The Sandisk Cruzer Titanium U3 demonstrated exactly the opposite behavior: with a good write speed in read tests, it steadily dropped to the third quarter of the diagram. However, this flash drive is interesting not so much speed indicators how much the stunning strength of the case - it is almost impossible to break Titanium mechanically. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for its dust and moisture resistance ...

Since we have talked about the best flash drives in terms of performance, it is worth saying a few words about devices that can be described as antiheroes. Acquiring them would be an unjustified waste of money. These, in our opinion, include TwinMOS X4, Filemate Mini and Filemate Mini Pro - their speed characteristics are so low that buyers who choose a flash drive not only in appearance can immediately exclude these models from the list of options.

What RAM does: a clear explanation

Temporarily stores operational information... Not the one that is needed to save movies with music, but the one that is used by Windows itself, programs, games, etc. Such information is stored only when the PC is turned on. The computer turns on, the system starts up - and during the start, programs and modules are launched that write the necessary data from the HDD to RAM. So that the computer can "communicate" with this data very quickly - that is, operate promptly(hence the term - "operational").

In short, it is super fast memory, which is 300 times faster than a hard drive. The quick response of the running program (the instantaneous appearance of the menu with the right mouse button, for example) is a merit high speeds"RAM".

RAM analog in the real world, what is stored in the human brain for a short time. This data is ready for brain processing any second. With the operative in the brain can be compared, for example, information that we remember for a short time, while doing some work. For example, we count 9 + 3 = 1 and 2 in our minds ... Or another example, the waiter remembers that he ordered a table - he will most likely forget this information in a couple of hours, replacing it with another one. Of course, comparing human memory and computer memory is not very correct, because the brain works in a different way and everything that got into the RAM can be remembered and get into long memory (HDD), which cannot be with a computer ... With HDD, you can compare long-term memory, for example, we read a book and remember something. But access to such data is sometimes not fast, because in order to remember, you need to take a book from the shelf and refresh your memory - such memory can be compared to memory hard disk in a computer - not fast but fundamental.

Finally, there are also very lightning-fast types of memory. In a computer, this is a processor's cache, which is tightly sewn into the CPU, and in the human head, it is something that is firmly and firmly memorized from the school desk: the multiplication table, "live - write with the letter and", "twice two", etc. P.

How much GB of RAM do you need

The bigger, the better? Yes, but only up to a certain limit. Modern computers(from 2012-14) are extremely rarely equipped with one gigabyte of RAM - this is already the day before yesterday and a museum exhibit, and not a real product in 2017.

2 gigabytes RAM is a typical capacity of frankly budget machines. Perhaps this is enough - but it is extremely uncomfortable in terms of speed and responsiveness even with an open browser, Word, Skype and antivirus. No, for 2017, two gigabytes is incredibly small - but you can somehow live with them.

4 gigabytes RAM - a kind of "threshold" value of the capacity of the random access memory. Four gigabytes are equipped and enough budget models laptops, and more or less expensive counterparts. Enough? Quite frankly, yes; but there is no stock. The "gluttony" of programs and the operating system itself is capable of loading all 4 gigs to the eyeballs, albeit not always.

8 gigabytes DDR is a zone of comfort and tranquility. Rarely, very rarely, a computer will take at least 5-6 gigabytes of RAM (this is in 2016, but in 2018, the appetites of the code will be able to hammer even not such a huge amount!).

16, 32 (or 128!) Gigabytes An ordinary user hardly needs RAM - this is already from the territory of space. What is the use of a multi-ton truck body when the car does not carry anything larger than a washing machine? In 2017, it is hardly worth buying additional gigabytes of RAM in order to simply “have” them.

The table lists the main "eaters" of random access memory. The numbers are only approximate - for someone Windows takes more megabytes, for someone less. Tabs with sites can contain a short page without pictures, or they can contain monstrous panels. social networks with all contacts, blinkers and reminders. Games require a lot, but it is customary to disable them before launching them. unnecessary browsers and text documents.

So, the table: who "eats" how much RAM. Typical RAM consumption modern programs... 2016-2017 years; further - only more.

Programs and their components	The occupied amount of RAM, megabytes (not GB!)
Windows 7	500-1500
Windows 8 (or 10)	500-1800
Browser with 5-7 tabs open	400-800
Word	200
Skype	100
Numerous service processes, updates, drivers	10-20 MB in each of 20-50 such microprograms = 200-1000 MB
Download manager	20-30
Modern game	2000-3000
Game sample 2010-2012	1000-2000
Antivirus in normal state	300-500
Antivirus in full scan mode	2000-2500

So how much RAM is needed for Windows 7, for example? Try not to buy computers with 2 gigabytes on board - this is frankly not enough. 4 gigabytes is just good, 8 is super. More - not worth it, as a rule. 16 gigabytes and more are needed for:

advanced "computer scientists" for whom it is quite a standard task to run 2-3 virtual systems in Windows;
avid gamers with ultra-high-resolution monitors and expensive video cards;
programmers with the need to debug-test desktop programs;
video designers and their photo colleagues - and even then not always;
simply because you want more than others. Without a focus on practicality.

Types of RAM, frequency and other characteristics

18-20 years have passed since the introduction of the first DDR standard. Several generations of computers have changed, their performance has increased significantly. No more than two generations of memory are relevant at any given time. In 2017, this is the rapidly aging DDR3, which reigned in the market for 7 years, and the already familiar DDR4. If you are purchasing a new computer, then most likely it will be equipped with exactly the fourth generation of RAM. If we are talking about an upgrade of an old one (5-8 years old), then DDR3 works inside. The generations are not compatible with each other: it is physically impossible to put a DDR4 die into the connector from the "troika", and vice versa.

RAM for laptops differs from the usual "desktop" physical size. Laptop RAM is half the length of standard RAM. Frequencies, volume and DDR generation match each other for laptops and PCs. True, laptop memory is subdivided into 2 more subcategories, which are physically incompatible with each other:

standardSO-DIMM(the SO prefix indicates exactly the laptop size of the RAM) - the most common option;
memory with low power consumption SO-DDR3L(or simply DDR3L or the newest DDR4L): most often found in inexpensive laptop models.

Second after volume important characteristic RAM: frequency. The more, the better, in principle - but DDR4 at 2100 MHz is just a penny slower than DDR4 at 2800 MHz. The difference is almost 1-2 percent, and even then only in some applications. You shouldn't overpay for megahertz - maybe 2-3 dollars. There are also other characteristics of memory: delays, they are also timings. The lower the timings, the faster the memory works (that's right - timing 10 is preferable to timing 12). You should definitely not be guided by this characteristic, although in the DDR / DDR2 era 15 years ago, timings meant more than today. However, this is already history.

RAM prices: focusing on offers

Since about 2010, RAM has been obscenely cheap compared to older times. How much exactly? We apologize for the prices in dollars, but ... they are called "evergreen" for a reason. The prices given are not the cheapest, according to the online store Bayon.ru - but with a margin.

Table: cost of RAM (laptop and PC), 2017. Available in DDR3 and DDR4 models, as well as laptop SO-DIMM form factors.

Memory type	Frequency, MHz	Price,$	Note
DDR3 2GB	1600	19,85	The cheapest decent option
DDR3 4GB	1600	26,00
DDR3 4GB	2400	32,15	Dear overclocking RAM
DDR3 8GB	1600	38,60
SO-DIMM DDR3, 2 GB	1600	19,85	The cheapest RAM for a laptop
SO-DIMM DDR3, 4 GB	1600	27,50	Most popular type RAM for laptop
SO-DIMM DDR3, 4 GB	1833	29,30	Popular volume, increased frequency
SO-DIMM DDR3, 8 GB	1600	34,50	Large volume, standard frequency
DDR4 4GB	2133	26,00	Average 4GB DDR3
DDR4 8GB	2133	42,90	Popular high volume plank
DDR4 8GB	2400	55,60	Large volume, increased frequency
SO-DIMM DDR4 4GB	2133	27,50	The standard bar of a modern laptop
SO-DIMM DDR4 8GB	2133	43,50	The volume bar of a modern laptop

Should you upgrade (add) RAM?

Definitely yes, if the amount of RAM is less than 2-3 gigabytes: the performance gain will be visible to the naked eye. The "critical point" of performance is somewhere in the middle between 2 and 4 GB of RAM. Less RAM means much less speed. More - everything works as it should, in one word - "flies".

More likely yes than no if the available capacity is 4 gigabytes. Computer speed is unlikely to increase, but there will be much less freezes and lags. Not a bad investment.

There is no need if there are already 6-8 gigabytes on board.

There is no need if the point of updates is to buy DDR with a higher clock frequency... The benefits of such an upgrade, if not zero, tend to be so.

How do I add RAM to my computer? What about your laptop? DIY RAM upgrade

PC-desktops are larger “creatures”. You can fit at least 10 laptops inside the case (in size!). Slots and slots on desktop motherboards a lot, unlike ultra-compact laptops, where every millimeter is saved. The typical number of slots in a computer for RAM is 2 or 4. As a rule, only 1-2 of them are occupied. Adding a bar of RAM to an already working one is a matter of a couple of minutes. It is enough to turn off the computer, open system unit and insert the DDR bracket into the corresponding slot. No tools or even a screwdriver needed.

The main requirement is that the RAM must be of the appropriate generation. Modern DDR4 cannot be inserted into the DDR3 socket: even their sizes are different. But the volume additional bar can be anything. Frequency - also any, but at different frequencies of several strips of "RAM" the computer operates at the lowest of them.

In laptops, things are a little more complicated. They have three types of RAM slots:

Two-slot configurations: as a rule, 2 slots are already inserted into the "RAM". In this case, you should buy one more capacious module and replace the existing one with a new one. Classics of the genre: 4 GB of RAM, 2 strips of 2 GB each. There are no other connectors. You have to buy a 4GB memory module (or 8GB if needed) and replace the old one. As a result, we get 6 GB of RAM. By the way, the old module can be sold.

Less commonly, there are two slots, one of which is busy, the other is free. Everything is perfectly simple: we buy RAM of any size, insert it into an empty slot. For example, there was 4 GB (one bar), we buy another 4 GB in one bar, insert ... the result is 8 GB.

Single-slot configurations(usually inexpensive models laptops). There is only one connector, and it, of course, is already filled with a RAM bar. The only option is to remove the old module, install a new one - of a larger volume.
Laptops with soldered RAM... An upgrade is almost impossible: soldering an old module and re-soldering a new one is a non-trivial and very risky task. However, the RAM is tightly soldered only in inexpensive machines, and this does not happen very often.

How to find out the number of slots and the type of memory in a laptop or computer

Any diagnostic program like CPU-Z will do. Download, install, look in the section on memory.

Basic information about RAM: how many GB, etc., is in the Memory tab. The following characteristics are immediately visible:

Memory type: DDR3
The amount of RAM: 6 GB
Number of Channels: 2 (Dual)
Less interesting indicators are timings and frequency: 665.1 MHz (the DDR standard implies two-way exchange of information with memory, therefore the true frequency is 1333 MHz).

The conclusions can be made as follows: a computer (in this case, a laptop) clearly has 2 slots, both are occupied. This is indicated by the two-channel mode of operation, which is possible only with an even number of strips. Another conclusion is clearly a non-standard configuration: 4 + 2 GB of RAM. Usually manufacturers set the amount of RAM to a multiple of 2: 2, 4, 8, or 16 gigabytes. This means the owner has already upgraded the RAM.

Much more detailed information is described on the next tab of the CPU-Z: SPD (brain speed) utility. In the upper left part of the window you can really see that there are 2 slots, both are occupied. The first slot contains a 2 gig (2048 MB) die with a frequency of 667 (1333 MHz). In the second - 4 gigabytes (4096 MB) with the same frequency of 1333.

A couple of informational bonuses: the production date of one of the RAMs is visible (week 9 of 2011), and the manufacturers of both planks: Nanya and PNY.

How can you upgrade the RAM in the example above? 6 gigabytes is quite a sufficient volume for 2016, but if you have a strong desire, you can buy one 4 GB DDR3 strip (price - about $ 26), and insert it instead of the old 2 gigabyte (by the way, you can sell it for $ 5 eight). The result will be 8 gigabytes of RAM.

RAM manufacturers: which one is better. And - final tips

Who just produces RAM: the processor giant AMD, and Samsung and LG, and numerous Kingston, Corsair, etc. In the most numerous segment of random access memory, there is really no difference between manufacturers. All of them produce reliable and fast DDR, which is capable of some overclocking.

Think about the manufacturer only in cases where more serious overclocking is required, special requirements to reliability, and, perhaps, to the artistic beauty of random access memory. That's right, the more expensive models come with optional but stunning cute heatsinks for cooling the modules.

And further. RAM is a remarkably reliable thing. It is quite safe to take it off hand, "second-hand" - most likely, it will work for many more years, with the same characteristics and power consumption.

For new system or upgrading your computer, the amount of video memory will definitely be the deciding factor when choosing. And almost always, making it a decisive factor is inappropriate and wrong. In this article, we will consider a paradoxical example of a video card with a "hyper volume" of video memory, in comparison with solid samples and discuss the above-mentioned characteristic that is very popular and beneficial for developers.

Considering the fact that the video card contains separate processor- GPU, it will be logical that there will be its own memory. Video memory plays the role of a kind of frame buffer, into which video data is sent, for further reading and processing GPU and also textures are stored here.

Video memory. Bigger is not better

Comparing different samples of video cards, a user who practically does not understand the characteristics will, on a subconscious level, look towards models with a lower price and a large amount of video memory. Since, everyone is well aware of the fact - the more, the better. But why, then, the Asus GT630 video card with 4 GB of video memory costs $ 80, and the HD 7850 with a "modest" 1 GB - $ 200? What's the catch here? It is on this that the manufacturers of video cards make money, sparing no increase in the amount of video memory, while “godlessly” cutting down all the other parameters. Therefore, "more" and "practical", in this case, are not equated.

Asus GT 630 memory type GDDR 3, with a 128-bit bus width, while the Asus HD 7850 has GDDR 5 with a 256-bit bus width, which results in a huge difference in memory frequency and total bandwidth... The Asus GT 630, these same 4 GB, will simply be idle, given the other parameters of this budget video card. If she can load at least 512 MB of her own video memory, that will be great.

Relatively bandwidth and types of video memory, we will talk in separate articles, which will describe in detail these important parameters of the video card.

How much video memory do you need?

We will say averaged, that is, relative to the game load, without deviating from the working specifics. How much video memory do modern games use? Each game is different, but the peak "requests" regarding the amount of video memory, even for demanding toys, are not as big as it might seem at first glance.

Rice. 2

On the fig. 2 the test results from overclockers.ru are displayed, which show the average value of video memory consumption in several dozen games for top-end video cards based on chips of the previous line from AMD and Nvidia. It is clearly seen that at resolutions of 1920 x 1080 and below, 1024 MB is completely enough. But for playing at 2560x1600 resolutions, it is better to buy a video card with a large amount of video memory.

For even more demanding games such as Crysis 2, video cards with 2 GB of video memory are recommended.

At the same time, there is a nuance, these video memory estimates are suitable only for the Asus HD 7850 video card of the two we mentioned earlier. But for the Asus GT 630, its "mighty" 4 GB will not help much in demanding games, since it cannot be supported by other characteristics, such as the same memory bandwidth.

The amount of video memory. Conclusions.

It remains to summarize small results.

For video cards of the budget segment, costing up to $ 70, 1.2, 3, 4 GB do not make sense, since they are often positioned for not demanding games and office tasks. So, in the "most budgetary" range, it is recommended to buy video cards with 512MB - 1 GB of video memory (but in most cases this will also be redundant).

Also, it can be noted that for video cards of average and above average performance, which are positioned for playing at normal resolutions, up to 1920 × 1080, 1-1.5 GB is enough (for most games).

When it comes to top-end and close to the "top" video cards, costing from $ 350, then here you can not waste time on trifles and choose video cards with a video memory of 2 - 3 GB. More than 3 GB, for ordinary tasks, without a specific bias, will also be redundant.

But the main conclusion is that if you buy a "mediocre" video card for "mediocre" games, then you don't need to look with loving eyes at models with a large amount of video memory, hoping that this will give a performance boost for a small price.