SSD is the most popular, fastest, and most energy-efficient way to store and share information. It has a faster read and write speed than hard drives while consuming less power. It became possible due to the lack of moving parts in the structure of the device. Today, an SSD can be purchased at any hardware and electronics store. Each model has its own advantages and disadvantages, on which the price of the device depends. You can decide which SSD to choose for yourself by looking at parameters such as memory type, resources, controller, size and more.
SSD drives – what are they?
SSDs are drives that integrate with your computer and work with flash memory using microcircuits. They look a bit like a standard hard drive, but there’s a significant difference between them. A conventional hard drive writes and reads data using a rotating magnetic disk and head. In order to remember the data, cells need to be magnetized and demagnetized, and this takes a long time.
Fortunately, there are SSDs that work with flash, which is much faster, but at the same time a bit more expensive. It must be remembered that flash memory has an overwrite limit, but companies are developing different ways to place cells so that the disk can work for a long time. To find out which SSD to choose for a laptop, study each feature in more detail.
Types of SSD drives for memory and resources
Which SSD works better and faster depends on the type of memory:
SLC (single-level cell)
The principle of operation is based on a single cell that is turned on or off. This type of memory is permanent and allows information to be written and read quickly. Advantages of SLC memory:
- Supports multiple rewrite cycles (approximately 100,000 times)
- High speed
- Reliability
- He is not afraid of high temperatures.
The main disadvantage of this type of memory is its high cost and inaccessibility to the average user.
MLC (multi-level cell)
It supports three to five thousand rewriting cycles, is characterized by high durability, affordable price and high speed, making this type of memory the most popular. Suitable for those who need high performance for gaming or other tasks. Overall, it has a large amount of memory at an affordable price with several advantages:
- Can be found at any computer store
- Wide range of
- More reliable than TLC memory.
The only downside is less reliable than SLC memory.
TLC (three-level cell)
It handles about three to five thousand cycles and is often used in budget SSDs because it has a slow speed. This type of memory is not used for commercial or industrial purposes, but is intended for consumer use only. A good option for those who do not count on an expensive purchase. Advantages of TLC:
- The cheapest type of memory
- Ten times faster than a hard drive.
The disadvantages include the slow speed compared to MLC and SLC.
V- or 3D-NAND is super-fast memory
It has multiple rewriting cycles and is installed on premium models. This is a special type where the cells are arranged vertically rather than horizontally. The main advantage is simply the huge amount of memory (4TB SSD).
In conclusion, the speed of an SSD depends on the type of memory, but the amount is also important.
SSD storage capacity
This parameter is individual and depends on the needs. Everyone needs to know why they are buying an SSD and what it will do on the computer. SSD Capacity Options:
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- 60 – 64 GB – if you want to speed up the loading of Windows, work in office programs and improve the system’s response to solving everyday tasks
- 120 – 128 GB – to speed up the video editing process, works in image editors
- 240 – 256 GB – ideal for installation on gaming computers with modern games.
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Using an SSD for regular data storage is inconsistent, for this it is better to purchase a 1-4 TB hard drive.
Ways to connect an SSD drive
To connect an SSD, one of the following interfaces must be used:
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- SATA is the most popular and universal option
- PCI – this type of connection provides a speed slightly higher than that of SATA due to the direct connection to the motherboard.
- There are also external SSDs that are not installed in the computer but are connected separately as a USB flash drive.
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Read and write speed
The processing speed of the SSD depends on this parameter. For inexpensive drives, the optimal rate is 480–600 Mb / s. For more expensive models, read and write speeds should be greater than 1500 Mb / s. Most SSDs read information faster than write. When the cache is full, speed may decrease, but in any case, even an inexpensive SSD works at least three times faster than a hard disk. The main vector in the development of SSD drives is miniaturization. They are getting smaller every year, and this is due to the user’s needs. You can buy an SSD for a computer for a 3.5-inch diagonal, but for a laptop it will be a bit more, so you have to look at the 2.5 or even 1.8-inch option.
