What is a solid state hard drive called? SSD drive for computer

Advantages and disadvantages of solid state drives over HDDs... What are they?! Solid-state drives, or SSDs, having appeared on the market relatively recently, despite their high cost, have managed to gain popularity among users who value speed.

A solid state drive is a storage device that uses memory chips. The SSD also includes a management controller. The memory on which solid-state drives operate is divided into two types: flash and RAM.

Most often SSDs are used in small devices(communicators, laptops, smartphones), where significant requirement is the drive's resistance to shock and vibration, as well as its small size. The use of solid state drives in PCs provides a noticeable increase in performance.

The popularity of SSDs is growing very quickly: their cost, although at the moment and noticeably higher than HDD, gradually decreases; Some companies, which include, for example, those that sold the hard drive manufacturing business to Seagate Samsung, have already completely abandoned the production of HDDs, switching to the development and creation of solid drives.

History of the origin and further development of SSD

Despite the fact that solid-state drives have become widespread only recently, the first prototype of such a storage medium was created back in 1978. The first semiconductor drive based on RAM memory was developed by StorageTek (USA). Four years later, another American company, Cray, began using RAM-based SSDs in its Cray-1 and Cray X-MP supercomputers.

The first semiconductor flash memory drive was developed in 1995 by M-Systems (Israel).

Since 2005, laptops and netbooks containing SSDs have increasingly appeared on the market. The first company to release a device with a 4GB SSD was ASUS. Gradually, the speed and volume of devices increased. In 2008, the developers of Mtron Storage Technology (South Korea) presented at an exhibition in Seoul a 128 GB solid-state drive with write and read parameters of 240 MB/s and 260 MB/s, respectively. In 2009, OCZ developed SSD capacity 1 terabyte.

Benefits of SSD

The advantages of solid-state drives are obvious. The absence of moving parts has led to their high mechanical resistance, fast reading of files, regardless of the location of their fragments, and absolutely silent operation. Read and write speeds are many times faster than throughput best interfaces HDD, including SATA II, SATA III and others.

The absence of magnetic disks has made it possible to significantly reduce the size of the SSD, as well as reduce the influence of external electromagnetic fields on it, which can easily cause harm to hard drives and the information stored on them.

Also, SSD characterizes more wide range temperatures and low power consumption.

Disadvantages of modern SSDs

The key disadvantage of solid-state drives, due to which not many people can afford to install them in a PC, is their high cost, directly proportional to their capacity. The price of HDDs that are more common today depends solely on the platters they contain and increases much more slowly as their volume increases.

The main disadvantage of NAND SSDs (drives based on the use of non-volatile memory) is, first of all, a limited number of rewrite cycles: ten thousand for regular flash memory (MLC, Multi-level cell) and one hundred thousand for a more expensive type (SLC, Single-level cell). In order to prevent uneven wear, special circuits are built into the SSD: the controller stores information about which blocks are the least rewritable and, if necessary, begins to use them more actively. Number of cycles for RAM SSD and latest technology FRAM is almost limitless, enough for 40 years of continuous use.

Inability to recover information

Solid state drives do not allow data recovery due to the use of the TRIM command, so all recovery utilities become useless. In addition, information on the SSD becomes irretrievably lost if the voltage is exceeded or dropped. If in hard drives Most often, only the controller board burns out, the solid-state media burns out completely. Hardware failure An SSD that occurs due to a failure of the controller chip or flash memory will result in information being lost without the possibility of recovery.

SSD and choice of Windows operating system

The acceleration of SSD wear is also affected by the use of outdated and even a number of current operating systems that do not take into account their specifics. The reduced service life of solid-state drives due to the operation of some OS services is due to the fact that they are designed only to work with HDDs,

Therefore, they use technologies on SSDs that speed up the operation of hard drives, but do not have any positive effect on the performance of solid-state drives, but, on the contrary, reduce their service life.

In the Windows OS family, optimization of work with SSDs was introduced only starting from the seventh version. On hard drives Windows 7 does not use defragmentation, as well as Superfetch and ReadyBoost technologies needed to speed up reading and writing on hard drives. Previous versions of Windows, including the relatively new Vista, require additional settings to reduce SSD wear and tear. First of all, you need to disable defragmentation, which still does not have any effect on the performance of solid-state drives.

Setting up Windows 7 to work with SSD

In order to prevent rapid wear of the SSD, you should disable some services and operations on the system.

First of all, you should disable the use of the paging file in the system, which is designed to store temporary data, which is necessary when there is insufficient RAM. However, writing and rewriting to an SSD so frequently will cause the memory cells to wear out quickly. Therefore, if your memory exceeds 4 GB, the best solution will disable the page file. If the memory size is less than 4 GB, then the easiest way would be to move the page file to the hard drive or increase the amount of RAM.

Indexing and SSD caching is absolutely unnecessary operations, since the solid-state drive already works very quickly.

Due to the fact that direct SSD access to files is very fast, defragmentation is unnecessary, moreover, it only harms the SSD cells.

Another operating system component that became unnecessary after installing it on an SSD is Prefetch and SuperPrefetch, designed to speed up bootstrap and launching programs.

To disable these services, open Windows registry and change the EnablePrefetcher and EnableSuperfetch values to zero.

SSD and alternative operating systems

TRIM support for solid-state memory was introduced in Mac OS X version 10.7 (Lion). In 2010 Apple company launched for sale Air computers, which included solid state memory. Initially, at the request of the buyer, the SSD could be replaced with a regular hard drive, however, starting in 2010, the company completely abandoned the use of HDDs in this line to reduce the size of the computer case, as well as reduce its weight. The memory capacity in the Air line ranges from 64 GB to 512 GB.

In 2012, a new MacBook Pro powered by flash memory went on sale. Optionally, you can install up to 768 GB of flash memory into your computer.

TRIM support for SSDs in Linux operating systems appeared starting with kernel version 2.6.33. In the drive mounting settings, you should specify the “discard” option.

SSD or HDD: what to choose?

Currently, solid-state drives are increasingly gaining market share from hard drives. And although it is still too early to talk about the onset of the final transition to SSDs and removal of HDDs from sale, it is becoming clear that at some point this will become inevitable. Those who have installed a solid-state drive as a system drive have already seen the difference in performance, which is noticeable even without using special tests.

Flash memory drives have fast access times, high speed information transfer and improved performance, which allows you to work with the operating system and installed applications much faster. In addition, SSD characterizes absolutely silent operation, reliability and low energy consumption.

At the moment, there are many solid-state drives on the component market from various manufacturers, so choosing the best option among them is not so easy. However, the speed of any SSD model, even the slowest and cheapest, is many times higher than the same parameter hard drive.

Let's compare each of technical parameters SSDs and HDDs separately.

Performance

Almost every SSD is two or three times faster than a traditional hard drive in terms of interoperability. Launching programs and the operating system, resuming from sleep or standby mode, installing applications, working with files (copying, archiving, unzipping) is noticeably faster on solid-state drives.

To determine a higher SSD performance, you don’t even need to take any measurements, since it is easy to notice even “by eye”. Launch software becomes much faster, the operating system also runs without delay. Particularly noticeable is the speed of entering and exiting standby or sleep mode.

SSDs are an excellent choice for users who value speed.

Comparison of HDD and SDD performance

If you test for comparison purposes one of the best currently HDD time Seagate Barracuda XT with a capacity of 3 TB and a speed of 7200 rpm and SSD Samsung 470 Series previous generation, it becomes clear how noticeably different the performance of hard drives and solid-state drives is.

Futuremark PCMark 7, simulating standard work computer, demonstrates that in almost any type of work the SSD performs the task three to four times faster than hard disk. At the same time, this test takes into account system performance, taking into account the influence of the CPU and video card, which allows you to see a picture almost similar to that created during normal use.

The only exceptions, when the results of HDD and SDD are almost equal, include working with video in Windows Movie Maker and download Windows Media Center.

Most shining example, when the user can see and evaluate the speed of the storage medium, is the transfer and copying of data. On older computers, this time can take such a long period that the user is forced to sit in front of the screen and wait for file operations to be completed.

A comparison of three media: SSD, 7200 RPM HDD and 5400 RPM HDD shows how much faster SSDs are. At this testing files were copied and transferred from one logical drive to another, which resulted in the media simultaneously reading and writing data.

As we see, SSD speed when working with files and archives, it is several times higher possibilities of hard disk.

This test allows you to determine how noticeable the performance of the SSD will be when solving daily tasks that the user constantly faces. Two types of programs were selected for testing: 1) those that are most often used by users, 2) large packages, the installation of which usually takes a very long time.

Testing has shown that the speed of installing applications on an SSD is two or three times faster than on an HDD. The only exceptions are Acronis programs and Office 2007.

The advantage of the SSD also remains when launching applications, although in this case the time period is so short that it is unlikely to be very noticeable to the user.

File capacity and storage capacity

If you need storage media for large amounts of information, such as videos or movies, then it would be much better to opt for a hard drive. Purchasing an SSD to store files on it is an unnecessary luxury, since the cost of solid-state drives is noticeably higher and, moreover, directly depends on its volume. Even the smallest 128 GB model is very expensive, while a 500 GB hard drive can be purchased at a very low price.

However, if you plan to use an SSD as a system one, then the current minimum volume of 128 GB will be enough for you. This volume is quite enough to create a working system where Windows 7 will be installed, necessary programs and even a few games. And to store multimedia files and archives, you can install an additional HDD. If you are going to install an SSD in your laptop, then you can purchase an external hard drive to store files.

Reliability and resistance to shock and vibration

A significant parameter of an SSD that distinguishes it from hard drives is its reliability in use, which is ensured due to the fact that the solid-state drive is absolutely insensitive to shock and vibration. This is especially true for laptops, which you often have to carry with you. Such devices are often subject to shock, and sometimes only the built-in accelerometer, which turns off the HDD when dropped, saves it from data loss or damage.

Using an SDD allows you to forget about trying not to shake your laptop. For example, when the device barely begins to go into sleep mode (and at this time it is very actively writing data to the media), you can already put it in your bag. If you do this with a laptop with a built-in HDD, the hard drive will easily be damaged.

Durability of SSD and HDD

At the same time, SDDs are still inferior to hard drives in terms of their durability. Inexpensive first-generation SSDs installed, for example, on EEE PCs, have already begun to gradually fail. And if it is almost impossible to predict the mechanical wear of HDDs, then solid-state drives have a limited number of rewrite cycles, which is currently its main disadvantage.

It is expected that the development of technology will lead to the fact that non-volatile memory will be made from other materials, such as, for example, FeRam, but such drives are not yet commercially available. In 2014, HP plans to begin selling drives based on ReRAM technology.

Physical dimensions of both media

For some users, a significant advantage of SSDs is their light weight and size. Solid-state drives are noticeably smaller than hard drives, which, firstly, makes it possible to significantly reduce the size of the device (this is especially true for laptops and netbooks), and secondly, it allows you to place a larger number of drives in a PC case rack.

Cost of SDD and HDD in comparison

Price is the parameter by which SSDs are hopelessly inferior to hard drives. Modern solid-state drives cost three to four times more than an HDD, which has three times the capacity.

It's up to you to decide whether it's worth spending money on performance and speed. In our opinion, this only makes sense if your work with a PC or laptop is constant and active. In this case, you will save not only time, but also your nerves, getting rid of the irritation associated with the fact that the system and applications are very slow.

What should you choose?

Although technology creating SSD are developing very actively, talk about the time when they will completely replace hard drives, it's still early. Solid-state drives have no equal in providing higher performance and speed when used as system drives, but they are noticeably inferior to HDDs when it comes to storing files.

For most of the tasks faced by home PC users, a configuration with two media is perfect: an SSD, where the operating system should be placed, as well as executable files and program caches, and a large HDD for storing movies, music, photos and documents.

A budget option can do just fine without the use of solid-state drives, but computers that work exclusively with SSDs, due to their unreasonably high cost, are extremely rare.

Probably every person who is familiar with computer equipment, knows or has 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, SSD is used to record and store the user's personal data. You could argue that that's what hard drives are for. 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 does it differ from a regular HDD? All these questions can be answered in this article.

What is the difference between a hard drive and an SSD hard drive? What kind of device is this and what are the main principles of its operation?

Today, the main place to store most files on a computer is the hard drive. If you take it apart, you will 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 hard drive mechanism resembles a gramophone, but 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, then it is used for the same purposes as a hard drive. It just works completely differently. There are no moving elements inside this device, but special chips are installed to store information. A solid-state drive resembles a large flash drive that can be placed in place of a hard drive.

Basic principles of operation of solid-state drives

The memory of SSD disks consists of special blocks that 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 is stored in the cells of neighboring blocks and only then overwritten in the old place. Suppose you need to save data of 10 KB in size. In this case, the memory block has a volume of 20 KB, 10 KB of which are already occupied. 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 down. It turns out that to carry out one operation the system performs several more additional actions, which slows down performance and accelerates wear on the SSD.

To increase the performance of the device, it is necessary to use a special program called TRIM, or, as it is sometimes called, SSD trimming. What it is and how it works, we will consider further. TRIM is not even an application, but special team, which the operating system sends to the solid-state drive to indicate unused items. Thanks to this function, you can immediately delete unnecessary files, avoiding additional operations with transferring information to neighboring blocks. And this significantly improves SSD performance. But this command not supported outdated versions operating systems. Therefore, to connect TRIM, Windows 7 or 8, Linux version 2.66.33 or higher must be installed on the computer.

What does an SSD consist 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 designed, what kind of devices they are and how they function. In appearance, this is an ordinary box with connectors for connecting to a computer. Mainly SSD drives for home use are equipped with Sata, USB 3.0 and PCI-Express interfaces, which easily provide the required writing and reading speeds.

SSDs do not have any moving mechanical parts. Thanks to this, they are much more resistant to external factors. For example, a regular HDD disk is a rather fragile thing, because if the read head comes into contact with the magnetic plate during shaking or falling, this will lead to the failure of the media. But solid-state drives are designed completely differently. Inside these devices, special boards are installed on which memory chips and a controller are soldered. Some SSD drives are additionally equipped with compact batteries, which, in case of sudden shutdown electricity provides the cache with additional power, and the data is stored on 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 SSD drives use NAND, or, as it is also called, flash memory. Similar chips are used in regular flash drives, only in solid-state drives they are more reliable and have greater speed due to the presence of a controller. Due to their low cost, they are widely used in SSDs, making these devices quite affordable for most users. Another advantage of this is that it is non-volatile and will not require additional food for work.

In addition to NAND technology, solid-state drives sometimes use RAM-SSD. 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 connection to electricity, so SSD drives that use RAM often have additional batteries installed in case of a sudden power outage. Due to the high cost of producing these drives, they are rarely found in home PCs and laptops. RAM-SSDs are mainly used in computer systems of large companies to increase the speed of working with databases.

Today, most drives use NAND memory. Despite this, these SSD drives differ from each other in speed of writing, reading data 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 ones 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 cell wear, so this technology is not very popular. The fastest and most durable is SLC memory, with which you can write only one bit of data in each cell. Among the disadvantages, we can only highlight the high cost, 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 its role is, we will find out further. These devices perform the work of distributing the load between memory blocks, are responsible for reading and writing information, error correction and file compression. The controller resembles a command center where decisions related to data processing are made. The speed of operation of the solid-state drive and its durability depend on this detail. The main component of the controllers is a special microprocessor, which bears the entire load. Also, the performance of the device depends on the quality of the firmware.

Quite a lot of companies are engaged in the production of SSD drives, because the technology for their production is quite simple and requires less time than creating a classic hard drive. All you need is to purchase memory chips, controllers and boards where everything will be soldered. After this, the structure is placed in a beautiful case with company logo- and the product is ready for sale. But the components for solid-state drives themselves have high price, besides, the creation of a controller and high-quality firmware to him. Because of this, the cost of SSD drives today is much higher than conventional HDDs.

Hybrid SSD HDD

Now let's look at the hybrid SSD HDD. What is this device and what is it intended for? Every year, solid state drives are gaining more and more popularity. Technology does not stand still, and standard hard drives are gradually replacing more technologically advanced systems. SDD drives are present in many computers, but are used not as the main storage of information, but as an additional one. And all because their cost is significantly higher compared to regular ones. hard drives. To compensate for this gap between the two types of drives, a hybrid HDD SSD was created. Let’s try to consider in more detail what kind of device this is and what advantages it has.

The hybrid drive is based on the same HDD without any changes. But chips with flash memory are also installed in the body of these drives, which are used as a buffer zone. The information that is most frequently used is copied to 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 such hybrid SSDs- 8GB. What was the result? In fact, we have something between a hard drive and a small solid-state drive. You cannot load data or install applications into buffer memory. It is used as a reserve for running priority programs that the user cannot control independently. As for the price, the cost of hybrid drives is lower than standard SSDs, but higher than HDDs; moreover, they are not very popular in our country, so they are not sold everywhere.

Benefits of a Solid State Drive

An integral part modern computer is an SSD drive. We have found out what kind of device this is and how it works, all that remains is to highlight its main pros and cons compared to conventional HDDs. Let's start with the positive aspects of SSDs.

The most important advantage of an SSD is its incredible storage of information. They are several times more productive than hard drives. For example, the data processing speed of some drives exceeds 500 MB/s. In practice, this results in faster operation of 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.

Another advantage of SSD devices is their higher resistance to external factors. They do not have such a fragile mechanism as hard drives. Thanks to this, they can easily withstand shaking, vibration and moderate impacts to the body. These devices will be an excellent solution for laptops. In addition, they cope better with temperature changes.

Another advantage of SSD is its quietness and low power consumption. Because hard drives have moving mechanical parts, they produce a certain level of noise. In addition, in working HDD condition have a fairly high temperature, so the coolers have to rotate at an accelerated rate. But all these problems are absent from SSDs, which do not heat up, do not make noise and consume less electricity.

Flaws

Having assessed all the advantages of solid-state drives, it remains to find out which weaknesses has an SSD hard drive. What are these flaws? The first of them is the high cost of such drives. Despite the simplicity of their design, manufacturing flash memory chips and controllers is quite an expensive business. But there is no need to be upset about this, because technology is constantly developing, and the price of these goods is gradually decreasing. In a couple of years, they may well be equal in price to HDDs.

After the first drawback, a second one can be identified. Due to their high cost, SSDs have lower storage capacity than HDDs. For example, the memory capacity of some HDDs is 8 TB, while SDDs only reach 1 TB.

SSD memory does not last long, and after expiration a certain amount rewrite cycles it fails. Although the current generation of these devices has a fairly long service life, you 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 SSDs do not tolerate power surges quite well. If after one of these voltage drops it burns out, then it will be impossible to obtain data. In the case of an HDD disk, a certain sector in it will fail, but most of it will remain intact, thanks to which all undamaged information can be retrieved.

What should you pay attention to when buying an SSD?

Having studied the information about solid-state drives, many users probably wanted to purchase this device for their computer. But you don’t have to immediately run to the store and grab the first product that comes your way. Here are some tips to help you choose an SSD.

First you need to pay attention to the size of the SSD. What is it? In other words, this is the amount of built-in. The higher its value, the more information can be recorded. But you don’t need to buy the most expensive products, because solid-state drives are mainly used for installing operating systems and applications on them, and the main storage location is still the hard drive. By equipping your system with an SSD of only 60-120 GB, you can achieve a significant increase in the performance of your computer.

Reading and copying speed plays an important role. The higher it is, the better, but it happens that the motherboard cannot reveal the full potential of the SSD drive due to the low bus bandwidth. It happens that there is no point in installing fast drives in old laptops or PCs at all, because even after the update the system will work the same as on a regular HDD. Therefore, it is worth studying the configuration of your computer, and only then going to the store. The largest ones are, and for outdated IDE ports you will need a special adapter to install an SSD.

The most important component of any SSD is the controller. It is this detail that controls all processes associated with information processing. The durability of the entire device depends on how well it is made, so it is recommended to give preference to proven and proven manufacturers. The leaders in production are SandForce, Marvell, Intel, Indilinx.

Finally, you should pay attention to the dimensions of the drive. For a PC this is not so important, because in system unit You can install any SSD, but problems may arise with laptops.

Basic rules for using solid-state drives

After looking at reviews from users and experts, we can conclude that an SSD hard drive is an integral part of a modern computer. We have already looked at what it is and how it works. Now you need to learn how to use it correctly. As strange as it may sound, in order to understand all the advantages of solid-state drives, you need to follow a few simple rules.

There is no need to fill all available memory to capacity. Many people neglect this rule, because SSDs are quite expensive, so users buy small drives and completely load them with necessary and not so necessary information. But we must remember that if you leave less than 25% free space, then the data processing speed will decrease significantly. The fact is that the more memory, the higher the number of free blocks where data can be written. When there is too little space left, information is distributed across 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 increase the performance of your computer, so it is recommended to install the operating system, applications and demanding games on them. But you should use HDD as the main storage of information. This will be more economical and practical, because they can easily cope with playing audio and video files no worse than SSDs.

It is best to have one of the following installed on your computer. latest versions operating systems. For example, Windows XP or Vista are poorly optimized for working with solid-state drives and do not support the TRIM command.

When starting a conversation about SSD drives, and this topic is interesting and quite extensive (just look at the numerous debates about technology, speed, reliability and other characteristics on specialized forums), you should define the concept of what an SSD drive for a computer is. What are its differences from conventional hard drives, what advantages does it have, what is worse about it when compared with classic hard drives. So, let's go?

What is an SSD drive for a computer?

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

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

It must be said that if, when applied to traditional hard drives, the concept of “disk” has a very definite basis (recording is actually done on a disk installed inside this device), then in the case of solid-state drives there are parts that at least somewhat resemble this geometric figure, just no. It is probably more appropriate to use the concept “drive,” although “disk” is familiar, short, and understandable.

Here one of the disadvantages of classical data storage technology is immediately visible - hard drives are sensitive to vibrations and shocks, which can quickly damage them. The slightest touch of the disk head can lead, if not to immediate failure, then to cause problems in the foreseeable future.

A solid-state hard drive is a completely different matter. There is not a single rotating or somehow moving part here. If you look at what the insides of such a disk look like, there is nothing particularly interesting there, just a regular printed circuit board with microcircuits located on it. That's all. All information is stored in these chips (NAND memory), and the read/write process is controlled by a controller whose chip is located here.

Since there are no moving parts, such a drive is much less afraid of shaking, movement, and shock. Within reasonable limits, of course. It’s still not worth hitting it with a hammer or throwing it at the neighbor’s cat.

What does an SSD look like?

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

Externally, an SSD drive corresponds in size to a 2.5-inch hard drive, which are used in laptops, netbooks and other similar computers. This was done specifically to make it possible to easily replace one drive with another.

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

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

Advantages and disadvantages of SSD

When it comes to SSD drives, the first thing people talk about is significantly higher operating speed. And this is true. Even the most inexpensive, budget SSD drive will be much faster than any mechanical hard drive. The speed of your computer will change for the better.

What else are these drives good for:

As I said above, they are not afraid of shaking and mechanical shocks.
Very high read and write speeds, which can exceed those of hard drives several times.
Less energy consumption. A laptop with such a drive will last a little longer on battery power.
Less heat.
Quiet operation.

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

Naturally, it cannot be that everything is so good and there is nothing bad. In fact, there is really nothing bad, but there are some shortcomings. The first one that is mentioned when it comes to an SSD drive for a computer is the price, which is higher than that of conventional hard drives.

In this case we are talking about the so-called “price per 1GB”. This is the value that can be obtained by dividing the price of an average hard drive by its capacity. For example, let's take a regular HDD with a capacity of 500 GB. At a price of 2800 (approximately) rubles, the cost of a gigabyte of volume will cost 2800/500 = 5.6 rubles.

The cost of the cheapest SSD drive of approximately this volume (480 GB) is approximately 8,700 rubles (retail prices). It turns out that in case SSD cost 1 GB will be 8700/480 = 18.13 rubles. What immediately comes to mind is: “Do you want checkers or go?”

I think we’ll talk about connecting an SSD drive and configuration options for a computer’s disk system in a separate article. Now you should understand that SSD is faster, but more expensive.

Finishing with the shortcomings, let’s also mention reliability. This is not about mechanical reliability or fear of overheating, but about the reliability of the technology to store the recorded data and ensure that what was written to the disk can be read. This is a controversial question and it is difficult to give a clear answer. This is also due to the type of NAND memory used in each specific model SSD disk, and terms of use.

Conclusion

So, an SSD disk for a computer is identical in size (if we are talking about 2.5-inch models) to regular laptop hard drives, has the same connectors for connections and performs the same function - storing and processing data. And, I must say, it does it very quickly.

The only difference is in the principles of storing information, and in a greater variety of form factors, which somewhat expands their application possibilities. Is it possible to install an SSD drive instead of a regular one? I don't see any obstacles. You pull one out, put another in its place - that’s it! There are more interesting possibilities though.

Which SSD is better? Perhaps we’ll talk about this, but there are quite a few different factors on which the answer depends, and it’s difficult to say for sure. The best is the one that is the fastest - probably yes, but the price... The best is the one that strikes a balance between speed, reliability, durability and price? Why not? In general, this is a topic for a separate conversation and, possibly, an argument.

Now let’s finish talking about what an SSD drive is.

We tried to figure out what an SSD drive is and how it differs from classic hard drives. Concluding the general description, today we will focus on the form factor of the drives. SSD Dimensions cannot be arbitrary, but are subject to certain standards. Let's see what they are.

What is form factor

This is a certain set of requirements that must be met during the production of a particular computer component. Power supplies, motherboards, disks, cases designed to install motherboards of one or another form factor, etc. have a form factor.

This ensures that when installing a disk, motherboard or power supply into the case, all mounting holes and the location of interface connectors (for drives) will be the same for all devices, regardless of manufacturer, model, functionality. Yes, motherboards mATX form factor any brand have the same overall dimensions and the location of the holes for screwing to the body.

The same goes for disks. 2.5-inch drives, whether hard drives or SSDs, have the same external dimensions, pin locations, and mounting holes. The whole difference lies inside, in the filling.

There are several drive form factors in use today, with SSDs offering more wide choice sizes. This is due to the absence of moving parts and the theoretical possibility of making any shape. Naturally, to be able practical application, this “form” must be standardized.

2.5 inch drives

The now familiar size of small laptop drives rivals traditional 3.5-inch drives. Most likely, there is no talk of active displacement of larger drives by compact analogues, but for SSDs the optimal size turned out to be 2.5 inches.

Externally, an SDD differs from a HDD only in its weight (SSD is much lighter) and the absence of any visible printed circuit boards. This is a fairly simple, if not boring, box. The connection is made to the SATA interface. Considering the speed characteristics of solid-state drives, connecting to SATA below version 3 does not seem reasonable. In this case, the SSD will not reveal its potential.

It must be said that here, in fact, the analogy with conventional hard drives ends. All other variations are the prerogative of SSD drives.

mSATA drives

A variation of regular SATA, characterized by compact dimensions, which is why the SSD itself lost its housing and became very small. This made it possible to use such capacious boards in compact computers, and also install in laptops, in addition to a regular hard drive, another drive, in this case an SSD.

In particular, on the laptop on which I am now writing these lines, in addition to a regular hard drive, there is an SSD drive in the mSATA format, which I use as a system drive. Even considering that I have a budget-class disk, the speed of operation, system loading, and programs has increased significantly.

This form factor, for the mSATA connector, did not last long, giving way to a more promising option.

M.2 drives

Perhaps the most interesting option for SSD drives. The advantages are compactness, the ability to work not only on the SATA bus, but also on the significantly faster PCI-Express. This connector can now increasingly be found in laptops and motherboards for desktop computers.

If when assembling a regular PC the issue of saving space is not so relevant, then in the case of laptop computer The ability to use a small, lightweight, energy efficient and fast drive is a blessing.

When choosing M.2 drives, there is a little confusion, which is based on the fact that the drive can operate on different buses, i.e. use SATA or PCI-Express. Therefore, the drives have a different key, i.e. a cutout on the contact connector.

As a rule, SSD drives come with keys:

B-key. SSD drives for SATA or PCI-Express x2 interfaces. In reality, this option is extremely rare.
M-key. SSD drives for PCI interface-Express x You can use drives with an emulated SATA interface. A drive with such a key cannot be installed in a slot with a B-key operating on the SATA bus.
M&B (M+B) key. A universal option for SSD drives running on the SATA bus. Can be installed in both B-key and M-key slots.

The form factor for SSD M.2 is also regulated in terms of length and width. Typical sizes of SSD drives are 22 mm wide and long, ranging in size from 16 to 110 mm. Full list of acceptable length dimensions: 16, 26, 30, 38, 42, 60, 80, 110 mm. The most common are 42, 60 and 80 mm.

This is reflected in the labeling of SSD drives. So, if it is indicated that the M.2 drive is 2242, then this means that the dimensions of the drive are 22x42 mm. If M.2 is 2280, then, accordingly, 22x80 mm. It's simple!

Even if the motherboard does not have an M.2 connector installed, you can still use such drives. Many manufacturers offer drive models with an adapter card for a PCI-Express connector. Accordingly, the SSD itself is also designed to work with this bus. The “rate of fire” of such a disk will be very impressive. After it, the performance of a regular hard drive will be perceived as depressing.

Unfortunately, there is a small fly in the ointment in all of the “goodies” listed. The compact size of SSD drives limits storage capacity. This is due to the number of memory chips that can be placed on such small board. The maximum capacity of an M.2 SSD drive currently does not exceed 1 TB. This value will be increased by more capacious memory chips, which will undoubtedly appear.

PCIe Add-in Card (AIC)

These are drives made in the form of a board inserted into a PCI-Express slot, which can be standard or half size in both length and width, which allows them to be used in 2U rackmount enclosures. Actually, such SSDs belong to the corporate class and are intended primarily for installation in servers and storage systems (Data Storage Systems).

As a rule, drives use SLC memory, which is expensive in itself, but reliable and durable. Use such disks in normal home computer- a luxury that is not available to everyone. True, there is no particular need for this.

SATA-Express drives

Finding such discs is almost impossible. This interface was planned to replace the good old SATA with its leisurely 600 MB/s maximum throughput. It was too tempting to use the faster PCI-Express bus. So this interface was planned to use 2 PCI-Express lines, which would allow achieving a maximum throughput of 2 GB/s.

Apparently, this interface will remain one of the stages that has not found implementation, since already now M.2 SSD drives can use 4 PCI-Express lanes with a peak throughput of 4 GB/s. A special cable is used for connection.

U.2 drives

There are also such SSD drives. This form factor allows you to use all the advantages of the high-speed PCI-Express bus, but not be limited to drives with an M.2 connector. Externally they resemble 2.5-inch drives, but with a thickness of up to 15 mm. 4 PCI-Express lanes are used.

The choice of such drives is very small, and they are mainly aimed at use in servers, storage systems (data storage systems), data centers, etc. If the motherboard has an M.2 connector on the PCI-Express bus, and there is An SSD drive of U.2 form factor, then you can still connect it. There are M.2 to U.2 adapters, which will allow you to experience the full power of such a high-speed drive.

At the moment, this form factor is rather a thing of the future, and primarily it is relevant for servers.

DIMM drives

If we talk about the exotic, there are also sizes of SSD drives that are completely identical, coincide with the sizes of conventional memory modules, and are installed in a free RAM slot. This may be relevant for specific server platforms with a large number of DIMM slots.

There are different options, combining SSD and RAM on one module, or only a solid-state drive inserted into the connector for RAM, receiving power from it, but data is transmitted using a regular SATA cable connected to the module and the motherboard or controller.

This is of little interest for home computers, and it’s difficult to find them on sale.

SSD sizes. Conclusion

So, to briefly summarize, the size of SSD drives, i.e. the form factor, determines the physical dimensions of the drive, which also affects its characteristics. A 2.5-inch laptop hard drive can be easily replaced with the same SSD. It will fit both in the location of the mounting holes and connectors - power supply and interface.

If your computer has an M.2 connector that supports, for example, 2242, 2260 and 2280 drives, then you can also install a suitable SSD. The main thing is not to make a mistake about which bus this interface uses and, accordingly, which key is in the connector. An SATA bus SSD with an M+B universal key can be used in any computer with an M.2 connector. If a solid-state drive uses a PCI-Express bus, then it has an M-key, and can only be used in an M.2 slot running on this bus (also with an M key).

These are the 2 most common form factors of SSD drives at the moment. The choice in favor of one option or another is determined by layout considerations, necessity, cost and a number of other reasons.

This is where we’ll finish talking about the sizes of SSD drives, and in the next article we’ll get into the insides. We will look at the ones that are used in these drives, what they are like, how they differ, what are the advantages and disadvantages.

The abbreviation SSD stands for Solid-State Drive. Which, in fact, is translated as a solid-state drive. Its peculiarity is 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 SSDs began quite a long time ago. For the first time, StorageTek was able to implement something similar in 1985. But at that time, the high cost and low manufacturability of components did not allow the mass implementation of solutions among the masses, and there was no particular answer as to why a fast computer was needed SSD drive, if the interfaces and peripherals still worked slowly. But in the early 2010s, the popularity of SSDs increased greatly. Nowadays, almost every new laptop comes with an SSD or a hybrid hard drive configuration. Next, we will look at what it is - an SSD in a laptop or desktop computer.

Why do you need an SSD drive in a computer?

An SSD is no different from a HDD in its purpose. It is designed to perform the same function - to store data, the operating system, swap files and the like. Naturally, this replacement is more expensive if calculated in terms of gigabytes/ruble. It is more than likely that the situation will change in the near future.

SSD hard drive device in a laptop and computer

There is essentially no difference between what an SSD is in a laptop and a desktop computer. It can be a case similar to a HDD, or it can be made in the form of a board for installation in an M.2 type connector. If you disassemble the SSD or look at the board, it is very similar in design to a regular flash drive. In general, an SSD is a large flash drive with the same operating principle.

The entire device is controlled by a controller that distributes data among cells, monitors their status, deletion, and generally performs all functions similar to the functions of a processor in a computer.

The memory itself is flash memory, the same as on flash drives. SSDs use the NAND type, which characterizes a three-dimensional arrangement of conductors where a number of cells are used at the intersections.

Based on the method of writing data to a cell, there are two types of implementation: SLC - Single-level Cell and MLC - Multi-level Cell. As you might guess, in the first case only one bit is written to one cell, in the second - several. Now another type has emerged from MLC, the name of which has become established in everyday life, although it is part of a subset of this type - TLC, Triple-level Cell.

There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to each implementation. MLC is cheaper in terms of volume/price ratio. This makes the SSD hard drive cheaper in the long run, which also affects consumer choice. But the multi-layer recording structure imposes limitations on the number of write cycles and performance. The more nesting levels are used, the more complex the algorithm for working with cells becomes and the smaller the resource. SLC is proportionally more expensive and has greater service life and performance.

Manufacturers solve problems with memory resource and reliability using algorithms that allow them to control the process of using cells: recording is done in those areas of memory that were used least often. Another approach is used - memory reservation. Almost every SSD leaves about 20% of the memory “in reserve” in order to replenish it from there in the event of cell loss.

How an SSD drive works

Probably, many people know how a regular hard drive works - the magnetic head runs from the beginning to the edge of the 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 required data. And if the file is also divided into several pieces in different areas, then the time of the reading or writing process increases significantly.

To understand what it is SSD disk, you need to know the principle of its operation. To access data to be read or cells to be written, the system only needs to know the address. The controller then simply returns blocks of data. Time is spent only searching for an address and transferring data - literally milliseconds.

Types of hard solid state drives

SSD types can be characterized by form factor and interface type. There are three main form factors:

2.5". The disk is housed in a 2.5-inch case. Provides compatibility between almost all types of systems: laptops, servers, PCs.

As a separate card for the PCIe slot. Provides good speed and reliability, uses the PCI Express interface.

M.2. 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 versions 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, for example 1.8”, 3.5” or mSata.

Interfaces are more difficult to understand. There is a mess of standards and specifications here. Let's start with the most popular one - SATA. To date, there are three main revisions and two additional ones. SATA - supports up to 1.5 Gbit/s. Now it is becoming less and less common. SATA II - up to 3 Gbit/s. SATA III - up to 6 Gbit/s. Revision SATA 3.2 received an additional Express prefix. It has speeds of up to 8 Gbps and is backward compatible with other SATA, and, most interestingly, it is based on a 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 in SSDs. It is worth noting that PCI can be multi-channel. The more channels, the faster the data transfer speed.

General characteristics of SSD (Solid State Disk)

Let's look at the basic characteristics by which we can identify an SSD, figure out what it is, and compare it with an HDD.

Interface and form factor

We have already talked a little about this. Now consider 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. This is by far the fastest interface.

The form factor must be chosen depending on the type of PC - laptop or desktop. In a stationary one, for compactness, you can use M.2, which takes up little space on the board and does not require additional power. New laptops also support M.2. For older ones, the 2.5-inch form factor is relevant.

Disk capacity and speed

SSD capacities are quite expensive. The most budget version of a 32 GB SSD can be purchased for about 1,500 rubles, while an HDD for the same money will already have a capacity of 160 GB or more. As for speed, everything is not so clear. Very often, data read and write speeds in disk specifications are greatly overstated. And not necessarily only from little-known small companies, but even from famous brands. Therefore, you have to rely on reviews and measurements of authoritative services and testers.

Type of memory chips

It is interesting that now both types of memory - MLC and SLC - are almost 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 tests and reviews of these gadgets.

Leading manufacturers of SSD drives for PCs

The top includes well-known storage manufacturers. Their implementations do not differ in anything special. Moreover, controllers made by Samsung or Intel can be found not only in their own drives, but also in devices from competing brands. Main names in the top:

Samsung. They produce a wide range of SSDs for a variety of tasks;
Western Digital. One of the oldest media manufacturers. It produces three different lines of drives - 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 drive 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 look at a couple of models that are worth paying attention to.

The type of memory it uses is TLC type. The stated read/write speed is 540/520 MB/s. The total storage capacity is 120 GB. In total, 75 TB of data can be written to the disk. On average, users write from 5 to 30 GB per day to their disk, which gives approximately 10 TB per year. Thus, the resource of this SSD should last approximately 7.5 years. The SATA interface is used for connection. You can buy the disc for 3,600 rubles. And its 2.5-inch form factor will allow it to be used both in a “desktop” and in a laptop.

Here are a couple of reviews about it:

Review of Samsung SSD 850

More details on Yandex.Market: https://market.yandex.ru/product/1973235126/reviews?track=tabs

If compactness and space saving come first, then you can consider an SSD with M.2. Within 5000 rubles you can buy Intel SSDPEKKW128G8XT.

This is a drive with an M.2 connector and a size of 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 drive is interesting because it is connected using a PCI-E interface with 4 channels via an M.2 connector. This means that the bus does not limit the capabilities of the SSD and fully allows for 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. Shared 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 5,000 rubles do not inherently imply big leaps in terms of performance. Only the total disk volume changes. By the way, for SSDs, the volume indicator also affects durability. For example, a 120 GB disk with 30 GB daily writes will last approximately 7.5 years. With the same recording rate, a device with a capacity of 500 GB 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 the 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 While they are more expensive than SATA, they do not limit speed, so if your budget allows, it is better to choose the PCI-E interface.

Answers to frequently asked questions about SSD drive

During its existence, SSDs have acquired myths and legends, as well as constant questions. We will look at a few of them.

Special operating instructions

Many people believe that if you use the disk correctly, you can increase its service life. This includes various optimizations - disabling caches, indexing, paging file, defragmentation. In fact, these actions will not significantly affect the SSD resource. Rather, a decrease overall performance By disabling the functionality, it will be less justified than increasing the total resource by a couple of tens of gigabytes.

The only thing that can be recommended 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 is SSD different from HDD?

Read and write speed, shock and vibration resistance, noise level, power consumption and weight. These are the main ones benefits of SSD in front of the HDD.

What is TRIM in SSD

TRIM is an instruction for ATA interfaces that allows operating system Tell the disk which memory blocks can be unused and considered empty. Why do SSD drives need it? It was introduced due to the specifics of the work solid state drives. When writing new data to a cell, the SSD cannot simply replace the old data with new ones. He has to first read the data into the cache, clear the cell, and then write it - while the access speed decreases significantly. TRIM solved this problem. The system and the drive constantly exchange information about which cells are no longer needed, and upon the TRIM signal, these cells are reset to zero. The next time you write, the SSD just calmly writes data to it immediately.

Do you 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 startup downloads worlds and levels - locations will load faster. There is a possibility that SSD drive can help in cases where performance is limited by the amount of RAM, when this data is dumped into the swap 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 disks: