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  • Choosing an SSD drive - how to buy a good SSD (solid state drive) drive. Choosing an external SSD: better than any hard drive

Choosing an SSD drive - how to buy a good SSD (solid state drive) drive. Choosing an external SSD: better than any hard drive

If your computer is modern or completely new, then be sure to pay attention - these are the fastest drives with a logical interface specially designed for SSDs.

Details below in the appropriate section. But most often, we are talking about a 2.5” disk with SATA 6Gb/s. In any case, a solid-state drive is several times faster than any hard drive, and an NVMe SSD is tens of times faster. The case may not have a bay for 2.5" drives - this is not a problem, you just need an adapter from 2.5" to 3.5". To save money, you can use. It is almost impossible to distinguish a fast drive from a slow one by eye, even old SATA-II from SATA-III.

But sometimes speed is important. Who needs tests of solid-state drives - we have plenty of them, NICS tests drives. Comparing SSD performance will help you choose and buy an SSD with the fastest speed characteristics.

It's simple! Windows 10 will take you 30-40 GB, 8-16-32 GB for hibernation, 8-16 GB for the swap file, office programs 5-10 GB and each game another 10-50 GB. In fact, the minimum volume is 120 or 128 GB, comfortable, allowing you not to save every gigabyte - 240 or 256 GB. On SSD drives of 480 - 512 GB, you can install applications and games without looking back, but if you need to dump everything in a row - photos, music, movies, etc. - there are SSDs of terabytes and higher, if necessary. It is worth remembering that prices for SSD drives directly depend on their capacity, and the larger the memory capacity, the higher their cost.

Such drives require reliability, increased write and rewrite life, and the ability to easily handle multiple input/output operations (IOPS).

The most difficult situation is a database server, where data can be constantly rewritten by several SSD volumes per day. For such cases, you need to purchase SSDs suitable for database servers. Usually the same 2.5” SSDs are installed in servers, but if Hot Swap baskets are designed only for 3.5”, then you will have to either replace the basket with a compatible one, or use special adapters that replicate the dimensions and location of the 3.5” HDD interface. Prices for SSD drives for corporate systems based on NAND flash are much higher, and it is best to choose them based on resource (TBW) and the number of rewrites of the entire SSD volume per day (DWPD). Separately, it is worth mentioning the Intel Optane SSD based on 3D XPoint - this is a completely new level of speed and resource. Based on this technology, Intel makes fast and reliable SSDs for workstations, for gamers and enthusiasts, and, of course, high-speed server solid-state drives.

It's very simple: the life of solid-state drives is reduced every time you write new information to it. If you have a personal computer that you turn on once a day in the evening, after work, then you can buy... any SSD drive, because any modern SSD has sufficient resource for household use and simple office tasks, regardless of the type of memory cells (3D MLC, 3D TLC and others). Low prices for SSD drives make them accessible to every PC or laptop user. If the work involves creating large files, working with photos/videos, then you can and should choose more resourceful SSDs. For example, half the SSD capacity per day for recording (0.5 DWPD) is already a very good indicator of reliability for workstations, computers for designers or photographers.

Nowadays, a solid-state drive is no longer a privilege of expensive laptops, but an almost obligatory component even for models costing 60 thousand rubles. However, if you ask yourself this question, then the most interesting things are yet to come.

As Confucius said: “Once you work on a computer with an SSD, there will be no turning back.” If in the last decade everyone was chasing hundreds and thousands of megahertz, then with the advent of SSD it became obvious that the bottleneck was the drive, not the processor.

If your laptop with a quad-core i7 takes a minute or more to load Windows and launch applications, the problem is definitely with the slow hard drive, and not with the processor. With an SSD, everything starts in a matter of seconds, files are opened and saved instantly. As a result, work becomes much more enjoyable. So let's be honest: the only time you don't need an SSD is if you already have one.

SSDs are expensive, aren't they?

Hard drives are still noticeably cheaper than SSDs based on the price of one megabyte, this is a fact. But in most cases, you don’t need a bulk “solid body”. You can always watch TV series online, store photos in the bottomless storage of Yandex.Disk, Google Drive or Dropbox, listen to music from countless streaming services, domestic or foreign.

So it turns out that often users don’t actually have that much information on their laptop, and the basics can be stored on a fairly inexpensive SSD. True, on a gaming laptop it’s not so simple anymore. Of course, I would like to install all the toys on a solid-state machine so that the maps in Battlefield don’t take such a painfully long time to load. But, unfortunately, modern games eat up too much space to be installed on inexpensive solid-state drives. But there are options, described in the next paragraph.

Where will I store terabytes of photos from my last vacation in Tenerife?

External hard drive

And even if your laptop is filled to capacity with media files, this is still not a reason to refuse to purchase an SSD. Even a not very large volume is enough to install an operating system, browser and other essential programs. And then you won't recognize your laptop.

Moreover, it is not at all necessary to give up a hard drive with hundreds of gigabytes of goods acquired through back-breaking labor. Firstly, there are many laptops with space for both a fast solid-state drive and a large hard drive. Secondly, even if you have a super-thin ultrabook, this is not a problem - external hard drives have been on sale for a long time. And even hard drives with Wi-Fi for those who don’t like wires. Or again, you can rent a place in the cloud. Although, if you plan to use it as a balcony or garage, that is, to look only once a year or less often and put everything there that you would hate to throw away, then it is better to take an external hard drive.

Can I install an SSD in my laptop?

In most cases, the answer is yes. It is definitely not possible to install a “solid state” only in laptops in which it is already soldered directly on the motherboard. But cases when the laptop already has an SSD are not of much interest to us in this material.

If your laptop has only one slot for storage devices, and it is already occupied by a hard drive, then the best option is to buy a solid-state drive to replace the hard drive, and for the hard drive, purchase a special container with an adapter to turn this hard drive into a convenient external hard drive. This way you solve the problem with both system speed and storing a large amount of data. And, in fact, you have nothing to lose.

One way or another, you will have to start by finding out how many drives you can install in your laptop and what type they are. There are not many variations, but enough to confuse the inexperienced person. Therefore, it is best to look for forums for specific models, where people have already figured out which drives can be installed in a particular laptop model.

Which to choose?

Form factor

SSD with M.2 connector (top) and 2.5-inch SSD with SATA connector (bottom)

The question of choosing a form factor depends not on you, but on your laptop. Older models only support 2.5-inch drives with a SATA interface. They are not as fast as some modern solid state devices with an M.2 connector. Most often, purchasing them is simply a necessity if the laptop does not have M.2.

However, the performance of a high-quality 2.5-inch solid-state drive is more than enough for everyday needs, and even more so for a person who has never dealt with an SSD before. Moreover, the M.2 connector itself is not an indicator of the drive’s performance, and among SSDs with M.2 there are even slower models.

However, the fastest M.2s are five times faster than standard 2.5-inch ones. But the point here is not even in the name of the connector, but in the data transfer interface. Faster SSDs are indicated by the acronym PCIe 3.0 (or NVMe), but we won't go into detail about such subtleties.

Volume

Anything less than 120 GB is not worth attention at all - nothing will fit there, and you will just experience constant pain. The exception is all sorts of Chromebooks with 32 and 64 GB drives, but often these are not even SSDs, but devices with slow memory and slow controllers that work even slower than hard drives.

You can already live with a 120 GB drive, but only on the condition that you really don’t store a lot of programs and files. Otherwise, it is better to pay attention to the 256 GB models.

Finally, 512 and 1024 GB are desirable figures for many, but the cost of such drives at retail is high, and the surcharge for modifying a laptop with similar ones is even higher. You can even place video games there, or, for example, two operating systems, each with its own set of programs and files, and much more that your imagination is capable of.

Price

Let's get to the unpleasant part. Prices for 256 GB SSDs, be they 2.5” or M.2, start at about 6,000 rubles. 512 GB - already from 10 thousand rubles. Of course, these are starting prices, and, depending on the performance of the drive or simply the arrogance of the brand, they can be one and a half to two times higher for a model of the same volume. Whether a model is worth the money or not - this, unfortunately, can only be found out from reviews or discussions on forums. Or from reviews in stores, if only you know how to read these reviews correctly.

We have already talked about SSDs several times and I am more than sure that many of you know what it is, those who don’t know.

So, if you want your computer to work better and faster, then an SSD drive will help you with this. Access to data occurs almost instantly and this speeds up loading, for example, systems or launching programs. In other words, whatever you try to open will open almost instantly.

If you replace your HDD with such a device, the benefits will be noticeable to a greater extent than if we simply replaced the RAM. As I have said in many of my articles, the only drawback of these devices is that they are very expensive, so many cannot afford them.

Also, information on the service life of the SSD is considered important, since memory cells are subject to wear. To increase the service life, I will tell you several methods, but this is only for solid-state drives; this practically does not apply to ordinary hard drives.

Purchase and operation

In this article, we will look at 5 points of operation of SSD drives, you need to know them before choosing a disk. In paragraph 6, we will look at the principle of operation, the differences between SSDs and conventional hard drives, for example, when deleting data.

Choosing a universal hard drive

Those users who want to purchase a new hard drive instead of an old one should pay attention to an interesting 500 GB SSD drive. They cost approximately 13,000 rubles, but will provide you with both speed and plenty of space.

Even if we take into account that the SATA-3 interface limits the data transfer speed to 600 MB/s, then SSD drives have a speed 5 times higher than conventional hard drives. Also, solid-state drives can have a warranty of 3 years and are designed for such a volume of recorded information that would be achieved only after 10 years.

SSD Model - Transcend SSD370S has a capacity of 512 GB and costs approximately 15 thousand rubles, data access time is achieved almost immediately, and there is also optimal energy efficiency. There is a similar model - Samsung SSD850 Evo for 500 GB, price 14 thousand rubles, warranty up to 5 years.

Let's look at the performance

In order to get the most out of an SSD, you need to use PCI Express 3.0 rather than SATA, the best option would be to purchase a motherboard.


Now you can find the following models of this product: Intel SSD 750 400 GB or 1200 GB, price from 37 thousand rubles to 98 thousand rubles, a little expensive, but this is the best option. Second model - Samsung SSD 950 Pro from 256 to 512 GB, price 17-29,000 rubles. The model also has a form factor - M.2, which creates compatibility with modern computer motherboards and laptops with an M.2 slot.

The data transfer speed of such SSDs is more than 2 Gb/s; as you can see, there is a big difference compared to SATA-SSDs.

Transferring the OS to an SSD drive

If your operating system is located on an HDD, then you should think about transferring it to an SSD. After this, the performance will noticeably improve and you will notice it charmingly.


There is a utility O&O SSD Migration Kit, which helps to transfer to SSD. Of course, there are failures, so you can use software, for example, from the manufacturer. Example - Samsung Data Migration. In any case, connect the SSD to your computer or laptop first.

In a computer you can use a SATA port, and in laptops, a special 2.5-inch compartment, and, of course, a SATA port. Or, to insert an SSD into a laptop, you need to purchase an external case with a USB connector and then you can easily connect the drive to a laptop or computer.


Using SSD and HDD in a laptop

Usually, in almost any laptop that has an HDD drive, you can change the drive to a SATA-SSD, and in a 2.5-inch form factor. If your laptop has a disk drive, you can replace it with OptibayHD-adapter into which SATA-SSD is connected.


Installing an SSD in a computer

Regular computers do not have space for an SSD drive, since they are smaller in size. Although some computers have bays for these disks. Or you can purchase a special compartment.


Operating system optimization

Once you have installed the SSD, you need to be sure to install the software from the manufacturer. For example, if you install Intel SSD Toolbox software, your device will always have the latest firmware.


Also, you can use it to align partitions and configure the operating system.

If there is no tool for optimizing the SSD and OS, then you can use the AS SSD utility to align partitions.


If in the upper left corner there is a value of 1024 and a green button OK, then this means that everything is fine, but if the red button BAD, then everything is bad. If the Bad button appears, then to fix the problem you can use the Live-USB Parted Magic utility, the program costs about 700 rubles.

What is the best way to organize the data?

When using a 500 GB SSD drive, the best option would be to use one partition for the system (C:), while preferably having some free space. There is also another option: use the entire SSD for the operating system, and a regular hard drive is suitable for storing files.

In any case, if you use the SSD as I wrote just above, it will increase the reserve area that you yourself have allocated, thus the number of memory cells will be increased, and they will replace the failed ones.

Periodically free up disk space

As we know, SSD capacity is very limited, and if you have a 120 GB drive, then naturally you can quickly run out of space. This is worth thinking about, especially since if the disk is used at the limit of its capacity, this greatly harms its characteristics. To solve this problem, you need to clean the disk from files that you no longer need and garbage.

If there are important files that you cannot delete, then move them to another hard drive. To remove files and junk, you can use the CCleaner program. If after cleaning, the fill level is not below 90%, then you should run the disk cleaner.

How to securely delete data from SSD?

It is worth knowing that deleting files from an SSD will be more difficult than from a regular hard drive. To completely remove files from a solid-state drive, you must first remove it using Windows or third-party tools, and then use Eraser to overwrite the free memory several times.

The world of modern electronics is actively developing, and today you will not surprise anyone with the purchase of an SSD drive. This type of solid-state drive appeared quite recently, but it has spread incredibly quickly. When choosing an SSD drive, buyers often have a number of problems with a large assortment of different values.

At the same time, it is quite difficult to find exact solutions for them without detailed investigation. In fact, it is enough to spend literally a few minutes to clearly understand how to choose the right SSD drive for a computer or laptop in 2018 - 2019, without overpaying for those sophisticated functions that your computer does not need.

Classic hard drives are officially called HDD (English: “Hard Disk Drive”). They have accompanied personal computers and laptops throughout almost the entire history of their existence. They are the most important components, since absolutely all files are stored on them, including the operating system. Accordingly, without these parts it was impossible to start the computer.

However, recently a new type of storage device has been actively spreading. We are, of course, talking about SSD (English: “Solid-State Drive”). Solid state drives are gradually winning the hearts of users with their speed and excellent technical parameters. Even computer manufacturers are switching to SSDs, using them either instead of or in conjunction with HDDs. So what's the difference?

When deciding whether it is better to choose a hard drive or an SSD for a computer, the user should have a clear picture of what the pros and cons of both options are. Of course, a solid-state drive has more advantages:

  • increased speed of operation, in particular, reading and writing information;
  • heat and energy efficiency;
  • compactness;
  • increased resistance to damage (overheating, mechanical shock);
  • silent operation.

But the hard drive also has its advantages:

  • protection against electrical damage;
  • low cost;
  • the ability to restore information if lost.

Speaking from a technical point of view, the difference between disks lies in specific characteristics. A detailed comparative analysis of this data is quite boring, so it is not worth presenting it (and there is no point in doing so), but the result is predictable; if your financial capabilities allow it, it is better to choose an SSD drive, since it will provide the greatest performance, speed and efficiency with the file system.

SSD selection criteria


Solid state drives (as well as hard drives) have a number of technical characteristics, which are also criteria for choosing an SSD. These include a number of parameters that determine the operation of the device: types and amounts of memory, connection methods, read and write speeds, service life to failure, as well as additional properties. It is worth noting that it is impossible to find the ideal combination of all parameters, but choosing a fast and high-quality SSD drive based on them is quite simple: you just need to familiarize yourself and understand its technical side.

Volume

The most popular criterion for an SSD drive is the choice based on the amount of data to be written. The amount of information that an SSD drive can store is one of the most important parameters. Classic hard drives of the HDD format are traditionally equipped with memory of 500 GB and higher (older models). However, SSDs have a smaller capacity. But there is a completely logical explanation for this.

In order to choose a good SSD drive, you need to determine its role. Most often you can find computers in which an SSD is installed along with a HDD, and the volume of the former is several times smaller than the latter. For example, a solid-state drive is rated at 60 GB, and a hard drive is rated at 500 GB. This suggests that the SSD is used only for the system, and the main one is a classic hard drive. However, laptops (usually gaming laptops) have either a separate 500 GB (less commonly 1000 GB) solid-state drive installed, or the same drive in combination with an HDD of about 1000 (1500) GB.

If you plan to use an SSD for the system, then buy a drive with a capacity of 64 GB to 128 GB; this will be more than enough and will not hurt your pocket!

Memory types


SSD drives are characterized by the use of different memory cells, which are divided into different types. There are four in total:

  1. MLC. This species is the most widespread. It involves placing two bits of data in one cell. Its rewrite cycle is small (from 3,000 to 10,000 times), but the lower price eliminates this disadvantage.
  2. SLC. In this case, there is one bit of information per cell. This architecture is suitable for powerful devices that constantly work with huge amounts of data. Rewriting cycles can reach 100,000 times, the operating speed is also at an excellent level, however, the cost of SSDs with this type of memory is much higher compared to others.
  3. TLC. The architecture of the drive assumes that one cell corresponds to three bits of information. The number of rewrite acts does not exceed 3000 times (less often – 5000). The price of such a budget SSD is an order of magnitude lower, so those who like saving money should take a closer look at this option.
  4. 3D-V-NAND. The latest development in data storage. It does not use MLC or TLC, but a special flash memory, thanks to which the amount of information to be recorded per unit area increases. This type is still rare, but in the near future it can make a splash.

Connection methods


A solid-state drive, like a hard drive, is connected inside the laptop or computer case using special interfaces. The latter can have different types, among which are:

  • SATA II
  • SATA III
  • mSATA

Also, some programmers include M.2 here, but in fact it is a continuation of mSATA.

The most popular interfaces are SATA II and III. The first model is gradually going out of circulation, since the second one received a more technologically advanced connector and improved contacts, increasing the efficiency of interaction. mSATA works on the same principle, only the model is used in compact computers due to its reduced size. The most efficient option is PCIe, which uses third-party drivers to operate, making data transfer several times faster.

Write/read speed


As mentioned above, one of the advantages of an SSD drive for a PC is the high speed of writing and reading data. There are small reservations regarding this parameter, taking into account which will allow you to avoid unnecessary questions. The fact is that the read speed is usually slightly higher than the write speed, or equal to it. The range of indicators can be designated as:

  • recording – 350 Mb/s
  • read – 450 MB/s

You must always remember that the manufacturer can be a little tricky by indicating the maximum speed, which in the vast majority of cases is higher than the real one. To find out the actual picture, you can read reviews and customer reviews.

An important parameter when selecting a drive is an indicator such as IOPS (the number of random input/output operations per second); the higher this indicator, the better, which will ensure good speed when transferring large amounts of information.

For normal and comfortable operation, the IOPS value should vary between 45,000 – 55,000; in more expensive models, this figure can reach 90,000.

Service life to failure

It is impossible to purchase without knowing the performance of the drive. The classification by memory type has already been given above. It depends on it how many times the data can be rewritten. The shortest (and therefore most economical) option is TLC. It allows for 1000 to 3000 rewrite cycles. For MLC, this figure ranges from 3 to 5 thousand times, which is an average figure. And finally, solid-state drives with the SLC memory type, which can withstand up to 100 thousand rewrite cycles, have the longest service life.

When buying a good SSD drive, you should not get hung up on this parameter, since even the simplest drive will last you at least 10 years, or even more.

Additional functions

The main task of an SSD is to store files and provide the fastest and most reliable access to data. However, there are some other features as well. For example, TRIM option. It consists of deleting data that is overwritten in a specific cell. In a computer hard drive, when new data is written, old identical indicators remain, so to speak, “under the cells.” Before rewriting to the SSD, the system deletes data from the cell and only then writes new ones there. All modern SSDs support this feature, the only question is whether the OS supports it (available with MS Windows 7).

Another interesting feature is hidden area. Every high-quality SSD has it, but the user does not have access to it. The fact is that the cells in which information is stored tend to fail. However, when one of them “dies”, automatic replacement occurs. The volume of the hidden area can be about 30% of the drive capacity. But if you want to buy an inexpensive but reliable SSD drive, then on their packaging you will find an increased capacity and a reserve of only 10%. This allows the user to get more memory at a lower cost.

Equipment


Finding the answer to the question of which SSD drive is best to buy can often be helped by the configuration of the drive. When purchasing, the seller can offer both the device itself and the kit. If the goal is to buy an inexpensive but good SSD drive, then you may prefer the first option. However, it is best to take all the components. These include cables, mounting rails for the 3.5-inch slot, and a 2.5-inch USB housing. All this will allow you to install the drive without “dancing with a tambourine.”

Choosing an SSD drive brand


After all the most important parameters have been studied, you can begin the main action. Today, not every manufacturer can offer to buy a high-quality and fast SSD drive for your laptop or computer. The most popular among them is Kingston, which has been selling various types of PC components (including HDDs, USB drives) for many years. Only SSD drives from Sandisk, which entered the solid-state drive segment not so long ago, but has managed to prove itself from the best side. Premium quality, but quite expensive products are offered by famous companies Samsung, HP And Intel. Also reliable storage manufacturers include: ADATA And Transcend. The choice here depends more on the price preferences of the buyer.

Conclusion

Solid state drives are gradually expanding their “sphere of influence” and replacing classic hard drives. The model range is expanding, and component manufacturers are willingly joining this segment of the computer parts market. In view of these factors, the question of how to choose the best SSD drive for a computer in 2017 becomes particularly relevant. However, a systematic, meaningful approach to choice will not only allow you to get a reliable SSD drive in a price-to-quality ratio, but also save money that could be spent on unsuitable options purchased out of inexperience.

A hard drive is needed to install the operating system, programs and store various user files (documents, photos, music, movies, etc.).

Hard drives differ in capacity, which determines the amount of data it can store, speed, which determines the performance of the entire computer, and reliability, which depends on its manufacturer.

Conventional hard drives (HDD) have a large capacity, low speed and low cost. The fastest are solid state drives (SSD), but they have a small capacity and are much more expensive. An intermediate option between them are hybrid disks (SSHD), which have sufficient capacity, are faster than conventional HDDs and are slightly more expensive.

Western Digital (WD) hard drives are considered the most reliable. The best SSD drives are produced by: Samsung, Intel, Crucial, SanDisk, Plextor. More budget options can be considered: A-DATA, Corsair, GoodRAM, WD, HyperX, since they have the least problems. And hybrid drives (SSHD) are mainly produced by Seagate.

For an office computer that is used primarily for working with documents and the Internet, a regular hard drive from the inexpensive WD Blue series with a capacity of up to 500 GB is sufficient. But 1 TB disks are optimal today, since they are not much more expensive.

For a multimedia computer (video, simple games), it is better to use a 1 TB WD Blue drive as an additional one for storing files, and install a 120-128 GB SSD as the main one, which will significantly speed up the operation of the system and programs.

For a gaming computer, it is advisable to take an SSD with a capacity of 240-256 GB; you can install several games on it.
Hard drive A-Data Ultimate SU650 240GB

As a more economical option for a multimedia or gaming PC, you can purchase one Seagate hybrid drive (SSHD) with a capacity of 1 TB; it is not as fast as an SSD, but still slightly faster than a regular HDD drive.
Hard drive Seagate FireCuda ST1000DX002 1TB

Well, for a powerful professional PC, in addition to the SSD (120-512 GB), you can take a fast and reliable WD Black hard drive of the required volume (1-4 GB).

I also recommend purchasing a high-quality Transcend external drive with a USB 3.0 interface for 1-2 TB for the system and files that are important to you (documents, photos, videos, projects).
Hard drive Transcend StoreJet 25M3 1 TB

2. Disk types

Modern computers use both classic hard drives on magnetic platters (HDD) and faster solid-state drives based on memory chips (SSD). There are also hybrid drives (SSHD), which are a symbiosis of HDD and SSD.

The hard drive (HDD) has a large capacity (1000-8000 GB), but low speed (120-140 MB/s). It can be used both to install the system and store user files, which is the most economical option.

Solid state drives (SSD) have a relatively small volume (120-960 GB), but very high speed (450-550 MB/s). They cost significantly more and are used to install the operating system and some programs to increase the speed of the computer.

A hybrid drive (SSHD) is simply a hard drive with a small amount of faster memory added to it. For example, this might look like 1TB HDD + 8GB SSD.

3. Application of HDD, SSD and SSHD drives

For an office computer (documents, Internet), it is enough to install one regular hard drive (HDD).

For a multimedia computer (movies, simple games), you can add a small SSD drive in addition to the HDD, which will make the system work much faster and more responsive. As a compromise between speed and capacity, you can consider installing one SSHD drive, which will be much cheaper.

For a powerful gaming or professional computer, the best option is to install two drives - an SSD for the operating system, programs, games, and a regular hard drive for storing user files.

4. Physical sizes of disks

Hard drives for desktop computers are 3.5 inches in size.

Solid state drives are 2.5 inches in size, just like laptop hard drives.

An SSD drive is installed into a regular computer using a special mount in the case or an additional adapter.

Don't forget to purchase it if it is not included with the drive and your case does not have special mounts for 2.5″ drives. But now almost all modern cases have mounts for SSD drives, which are indicated in the description as internal 2.5″ bays.

5. Hard drive connectors

All hard drives have an interface connector and a power connector.

5.1. Interface connector

An interface connector is a connector for connecting a drive to the motherboard using a special cable (cable).

Modern hard drives (HDD) have a SATA3 connector, which is fully compatible with older versions of SATA2 and SATA1. If your motherboard has old connectors, don't worry, a new hard drive can be connected to them and it will work.

But for an SSD drive, it is desirable that the motherboard have SATA3 connectors. If your motherboard has SATA2 connectors, then the SSD drive will operate at half its speed (about 280 MB/s), which, however, is still significantly faster than a regular HDD.

5.2. Power connector

Modern hard drives (HDD) and solid-state drives (SSD) have the same 15-pin SATA power connectors. If the disk is installed in a desktop computer, its power supply must have such a connector. If it is not there, then you can use a Molex-SATA power adapter.

6. Hard drive capacities

For each type of hard drive, depending on its purpose, the amount of data it can hold will be different.

6.1. Hard disk capacity (HDD) for a computer

For a computer intended for typing and accessing the Internet, the smallest modern hard drive – 320-500 GB – is sufficient.

For a multimedia computer (video, music, photos, simple games), it is advisable to have a hard drive with a capacity of 1000 GB (1 TB).

A powerful gaming or professional computer may require a 2-4 TB drive (use your needs).

It is necessary to take into account that the computer’s motherboard must support UEFI, otherwise the operating system will not see the entire disk capacity of more than 2 TB.

If you want to increase the speed of the system, but are not ready to spend money on an additional SSD drive, then as an alternative option you can consider purchasing a hybrid SSHD drive with a capacity of 1-2 TB.

6.2. Hard disk capacity (HDD) for a laptop

If a laptop is used as an addition to the main computer, then a hard drive with a capacity of 320-500 GB will be sufficient. If a laptop is used as a main computer, then it may require a hard drive with a capacity of 750-1000 GB (depending on the use of the laptop).
Hard drive Hitachi Travelstar Z5K500 HTS545050A7E680 500GB

You can also install an SSD drive in the laptop, which will significantly increase its speed and system responsiveness, or a hybrid SSHD drive, which is slightly faster than a regular HDD.
Hard drive Seagate Laptop SSHD ST500LM021 500GB

It is important to consider what thickness of disks your laptop supports. Discs with a thickness of 7 mm will fit into any model, but those with a thickness of 9 mm may not fit everywhere, although not many of them are produced anymore.

6.3. Solid State Drive (SSD) Capacity

Since SSD drives are not used for storing data, when determining their required capacity, you need to proceed from how much space the operating system installed on it will take up and whether you will install any other large programs and games on it.

Modern operating systems (Windows 7,8,10) require about 40 GB of space to operate and grow with updates. In addition, you need to install at least the basic programs on the SSD, otherwise it won’t be of much use. Well, for normal operation, there should always be 15-30% free space on the SSD.

For a multimedia computer (movies, simple games), the best option would be an SSD with a capacity of 120-128 GB, which will allow, in addition to the system and basic programs, to install several simple games on it. Since an SSD is required not only to quickly open folders, it makes sense to install the most powerful programs and games on it, which will speed up the speed of their work.

Heavy modern games take up a huge amount of space. Therefore, a powerful gaming computer requires a 240-512 GB SSD, depending on your budget.

For professional tasks, such as editing video in high quality, or installing a dozen modern games, you need an SSD with a capacity of 480-1024 GB, again depending on the budget.

6.4. Data backup

When choosing disk space, it is advisable to also take into account the need to create a backup copy of user files (videos, photos, etc.) that will be stored on it. Otherwise, you risk instantly losing everything you have accumulated over the years. Therefore, it is often more advisable to purchase not one huge disk, but two smaller disks - one for work, the other (possibly external) for a backup copy of files.

7. Basic disk parameters

The main parameters of disks, which are often indicated in price lists, include spindle speed and memory buffer size.

7.1. Spindle speed

The spindle has hard and hybrid disks based on magnetic platters (HDD, SSHD). Since SSD drives are built on memory chips, they do not have a spindle. The speed of the hard drive's spindle determines its operating speed.

The spindle of hard drives for desktop computers generally has a rotation speed of 7200 rpm. Sometimes there are models with a spindle speed of 5400 rpm, which work slower.

Laptop hard drives generally have a spindle speed of 5400 rpm, which allows them to be quieter, run cooler, and consume less power.

7.2. Memory Buffer Size

A buffer is a cache memory of a hard drive based on memory chips. This buffer is intended to speed up the hard drive, but it does not have a big impact (about 5-10%).

Modern hard drives (HDD) have a buffer size of 32-128 MB. In principle, 32 MB is enough, but if the price difference is not significant, then you can take a hard drive with a larger buffer size. Optimal for today is 64 MB.

8. Disk speed characteristics

Speed ​​characteristics common to HDD, SSHD and SSD drives include linear read/write speed and random access time.

8.1. Linear reading speed

Linear read speed is the main parameter for any disk and dramatically affects its operating speed.

For modern hard drives and hybrid drives (HDD, SSHD), an average read speed of closer to 150 MB/s is a good value. You should not purchase hard drives with a speed of 100 MB/s or less.

Solid state drives (SSD) are much faster and their read speed, depending on the model, is 160-560 MB/s. The optimal price/speed ratio is SSD drives with a read speed of 450-500 MB/s.

As for HDD drives, sellers in price lists usually do not indicate their speed parameters, but only the volume. Later in this article I will tell you how to find out these characteristics. With SSD drives everything is simpler, since their speed characteristics are always indicated in the price lists.

8.2. Linear write speed

This is a secondary parameter after reading speed, which is usually indicated in tandem with it. For hard and hybrid drives (HDD, SSHD), the write speed is usually somewhat lower than the read speed and is not considered when choosing a disk, since they are mainly focused on the read speed.

For SSD drives, the write speed can be either less than or equal to the read speed. In price lists, these parameters are indicated through a slash (for example, 510/430), where a larger number means read speed, a smaller number means write speed.

For good fast SSDs it is about 550/550 MB/s. But in general, write speed has a much smaller effect on the speed of a computer than read speed. As a budget option, a slightly lower speed is allowed, but not lower than 450/350 Mb/s.

8.3. Access time

Access time is the second most important disk parameter after read/write speed. Access time has a particularly strong effect on the speed of reading/copying small files. The lower this parameter, the better. In addition, low access time indirectly indicates a higher quality hard disk drive (HDD).

A good access time for a hard disk drive (HDD) is 13-15 milliseconds. Values ​​within 16-20 ms are considered a bad indicator. I will also tell you how to determine this parameter in this article.

As for SSD drives, their access time is 100 times less than that of HDD drives, so this parameter is not indicated anywhere and is not paid attention to.

Hybrid disks (SSHD), due to additional built-in flash memory, achieve lower access times than HDDs, which are comparable to SSDs. But due to the limited capacity of flash memory, lower access times are achieved only when accessing the most frequently accessed files that end up in this flash memory. Usually these are system files, which provide higher computer boot speed and high system responsiveness, but do not fundamentally affect the operation of large programs and games, since they simply will not fit in the limited amount of fast memory of an SSHD disk.

9. Manufacturers of hard drives (HDD, SSHD)

The most popular hard drive manufacturers are the following:

Seagate- produces some of the fastest drives today, but they are not considered the most reliable.

Western Digital (WD)— are considered the most reliable and have a convenient classification by color.

  • WD Blue– budget general purpose drives
  • W.D. Green– quiet and economical (frequently switched off)
  • WD Black– fast and reliable
  • WD Red– for data storage systems (NAS)
  • WD Purple– for video surveillance systems
  • W.D. Gold– for servers
  • W.D. Re– for RAID arrays
  • W.D.Se– for scalable corporate systems

Blue ones are the most common drives, suitable for inexpensive office and multimedia PCs. Black ones combine high speed and reliability; I recommend using them in powerful systems. The rest are intended for specific tasks.

In general, if you want cheaper and faster, then choose Seagate. If it's cheap and reliable - Hitachi. Fast and reliable - Western Digital from the black series.

Hybrid SSHD drives are now mainly produced by Seagete and they are of good quality.

There are discs from other manufacturers on sale, but I recommend limiting yourself to the indicated brands, as there are fewer problems with them.

10. Manufacturers of solid state drives (SSD)

Among the manufacturers of SSD drives the following have proven themselves well:

  • Samsung
  • Intel
  • Crucial
  • SanDisk
  • Plextor

More budget options can be considered:

  • Corsair
  • GoodRAM
  • A-DATA (Premier Pro)
  • Kingston (HyperX)

11. SSD memory type

SSD drives can be built on different types of memory:

  • 3 D NAND– fast and durable
  • MLC– good resource
  • V-NAND– average resource
  • TLC– low resource

12. Hard drive speed (HDD, SSHD)

We can find out all the parameters of SSD drives we need, such as capacity, speed and manufacturer, from the seller’s price list and then compare them by price.

The parameters of HDD drives can be found out by the model or batch number on the manufacturers' websites, but in fact this is quite difficult, since these catalogs are huge, have a lot of incomprehensible parameters, which are called differently for each manufacturer, and also in English. Therefore, I offer you another method that I use myself.

There is a program for testing hard drives HDTune. It allows you to determine parameters such as linear reading speed and access time. There are many enthusiasts who conduct these tests and post the results on the Internet. In order to find the test results of a particular hard drive model, just enter its model number in the Google or Yandex image search, which is indicated in the seller’s price list or on the drive itself in the store.

This is what the disk test image from the search looks like.

As you can see, this picture shows the average linear read speed and random access time, which are what interests us. Just make sure that the model number in the picture matches the model number of your drive.

In addition, from the graph you can roughly determine the quality of the disk. An uneven graph with large jumps and high access times indirectly indicate imprecise, low-quality disk mechanics.

A beautiful cyclical or simply uniform graph without large jumps, combined with low access time, indicates precise, high-quality disk mechanics.

Such a disk will work better, faster and last longer.

13. Optimal disk

So, which disk or disk configuration to choose for your computer, depending on its purpose. In my opinion, the following configurations will be the most optimal.

  • office PC – HDD (320-500 GB)
  • entry-level multimedia PC – HDD (1 TB)
  • mid-level multimedia PC – SSD (120-128 GB) + HDD (1 TB) or SSHD (1 TB)
  • Entry-level gaming PC – HDD (1 TB)
  • Mid-range gaming PC – SSHD (1 TB)
  • High-end gaming PC – SSD (240-512 GB) + HDD (1-2 TB)
  • professional PC – SSD (480-1024 GB) + HDD/SSHD (2-4 TB)

14. Cost of HDD and SSD drives

In conclusion, I want to talk a little about the general principles of choosing between more or less expensive disk models.

The price of HDD drives depends most on the disk capacity and slightly on the manufacturer (by 5-10%). Therefore, it is not advisable to skimp on the quality of HDDs. Buy models from recommended manufacturers, even if they are a little more expensive, as they will last longer.

The price of SSD drives, in addition to capacity and speed, also greatly depends on the manufacturer. Here I can give a simple recommendation - choose the cheapest SSD drive from the list of recommended manufacturers that suits you in terms of capacity and speed.

15. Links

Hard drive Western Digital Black WD1003FZEX 1TB
Hard drive Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EZEX 1 TB
Hard drive A-Data Ultimate SU650 120GB