SSDs. Construction, advantages, disadvantages

The more people start using SSDs, the sooner you notice the difference between such a solution and a traditional HDD. Firstly, the increase in parameters shows the entire operating system. However, due to the small capacity of data storage, only the most important documents should be on it, using the drive’s potential in one hundred percent. These include, for example, the operating system or other applications that load the drive. Low-processing programs or small files shouldn’t be on an SSD. For their storage, external media or the increasingly popular Internet cloud are used.

SSD parts

Everything that matters most is invisible. From the outside, only the cover is visible, preferably 7 mm thick. Current drives can be used in any device, including ultrabooks, where the dimensions of components are gradually reduced. Therefore, the drive has been connected to the motherboard. The 9mm casing makes the drive compatible with traditional computers.The controller is one of the most important parts of the drive as it is responsible for making contact with the memory. It plays a key role in the functioning of the drive, it is used to compress and decompress data and ensures even wear of memory cells. It is on the controller that information about the write speed is stored. The capacitor, on the other hand, is used to protect data when the power source is cut off. Unfortunately, there are many drives on the market that do not have such a memory buffer and this is a very important part thanks to which the user will not lose data. Interfaces are needed to enable communication with another device. The most common interface is SATA III, thanks to which it is possible to read data at a speed of 550 MB/s.

Benefits of SSDs

SSDs are gaining in popularity due to their incredible fault tolerance. This is due to the fully electronic drive and the lack of moving parts inside. Traditional HDDs subjected to external actions can easily be destroyed and end their life, and the user will irretrievably lose the saved data.Due to their construction, the latest generation of drives consume much less energy than platter drives, which extends battery life. It also leads to a decrease in the operating temperature of the device, because too high a temperature to which the equipment can heat up reduces performance, shortens the life of all components and exposes it to data loss. It is in terms of performance that the advantage of SSDs is visible, where the speed of writing and reading data is increased. It is worth emphasizing that this drive is not a finished technology, which is why manufacturers are still focusing on development and looking for ways to improve memory and interfaces.Quiet operation is very important to users. A simple relationship is that the older the drive, the louder it works. Long-term operation does not give the opportunity to lower the volume. The device with SSD drive guarantees quiet operation and full concentration on it. It is especially dedicated to people who travel a lot, as the laptop becomes lighter and more suitable for transport. Particularly important is the weight of the drive in miniature equipment, which is characterized by lightness and freedom of movement.The many advantages of SSD drives are the reason for the high prices. It is worth noting, however, that the user does not have to buy the most expensive drive, because its parameters will depend on the customer’s needs. The differences are mainly due to the speed of data processing or the memory used. Consolation for future buyers is the fact that technology is displacing HDDs and this will result in lower prices.

Disadvantages of SSDs

Users mainly complain about the small capacity of the drives. As standard, there are those with a capacity of 120 GB or 240 GB. The amount of purchase of such a disk is equal to the price of a platter disk with a capacity of even several TB. Although with the development of the described technology, there is a constant increase in disk space.The limited lifespan of the drives also turns out to be a problem. Currently, about a million cycles can be overwritten, although manufacturers often underestimate individual parameters. This is due to the fact that their duty is to give the strength of the weakest elements. In this regard, progress has also been noticed, because data is written evenly between individual cells. Therefore, it is difficult to exhaust the write cycle in a given cell. And even if it did, the drive remains fully functional, however, data overwriting will be blocked.Market research shows that the lack of interest from all customers is dictated only by the price. They decide to buy a platter disk, which also attracts with a much larger capacity. Although, in order to choose a more modern drive, it is enough to recognize your needs and specify the parameters of the files that will be saved on it.

 

French German Polish Spanish