Solid-State Drive purchase strategies

Ⅰ. The usage of SSD

As a new type of storage device, Solid-State Drive has specific advantages in the following aspects:

1. Business

Companies dealing with large amounts of data (such as programming environments, data analysis firms, financial firms) typically rely on SSD to improve the performance of their applications. It is well known that access time and file transfer speed are critical to the performance of software applications.

2. Games

For those computers that are optimized for gaming, your best bet is to buy a more expensive device to boost its gaming performance. This is especially true for storage, since modern games are constantly loading and writing files (textures, maps, levels, characters). New game consoles such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X now use SSD instead of hard drives.

3. Mobility

For mobile devices like laptops and tablets, SSD can extend their battery life. SSD is also shock resistant, reducing the chance of data loss if the mobile device is dropped.

4. Server

For enterprise servers, SSD can provide faster read and write times to ensure proper servicing of client PCs.

Ⅱ. Top 10 reasons to buy SSD

With the improvement of information and networks, it has become extremely difficult for mechanical hard disks to increase the reading speed. The reason depends on two aspects of traditional mechanical hard disks: the capacity of a single disk and the speed of the disk.

In 2006, Samsung officially released a solid-state drive with a capacity of 32GB. So far, the curtain of solid-state hard drives has really opened. Compared with Hard Disk Drives, solid-state drives have broken through the bottleneck and limitations of HDD and have many advantages.

1. Less fan noise

"No noise and keeps it running cool because there are no moving parts to generate heat." — Joe B.

SSD can stay cooler than hard drives, so the fans don't have to work as hard, which means less fan noise and overall quieter operation. The buzzing sound that you would hear when using a traditional mechanical hard drive is completely absent here with an SSD.

2. The cooling effect of the system is better

“Keep the system cool while in use.” — Leon C.

Because SSD uses flash memory to access data and don't have to seek data on spinning platters like hard drives, they maintain a more consistent operating temperature, which helps keep the overall system cooler. This is a very important point, especially for laptops.

3. More energy efficient

"Less energy consumption." — Jason C.

SSD don't have mechanical structures, so they use less power to operate and can extend your laptop's battery life.

4. Overall speed improvement

"SSD enable faster boot times and faster program loads than HDD." — Hiren P.

Imagine clicking a program and instantly loading it, that's the power of an SSD. SSD also enables "instant-on" performance, which helps systems achieve instant-on performance by eliminating the need for an SSD to mechanically seek data on moving platters like a hard drive. After using a solid-state drive, usually the system startup time will be shortened from a few minutes or tens of seconds to about 10 seconds, which is equivalent to instant startup.

5. Easy to install

"Installation took less time than expected." — Marcin M.

All you need is a screwdriver, owner's manual, and one of our easy installation kits, and we'll guide you through the installation process. In fact, you can think of installing a solid-state drive as installing a memory stick, which is very simple.

6. Flexible storage

"You can use an SSD as a flash drive if you have a hot-swap bay or expansion enclosure." — Nicholaus R.

SSD come in a variety of form factors. Some of these form factors, such as mSATA, plug directly into a system's motherboard, so they can be used as a cache disk or work alongside existing hard drives. Besides, with a single USB cable, the SSD can be turned into a high-capacity flash drive, just plug and play!

7. Excellent gaming experience

"The game loads faster so you can be the first on the battlefield." — Travis D.

For gamers, the faster data access speeds of SSD help reduce load times, allowing gamers to spend less time waiting in game cutscenes and more time playing games. Many gamers prefer to use an SSD because it means they are a step ahead of the competition, giving them a better chance of getting a head start and having a more seamless gaming experience.

8. Seamless multitasking

"Faster backups, faster full antivirus system scans, faster speeds!" — Ruben F.

SSD feature enhanced data access, allowing you to easily switch between multiple programs. From backing up data to running antivirus system scans to accessing apps, websites and playlists, SSD lets you multitask like a pro—all with little or no lag.

9. Higher durability and reliability

"Higher survival rates after falls/accidents...that alone is incredible. Anyone who has experienced data recovery will know what I mean." — Lisa C.

SSD has no mechanical structures that can be easily damaged. Therefore, it will not be damaged by actions such as minor bumps, so important files and information can be kept. SSD can reliably store data for years and are more resistant to shock and vibration. Therefore, it is very durable and more suitable for travel.

10. More time for important things

"To me, the answer is simple. The main reason to choose an SSD is to save time. Whether it's booting, application loading, general OS responsiveness, or intensive operations, a good SSD will save you time and allow you to can focus on the important things.” — Jesse P.

Ⅲ. Selection steps of SSD

1. Look at the interface

The motherboard supports solid-state drives depending on the interfaces it supports, such as SATA, M.2, PCI-E and other interfaces. Therefore, we need to confirm which interface the motherboard supports to determine whether the SSD can be used.

(1) The M.2 interface is currently the most widely used high-speed interface, and only supports M.2 interface solid-state drives;

(2) The SATA interface is currently the most used interface, mainly supporting 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch mechanical hard disks and solid-state hard disks;

(3) PCI-Express is currently the most efficient interface, and it can support solid-state drives with PCI-E interface.

2. Select capacity

The larger the capacity, the higher the price of the SSD. Its common capacities are 256G, 512G, 1T, 2T, and 4T.

3. Pick the speed

The speed here refers to two aspects, one is the sequential read speed, and the other is the IOPS. But what we focus on is the IOPS, that is, the IOPS value. The larger the IOPS value, the better.

(1) Sequential read speed

Hard disk read speed is generally measured in M/S, which represents a large number of data blocks that can be processed in one continuous access, which intuitively shows the throughput of a large number of files.

(2) Random read and write performance

Input/Output Operations Per Second is the number of reads and writes per second of the hard disk. Random read and write capabilities are measured using IOPS, which is equivalent to the number of accesses per second. Generally, manufacturers only mark the speed, but in actual use, IOPS affects the user experience even more. The main control and interface determine the random read IOPS of the hard disk.

4. Select performance

The performance here refers to the particles and master control of the hard disk, as well as the cache.

(1) NAND flash memory (granule)

NAND flash memory is a better storage device than traditional hard drives, and it uses non-volatile storage technology. That is, a storage device that can still save data after it is powered off. NAND flash memory is composed of multiple (bit) units. These cells are turned on or off by an electric charge. How these switching cells are organized to store data on the SSD also determines the nomenclature of NAND flash, such as single-level cell (SLC) flash that contains 1 bit in each memory cell. Since the SSD circuit board specification has an industry-standard size, under the same cell physical space, the multi-level cell (MLC) can double the capacity, and the triple-level cell (TLC) can triple the capacity. This development opens the way for SSDs to move toward larger capacities. Based on the advantages of performance and volume, the current development direction of NAND flash memory is to reduce storage cost per bit and increase storage capacity. Therefore, there is the subsequent quadruple-level cell (QLC), each storage unit has a format of 4 bits.

① Single Level Cell (SLC for short)

Single-level cell flash memory is commonly known as SLC. This type of flash memory has the most accurate read and write data, and also has the advantage of the longest data read and write life.

The erasing and writing life of SLC is about 90,000 to 100,000 times. This type of flash memory is very popular in the enterprise market due to its longevity, accuracy and overall performance. However, due to the high storage cost and relatively small storage capacity, it is not very popular in the home market.

Advantages:

The fastest read and write speed NAND flash chip specification.

Erase and write life and read and write cycles are the longest compared to any other type of flash memory.

Read/write errors are less likely and operate over a wider temperature range.

Disadvantages:

The most expensive type of NAND flash memory on the market.

Usually only smaller capacity.

Ideal for: Industrial-grade loads that require a large number of read/write cycles, such as servers.

② Multi Level Cell (MLC for short)

Multi-layer cell is commonly known as MLC, and its name comes from the fact that it has become 2 bits/unit on the basis of SLC's 1 bit/unit. A big advantage of this is that it greatly reduces the cost of flash memory for mass storage. Because flash memory is the core of SSD, its production cost is usually reflected in the price of SSD and finally passed on to consumers. For consumer SSD, with a relatively reasonable capacity/price ratio, MLC flash memory is the first choice for home computers. Although the erasing and writing life is only about 10,000 times, it is quite enough for household use.

Advantages:

The capacity of the expanded SSD also has a reasonable cost performance.

More stable performance than TLC flash memory.

Disadvantages: Most expensive type of NAND flash on the market. Usually only smaller capacity.

Ideal for: Industrial-grade loads that require a large number of read/write cycles, such as servers.

③ Triple Level Cell (TLC for short)

TLC Flash is currently the cheapest type of flash memory produced, and its storage capacity is only 3 bits per unit. Although its high storage density can realize a relatively cheap large-capacity format, its read and write life cycle is greatly shortened. Its erase and write life is only 500-1000 times, and its read and write speed is very slow, which is only suitable for general consumer, unable to meet the requirements of industrial applications.

Advantages: Lower production costs open up the market for cheap, high-capacity SSD.

Disadvantages: Compared with SLC and MLC, the erasing and writing life of TLC storage cells is much shorter. Theoretically, the reading and writing speed is the slowest compared with SLC and MLC.

Ideal for: Computer users who have light use requirements with little storage requirements, such as simple functions such as surfing the Internet and sending emails.

④ Quad-level cells (QLC for short)

Each unit of QLC can store 4 bits of data. Compared with TLC, the storage density of QLC has increased by 33%. Not only can QLC withstand 1000 programming or erasing cycles (on par with TLC, or even better), but it also has increased capacity and lower cost.

Advantages: QLC has a lower total cost and relies on fewer drives for storage. In addition, QLC also has more capacity and high storage density, so as to obtain better benefits.

Disadvantages: Compared with SLC and MLC, the performance and write life of QLC are reduced, but it is comparable to TLC.

Ideal for: It is more suitable for users who use QLC SSD as a data warehouse. If you have a large demand for data storage, use the computer lightly, or pursue a lower price, it is recommended to choose QLC.

(2) Master control

To put it simply, particles are the skeleton of our human beings, which determine your height, fat and thinness, and the main control is the human brain or physical fitness. The better the master control, the faster the speed. The main control chip is very important for the hard disk. The planning of flash wear leveling and the structure management of the flash mapping table are all inseparable from the master control.

Ⅳ. How to choose a SSD

Solid-state drive is one of the important parts of the computer, its quality is directly related to the stability of the machine. So how do we purchase hard drives? When purchasing a solid-state drive, we can focus on the following aspects:

1. Select the specification and connection method

There are many different specifications of SSD on the market. Since the installation methods of each model are different, please remember to consider its purpose of use when choosing, so as to ensure that the solid-state drive purchased has a corresponding connection method.

① NVMe SSD (PCI E3.0): high speed but difficult to install

In addition to the SATA hard disk, the recent computer motherboards usually also install the "M.2" slot of the "PCI E3.0×NVMe" hard disk. Due to the large amount of data that can be transferred, this type of solid-state hard drive makes data reading and writing faster.

However, because the hard drive of this specification needs to be directly installed on the motherboard, the difficulty of disassembly is higher than that of a SATA hard drive that only needs to be connected with a cable. Not only that, according to the different slots supported by the motherboard, SSD is also divided into various specifications such as M.2 SATA, PCI Express3.0×4 and PCI Express4.0×4.

② External hard disk: convenient and easy to carry

If you are not familiar with computer specifications but want to use a solid state drive, you can choose a convenient and portable USB external hard drive. Not only does it only need to be connected to the USB port to operate, it can even be used on computers and home game consoles. However, in order to make full use of the high-speed transmission capabilities of solid-state drives, please remember to confirm whether the hard drive supports USB3.0 or higher connection ports.

③ SATA hard disk: general purpose (computer, home game console, etc.)

The most common specification among the types of SSD is called "SATA". It can support a wide range of devices, from new and old desktop computers, notebook computers and home game consoles, almost all of which are equipped with SATA connection ports. If the computer in use is relatively old, or it is not clear which model it is, I suggest that it is safer to choose a SATA type solid state drive.

However, SATA hard drives (serial hard drives) also have version differences. At present, most of the models on the market use SATA3 with a faster transmission speed, but some old computers are still equipped with SATA2 connectors. Please read the instruction manual of the motherboard or laptop for confirmation before purchasing. In addition, users who intend to replace the PS4 hard drive must choose a product with a thickness of less than 7mm before installing it. Please pay more attention when selecting products.

2. Choose the capacity according to your needs

Capacity is also an important part of selecting a solid-state drive. Please choose a suitable capacity according to your own use and needs, so as not to regret that you cannot hold a large amount of data.

① Install the system: 128GB ~ 256GB

If you usually only surf the Internet and listen to music without downloading or storing a large amount of data, you only need to choose a 128GB to 256GB solid state drive to accommodate system data. It is also enough to increase the speed of booting and executing software. However, if you need to install additional software, or you are worried that too much temporarily stored data in the system will affect performance, I suggest that it would be safer to directly choose a 256GB product.

② Playing requirements: 512GB or more is recommended

If you are a computer game player, I recommend choosing a solid-state hard drive of 512GB or more in order to store a large number of games such as 3D games. However, in view of the emergence of more and more large-capacity games in recent years, it is also recommended to measure the required storage space according to the type of frequently played games. If the required capacity exceeds 512GB, or if you are used to recording, live broadcasting, and editing game processes, it is recommended to refer to projects with larger capacities.

③ Commercial and creative use: 1TB or more is recommended

Video creators not only need to store a large number of high-quality videos, but also need to read and write data frequently when editing videos. At this time, it is recommended to choose a large-capacity solid-state hard drive with more than 1TB to deal with it. If the budget is limited and you cannot purchase a larger-capacity model, you can also consider using a solid-state drive as a hard drive for editing, and then purchase another mechanical hard drive to store materials and finished edited products.

3. Select the appropriate reading and writing speed

For the same SSD, there will still be a big gap between read and write speeds. Generally speaking, the transmission speed of the hard disk will be marked on the specification in the form of "XX MB/s". A higher number means faster data processing.

But unless you need to transfer data frequently, the speed difference between various types of SSD is not too great. In addition, the hard disk must have equipment hardware that can cooperate with each other in order to achieve the fastest speed marked on the specification. Therefore, if there is no special requirement for performance, it is recommended to choose a brand with a good reputation based on the budget and durability.

Ⅴ. Difference between expensive SSDs and cheap SSDs

The solid-state drives we buy on the market may have obvious differences in quality. Some are eye-catching, and some are within budget. We can understand the difference between them from the following aspects:

1. Faster tasks: Jobs can be slightly sped up on expensive SSD. This is because the SSD loads faster, which is its advantage.

2. Cell-Level: The most commonly used SSD is three-layer Cell or TLC, which has a higher probability of failure and is also the cheapest option. The others are multi-level units and single-level units. Both are a bit more expensive, but they have a longer warranty and faster processing.

3. Longevity: Good SSD may cost you more, but they also protect you from wearing out very quickly. Expensive SSD can last 20+ years. Meanwhile, cheaper SSD wears out quickly after 5 to 10 years.