Why is an ssd faster than a usb?

SSD and USB drives have something in common. Both are based on Flash technology. This has also been the detriment of hard drives. Although both units are based on the same technology, there are notable differences in performance, and especially speed.

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Why is an SSD faster than a USB?

An SSD is noticeably faster than a USB. Why does this happen? This is what we are going to explain next. Thus we can shed some light on this question. What do you think is the reason for this difference in speed? We explain the main reasons for this difference below.

NAND technology

One aspect that SSDs and USBs have in common is the type of flash memory they use. Both use NAND. A technology that can retain data even without power. Although this technology presents differences. Depending on the price, we can find different types of NAND technology. The two available NAND technologies are MLC and SLC.

MLC is the Multi-level cell. What does this guy consist of? It is a type of NAND that can have up to four possible states. Due to this the number of transistors in a storage unit is reduced. Therefore, the manufacturing cost is reduced and its size is also reduced. This is the type of memory used in USB. A much cheaper and smaller product.

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The SLC Single-level cell allows each cell to be in two states. In this way, it allows us to access information much faster. But, it also has a larger size and its manufacturing cost is higher. In addition, it has a higher electricity consumption. Therefore, as you may have deduced, it is used in SSD manufacturing. SSDs, as you know, have much higher prices. They also need their own power cable to connect them to the computer's power source.

Memory controller and connector

The type of NAND memory they use is not the only difference that explains why an SSD is much faster than a USB. There are other factors that also influence this fact. What are they about? Please note the memory controller and connector. They are two aspects that also influence the speed of a USB and an SSD. What differences are there between the two?

In the SSD the memory controller is found of a processor. Furthermore, it is one of the most important elements in the performance of an SSD, fulfilling key functions. What functions? It is responsible for correcting reading errors, compensating for the wear and tear of the cells or it is in charge of encrypting the information. While in the case of USB they usually have a memory microcontroller with little RAM, which greatly limits their performance. Especially compared to that of an SSD.

On the other hand there are the connectors. Depending on the type of connector, more or less speed can be used. In the case of USB 2.0 connectors, its maximum transfer speed is 480 Mbps. But a USB 3.0 can reach 5 Gbit / s. That is, ten times more. This shows us that in general, USBs do not usually take full advantage of their speed. That is one of the factors that makes an SSD faster. Since SSDs do take full advantage of all their resources to reach their maximum speed. What do you think about this? What do you think about SSDs being faster than USB?