Ssd: everything you need to know

Looking for a good SSD ? Do you need to know all the information to be able to choose one? We explain it to you in this article. And is that most of the people currently take advantage of a life full of privileges in terms of technology, with electronic devices that provide advantages and comfort in the quality of life of those who are always aware of the latest releases.

For this reason, a user generally approaches a store with the aim of obtaining the technological product that offers the appropriate functionalities and a construction quality that allows him to enjoy it for several years.

This large-scale search leads to new goals being generated in companies, for example, those that require hosting servers with the highest quality technical resources, and that can provide high performance for applications.

Fortunately, increasingly demanding targets can be met by employing servers equipped with components that follow the path of continuous development across the technology sector.

All of these state-of-the-art and electronic devices provide a significant improvement in the performance of applications and systems as a whole, among which we can mention and which we will discuss at length in this article: the SSD disk.

The SSD appeared as an alternative device intended to replace the traditional hard disk drives that we knew until then. By using an SSD, the user will see a few advantages, such as faster reading speed and faster application loading, outperforming hard drives in several ways.

Through this guide we are going to know everything about solid state disks, to better understand what is the difference between the different storage technologies and why we should choose such a disk.

Index of contents

What is an SSD disk?

SSD is an acronym whose meaning in English is "Solid state drive" or "solid state drive" in Spanish. The SSD storage is of the non-volatile type, and performs functions similar to those of a conventional hard drive. In order to have a more precise and clear concept about everything related to the SSD, you have to start with the basics, defining what non-volatile storage is.

Although this term seems to indicate that it is something rare and highly technical, it is a characteristic that can be understood in a simple way.

A unit that permanently stores files is any device intended for this use, which is capable of writing data to disk so that they are permanently stored there in its memory, regardless of whether the computer is turned off or the power goes out.

Among the examples of non-volatile memory devices we can refer to SSDs, hard drives, flash drives, optical drives and even magnetic tapes. This type of memory is different from RAM memory, whose characteristic is that, being a volatile memory, it deletes all the saved data when it is turned off or disabled.

Non-volatile storage units are useful for keeping data that interests you, such as applications, songs, games, movies and digital books, among others.

Although the SSD performs the same functions as an HD, there are many differences between the two, both in operation, life and prices. Something that we will already begin to analyze.

Differences between SSD and HDD

The SSD disk is structured in a very different way from the hard disk, and its construction is given by an integrated circuit in which several components of diminutive size are used to form this storage unit.

Likewise, the SSD uses Flash memory, the same memory used by USB flash drives, to save all files.

The SSD does not work mechanically like HDDs and its small components do not require constant movements to read and write data. The SSD disk has many advantages over HDDs and the main ones are:

• High speed to read and write data Does not make noise because it does not work mechanically It is very efficient in managing electrical energy consumption Provides maximum charging speed for applications and systems Does not suffer from overheating as happens on a hard drive and adapts to hot environments Offers more shock and vibration resistance Supports more connection interfaces Ideal for advanced data management technologies Greater reliability and stability than hard drives

For its part, the hard disk (HD or HDD) has a structure and fully mechanical operation, with the use of integrated metal disks.

The hard disk does the reading and writing of data by means of a head that moves mechanically, and which consists essentially of a high-precision electromagnet. The head makes a reorganization of the iron oxide molecules on the different plates that make up the HDD, constituting this the process of reading and recording data.

The disc works by making constant turns at high speeds, while the magnetic head moves quickly and with great precision through the alternation of its magnetic polarity.

With this dynamic, the hard disk is able to record the data on the platters using the binary system, with points that have positive and negative magnetism, writing the information with bits 0 and 1.

Operation of a hard disk (HDD)

Because the entirety of this process is mechanical and uses high speeds of rotation of the laminated plates as the head moves for reading and writing, as well as the change in magnetic polarity that changes at a rate of millions of times per second, a Hard drive has several disadvantages compared to an SSD.

Among these disadvantages, the following should be highlighted:

• Lower recording and reading speed, becoming 40 times slower than certain SSDs. Higher energy consumption by using mechanical manipulation and friction. It emits noise in its operation. It suffers from overheating problems. It does not get along well with blows, and it is also quite delicate in terms of vibrations and electrical variations. Fewer functions to optimize performance, something that we do find in solid state drives. It has a greater weight than an SSD disk, which makes it more uncomfortable to move a computer with a disk of these characteristics. It has problems in its operation when These are hot environments, which can often affect their performance. It has a negative impact on the performance of systems and applications.

Tips for buying an SSD

SSDs can have read and write speeds significantly higher than those offered by mechanical hard drives. With an SSD disk you can start your PC or laptop much faster, avoiding all that awkward delay when seeing how the operating system loads. That is why updating a computer with such a disk is one of the best decisions to increase performance.

Anyway, there are several suggestions that you should know in case you are thinking about buying an SSD.

Storage capacity

A limited number of recordings can be made on SSDs, in other words, the more writes to the Nand Flash chip, the more it will wear out. And so the end of its useful life will be reached faster.

Which means that a wise decision would be to have both types of storage. An SSD disk that will be in charge of storing the software and the operating system. While on the other hand, the hard disk will be used to store all other files of interest to the user and which will constantly be used and rewritten.

Disk performance

Considering that SSDs have a much higher performance and speed than conventional HDDs, the read and write speeds correspond to extremely important specifications that must be taken into consideration.

There are two types of read and write processes to an SSD: sequential and random.

Sequential speed is used for larger blocks of data, which is why it is faster than random speed, which is used for various reads and writes, although it is slower because it requires more operations.

Considering that manufacturers generally advertise only sequential speeds, it is equally important to know the random access speed.

Flash memory

Just as hard drives employ a turntable system, SSDs use Nand Flash memory. The lifespan of SSDs will depend on the technology they use. To give us an idea, a unit with TLC technology is capable of storing more data in each cell in relation to the others, although consequently it has less useful life and speed.

As we have already seen, SSDs are usually recommended primarily for reads, but not for writes. Manufacturers have been maximizing their performance and life.

Reliability

The MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) is a measure used by manufacturers with which they inform users of the level of possibility of failure that a device may have.

TRIM support

This is a function that tells the disk what data is being used and what data is available to be erased. This limits the number of writes and increases the performance of the SSD. All SSDs already incorporate it and we do not need to optimize it from our Windows 10 operating system.

ECC (Error Correction Code)

Error detection and correction codes are vitally important on an SSD, as they prevent data from being corrupted. This feature is vital in NAND chips, because they have a high effect on the longevity of an SSD.

Manufacturer's brand and warranty

It will always be advisable to choose a reputable brand that comes from a high-quality manufacturer, something important because this device will store important information. By making a good choice you will be ensuring that you will receive good support and constant updates from the manufacturer.

These are several basic aspects that you should keep in mind when buying an SSD. Investing in this storage device is undoubtedly one of the best updates you can bring to your computer.

Entering the extraordinary technology that SSDs offer is a great choice when you are looking for higher speed and overall performance on a desktop or laptop computer.

Although it should be borne in mind that the prices of solid state drives are still much higher than those of their predecessors HDD, something that sometimes ends up being an obstacle depending on the budget that is available.

The factors that attract choosing an SSD are several, and there are less and less doubts in implementing this technology: less electrical energy is spent, higher speeds are obtained in system startup and use of applications, less noise from the storage unit, greater useful life and less weight.

Final words and conclusion about SSD drives

Mainly, an HDD disk continues to be recommended for the user who especially requires saving files without spending a lot of money, leaving aside the importance of the performance and weight of the device.

On the other hand, an SSD disk is geared towards the user who is looking for performance above all else, who is not thinking about managing too many bulky files and has no problem paying a higher price.

As you can see, the SSD technology is better than that of classic HDs, and is capable of providing multiple advantages to users.

Both on a PC and on a high-level server, it is advisable to use an SSD in order to increase the performance and performance of the applications.

The few disadvantages that can be found in an SSD diminish over time, as technology advances and manufacturers improve the quality of these storage units year after year.

With this, new interfaces appear and further increase their reading speed, in addition to new functions such as the ECC (Error Correction Code) that appear to reduce the wear and tear of these devices. These superior features only confirm the superiority of SSDs over classic hard drives.

You may also be interested in reading the following guides:

In short, if you are looking to buy an SSD, check: Type of memory it uses (if it is MLC better than better), the interface (SATA or NVMe), the capacity you need and the read / write rates. Depending on the price you can find more warranty support and extra software for cloning your hard drive to an SSD.

Also, if you are looking to put yourself ahead of the competition, achieve better results and provide an increasingly better service to the users of your application, it is advisable to use an SSD hosting for applications and websites.