How to choose an SSD for your computer

Many people know that this type of drive significantly increases the speed of the computer, but it is important to deal with correctly in which one SSD suits you.

That is why in the next guide we will tell than solid-state drives better hard drives, as well as solve whether such a high difference in price is justified. In addition, we will answer the main question: what kind of SSD to select for a laptop / computer.

SSD is better than hdd?

The answer is very simple - yes.

Why? The fact is that everything depends on the instructions performed by your computer. The average PC can perform countless instructions, but it uses data (operating system, games, images) from the repository that processes information according to the set speed.

Take as an example a large pipe connected to a small one. No matter how big the first pipe, water will still flow out of the second (i.e. small).

Hard disk

Similarly, our computer is able to send a large number of instructions, however The repository cannot cope with all the data due to speed limitations. Previously, the speed of hard drives fluctuated within 4200-7200 rpm, depending on the model.

HDDs are quite cheap compared to SSDs, but have slower read/write speeds. In addition, there is a high risk that valuable files may be lost. The most common problem with hard drives is damage to the mechanical parts of the device (small moving parts such as magnetic heads).

SSD

read/write is 2-3 times higher compared to HDD.

Every user wants to perform everyday tasks on the computer faster, and the solid state drive allows us to do this.

SSDs are also more durable because they have no moving (mechanical) parts. In addition, SSDs generate less heat and consume less power.

A Few Tips

There are three important things to note before jumping straight into the important factors regarding SSDs.

• PC Compatibility: You need to know everything about your PC/laptop to determine if it supports SSD slots).
• Even worse SSDs are still better than HDs: As you can see, SSDs are much faster, more reliable, and more energy efficient. And even the worst SSD is at least 3x faster than the best HDD!
• What if I need more than 1 TB of storage? In this case, a hard drive is more appropriate, since the price of SSDs larger than 1000 GB is exorbitant. The best option is to buy a 500 GB SSD.

How an SSD works

As you already know, SSDs are the main alternative to hard drives, so their main function remains the same (i.e. store data). However, modern SSDs can be used as cache memory due to their high performance.

An SSD works differently than a HDD because the latter stores data in sectors, while the magnetic head locates and reads/writes data from/to the device.

We won't go into too much technical detail, but what you need to know is that SSDs are made up of NAND cells, each of which is capable of storing data. They are small enough to fit easily into the drive, making it much lighter than an HDD.

The NAND flash memory has transistors, and in each intersection there is a column from sequentially included cells.

Budget

To begin with, it is necessary to determine the amount of money you are willing to spend.

If you figure out the purchase of 128 GB of the model (the cheapest), we would recommend go to one level above and purchase a device with a capacity of 256 GB, because it is more profitable, and you get enough memory (in case If you do not keep huge data volumes).

500 GB, of course, more expensive, but this is the optimal option, as well as a very good price ratio and volume.

Forms Factors

At the moment there are three most common types of solid-state drives. Before you begin searching for SSD, you need to know which one is supported by your PC.

• The newest is standard M2. SSD, which is equipped with most modern thin devices, since the drive of this type is similar to the usual memory card.
• Old laptops were usually supplied with 2.5-inch SERIAL ATA type drive.
• The third most common drive is the extension fee SSD (ADD-IN CARD). It is also worth highlighting U.2.

M2. SSD

M.2 - the newest Standard of solid-state drives today. Discs of this type are the thinnest (similar to RAM ), which is, respectively, very light and fast.

The maximum volume of the M2 model is 4 TB, and the dimensions are mostly the same and suitable for all laptops, however it is worth noting that sometimes the size of the slot may differ (so you need to carefully check before purchase).

Another advantage of M2 - discs of this type can operate both through the PCI Express interface and through SATA. Needless to say, M2 drives are the most expensive at the moment.

SATA

2.5-inch SATA discs are the most popular, simple in update, as well as compatible with most devices. They are connected using the SATA cables and interface, with which any medium specialist in the field of drives is known.

In addition, you can easily go from the hard disk to SSD of this type, since both devices have the same size. However, SATA is one of the slowest options, but in any case, notice a huge difference compared to HDD.

Expansion Board

AIC Expansion Board - one of The fastest options, as such type drives work on the PCI Express bus, not SATA.

AIC is suitable only to desktop computers, since they are connected to the slots on the motherboard. However, if your PC is pretty small and in it already installed the video card, then it will not work out his disk of this type.

Expansion cards are distinguished by a certain amount of heat, since the data is moved very quickly, but the devices have a large surface area and provide good cooling.

U.2 SSD

You will not notice a special difference between SSD-storage facilities like U.2 and M.2, since the main difference is the connector used.

PCIE is thicker than SATA, which is why it is capable of transmitting more data, and as a result of which U.2 is faster than M2. SSD.

SATA and PCIE?

SATA and PCIE are two different types of interface that transmit data on your PC / laptop. We also said that SATA is a slower option than PCIE, but it is worth mentioning another point:

What is suitable?

At the moment, the fastest modern drives support NVME, a protocol that has been developed specifically for devices of this type.

But the selection of the SSD interface ultimately depends on what you do on your PC:

• If you perform severe tasks (for example, Transfer of files and video large sizes, editing photos, compression / unpacking), then you should think about buying a NVME solid-state drive based on the NVME interface.
• For games, it is also recommended to select NVME, since with the output of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles, this interface has become the standard in the context of game systems.
• If the list of your daily tasks is limited to viewing web pages or using office applications, it is worth paying attention to less expensive SATA discs.

Capacity

When choosing a container of a solid-state drive, it is important to determine What exactly you need him.

To make it easier, let's allocate 2 main categories:

less than 500 GB

to ordinary users who Most of the time at the computer conducts on the Internet, you will not need a SSD of a large container.

If you are one of them, i.e. 3 options:

​​

• 128 GB - the cheapest option that is worth choosing only if you Not going to keep any data on your PC. Our recommendation, however, will be the purchase of SSD by 128 GB in a pair with a hard disk (and with the installation of the OS to the first, which will significantly increase the speed of the computer).
• 256 GB is still not enough if you want to upload movies and games. However, this is more than enough for small files and folders, as well as pairs of games.
• 500 GB is the most optimal option because you get enough space for games, software and video.

greater than 500 GB

is suitable if you keep a lot of high quality media system and are a gamer, and Also working with large volumes.

• 1 TB - For those who work with large media files or with several operating systems.
• 2 TB - With SSD such a capacity, you will almost never have to think about the lack of space on the PC. However, this model will cost a round sum.
• 4 TB is the maximum possible amount of memory. Accordingly, such a drive will be the most expensive. In addition, few brands produce devices of this type. Samsung - the most famous of them.

Energy consumption

PC users should not worry at all On energy consumption SSD, since it is usually much more energy efficient than a traditional hard disk.

However, there are several models for laptops, which may ultimately lead to an increase in battery life at least an hour.

If you want to achieve maximum battery operation, then standard SSD models may be preferable compared to NVME, since the latter provide greater performance and, accordingly, require additional energy.

Components SSD

Controller

The controller is, in fact, the main The SSD element, since it provides data exchange (SATA or PCIE), and also controls the recording / reading operations in the memory cell, controls their condition and maintains maintenance and much more.

Thus, the better the controller, the higher the performance and cost of the drive.

Buffer memory

This is a small amount of non-Energy-dependent memory used to caching recording / reading operations.

The cache helps perfectly when transmitting large volumes. The main advantage is to faster access to frequently used files.

NAND flash memory

These are chips of non-volatile memory in which the information recorded on the disk is stored. NAND flash memory is faster and has a big impact on the performance of solid-state drives. There are 4 types of NAND flash memory, about which we will talk below.

Memory Type

All solid-state drives are more or less similar, since manufacturers are driven into Frames and follow one template. In any case, we still need to know from which the disk consists to successfully select the SSD drive for the computer.

Each device is equipped with a specific type of memory used. Memory consists of cells: first were single-level, but today solid-state drives with four-level cells are available.

Below we consider 4 types of NAND memory:

• Flash memory with a single-level cell (Single-Level Cell - SLC), as follows from the name, stores only one data batch in each cell. Discs with memory of this type are not very capacious as well as expensive. The device of this type will only be needed if you often work with large-volume files and perform complex tasks, for example, rendering video.
• Flash memory with a multi-level cell (MLC) is known in that it is capable of storing more data and has a lower price, but is slower. You can solve the problem with speed using a quick SLC cache that acts as a record buffer.
• Flash memory with a three-tier cell (TLC) is the most common type of memory in modern solid-state drives. Although the technology is still slower compared to MLC, the drives of this type are able to fit more information.
• Flash memory with a four-level cell (QLC) - Kesh drive of such an SSD is quickly filled, which leads to a decrease in speed and lower stamina rating.

Reliability

To worry about the service life of the solid-state drive It is worth even if it has a limited number of recording operations. In addition, you are hardly going to record non-stop files on your SSD, 24/7. That is why you can expect that any solid-state drive lasts at least 5 years before its resource runs out.

If you want to achieve maximum service life, then here are some tips:

• Purchase SSD large volume
• Avoid solid-state storage devices with a four-level cell
• Try not to buy a drive on the secondary market (i.e. from the hands)
• Try to purchase a model with a guarantee

These tips will help increase SSD service life. Mostly drives do not deliver special problems, however, we recommend from time to time to make a backup copy of particularly important data.

3D XPOINT / Optane

3D Xpoint - relatively new non-volatile memory technology created by Intel and Micron corporations. It differs from the above-described solid-state drives based on flash memory, because it provides better reliability, as a result of the service life of the device rises. In addition, the drives of this type are very fast.

The speed of memory is striking, but Optane drives are very expensive for most users. But still this is a huge step forward, as we can observe the emergence of faster technologies, which in the near future will become standards.

Results

So our detailed guide approached the end, in which we tried to make every important item associated with SSD, the most understandable as possible.

We compared the solid-state drive with a hard disk and came to the conclusion that SSD is the best option, but it is important to know the principle of their work, as well as what volume and type of memory is optimal.

We hope all the information indicated above has proven useful and help to figure out which SSD to choose for a PC / laptop.