Hard drives have served us for many years and still find their way into most of our systems. With the decrease in costs, the number of users who only use SSDs and put HDDs on the shelf continues to increase day by day. After solid state drives came into our lives, they changed many things and brought us countless benefits.
SSD and HDD
Traditional hard drives are used as the basic permanent storage unit in a computer. So unlike the data stored in RAM, the data doesn’t fly away when you shut down the system. HDDs, as you know, have a magnetically coated metal plate that stores your data. The read/write head is used to access data while the platters are rotating.
An SSD performs the same basic function as a hard drive, but all information is stored in interconnected flash memory chips that protect data even when there is no power flow. These flash chips (often called “NAND”) are a different type from the type used in USB flash drives and are generally faster and more reliable. As a result, SSDs are more expensive than USB flash drives of the same capacity.
Advantages of SSD’s
Durability
As we mentioned in traditional hard drives, there are moving parts. Hard disk failures are often caused by these and lead to heat generation, another important factor. Because SSDs have no moving parts, they are more reliable and more shock resistant than traditional hard drives. Most hard drives put the read/write heads in standby when the system is powered off, but they travel a few nanometers above the drive plate when running.
As a result, we can safely say that solid state drives are more resistant to drops, accidents, wear and tear, as they do not have small, vulnerable parts.
Much Faster
This is exactly where SSDs shine. An SSD-equipped computer boots up in less than a minute, often just seconds. With HDDs, these times are many times higher.
A PC or Mac with an SSD can boot faster, launch and run apps faster, and transfer files faster. Whether you’re using your computer for entertainment, school or work, you’ll feel the difference with SSD in any situation.
Portability
SSDs are much easier to carry because they are lighter and smaller than hard drives. In addition, you can easily carry it with you as it is more resistant to falling and hitting with its solid structure.
Because hard drives rely on spinning platters, there is a certain limit to which the product can shrink. There were attempts to develop smaller 1.8-inch hard drives years ago, but those drives were stuck at 320GB. Smartphone manufacturers, on the other hand, use only flash memory for their primary storage. SSDs have no such limitation, so they can keep getting smaller as time goes on.
Productivity
Solid state drives powered by NAND flash chips have no working moving parts and need less power as a result. This means quiet operation and better battery life.
None of the energy consumed by the SSD is wasted as friction or noise, making them more efficient. In other words, regardless of desktop or servers, it contributes positively to the electricity bill. You can work longer on a laptop or tablet.
SSD Form Factors
Solid state drives are defined by three form factors. These are: the size of the drive, the type of connection interface, and the physical space the drive will occupy on the computer.
2.5 inch SATA SSD
The standard form factor for an SSD is 2.5 inches, which fits in the drive bay of most laptops or desktops. As many users have replaced their hard drives with solid state drives, the 2.5 inch drive has become the standard for all HDDs and SSDs. It was designed to make the transition to a higher-performance drive as easy as possible by minimizing the need to replace interfacing cables.
mSATA SSD
mSATA SSDs are small in size compared to SATA. mSATA is one-eighth the size of a 2.5-inch drive and can be plugged into the mSATA socket on the motherboard. mSATA drives are used as secondary drives in ultra-thin and mini devices or desktop computers.
M.2 SSD
It is the smallest form factor for SSDs. While it is plugged into the motherboard via the M.2 interface, it is also possible to use it in PCIe slots thanks to some adapters. You can see M.2 SSDs in all areas, but they are perfect for small tablets and laptops.
