Reliable ssd drive. Over the long term, the HDD remains the leader in reliability.

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As part of the material “Different SSDs: is there a difference? ", in which several SSD and HDD models of various classes were tested, we demonstrated the differences between these devices using examples of real user operations. Almost a year and a half has passed since publication - a considerable period by the standards of the computer industry. What has changed during this time? Yes, almost everything. Prices have gone down. The assortment has been shaken up by manufacturers almost completely, due to lower prices and the need to reduce costs adequately (to the new pricing policy). The concept of “budget class” now means configurations based on TLC NAND, and finding something based on MLC NAND memory in the top lines of store price lists is a real problem. The class of flagship-level solutions, the one we saw it as just a year and a half ago, is on the verge of extinction. Now, “flagship” means not a solution with a 2.5" form factor with a SATA 6 Gb/s interface, but with an M.2 form factor with a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 interface. A good example of this is the series of actions by Toshiba OCZ in recent months: OCZ Vector 180 (2.5" SATA) is discontinued, the flagship is now Toshiba OCZ RD400 (PCI-E 3.0 x4), OCZ Vertex 460A with 19 nm memory is replaced by Vertex 500 (Toshiba OCZ VT500) on cheaper 15 nm memory, and the lower price segment now means not the relatively new Trion 150 (which has 480 GB or more), but the recently announced TL100, which is based on an even more simplified platform than Phison S10. In other words, if previously manufacturers maneuvered within the relatively narrow confines of one type of MLC NAND memory and one form factor, then in 2016 the scope for their maneuvers became greater, and the “step into the mainstream” of PCI-Express 3.0 and NVMe interfaces further expanded the range of solutions . But is there a difference between them in practice? As the practical experience of users shows, the situation with work and full utilization of current capacities is still quite dismal. Thanks to our regular partners - the Regard store and manufacturing companies, we will again clarify the situation by comparing different drive models with each other.

Review and testing of SmartBuy Splash 120 GB SSD drive (SB120GB-SPLH-25SAT3) The SmartBuy brand continues to amaze. Most recently, we tested the SmartBuy S11-2280T, which has no analogues at all (this is the only solution based on the Phison PS3111-S11 controller), and now another original drive has appeared in its range, called SmartBuy Splash. And it is also based on an exotic controller - this time the Marvell 88NV1120, which is no longer found among the models presented in domestic retail.

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A little harsh reality that kicks marketing, or you also need to know the hardware

Extreme Speed ​​Race

“Guys, no offense, but I understand why Russia is in a dead end - because of experts like you.”
User's reaction to forum participants' advice not to try
assemble a RAID array of two Samsung SM951 on LGA 1151.

I gave this quote from my personal experience of communication. Alas, that’s exactly it: people come up with the idea of ​​sculpting wonderful structures without bothering at all with analyzing the technical essence. Then, using various “shamanic dances,” they try to make this “Frankenstein” work, arguing with others and not believing their words that such a plan, even technically (not to mention the financial side of the issue), is stupid. And having forced this design to show signs of life, users are surprised to learn that the result does not meet their expectations and... again they begin the search for those to blame.

This particular user was trying to assemble a “zero” level RAID array from two solid-state drives with a PCI-E 3.0 x4 interface on a motherboard based on the Intel Z170 system logic set. The point is that he wanted to install both SSDs in slots connected specifically to the Intel Z170. Studying the block diagram of this chipset will show that the dream of being able to achieve read speeds in the region of 4.2 GB/s (summing up the capabilities of two SM951 on linear operations) is unrealistic.

The fact is that the system logic itself communicates with the processor via the third version of the Direct Media Interface (DMI) bus, which is technically a modified combination of four PCI-Express 3.0 lines with a corresponding bandwidth of about 3.93 GB per second. Moreover, part of this bandwidth is used for the needs of peripherals - network controller, SATA and USB ports, and so on.

The only solution in the case of LGA 1151 is to install a PLX type switch chip, which connects to the CPU and uses lines from it, but such boards are very expensive due to the cost of such an engineering solution. In terms of the size of the numbers on the price tags, they are actually already beginning to overlap with the LGA 2011-v3 platform, where there is no such problem simply due to the fact that it has more PCI-Express lines coming from the processor (from 28 to 40, depending on the CPU model, versus 16 in LGA 1151).

So why do manufacturers install two (or even more) M.2 connectors on motherboards with an LGA 1151 processor socket? The answer is simple: this is great for separate operation of drives, when only one SSD is accessed, and not all at the same time; for installing other expansion cards (you can already purchase, for example, Wi-Fi adapters). No one has canceled the fact of the existence of such SSDs, such as the recently introduced Intel SSD 600p, a modification of which with a capacity of 128 GB provides only up to 770 MB/s for reading and 450 MB/s for writing. Which, by the way, is comparable to the two-year-old Plextor M6e with two PCI-E interface lines (and still version 2.0).

Moreover, in addition to the load itself, there is also the so-called “service traffic”, which is always present, as a result of which the actual throughput is lower. And, as practice shows, in reality, on LGA 1151 it is possible to obtain no more than 3.4-3.5 GB per second, and even that practically in “laboratory conditions” - while minimizing the load on all other elements of the system and carefully selecting the configuration of the test system. The most realistic ones turn out to be 3.1-3.2 GB.

But there is still one option for LGA 1151 systems: install PCI-E SSDs so that they are connected separately to the processor and to the system logic set. In this case, only the option of software assembly using the operating system itself will be available, but this is actually unimportant for one simple reason: consumer-class motherboards, in principle, do not have RAID controllers.

Yes, that’s right: all operations on “consumer” motherboards are performed by the driver at the software level using the resources of the central processor. This type of software array even goes by the unofficial name “FakeRAID”. A real RAID controller includes its own microprocessor (often with considerable heat generation), cache memory, a power circuit to protect data in the event of an unplanned power outage, and a number of other wiring elements.

The total cost of such a device is higher than that of most motherboards, not to mention the system logic set itself, and therefore models like ASRock Z87 Extreme11/ac, which use LSI SAS 3008 and LSI SAS 3x24R coupled with flash memory, are a kind of exclusive .

Chasing a penny

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The second half of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 were marked by the fact that TLC NAND memory became a truly widespread phenomenon in solid-state drives. Samsung lost its “monopoly”, and almost immediately two duets emerged opposing each other: Toshiba memory with Phison controllers and SK Hynix memory with Silicon Motion controllers.

More famous brands like Kingston, Toshiba OCZ, Corsair and a number of others relied on the first duo. The second in the solutions of more or less popular brands was only in the ADATA assortment, everything else was made up of many Chinese and little-known companies here (and not only here).

Recently, flash memory with a vertical layout, developed by Micron and Intel (IMFT), entered the scene; in fact, only one drive on it is more or less fully present on the market - Crucial MX300, but, apparently, the current arrangement as a whole will not change and here – Toshiba and Western Digital (SanDisk) are preparing their 3D V-NAND.

Despite the obvious opposition, these platforms are very close both in terms of marketing components and hardware ideology. Drives based on them are currently positioned as entry-level and mid-level solutions, and the essence of their work is virtually identical.

Although TLC NAND has lower production costs, it also has its disadvantages. In particular, this is a rather slow memory, and its performance level does not stand up to criticism during write operations. To ensure that such drives can still offer decent performance, a trick is used: part of the memory array operates in an “accelerated” recording mode (sometimes called “pseudoSLC”).

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As a result, modern models on TLC NAND, with rare exceptions, even being small in size (~120-128 GB), indicate in their official specifications write speeds of approximately 400-550 MB/s - precisely thanks to the SLC mode.

But the amount of data that the drive is capable of writing at such a high speed is usually small and, depending on the size of the SSD, can start from approximately 2 GB for the lowest modifications.

Another thing is that such behavior is not always noticeable simply due to the fact that copying really large amounts of data is a situation that does not arise so often. It’s not entirely pleasant to observe copying speeds almost at the level of very old HDD models.

The first “step” is Windows caching. The second is SLC cache. The bottom “shelf” is the real operating speed of the Zenith R3 120 GB outside the SLC cache.

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In fact, there is another very real scenario in which the lack of an SLC buffer and low write speed outside it can manifest themselves: installing games with a large amount of space.

In general, solid-state drives based on TLC NAND look most optimal in large volumes: the resource becomes excessive purely due to the volume, and the size of the SLC buffer (which is usually set as a percentage of the SSD volume) is quite large. And the memory array itself is equipped with so many NAND crystals that the write speed even outside the SLC buffer increases to decent values. For example, the capacity of planar TLC NAND crystals produced by Toshiba, SK Hynix and Micron is now 128 Gbit, it is easy to calculate that to build a 128 GB array you need 8 crystals, and a 512 GB array is already assembled with 32 crystals.

Speaking of resources. This is another cornerstone of knowledge of materiel. In fact, contrary to popular belief, the resource is expressed not only by a numerical indicator (how much data can be written to the drive before the first failures), but also by the safety of this data. How is data stored in flash memory? They are stored in cells in the form of a charge, and there is such a physical process as “charge flow” into neighboring cells. Eventually the memory cell simply stops being read correctly. And the more worn out the memory cells are, the more active and faster this process occurs. The newly recorded data can be read perfectly, but after a while problems begin.

To solve this problem, engineers are actively developing new error correction algorithms, but this only pushes the bar back when what is read from a memory cell becomes undecipherable, in other words, “garbage.” At some point, the controller firmware may decide to overwrite hard-to-read data to “refresh” the charge, but “thanks to” wear-leveling algorithms, there is a high probability that the new cells where the data will be transferred will turn out to be no better. And at some point, as they wear out, the process of cells losing charge will simply become an avalanche.

The key here: time. This is where the fallacy of the vast majority of wear tests that are carried out by various publications and individual enthusiasts lies: newly recorded data can be read perfectly, but after some time (a week, two, three) it may turn out differently, especially if the memory array is already worn out. And this is the main difficulty: a full-fledged correct test will take too long. Not to mention the classics of statistics, the concept of “sample representativeness”: as a rule, one or two samples are tested, and not different ones from several batches. In other words, you can stumble upon both copies with flash memory from an unsuccessful batch, and drives that contained an excellently successful batch of flash memory. Let us emphasize once again that by the concept of “time” we mean a truly noticeable period, and not several days (as some Internet resources raised panic). The issue of timing is discussed in this material.

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And the type of memory itself is not a death sentence. In fact, the specific features of individual controllers and platforms as a whole have a significant impact on the life of the drive. The most famous example of the latter is the Silicon Motion SM2246XT controller. It has this property: it behaves well only if there is at least 10% free space on the drive, otherwise WA (Write amplification, in some samples I have seen WA ~1300-1500) increases sharply and the drive literally dies after a few months of use. And the fact that MLC NAND is used in conjunction with this controller (TLC is not supported by the SM2246XT) does not make it any easier. But the unloved SandForce controllers, thanks to the data compression implemented in them, in some conditions (for example, during office work) can provide themselves with a twofold superiority in resource compared to other controllers with the same flash memory.

That is why wear tests in the form in which they are currently carried out are not the absolute truth, but only an indirect indicator of the capabilities of drives and nothing more. Although, for lack of anything better, one has to be content with this.

They are the most modern and high-performance data storage for computer systems. They offer much higher data transfer rates than traditional hard drives, while consuming less power and having higher levels of reliability due to the absence of moving parts in the design of the device.

The characteristics and performance of different SSD models on the market can vary quite a lot, so it is very important to learn as much as possible about solid-state drives before going to the store to buy a device.

In this article, we'll look at some key features and how they can impact the performance and cost of SSD drives—simple, affordable, and hassle-free. I really hope that this knowledge will help you when choosing an SSD for your computer.

Volume

SSD is not the cheapest pleasure, and the cost of the device increases in direct proportion to its volume. A good drive with a capacity of 480-512 GB will cost about $200, and a “terabyte” drive will cost about $500.

In order to save on unnecessary waste, savvy users came up with an elementary solution - use an SSD drive to operate the system, and leave a classic hard drive - HDD - for movies, music, photos and other content that takes up the lion's share of disk space.

Thus, it turns out that a bootable SSD disk will ensure faster operation of the system, programs and computer games. And the second disk, HDD, will serve as a kind of storage for the remaining data.

But what size SSD should you choose? Here are my thoughts on this matter:

• 32 GB: with a stretch, it’s suitable for installing an operating system (hereinafter simply referred to as OS) and some low-demanding programs. Suitable for office work, where they do not use anything other than Word and Excel;
• 64 GB: good for installing the OS and most of the software necessary for work. Again, an office version of the drive;
• 120 GB: great for installing the OS and necessary programs. You can even install a couple of your favorite games to load the latest ones faster;
• 240 GB: great for installing OS, software and games. Most likely, you won’t have problems with low memory for a long time, unless, of course, you start cluttering the disk with various multimedia files, such as music and movies. I repeat, for these purposes it is better to use a second disk - HDD;
• 480+ GB: great for installing OS, software, games, and you can even get a little naughty and throw multimedia onto the disk.

This is roughly how I see SSD volumes for the various purposes you are pursuing. The golden mean is, of course, a 240 GB drive. Unless you're an avid gamer who plays another game every week, then it's worth considering better options.

Flash memory

Flash memory is another very important parameter that determines the cost of the device, as well as its performance, read speed and durability. And here, in most cases, the choice is between flash memory with two-bit cells - MLC and three-bit cells - TLC, but which type of memory to choose depends on the tasks for which the SSD is purchased.

If you take an SSD as data storage, then you can safely buy a drive with TLC flash memory. Such SSDs, at the same cost, will have much more memory than MLC SSDs, but have fewer rewrite cycles.

Accordingly, if you take an SSD to install the system, then it is better to choose MLC. The volume will be smaller, but the number of rewrite cycles will be greater. And since the data on the system disk is constantly updated, MLC is an ideal option for a boot disk with the system.

There is also 3D V-NAND flash memory, developed by SAMSUNG. The principle of operation is the same as MLC and TLC memory, only in a three-dimensional model. The 32-layer design is promoted by SAMSUNG under the marketing name V-NAND, and MLC V-NAND and TLC V-NAND flash memory is considered more reliable than its classic counterparts.

Interface

If you choose an SSD for permanent use in a computer or laptop, the connection interface will most likely be Serial ATA (SATA), rather than USB or PCI Express. Why? Because USB is an order of magnitude slower than SATA, and is only suitable as an external drive, and PCIe is an order of magnitude more expensive than SATA, although it is an order of magnitude faster.

Therefore, if you want to get the “golden mean” in the form of excellent speed and not very high price, then you will need a “SATA III” interface with a bandwidth of 6 Gbit/s.

The older "SATA I" and "SATA II" interfaces still have excellent performance, especially when compared to hard drives, but they won't give you the best performance.

On the other hand, you may have to purchase an SSD with a first or second generation SATA interface if your PC is quite outdated and the motherboard only has SATA connectors of the first or second revision. Although, from a technical point of view, you can take the “three”, since the SATA III interface is backward compatible and will work with previous versions.

To check which SATA version you have, you need to Google the model of your motherboard and look at the specifications on the manufacturer's website. You can find out the motherboard model by looking at the name on the board itself or using standard Windows tools. To do this, open the command line (WIN+R -> CMD) and enter the command “wmic baseboard get product” (without quotes).

By the way, interface speeds are measured in gigabits per second, while disk read and write times are measured in megabytes per second. To determine interface restrictions, I have listed the converted values ​​for different SATA versions:

• SATA III (6 Gb/s): 750 MB/s;
• SATA II (3Gbps): 375 MB/s;
• SATA I (1.5 Gbps): 187.5 MB/s.

Remember that this is the theoretical maximum throughput for the various SATA interface standards. Real performance will be slightly lower than these figures. For example, most SATA III SSDs peak between 500 and 600 MB/s, which is about 20-30% below the maximum.

Read/write speed

Read Speed ​​- Determines how long it takes to open or read a file stored on disk.

Write speed is how long it takes to save or write to disk.

These parameters are one of the most important technical characteristics in solid-state drives, essentially showing the performance of the SSD. High read speed makes loading programs and games faster (as well as the entire operating system as a whole), and write speed affects tasks such as unpacking files using 7Zip.

Most modern SSDs have read speeds in the range of 500-600 MB/s, but very cheap/old SSDs cannot boast of such speeds. Therefore, I would advise choosing an SSD with a read speed in this range.

If you compare HDDs and solid-state drives, you can see that hard drives are several times slower than SSDs, with a read speed of 128 MB/s and a write speed of 120 MB/s. It is for this reason that when you “switch” from HDD to SSD, you will immediately feel an incredible increase in system loading speed when you turn on the computer, however, as mentioned a little above, you will also notice an increase in speed in loading games, opening programs, saving files and so on.

I would like to note that the write speed is not as important as the read speed, and therefore you can sacrifice a weak characteristic for the sake of a stronger parameter if the disk has a good read speed, but a much lower write speed.

Form factor

The form factor determines the size of the footprint and mounting for the drive. In most system units, space for a disk drive is made in a 3.5’’ form factor. This is where your computer's hard drive is most likely installed.

Since manufacturers are gradually abandoning the 3.5” form factor, the vast majority of SSD drives are made in the 2.5” form factor. But don’t be scared or stress yourself out, because if it comes to a personal computer, then you can easily install a brand new SSD in the system unit instead of a 3.5’’ HDD or next to it. To do this, you just need to purchase a special mounting frame (or an adapter, in other words), by placing a 2.5’’-inch SSD in it, you can easily install the latter in a 3.5’’ form factor mount.

But if you really can’t bear it, or purchasing a mounting frame is a problem, then you can screw a 2.5’’ solid-state drive onto two out of four bolts. One of my friends did exactly this and is happy as an elephant :)

If you're planning to install an SSD in your laptop to replace the hard drive, you'll also want to be aware of the physical size limitations. For example, 2.5-inch rims are typically available in several height ranges, from as thin as 5mm to taller ones as high as 9.5mm.

If your laptop can only fit a drive with a height of up to 7.5 mm, and you buy a 9.5 mm SSD, then, of course, this drive will not work. The same applies to mSATA and M.2 drives, used exclusively in laptops, ultrabooks and hybrid systems.

Therefore, be careful.

Manufacturer

An SSD is quite a large investment (by the standards of PC components), and if you decide to buy, it is better to do it from a quality, trusted brand. An excellent choice would be:

• Samsung is ahead of the curve in the development, production and sale of solid-state drives, winning 44% of the market for these devices. And there is nothing surprising here, because the company develops SSDs from start to finish, which together gives stable operation of the device and technical progress in this direction that is ahead of many manufacturers;
• Kingstone - the company does not develop devices at all stages, but works very competently with third-party manufacturers. The products of this brand offer market consumers a fairly flexible choice of high-quality SSD drive models, which has enabled Kingstone to gain a good foothold in the market of this segment;
• Crucial (Micron) and SanDisk are excellent choices as they offer high-quality, reliable products that operate at good speeds.

Buying an SSD from a “no-name” manufacturer is a rather risky step, especially if the price of the product is suspiciously low compared to similar drives from competitors. Using such a product, you can get seriously burned if something happens to the system or personal data.

Copyright "P.S.:"

We'll probably end here. Of course, one could name a dozen more different parameters that would give some flexibility in the question of which SSD to choose, but I believe that I have already outlined the most important thing in this article, and everything else is quite secondary characteristics that are clear to the average user They won’t contribute, but will only create, as they say, a mess in the head.

Happy shopping, thanks for reading to the end! Hope you liked it ;)

Comments:

Konstantin 2018-03-06 19:34:32 As for SSHD drives, what can you suggest for a laptop?? Dmitriy 2018-03-28 17:09:44 Thank you it was useful for me))) [Reply] [Cancel reply] chaivin 2018-07-05 01:50:10 Thank you! Great article! Concretely and to the point. [Reply] [Cancel reply] Maxim Ivanov 2019-01-19 00:08:57 [Reply] [Cancel reply] Gulnara 2019-03-27 18:52:00 Thank you! Just relevant. Reposted on FB. [Reply] [Cancel reply] Dmitriy 2019-06-17 15:13:04 Very helpful. [Reply] [Cancel reply]

Drives for testing were provided by the company "Regard ", where there is always a wide choiceSSDat competitive prices

Flash memory-based solid state drives have become a part of our lives. They provide high speed data access - which is why they are used in a large percentage of personal computers today. In fact, any modern productive configuration implies the presence of an SSD with a capacity sufficient, at a minimum, to install the operating system and basic programs.

However, prices for drives based on flash memory remain high enough to completely displace classic hard drives from use. For a flash drive with a capacity of 2 TB, for example, you will have to spend about $800, and a HDD of the same volume will cost 6-7 times less. Therefore, today the unspoken standard has become a two-level organization of the disk subsystem, implying the simultaneous presence of a high-speed, small-capacity solid-state drive and a capacious mechanical hard drive. In this combination, the SSD plays the role of the system disk, and the HDD is intended for storing user files and a multimedia library.

More recently, users who decided to join the SSD were guided by this particular scheme and purchased mainly solid-state drives with a capacity of 60 to 128 GB, which contained only the operating system and a couple of the most actively used programs. And sometimes even Intel’s Smart Response technology was used, which allows using a small SSD to organize caching of any requests to a relatively slow HDD. That is, due to the high prices for solid-state drives, users had to resort to certain tricks and try to get by with SSDs as small as possible.

However, recently the situation has changed somewhat. Improvements in the design of flash memory chips, the development of new technological processes, as well as increased competition among solid-state drive manufacturers have had a very large impact on the prices of consumer SSD models. Just since the beginning of 2015, the cost of popular models of client flash drives has fallen by more than one and a half times. And this, naturally, changed customer preferences. Of course, in most cases it has not yet been possible to get away from the two-level disk subsystem, but rather capacious models have often begun to be used as system drives, which allow storing not only the operating system and main software packages, but also a certain number of games on fast media. Therefore, it is not surprising that 256 GB models have become the best-selling SSDs today. Actually, it is for this reason that our laboratory pays special attention to SSD tests with such a capacity: we almost always get acquainted with the performance of new products using the example of modifications with a capacity of 256 GB.

However, this does not mean that 128 GB SSDs became completely unpopular overnight. In fact, their sales are only slightly inferior to sales of drives with twice the capacity. And this is understandable: for low-cost configurations, a 128 GB SSD is more affordable, and many users simply do not need high-speed storage devices with a larger capacity. Therefore, our readers often turn to us for advice: which of the modern SSDs is better to purchase if they have to choose from among offers with a capacity of 128 GB.

Unfortunately, our regular testing of drives with a capacity of 256 GB or more does not allow us to give an unambiguous answer to the question of how SSDs with a capacity of 128 GB perform in real life. The fact is that such models differ from their older brothers in internal architecture - and this inevitably affects their performance. In order to pack a relatively small 128GB flash memory array, fewer NAND devices than usual are required, which reduces the level of parallelism of the entire NAND array inside the drive. And this not only makes the 128 GB SSD noticeably slower than offerings of larger capacity, but at the same time the load on the controller is also reduced, which somewhat smoothes out the differences between high-end and budget SSD platforms. In total, all this means that in small-volume drives the primary influence on the final performance is the speed of the flash memory used, while a powerful controller is not at all necessary to obtain good performance. Therefore, when comparing SSDs with a capacity of 128 GB, the leaders may not be those models that are usually considered flagship solutions. And therefore, the question of the optimal choice of drives of this volume is by no means idle.

Considering all that has been said, our laboratory decided to turn to research on the performance of 128-GB SATA SSDs and conducted a large combined test, which should clearly answer the question of which small-capacity SSDs make sense to purchase today. It's worth noting that this testing is valuable not only because we tested a large number of different SSD models. A separate advantage of the study is that it was carried out simultaneously. That is, all performance indicators were taken on an unchanged test system with the latest version of the Windows 10 operating system with the latest drivers and the latest firmware versions. Moreover, all the drives included in the comparison were taken by us from retail sales immediately before conducting tests, that is, the results obtained characterize exactly those versions of SSDs that can currently be bought in stores.

Brief overview of tested SSDs

ADATA Premier SP550 120 GB

ADATA is famous for its love for various experiments with SSDs. In its product line you can find very rare combinations of controller and memory, and the new Premier SP550 model is just one of such products that has no analogues among the offerings of other manufacturers. The fact is that ADATA decided to be one of the first to try out the new Silicon Motion SM2256 controller, which is the next version of the popular SM2246EN controller with the addition of a hardware error correction algorithm based on LDPC ECC (low-density code). This algorithm is more efficient than the usually used BCH ECC, which allows you to combine the rather capricious TLC NAND with the new controller and at the same time guarantee a level of data storage reliability acceptable for client SSDs.

This is exactly how the ADATA Premier SP550 is made. In it, the SM2256 chip works with TLC NAND from SK Hynix, produced using 16 nm technology. The flash memory array of this drive consists of eight NAND devices connected to the controller via four channels. And this means that the Premier SP550 is a budget solution with relatively low performance.

However, the SP550 implements special technologies aimed at masking the low speed of the flash memory array. Thus, it provides SLC caching technology for write operations. This means that a small part of the memory array is switched to fast SLC mode and serves as a Write-Back cache. The effective size of this area for the 120 GB version of the SP550 is about 2.5 GB.

There are no complaints about the declared reliability: the SP550 comes with a standard three-year warranty, and its declared endurance is 90 TB of records.

ADATA Premier SP610 128 GB

The older brother of the previous drive, the Premier SP610, is based on the older Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller, which does not have TLC NAND support. Therefore, the SP610 belongs to a higher class - it uses full-fledged MLC NAND, produced by Micron using a 20-nm process technology.

However, despite this, the SP610 still remains an inexpensive solution. The SM2246EN controller is a typical budget chip: it has a single-core design and RISC architecture, and communicates with flash memory via four channels. In addition, the Premier SP610 uses 128-gigabit MLC NAND devices. Consequently, the level of parallelism of the ADATA Premier SP610 flash memory array is relatively low, and this significantly limits the performance of this solution, especially on write operations.

ADATA Premier Pro SP920 128 GB

The ADATA Premier Pro SP920 model has been on the market for quite a long time, however, it continues to enjoy steady demand and therefore is in no hurry to become an obsolete product. The secret of its popularity is the use of the Marvell 88SS9189 controller, which has won the title of one of the best platforms for SATA SSD. This is a full-fledged and high-performance eight-channel controller, which is usually based on the most advanced SSDs.

But the Premier Pro SP920 still cannot be called a flagship product. The fact is that it is actually manufactured by Micron, and ADATA only distributes it through its channels. Micron did not create competitors with similar characteristics for its own Crucial MX100/MX200 series with its own hands, but proposed using its own MLC NAND, produced using the old 20 nm process technology, in the Premier Pro SP920. Moreover, the capacity of the flash memory devices that fit into the SP920 is 128 Gbit, that is, the degree of parallelism of the memory array is not too high - only one NAND device is connected to each controller channel.

As a result, the ADATA Premier Pro SP920 can only claim to be a mid-range offering. However, his noble birth allows us to hope for high reliability. For example, although this SSD only comes with a three-year warranty, it claims a relatively good recording resource of 72 TB. In addition, the electrical circuit of the Premier Pro SP920 provides hardware protection of the address translation table from power surges, which is usually not implemented in consumer-level offerings.

ADATA XPG SX930 120 GB

XPG SX930 is one of ADATA's most original drives. And it's not just that it's based on the rare JMicron JMF670H controller. What’s much more interesting is that, having relied on this budget four-channel platform, ADATA engineers tried to create a product out of it that could look decent on a par with flagship SATA SSDs.

To solve this problem, two different methods were used at once. The reliability of the ADATA XPG SX930 has been increased due to special flash memory, which the manufacturer calls MLC+. In essence, this is almost ordinary 16-nm MLC NAND manufactured by Micron, but with an important addition in the form of FortisFlash technology. This technology extends the life of flash memory cells through the use of intelligent algorithms for their management and special software settings of the controller. Unfortunately, ADATA does not disclose specific details regarding the effectiveness of using FortisFlash MLC, however, the XPG SX930, unlike all other drives from this manufacturer, comes with a full five-year warranty.

The second method for improving drive performance is pseudo-SLC caching. Typically, this strategy is typical for drives using TLC NAND, but in the case of the XPG SX930, a similar approach is applied to SSDs based on MLC memory. And here it is quite appropriate, because the level of parallelism of the memory array in this SSD is minimal, since the NAND devices used in the XPG SX930 have a 128-gigabit capacity, and the JMicron JMF670H controller works with the flash memory array only through four channels. The effective size of the SLC cache in the 128 GB version of the XPG SX930, according to our estimates, is about 3 GB, and its presence allows ADATA to indicate fairly high performance indicators for this drive in the specifications.

Crucial BX100 120 GB

Under the Crucial brand, two lines of solid-state drives are traditionally supplied: the older one, MX, and the younger one, BX. However, only cheap Crucial BX100 drives have a capacity of 120 GB, while the flagship MX200 series has a minimum capacity of 250 GB. This is due to the fact that Micron, which owns the Crucial brand, puts flash memory with a core size of 128 Gbit in its modern SSDs. Accordingly, the memory array in the 120 GB modification of the drive receives a low level of parallelism, and it does not make much sense to use a powerful hardware platform with it.

Crucial BX100 120 GB is a typical budget SSD, which is based on a four-channel single-core Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller. It works with a flash memory array, which is assembled from Micron chips produced using 16 nm technology. And this means that in terms of hardware, the BX100 is very similar to many other similar SSDs, for example, the same ADATA Premier SP610.

However, there is one important difference. Micron has a strong engineering team, so the Crucial BX100 is not built from the reference design provided by the controller developers. It has its own layout and its own firmware, by optimizing which Micron engineers have achieved improved performance compared to most SSDs based on the SM2246EN chip.

Intel SSD 535 120 GB

Intel has long ceased to be one of the leading manufacturers of consumer-grade SSDs. Now it is almost entirely focused on the server segment and offers only slightly adapted server models for ordinary users. With one exception, which is the Intel SSD 535 and its earlier versions. However, SSD 535 is produced by Intel rather out of inertia, and simply because many buyers pay attention to Intel SSDs based on old memory. In fact, this is a modern variation of the Intel SSD 520 - an ancient Intel drive that was released at the very beginning of 2012.

In other words, the Intel SSD 535 is almost the only current drive that uses the ever-memorable SandForce SF-2281 controller. And this is a very unflattering characteristic, since, firstly, the SF-2281 is outdated, and secondly, it is characterized by a lot of problems, starting with low speed when working with poorly compressed data and ending with performance degradation over time. However, Intel engineers developed their own firmware for the SF-2281 and were able to significantly improve the efficiency of this hardware platform. Of course, this did not make the SF-2281 controller modern or flagship, but at least Intel's 500th series SSDs are by far the best embodiment of the SandForce platform.

As for memory, the Intel SSD 535 uses inexpensive MLC NAND chips from SK Hynix, produced using a 16-nm process technology. Moreover, the capacity of these chips is 128 Gbit, and due to the low level of parallelism of the flash memory array, the Intel SSD 535 is clearly slower than the original Intel SSD 520. However, to compensate for the negative impact of large NAND cores on performance, the developers implemented an accelerated pseudo mode in the SSD 535. SLC recordings, and as a result, the Intel SSD 535 manages to compete almost equally with modern budget drives from other manufacturers.

Nevertheless, the Intel SSD 535 is far from a flagship, but, on the contrary, a solution with rather mediocre performance parameters and an unreasonably high price. There is only one consolation in this situation: the Intel SSD 535 has not lost Intel’s vaunted reliability and inherited a full five-year warranty from its predecessors.

Kingston SSDNow V300 120 GB

Apparently, Kingston SSDNow V300 can be considered one of the most popular solid state drives. However, he managed to become so not at all thanks to technological superiority. The secret to the popularity of the SSDNow V300 is its low price and the marketing policy of its manufacturer.

Let's start with the fact that the Kingston SSDNow V300 is based on an outdated SandForce SF-2281 controller with a lot of unresolved problems: performance degradation and low speed when working with poorly compressed data. But it is cheap and, provided it is equipped with high-quality flash memory, can compete with modern four-channel controllers in the lower price range.

Actually, the SSDNow V300 was originally equipped with fast MLC NAND, which allowed it to gain a reputation as a fairly attractive solution in terms of price and performance. However, about a year ago, Kingston, without any warning, changed the hardware of this drive, and the place of good flash memory was taken by less good one. As a result, today's SSDNow V300 uses 20nm MLC flash memory from Micron with asynchronous access. It is worth recalling that such memory could be found in cheap solid-state drives several years ago, but then the industry completely abandoned it. But not Kingston, which, in order to reduce the price, decided to return to using this memory and gave its current drive features, for example, the old Kingston SSDNow V+200 (if you still remember the existence of such a model).

However, to be fair, it should be said that asynchronous MLC NAND is approximately equivalent in speed to TLC NAND, so against the backdrop of a new wave of budget solid-state drives based on three-bit memory, the Kingston SSDNow V300 looks quite normal.

Kingston HyperX Fury 120 GB

Essentially, Kingston HyperX Fury is a redesigned SSDNow V300, sold by the manufacturer under the more prestigious gaming brand HyperX. However, if we talk about the hardware platform, then, just like in the SSDNow V300, it consists of an SF-2281 controller from 2011 and MLC NAND with asynchronous access, manufactured by Micron using 20 nm technology. The configuration is not fast, but it is extremely cheap, simple and reliable.

Actually, it is the declared reliability that distinguishes HyperX Fury among ultra-budget solutions. Giving this drive a three-year warranty, the manufacturer indicates an absolutely fantastic recording resource - 354 TB. This means that Kingston is confident in the ability of the asynchronous MLC NAND chosen for this SSD to endure at least 3 thousand rewrite cycles. And if not for this, then HyperX Fury could be considered a solution on the same order as numerous SSDs on TLC memory.

Kingston HyperX Savage 120 GB

Kingston, it must be said, is not only engaged in promoting inexpensive solutions - its model range also includes quite technologically advanced SSDs. One example is the new HyperX Savage drive, which is based on the fairly recent Phison PS3110-S10 controller. This controller is notable for its eight-channel architecture, which is practically not found in low-cost SSD platforms.

However, the main advantage of the HyperX Savage lies not so much in the controller as in the memory. For this SSD, Kingston chose MLC NAND produced by Toshiba using the second generation 19nm process technology. Such a memory not only can boasts a fast Toggle 2.0 front-end, but also has 64-gigabit cores. This gives the HyperX Savage twice the flash array parallelism of most other 128GB SSDs. There are two NAND devices in each controller channel, and this puts HyperX Savage in a slightly more advantageous position among its competitors.

As a result, the Kingston HyperX Savage 120 GB is able to perform in the same weight category as high-performance drives, even though the Phison PS3110-S10 controller does not belong to the top-level platforms. However, it should be borne in mind that HyperX Savage is still not quite a full-fledged flagship. The warranty for this Kingston offer is given for only three years, albeit with a fairly high declared recording resource of 113 TB.

OCZ Trion 100 120 GB

Although Trion 100 bears the OCZ name, its participation in the creation of this SSD is minimal. In fact, the development and production of Trion 100 is carried out by Toshiba, which owns OCZ, and OCZ itself is responsible only for the final stages in the production chain - final validation, marketing and warranty service. But this only makes the Trion 100 more interesting, since Toshiba was able to use not the outdated Barefoot 3 controller for this drive, but the new Phison PS3110-S10.

It is worth noting that the Phison PS3110-S10 controller is good for its flexibility - it can work not only with MLC, but also with TLC memory. True, Phison engineers were never able to implement error correction based on LDPC ECC, and to ensure information integrity when using low-quality memory, solutions based on PS3110-S10 use traditional BCH ECC code. But this turns out to be enough, because parity control is enhanced by proprietary SmartECC technology, which organizes a RAID-5 array at the level of flash memory pages. As a result, the Phison PS3110-S10 turns out to be a completely acceptable platform for creating budget TLC drives. Actually, OCZ Trion 100 is exactly such an embodiment of this platform.

In the OCZ Trion 100 SSD, Toshiba uses its own TLC NAND, which is produced using the second generation 19nm process technology. Yes, this makes the Trion 100 not fast at all, since the TLC memory has a core capacity of 128 Gbit and has an extremely low write speed, but this drive is very inexpensive. The problem with speed is partially solved by the introduction of SLC caching, but the effective cache size of the Trion 100 is quite small - about 0.5 GB.

As for reliability, the OCZ Trion 100 120 GB comes with a three-year warranty and promises a recording resource of 30 TB, which is quite enough for a modern client SSD operating as a system drive.

OCZ Arc 100 120 GB

Arc 100 is, unlike Trion 100, OCZ's own drive. That's why it's based on the Barefoot 3 controller, designed by the engineering team at Indilinx, which OCZ acquired in 2011. It must be said that by modern standards Barefoot 3 cannot be called productive, although it works with a flash memory array over eight channels. But it effectively implements accelerated SLC recording technology, and thanks to it, SSDs on Barefoot 3 stand out among competitors with high write speeds. The essence of the technology is that free MLC cells are first programmed in one-bit SLC mode, and their transfer to the usual two-bit MLC mode is performed either when necessary or when the drive is idle.

However, the main advantage of the OCZ Arc 100 is not its high write speeds, but the fact that its flash memory array is formed from Toshiba's MLC NAND chips, manufactured using the second generation 19nm process technology, which have a capacity of 64 Gbit. This increases the degree of parallelism of the array and allows you to obtain relatively high performance indicators not only when writing, but also when reading data.

At the same time, Arc 100 does not at all pretend to be a top-level solution, since it uses a slower frequency version of the basic Barefoot 3 M10 controller. And the terms of the warranty are not at all typical for a flagship: its duration is 3 years, and the recording resource is set at 22 TB, that is, the Arc 100 is inferior even to its TLC brother Trion 100 in terms of declared endurance.

OCZ Vector 180 120 GB

Simply put, the Vector 180 is an accelerated version of the Arc 100 with a claim to some elitism. The fundamental differences between these drives are the operating frequency of the base controller. The Barefoot 3 M00 processor used in the Vector 180 is overclocked by about 13 percent. Otherwise, there is almost no difference: the memory in the Vector 180 is the same - Toshiba A19-nm MLC NAND with 64-gigabit cores.

But there is one nuance: Vector 180, unlike Arc 100 (and all other OCZ SSDs), received a redesigned power circuit. Previous OCZ drives often failed due to power failures and address translation table corruption. To combat this problem, the supply circuits in the Vector 180 were strengthened, and in addition, they added a capacitor that can provide energy for the correct completion of work with the translation table. This does not save data that is being processed at the time of a power failure, but it effectively protects the SSD from complete loss of performance.

As a result, OCZ presents its Vector 180 as a flagship and expensive solution. In accordance with this positioning, the warranty conditions are also given: its period for this drive has been extended to five years, and the allowed recording resource is 91 TB.

Plextor M6V 128 GB

Given the gradual decline in prices for consumer SSDs, manufacturers are forced to look for new approaches to reduce production costs. For example, Plextor, which until recently relied only on cooperation with Marvell for controllers, was forced to switch to cheaper SSD platforms. And Plextor M6V is the first example of introducing an inexpensive platform. This drive uses a four-channel budget controller Silicon Motion SM2246EN. However, this is not such a bad choice. Today this processor can be found in a lot of products, and even leading SSD manufacturers do not disdain it.

The uniqueness of the Plextor M6V lies in the fact that, paired with the SM2246EN controller, it uses 15 nm MLC NAND from Toshiba. This is a relatively new flash memory, for the production of which a technological process with advanced standards is used, and the transition to such a technological process has not only led to a near-record level of information storage density, but also made it possible to increase the speed of the NAND chip interface. As a result, subject to proper firmware optimization and a balanced marketing policy, the Plextor M6V can become one of the fastest and cheapest SSDs based on the Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller.

However, you still shouldn’t expect global performance records from the Plextor M6V. The memory used in it has 128-gigabit cores, which makes the flash memory array of this drive endowed with a relatively low level of parallelism. Naturally, SSDs using 19nm MLC memory with 64-gigabit cores, or SSDs built on eight-channel controllers, will be faster.

Plextor M6S 128 GB

But the M6S is just an inexpensive Plextor drive of the “old school”: it is built on the basis of a controller developed by Marvell. However, in this case, the drive is based not on one of the productive platforms, but on an inexpensive solution - a four-channel Marvell 88SS9188 controller. However, this is still a high-quality and solid platform that is capable of delivering good speed results, especially in the 128 GB embodiment, where the number of controller channels does not play a very significant role.

However, unlike other drives with four-channel controllers, the Plextor M6S has a clear advantage: it uses flash memory with 64 Gbit capacity crystals. More specifically, it uses Toshiba's MLC NAND, manufactured using the second generation 19nm process technology. As a result, the degree of parallelism of the flash memory array of the M6S is the same as that of the best solutions of a similar size, and four NAND devices work in each of the four controller channels. Further strengthening the M6S is a set of technologies implemented by Plextor engineers at the firmware level, such as TrueSpeed, which provides flash garbage collection in environments without TRIM support. In general, we have before us a strong middle peasant, which, even if it is quite old, still does not lose its position.

The only frustrating thing about the M6S is that the start of sales of this SSD was overshadowed by numerous cases of its failure during attempts to routinely update the firmware. But by now, it seems that the problem has been successfully resolved. And today the Plextor M6S is a product with the usual three-year warranty and typical levels of reliability.

Plextor M6 Pro 128 GB

The M6 ​​Pro is Plextor's flagship drive, and it uses a full eight-channel Marvell 88SS9187 controller. Moreover, thanks to the choice of such a platform for a 128 GB drive, Plextor came up with a unique solution in many ways. The fact is that other manufacturers dealing with Marvell controllers, such as Crucial or SanDisk, do not use such powerful hardware in 128 GB SSDs. Therefore, the Plextor M6 Pro 128 GB quite reasonably claims to be one of the fastest SSDs in its weight category.

The position of this drive is further strengthened by the flash memory chosen for it - the M6 ​​Pro uses fast MLC NAND with 64 Gbit cores, produced by Toshiba using a second-generation 19-nm process technology. Thanks to this, the memory array has the highest possible level of parallelism: each controller channel contains two NAND devices.

The M6 ​​Pro is not without Plextor's proprietary magic - TrueSpeed ​​technology, which allows you to replenish the pool of blank flash memory pages even in environments where TRIM technology is not supported. Add to this a five-year warranty that is not limited by any amount of data recorded, and the result is that the Plextor M6 Pro is one of the flagship solutions, at least among 128 GB SSDs.

Samsung 850 EVO 120 GB

Due to the fact that Samsung offers technologically advanced and high-quality SSDs, it has currently managed to gain almost 50 percent market share of consumer SSDs. And the main weapon thanks to which Samsung was able to quickly achieve such convincing results in its activities is precisely the 850 EVO. The secret lies in the fact that Samsung drives are formed entirely from components designed and manufactured in-house. Accordingly, these components are perfectly matched to each other and produce end products with an advantageous combination of price and performance.

The uniqueness of the Samsung 850 EVO also lies in the fact that it uses proprietary TLC V-NAND, the analogues of which are not yet available from any flash memory manufacturer. Such memory is fundamentally different from conventional TLC: it has not a flat, but a three-dimensional layout with 32 layers and is produced using a conservative 40-nm process technology. As a result, in this memory Samsung manages to combine both high data storage density, that is, low cost, and high reliability: in terms of endurance parameters, TLC V-NAND is not inferior to conventional planar MLC NAND. This is confirmed by the terms of the guarantee. Its lifespan for the 850 EVO is set at five years, and the recording resource is limited to the typical level for MLC drives of 75 TB.

Compared to conventional TLC memory, 3D TLC V-NAND has significantly better performance indicators. Despite the fact that the volume of crystals used in the 850 EVO TLC V-NAND is 128 GB, this drive is positioned as a good mid-level solution. To achieve high performance and unlock the full potential of the memory, the 850 EVO uses a proprietary eight-channel dual-core Samsung MGX controller, on the basis of which, in addition to standard algorithms, the proprietary TurboWrite technology is also implemented, which further improves writing speed. Its essence lies in caching write operations in a dedicated SLC cache, the effective capacity of which in the 120 GB version of the 850 EVO is about 3 GB.

Samsung 850 Pro 128 GB

For those users who find the 850 EVO based on TLC V-NAND not fast enough, not reliable enough or not charismatic enough, Samsung can offer its flagship - 850 Pro. This is an even more outstanding SSD for personal computers, which can offer a set of characteristics that no other competitor has yet been able to surpass.

The most important feature of the Samsung 850 Pro is that this SSD is based on proprietary MLC V-NAND - flash memory with a three-dimensional 32-layer structure in which cells store two bits of information. MLC V-NAND is produced using the same technical process with 40 nm standards as similar three-dimensional TLC. Therefore, the speed and reliability of such memory obviously exceeds similar indicators of planar MLC used in SSDs from other manufacturers. At the same time, the capacity of the MLC V-NAND devices used in the 850 Pro is 86 Gbit, which gives the flash memory array not the maximum, but a sufficient degree of parallelism to generate the entire bandwidth of the SATA interface.

In principle, to create an advanced Samsung solution, MLC V-NAND alone would be sufficient, but for the 850 Pro, a special high-performance Samsung MEX controller was developed, which is based on three cores with ARM Cortex-R4 architecture and has flash for communicating with the array -memory eight channels. As a result, the 850 Pro packs a huge amount of power, which allows this SSD to be used successfully even under intense loads that are not typical for typical personal computers.

Separately, it should be said about the unique warranty conditions. The warranty period for the Samsung 850 Pro is set at 10 years, and there are simply no other 128 GB drives on the market with such a generous warranty. As for the allowed recording resource, for the 128 GB model it is 150 TB, which means, for example, the possibility of daily complete rewriting of this drive for at least three years.

It is also worth mentioning that Samsung SSDs (both 850 Pro and 850 EVO), unlike most competitors, can offer hardware data encryption compatible with the Microsoft eDrive standard. This means that the hardware encryption of these SSDs can be controlled from the Windows operating system using the built-in BitLocker tool.

SanDisk SSD Plus 120 GB

SanDisk, like Crucial, has excluded 120 GB SSDs from its direct interests, so in the volume of consumer drives we are interested in, it only has budget models based on TLC memory. SSD Plus is the youngest of all available options, which should attract supporters with an exceptionally low price.

The entire design of the SanDisk SSD Plus is permeated with the desire to simplify and reduce the cost. To begin with, it is based on the Silicon Motion SM2246XT controller, which is an additional stripped-down version of the already budget four-channel processor SM2246EN. In the SM2246XT, the DRAM interface is eliminated, which does not allow SSDs based on it to use buffer RAM, which is usually needed to store a quick copy of the address translation table.

As for the flash memory array, the SSD Plus is equipped with TLC NAND devices with a 128-gigabit capacity, which are produced by SanDisk itself using a second-generation 19-nm process technology. Three-bit memory is slower than MLC NAND, so drives based on it usually use various SLC caching technologies. But SSD Plus lacks even this.

Thus, under the SSD Plus brand, SanDisk offers an ultra-budget drive with slow memory without an SLC cache and a DRAM buffer, the performance parameters of which seemed so depressing to the manufacturer that he was even embarrassed to indicate them on his website. However, real testing showed that the SSD Plus is not as hopeless as it seemed at first, and it is by no means the slowest SSD in today's test.

SanDisk Ultra II 120 GB

Apart from Samsung, until recently there was only one other manufacturer that was able to mass produce SSDs based on TLC NAND. SanDisk released its first TLC drive a year ago - it was the Ultra II. But this SSD is interesting not only because of the use of three-bit memory - it is also intriguing because SanDisk engineers were able to develop it at a time when specialized controllers designed to work with TLC NAND were not yet on the market. A Marvell 88SS9190 controller was adapted for Ultra II, for which SanDisk engineers wrote firmware creatively adapted for TLC. Its key element was the RAID-like Multi Page Recovery (M.P.R) technology introduced at the level of flash memory pages, designed for enhanced correction of possible read errors.

SanDisk’s experience in creating a TLC drive from scrap materials turned out to be very successful: over the year that has passed since the release of this model, no critical problems have been discovered with it, and SanDisk Ultra II has won the title of a fairly good entry-level SSD. Moreover, the new generation of TLC drives, produced on platforms originally designed for this type of memory, turned out to be no better than Ultra II.

In SanDisk Ultra II, the Marvell 88SS9190 controller works with a flash memory array over four channels, this array itself is made up of 128-gigabit TLC NAND devices produced by SanDisk itself, which are produced using a second-generation 19-nm process technology. However, SanDisk Ultra II also has a special ingredient that makes this SSD faster than all new-wave TLC-based drives - proprietary nCache 2.0 technology. The essence of this technology is quite standard: it adds an additional SLC cache to the drive’s operating scheme. However, the specific implementation is not so simple. Firstly, this cache itself has a relatively large effective volume, reaching 4 GB for a 120 GB SSD. Secondly, caching within nCache 2.0 is two-level; it also uses a DRAM buffer, which in conventional SSDs is used only to store a copy of the address translation table.

Smartbuy Ignition 4 120 GB

Smartbuy is not the name of another SSD manufacturer, but simply a trademark under which the Russian distributor Top Media sells various products from unknown (and not so unknown) Chinese companies. The real author of Smartbuy drives is Phison, a Taiwanese developer and manufacturer of controllers used in budget SSDs. One of Phison’s operating models involves delivering fully assembled SSDs to customers on its own platform, and Top Media takes advantage of this by supplementing the drives purchased from Phison with stickers and boxes with the Smartbuy logo. That is why a couple of Smartbuy drives were included in our tests, because in fact these are not incomprehensible products of unknown origin, but real reference platforms designed by engineers of one of the leading developers of consumer-level SSD controllers.

Smartbuy Ignition 4 is an MLC drive based on the latest Phison PS3110-S10 eight-channel controller. In terms of its hardware platform, Ignition 4 could become an analogue of the Kingston HyperX Savage, however, it does not have high-speed Toshiba memory, but a slightly slower and cheaper MLC NAND from Micron, which uses the ONFI 3.0 interface, is produced using a 16-nm process technology and has a capacity 128 Gbit cores. As a result, Ignition 4 is inferior to Kingston's solution in terms of the degree of parallelism of the flash memory array and is positioned as a fairly ordinary mid-level drive.

Smartbuy Revival 120 GB

Smartbuy Revival is one of the cheapest SSDs present on the domestic market. The secret to the low price is simple: this drive uses the Phison PS3110-S10 platform, equipped with inexpensive TLC memory. This makes the Revival an analogue of, for example, the OCZ Trion 100 or the Kingston UV300, which has not yet appeared on sale.

Since Smartbuy Revival is a pure reference platform, everything in it functions exactly as intended by the controller developers. In particular, error correction is performed through BCH ECC algorithms, which are further enhanced by RAID-like SmartECC technology. And SLC caching of write operations is responsible for improving the speed parameters of the TLC memory array. Moreover, the Revival cache has an effective volume of 1 GB, that is, it is twice as spacious as that of the OCZ Trion 100.

As for the flash memory itself, Revival uses Toshiba’s TLC NAND, produced using the second-generation 19nm process technology. It must be said that Phison has a very close partnership with Toshiba, so the PS3110-S10 controller contains special optimizations for working with this particular memory. And this allows us to believe that Smartbuy Revival is a completely reliable product, at least capable of competing in its durability with budget drives from real SSD manufacturers. Confidence in this is reinforced by the fact that Revival in most stores is given a full three-year warranty without any restrictions on the maximum recording volume.

Transcend SSD370S 128 GB

Transcend SSD370S is an updated version of the fairly popular SSD370 model, the most noticeable change in which is the appearance of an aluminum case. However, the changes are not limited to this.

Like its predecessor, the SSD370S is based on the budget four-channel Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller, which can be found in many modern SSDs in the lower price range. However, Transcend's proposal does not completely replicate the reference design - the company's engineers have worked on optimizing the firmware. But the main feature of the SSD370S model lies in the flash memory used: this drive uses inexpensive 16-nm MLC NAND from Micron. That is, from the point of view of the filling, the Transcend drive has become similar to the Crucial BX100.

The core capacity of the flash memory used in the SSD370S is 128 Gbit, and this is converted into a low degree of parallelism of the MLC NAND array. A four-channel controller, when working with a flash memory array, uses only double interleaving of devices. However, the use of two-bit memory puts the Transcend SSD370S a step higher than the latest generation SSDs based on TLC NAND.

SSD Specifications Table

It began with the introduction of Windows 7 to the market. This is the first system from Microsoft that worked correctly with this type of memory and did not lead to premature disk failure. At the same time, the first serious problems with these media appeared.

Source of concern

The newly installed SSD media in Windows XP worked smoothly, however, over time, the excessive number of records generated by the system caused the SSD to malfunction. It was neither the fault of the system nor the equipment - it was simply a bad idea to combine the products in such a way.

In the early stages of SSD development, there were also problems with Intel drives. Most tests yielded excellent results, however, attempting to use the Iometer in the test resulted in damage to the media. In real conditions, the products worked without reservations.

The OCZ company suffered a big failure, which used an innovative controller built into the SSD in the Vertex series of drives. According to various reports, up to ⅓ of all media failed during the first year of operation.

However, for modern SSDs, manufacturers guarantee a very high level of TBW. Therefore, the weak durability of SSD drives is a thing of the past.

Total Bytes Written – the main parameter of an SSD disk

The above TBW parameter (from English Total Bytes Written) is the most important parameter that determines the quality of an SSD. It denotes the total number of terabytes, the recording of which is guaranteed by the manufacturer for a given model.

TBW values ​​depend primarily on the type of flash memory used. Assuming that the system writes to disk on average several gigabytes per day, a typical cheap SSD with a TBW level of about 20-50 TB will last about 10 years.

TBW depends on the number of so-called erase and write cycles of one memory cell. TLC (Triple Level Cell) memory has 500-3000 cycles, and for MLC (Multi Level Cell) memory this parameter is at the level of 3000-10000 cycles. The most expensive, but the most efficient and most reliable SSD models use SLC (Single Level Cell) memory - the number of erase and write operations of memory cells reaches 100,000 cycles.

Taking care of SSD durability

Engineers who create SSDs are, of course, aware of these write limitations, so they use the appropriate functions. The most important is Wear Leveling - uniform alternation of records in the least loaded cells.

Special tables that collect information about the number of records made allow you to place read-only data in cells located closer to the “end of life” ( reading data does not consume SSD resource). In addition, each SSD memory has a supply of cells to replace damaged ones.

Modern computers have more and more RAM, so they have recently returned to the idea of ​​using it as a so-called RAM disk used for data caching. Such solutions are offered, in particular, by Crucial and Plextor. Keeping in mind how to extend the life of an SSD by reducing the number of writes, a virtual disk makes sense.

New algorithms are emerging that control how data is stored in memory, so it's worth checking for new SSD firmware. After installing the manufacturer's software, it is also worth using the proposed changes to the system configuration, which are aimed at increasing the lifespan and performance of the SSD.

SSD durability testing

Many companies have tried to measure SSD lifespan– TechReport achieved good results. The test tested the behavior of several different 240 GB drives. The weakest was the Samsung SSD 840 with TLC memory, which recorded 100 TB of data without problems, after which data began to be transferred from damaged cells to spare cells. With further operation, the disk was able to overwrite almost 900 TB of data.

Kingston HyperX with MLC memory recorded about 600 TB without problems, and when there were signs of cell redistribution, another 200 TB. The Intel SSD 335 wrote 728 TB and then switched to read-only mode, allowing the written data to be downloaded.

The best result was shown by Samsung 840 Pro. True, sector remapping began to occur after writing about 600 TB of data, however, complete SSD damage occurred after storing 2.5 PB. None of the tested drives experienced any performance degradation.

Backblaze, a cloud service provider, promises to conduct SSD tests on a large scale. For magnetic hard drives, it regularly produces reports for tens of thousands of drives in use.

SSD for paranoids

If the incredible durability of SSDs hasn't convinced you yet, you can always play it safe. One of the simplest methods is a RAID1 array, that is, duplicating data on two disks.

If you don't trust the SSD, you can use a RAID1 array consisting of one SSD and one HDD. Thanks to this, you will get speed of work and the confidence that no data will be lost if any of the storage media fails. In addition, the solution will be cheaper than an array consisting of two SSD drives.

MTBF does not determine disk lifespan

When purchasing an SSD, you should not be guided by the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) parameter. In the case of hard disk drives (HDD), it is measured in hundreds of thousands, and for SSDs - in millions of hours.

For example, the mean time between failures of a Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 hard drive is 700 thousand. hours. It may seem that the disk will not complete its operation within 240 years when running 8 hours a day. Unfortunately, MTBF only means probability Failure rate - 2920 hours per year (8 hours per day) divided by 700,000 hours and multiplied by 100% means that the probability of failure is 0.42%. In other words, one disk out of 240 fails within a year.

Preamble

The article is updated every year, so check back here from time to time. Some information that was relevant in 2014 is no longer relevant in 2019. Pay attention to the notes in the text of the article and read the updating sections at the end of the article.

I keep repeating that in order to make a good choice of technology, it is necessary, at least in general terms, to understand the subject area. Know what characteristics the equipment you choose has. Know how these characteristics affect the operation of equipment.

Buying an SSD drive is much more complicated than it seems to the uninitiated. There is a lot that is not obvious, hidden under the surface. This article will list the important characteristics of SSD drives. It will be explained how the parameters of an SSD disk affect its consumer quality. The material is large in volume, since the topic is quite complex.

There are a lot of letters here, but if you have the patience to read everything to the end, then it will be easier for you to decide which SSD drive is better to buy. But if you don't like to read a lot then wait for the truncated version of this article.

Introduction

SSDs are no longer a luxury and are becoming a means of storing data. Over the past couple of years, especially during 2013 and early 2014, prices for SSD drives have dropped so much that it is already possible to install such a drive in a completely ordinary computer. At the same time, the speed of modern SSD drives is such that their use provides the greatest increase in performance in terms of money spent.

For $120 - $150 spent on a good SSD drive, you can get more real performance gains than the same money spent on a processor or RAM.

Even the crisis of 2015-2016 did not affect the availability of SSD drives. During these years, SSD drives cost at the level of a 2.5" HDD, although adjusted for capacity by a factor of 4 (128 Gb SSD cost at the level of 500 Gb HDD). In 2017, SSD drives became a little more expensive relative to HDDs.

Characteristics of SSD drives

This part of the article will describe the most significant characteristics of SSD drives. Technical parameters that improve or worsen the consumer quality of SSD drives.

Main characteristics of SSD

These are the SSD parameters that most affect the consumer quality of the drives.

Manufacturer

SSD drives are made by many companies. Even more companies sell them under their own labels without manufacturing them (OEM production). But there are only a few companies whose discs are safe and secure to buy.

• Intel. The company, together with Micron, produces flash memory. Thus, it makes its own disks from its own memory and selects the best memory copies for its disks. It is no coincidence that they provide a 5-year warranty on their discs.
• Micron(trademark Crucial). The company, together with Intel, produces flash memory. Thus, it makes its own disks from its own memory and selects the best memory copies for its disks. The difference from Intel is that Micron (Crucial) focuses on the budget segment of the market. Lower price, shorter warranty period. But the disks are good, although they don’t shine with speed.
• Samsung. One of the leaders in the SSD market. And not only in terms of sales volume, but also technologically. The company produces its own flash memory and its own controllers. The disks are 100% proprietary - both memory and controllers, everything is our own. Although in the budget EVO 850 series, some models may have foreign controllers (Phison or Silicon Motion).
• Plextor. A Japanese company famous for its laser drives. In fact, the SSD is not made by itself - Lite-On makes them for it. But the discs are very good. On Marvell controllers. Plextor is not only about quality, but also about speed.
• Corsair. An American company known for the high quality of various products - RAM, power supplies. The company's products are aimed at so-called "enthusiasts", people willing to pay more for higher quality and speed. However, their budget models can be very average in speed.
• SanDisk. An American company, one of the leaders in the production of flash drives and SSD drives. Partner of Toshiba in the production of flash memory chips. Thus, disks are made from its own flash memory.
• Toshiba. The Japanese company is, among other things, a manufacturer of flash memory chips. Thus, disks are made from its own flash memory.

SSD disk capacity

SSD drive manufacturers indicate this difference in the specifications of their drive models. Therefore, before buying a fast drive, carefully read its specifications; perhaps the size you have your eye on is not as fast as you expect.

That's when size matters.

There is one more feature related to the capacity of SSD drives. There are groups of models based on capacity, but not all models in this group have the same capacity. Example. Group with a capacity of 120/128 GB. Some models in this group have a capacity of 120 GB, while others have a capacity of 128 GB. What is this connected with?

The fact is that in fact all disks in this group have a capacity of 128 GB, but on some models 8 GB is reserved both to level out the wear of flash memory cells and to replace failed cells.

Some manufacturers may not be entirely sure of the quality and lifespan of the flash memory used in their model and therefore make such a reserve. Some people make such a reserve simply for greater reliability. For example, the quality of flash memory in Intel drives is very high, however, the company is playing it safe by making a reserve of cells.

Controller used in the disk

The best controllers are considered Marvell And Samsung MDX. More details about controllers later in this article.

Write speed degradation (garbage collection)

Reduced writing speed on an SSD disk after it is completely full and data will be deleted after filling. That is, writing to reusable memory blocks. Read more about this in the section.

Minor SSD Features

Hardware encryption with support for TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE-1667 standards. This makes it possible to use hardware encryption but manage it from the OS. For example, it will be possible to offload the central processor when using Windows BitLocker.

Power Loss Protection. Some SSD drive models have protection against sudden power failure. Usually these are just capacitors, the charge of which is enough for the disk to complete the necessary write operations to the memory cells.

Interfaces

SATA

Today (2014) all SSD drives are available with a SATA 3 interface. However, there are still many computers with SATA 2 (SATA 300) and even SATA 1 (SATA 150) controllers installed on their motherboards. Is it possible to install a new SSD drive in such a computer?

Of course you can. However, you need to understand that in this case the new SSD drive will produce real speed significantly lower than its rated characteristics.

Modern SSD drives can typically perform read operations at speeds of over 500 MB per second. And recording speeds are more than 400 MB per second. This speed can be fully realized on computers with a SATA 3 (SATA 600) controller, for which the practical data transfer speed limit is approximately 570 MB per second.

But for SATA 2 controllers, practical speed is limited to approximately 270 MB per second. Accordingly, for SATA 1 controllers it is even lower - less than 150 MB per second. So, if you put a new SSD drive into an old computer, it will run slower than it can.

So for a new SSD drive you need to buy a new computer? No.

There are other options to get full speed on your old computer. You can install a SATA 3 controller made on a PCI or PCI-express board. And then connect the SSD drive through this controller.

PCI-express

In addition, there are now models of SSD drives that are made in the form of a PCI-express card, for example Plextor M6e. So you don’t need to buy anything else, just insert the disk card into the PCI-e slot and that’s it. You can also install an M.2 form factor SSD into the PCI-e slot, but through an adapter card from M.2 to PCI-e.

M.2 (Next Generation Form Factor, NGFF)

Also, a new, faster interface for peripheral devices has now been approved - M.2. You can buy an M.2 adapter made on a PCI-express board and then install an SSD drive with an M.2 interface there. The disk mentioned above Plextor M6e, just such an option is a PCI-express card with an M.2 adapter, on which a disk with an M.2 interface is installed.

The new M.2 interface (Next Generation Form Factor, NGFF) is essentially a PCI-express bus, only the connector has been changed - it is adapted not for expansion cards, but for small devices. SSD drives in the M.2 form factor are already on sale. This interface should provide data transfer speeds higher than the practical limit for SATA 3 - 570 MB per second. The M.2 interface specification assumes the use of 4 PCI-express lines. For SSD drives in the M.2 form factor, 2 PCI-express lanes are used so that theoretically the exchange speed with the drive can reach 2 GB per second.

Memory

There are two types of flash memory - NAND and NOR.

The difference between NAND memory and NOR is that the cells are combined into blocks and processed in blocks. While in NOR, each cell is processed individually. NAND memory has longer access times to memory cells, but is significantly cheaper to manufacture.

In the production of SSD drives, NAND type flash memory is used.

NAND flash memory manufacturers

Memory for SSD drives is manufactured by only a few companies - Intel and Micron (general production), Toshiba and SanDisk (general production), Samsung, Hynix.

The first such memory was created by Toshiba in the late 80s of the last century. Thus, it is the oldest NAND flash manufacturer.

Based on the type of pin layout in the chip package and subsequent access from the controller, NAND flash is divided into two types:

• Synchronous and asynchronous ONFI. It is manufactured by Intel and Micron, Hynix
• Asynchronous Toggle Mode. It is made by Samsung, Toshiba and SanDisk.

Types of NAND Flash Memory Cells

Today (in 2014) SSD drives use NAND flash memory with three types of cells:

• NAND SLC(single-level cell) - flash memory in one physical cell which stores one bit of information.
• NAND MLC(multi-level cell) - flash memory in one physical cell which stores two bits of information.
• NAND TLC(triple level cell) - flash memory in one physical cell which stores three bits of information.

The difference between these types is that as the number of bits stored in one cell increases, the cost of memory in terms of its capacity decreases. That is, relatively speaking, 128 GB of MLC memory is cheaper than the same 128 GB, but of the SLC type.

However, you have to pay for everything. As the number of bits per cell increases, the number of write cycles that the cell can withstand decreases. For example, SLC type memory can withstand up to 5000 - 10,000 rewrite cycles. And the writing limit for MLC memory is up to 3000 cycles. For TLC type memory this limit is even lower - 1000 write cycles.

That is, as the number of bits per cell increases, the lifetime of this cell decreases. But at the same time, the recording speed increases.

In 2017, we can talk about the victorious march of TLC memory. Probably more than half of all SSD drives are made on this memory.

Basic parameters of flash memory for SSD

The main characteristics of flash memory for SSD drives are:

1. The number of write cycles that a single cell of this memory can withstand. This parameter determines the lifespan and reliability of flash memory.
2. The technical process by which the flash memory crystal is manufactured.
3. Type of flash memory cells.

The second and third flash memory parameters directly affect the first parameter. The dependency is as follows:

• Reducing the process technology reduces the lifespan of flash memory.
• Increasing the number of bits per cell reduces the lifetime of flash memory.

That is, MLC type memory will have a shorter lifespan than SLC type memory. Memory manufactured using a 25-nanometer process will have a longer lifespan than one manufactured using a 19-nanometer process.

Memory capacity (size)

Indicated in gigabytes. The peculiarity of SSDs is that larger capacity disks provide faster data exchange speeds, especially when recording. The difference in writing speed between a 120/128 GB disk and a 480/512 GB disk can be up to two or three times.

For example, a disk with a capacity of 120/128 GB can give a maximum recording speed of less than 200 MB per second, and a disk of the same model, but with a capacity of 480/512 GB will give a writing speed of more than 400 MB per second.

This difference is due to the fact that the SSD disk controller works with all memory crystals simultaneously (in parallel). And one disk model uses the same memory crystals. Accordingly, the difference in capacity is the difference in the number of crystals. Fewer memory crystals means less parallelization of operations and lower speed.

There is no need to confuse memory crystals and memory chips. One chip can have from one to four memory crystals. That is, in disks of different capacities the number of microcircuits may be the same - 8, but the number of crystals will be different.

Manufacturers of SSD drives indicate this difference in write speed in the specifications of their drive models. Therefore, before buying a fast drive, carefully read its specifications; perhaps the size you have your eye on is not as fast as you expect.

It happens that a person reads a test review on the Internet, which says that the XX disk gives a write speed of 450 MB per second. And buys this disk model. Installs and is surprised to discover that the write speed is only 200 MB per second. The thing is that he read about a model with a capacity of 512 GB, but bought a model with a capacity of 128 GB.

This difference increases as new 128-bit memory crystals enter the market, instead of 64-bit ones. Simply put, if an SSD is assembled on 64-bit memory chips, then the full speed of read/write operations is possible on disks with a capacity of 240/256 GB. And if the disk is assembled on 128-bit memory chips, then the full speed of read/write operations is only possible on 480/512 GB disks.

For example SSD drive Crucial M500 assembled on 128-bit memory chips. There are 4 models in this line:

• 120 GB - write speed 130 MB per second.
• 240 GB - write speed 250 MB per second.
• 480 GB and 960 GB - write speed 400 MB per second.

As you can see, the difference in recording speed between the younger and older models is more than three times. Although these are the same discs in all respects. Except for the number of memory crystals. By the way, Crucial in its 2014 model M550 uses crystals of different bit depths. For 128 and 256 GB models, 64-bit crystals are used. For 512 GB and 1 TB models, 128-bit crystals are used. Due to this, the difference in speed between the younger and older models has been reduced.

There is one more aspect depending on the disk capacity. The larger the disk capacity, the theoretically longer its service life. The fact is that a flash memory cell can withstand a limited number of write cycles and when this limit is reached, for example, an MLC type cell has been written to 3000 times, it fails.

All SSD disk controllers use cell interleaving during recording in order to even out cell wear. Free memory is used for interleaving. Accordingly, the less the disk is occupied with data and programs, the more opportunities the controller has for interleaving cells and the longer the memory will last.

Large disk capacity is the easiest way to increase free disk space. Let's assume that your programs and data occupy 100 gigabytes. If this is placed on a 120 or 128 GB disk, then the disk will be almost entirely occupied and few cells will be available for striping. But if the disk capacity is 240 or 256 GB, then a lot of cells will be available for striping - more than 50%. Thus, the load on the cells will be much lower and there will be longer and more even wear.

Controllers

The computer cannot gain direct access to flash memory, so in addition to memory chips, a controller chip is also installed in the disks. Several companies produce such microcircuits:

• SandForce. Now this company is owned by another company - LSI. SandForce controllers, such as the SF2881, are the most common. They dominate the budget SSD segment. Even Intel produces SSD drives on these controllers (models 520, 530).
• Marvell- their controllers 88SS9187 and 88SS9174 are used in high-performance SSD drives from different manufacturers, in particular Micron (Crucial), Plextor, SanDisk. For example, some of the fastest SSD drives in the world are Plextor M5 Pro, Crucial M500, Crucial M550, use controllers Marvell88SS9187, 88SS9189. The company has released a fast controller for the interface with NVMe support (M.2).
• Indilinx. Now this company is owned by OCZ and the latest controller model is called Barefoot 3. Accordingly, these controllers are mainly used only in OCZ drives.
• LAMD (Link_A_Media Devices). The fast but rarely used LM87800 controller. For example, it is used in Corsair Neutron drive models. The company was bought by the Korean Hynix and these controllers are used only in conjunction with Hynix flash memory.
• Phison. This company has long been known for its controllers for USB flash drives. Recently, it has begun an attack on the SSD drive market. It offers low-cost solutions for the production of SSD drives - controller, firmware, board design. Its controllers are used in budget models, for example Corsair LS, SmartBuy Ignition 2.
• MDX. This controller was developed by Samsung and is used in its drives.
• Intel. In some models of its SSD drives, Intel uses its own controller. These are server models S3500, S3700, as well as the Intel 730 model aimed at the business segment of the market.
• Silicon Motion. Another company offering budget controllers for SSDs. In terms of performance, nothing outstanding. However, companies like Intel and Micron use Silicon Motion controllers in their very successful 2018 models - Intel 545s and Crucial MX500, which demonstrate high speeds in both read and write.

Various characteristics of the SSD disk depend on the controller. Speed ​​of operation, lifespan of flash memory, resistance to data corruption.

For example, Marvell controllers provide high performance with operations on arbitrary data blocks. This is exactly the load that falls on the disks in real computer operation. The Intel controller is focused on high performance under conditions of a large number of parallel requests (server load model).

But SandForce controllers have an unpleasant feature - after the disk is full and cleared, the write speed does not return to its original values ​​(when the disks were empty). The speed of operation also decreases when the disk is very full. At the same time, SandForce controllers provide high recording speed on easily compressible data, such as texts and documents.

Each controller has its own characteristics. Your strengths and weaknesses. If you have certain mandatory requirements for an SSD drive, then when choosing a model it makes sense to study the features of the controllers.

Inexpensive SSD drives

Inexpensive SSD drives are usually made on SandForce controllers, and Phison has been actively working in this segment for the last couple of years.

The reason for this is that both LSI (SandForce) and Phison offer complete solutions for manufacturing SSD drives. There is not only a controller, but also the firmware for it, as well as the board design for mounting all the hardware.

Thus, the manufacturer of finished drives does not need to do anything other than solder the parts onto the board and mount the board into the case.

TRIM (garbage collection)

SSD drives have an important difference from HDDs, which affects the write speed. In HDD, recording is performed “on top” of old data. Disk blocks that previously contained data and then that data was deleted are simply marked as free. And when you need to write, the HDD controller immediately writes to these free blocks.

When using flash memory, blocks that previously contained some information must be cleared before being written. This leads to the fact that when writing to previously used blocks, the writing speed drops significantly, because the controller needs to prepare them for writing (clear them).

The problem is that operating systems traditionally do not work with the file system in such a way that deleting files clears the contents of the blocks on the disk. After all, there was no need for this on HDDs.

Therefore, when using SSD drives, the effect of “performance degradation” occurs. When the disk is new and all flash memory blocks are clean, the write speed is very high, as specified. But after the disk is completely full and some of the files are deleted, re-writing will occur at a lower speed. Because the disk controller will have to clear the flash memory blocks before writing new data there.

The drop in write speed to reused flash memory blocks can be very high. Up to values ​​close to the recording speed of HDD disks. When testing SSD drives, they often even conduct a special test to reduce the write speed of reusable blocks.

To combat this phenomenon, the new operating systems have added the TRIM disk ATA command. When a file is deleted, the file system driver sends the TRIM command to the SSD disk controller. Using this command, the SSD disk controller clears freed flash memory blocks, but does this in the background, in between read and write operations.

Using this command returns full write speed to reused flash memory blocks. However, not all operating systems support this command. But only relatively recent versions:

• Linux kernel since version 2.6.33.
• Windows 7, 8 and 10.
• Mac OS X starting from version 10.6.6 (but for this version you need to install an update).

Until now, the popular WIndows XP (as well as Vista) do not support this command.

A workaround for older OSes is to use third-party programs. For example, this could be the hdparm program (version 9.17 and higher) or proprietary programs of the SSD drive manufacturer, for example Intel SSD Toolbox.

There are two models of SSD drives in which the degradation of the speed of reused blocks is less pronounced than others:

• Plextor M5 pro (old model, discontinued).
• Plextor M5S (old model, discontinued).
• Intel 545s (2018 model).

The firmware of these disks can partially clear unused blocks without the TRIM command. Restoring the write speed to higher values, but not to the full rated write speed.

These are, of course, not the only models that can collect “garbage” on their own. Over time, there are more such models, because successful solutions are replicated by other manufacturers.

There are disk models that, even after executing the TRIM command, do not return to the full rated write speed.

The TRIM command is most often disabled when using a RAID array.

Note! When using this function, it will be impossible to recover deleted files!

SSD drives by manufacturer

Personally, I divide all SSD drive manufacturers into two categories - the big eight and all the rest. The Big Eight are Intel, Plextor, Corsair, Samsung, Micron (under the Crucial brand), Toshiba, SanDisk, Hynix. Companies that sell good and excellent SSD drives. Each of them has its own advantages, for example Intel, Samsung, Toshiba, SanDisk, Hynix and Micron make drives from their own flash memory. And Samsung uses not only its own memory in its SSD drives, but also its own controllers.

But in principle, you can buy any disc from any of these seven companies without going into details.

Everyone else is a pretty big list.

Intel. The company, together with Micron, produces flash memory. Thus, it makes its own disks from its own memory and selects the best memory copies for its disks. It is no coincidence that they provide a 5-year warranty on their discs. Some models also have their own controllers - that is, 100% Intel - such models as Intel DC S3500, Intel DC S3700, Intel 730, Intel 545s, Intel 760p. Intel's drives are very good, but the company primarily targets the business segment of the market and therefore its drives are quite expensive.

But her discs are worth the money. For example, server SSD drives DC S3500 and S3700 use not only selected memory, but also functions such as power loss protection and advanced checksum verification for stored data. This makes them very reliable means of storing data.

Micron(trademark Crucial). The company, together with Intel, produces flash memory. Thus, it makes its own disks from its own memory and selects the best memory copies for its disks. The difference from Intel drives is that Micron (Crucial) focuses on the budget segment of the market. Uses its own memory and Marvell controllers. In 2014, the company releases a disc that could become a new hit (like M4) - Crucial M550, Crucial MX500.

Samsung. One of the leaders in the SSD market. And not only in terms of sales volume, but also technologically. The company produces its own flash memory and its own controllers. The disks are 100% proprietary - both memory and controllers, everything is our own. As of the first half of 2014, the model Samsung 840 Pro This is the fastest SSD drive in the consumer segment of the market (drives for regular computers). The speed of this drive already exhausts the capabilities of the SATA 3 interface. New successful models are Samsung 850 and 860 EVO.

Plextor. The Japanese company is famous for its laser drives. In fact, the SSD is not made by itself - Lite-On makes them for it. But the discs are very good. Intel-Micron or Toshiba memory and Marvell controllers are used. Famous model Plextor M5 Pro despite the fact that it is no longer young and in 2014 remains one of the fastest SSD drives. In 2017, the company remains one of the market leaders in terms of disk speed with M.2 drives of the M8Pe G(N) series. Currently brand Plextor belongs to the Taiwanese company Lite-On, which previously manufactured drives for Plextor under contract.

Corsair. An American company known for the high quality of various products - RAM, power supplies. The company's products are aimed at so-called "enthusiasts", people willing to pay more for higher quality and speed. The company has several model lines - GS and GT drives on the SandForce controller, LS drives on the Phison controller, Neutron drives on the LAMD controller.

SanDisk- it has its own production of flash memory (shared with Toshiba) and some models of SSD drives from this company demonstrate very high performance. The company has a long and successful history of various types of flash drives (USB flash drives, memory cards).

Toshiba- it has its own production of flash memory (common with SanDisk). The company has a long and successful history of producing both flash memory and conventional (HDD) disks.

Hynix. This Korean company produces flash memory. And it recently bought a company that makes LAMD controllers. So now she has SSD drives from her own flash memory and with her own controller.

SSD disk lifespan

The time that an SSD drive will work is generally determined by the type of flash memory. That is, what type of cells is used and what process is used to make the memory. It was already written above that SLC type cells have the largest resource, followed by MLC and finally TLC.

What does the limit on the number of write cycles mean in a practical sense? And how can we roughly estimate the possible lifespan of a particular disk?

Let's take a conventional disk that uses MLC flash memory produced using a 19-nanometer technical process. Let's assume that the manufacturer of this memory specifies a write limit of 3000 cycles for it. This is an indicator for good MLC flash memory manufactured using 19 or 20 nanometer manufacturing processes.

Based on this memory, a disk with a capacity of 120 GB was manufactured. The 3000 cycle limit means you can completely write your disc 3000 times. If you fill it completely every day, then empty it completely and fill it completely again the next day, then theoretically the memory will live for 3000 days. That is more than 8 years. If you write only 60 gigabytes per day and erase the disk only once every two days, then the lifespan increases to 16 years.

Of course this is simplified. But it is clear that the lifespan of flash memory is quite long. Even if we take a TLC flash-based disk with a limit of 1000 write cycles, this gives a theoretical disk lifespan of at least 3 years, provided that it is completely filled every day.

That is, in all these complaints about the constantly decreasing recording limit, there is no serious basis.

So you can independently estimate the lifespan of a disk, knowing the type of flash memory that is used in this disk. You can more accurately determine it if you have information about the manufacturer of this memory, because flash memory manufacturers indicate write limits for their products.

Finally, many disk manufacturers, in their disk specifications, explicitly indicate disk write limits in gigabytes per day. For example, Samsung in the specifications of the 840 Pro drive writes: “A 5-year warranty is provided provided that no more than 40 gigabytes are written to the disc per day.” And Micron, for its Crucial M550 drive, specifies a recording limit of 72 terabytes, or approximately 66 gigabytes per day for three years.

However, in 2015, Samsung provides a 10-year warranty on some PRO series models.

In 2017, I can say from my own experience that none of the drives that I installed more than 3 years ago have yet broken. True, I have never installed SmartBuy disks. Only Plextor, SanDisk, Samsung, Toshiba, Intel.

Update 2019.

Firstly, the issue of unreliability of TLC memory can be said to be resolved. At least for market leaders. In 2019, the largest flash memory manufacturers, Intel, Micron, Samsung, declare the write resource for their TLC memory to be the same as what they gave for MLC memory several years ago. And this resource is such that it allows them to give a 5-year warranty on their SSD drives. And such a warranty period is very rarely available on an HDD.

Secondly, from my own experience, I can add that out of several dozen SSDs that I have installed in computers over the past 6 years, only one has failed - the budget Plextor model (model range S). And this Plextor did not die to the state of a brick - at the very least, it worked, so it was possible to copy data from there. For comparison, over the same years I replaced about a dozen HDD drives due to their failure. HDD drives in laptops die especially often.

So today SSD is more reliable than HDD. However, you need to keep in mind that we are talking about SSD drives from the best manufacturers (top eight). Discs like SmartBuy, Dexp and the like are, I think, a big lottery.

How to extend the life of an SSD drive

Free disk space. Don't fill it up completely - try to have 20 - 30 percent free space on the disk. The presence of free space allows the controller to level out the wear of memory cells. This free space should not be allocated, that is, not assigned to any partition with the file system. By the way, the presence of such an unmarked space also allows you not to bother about TRIM.

Uninterruptible power supply. If you are using an SSD in a regular computer, connect the computer via a UPS. If the SSD is in a laptop, monitor the battery condition - do not allow the laptop to turn off when the battery is completely discharged. SSD drives don't like sudden power loss. If there is an abnormal power outage on the disk, the data in the flash memory cells may be damaged. As an option, you can buy a disk model that has Power Loss Protection.

Refrigerate. SSD drives (like HDDs, like any electronics) do not like overheating. The higher the temperature of the disk, the faster it will fail. If you install an SSD in a laptop, then you can only hope that the designers of your laptop have provided for the possibility of sufficient heat removal from the disk.

But if you install an SSD in a regular computer, then your hands are free. The least you can do is use a metal adapter from 2.5" (SSD drive) to 3.5" (drive box in the case). The metal of the adapter will transfer heat from the disk to the body. However, for drives in a plastic case, a metal adapter is useless.

In the context of cooling, the big plus is the aluminum SSD case. If the disk is made wisely, then the metal case is used as a radiator to remove heat from the microcircuits.

In addition, you can install a fan - many cases even provide space for a special fan that blows air over the drive cage. Some cases even have this fan.

No need to defragment. File system fragmentation does not reduce the speed of the SSD. Therefore, by doing defragmentation you will not gain speed. However, by defragmenting, you will shorten the life of the disk by increasing write operations.

Installing an SSD on an old motherboard

You can breathe new life into your old computer by replacing the HDD with an SSD. All disk operations will be performed two to three times faster. And the computer performs a lot of disk operations - starting the OS, launching programs, opening files, using virtual memory (swap), caching in browsers, editing files, etc.

If you have an old motherboard with a SATA 2 (SATA 300) controller, then the new SSD drive will not work at full speed. There are two options to fix the matter:

• Buy a SATA 3 controller on a PCI or PCI-e board.
• Buy an SSD drive mounted on a PCI-e card, for example Plextor M6e.

Although, in my opinion, it’s easier to leave it as is. In real life, the difference in speed between connecting via SATA 2 and via SATA 3 may not be very large. It will only appear in operations that involve reading large amounts of data located sequentially on the disk. And accordingly, when recording large amounts of data sequentially. In practice, usually both writing and reading occur in small amounts in arbitrary (non-sequential) areas of the disk. And in this mode, most budget SSD drives provide speeds of less than 300 MB per second.

However, an SSD drive mounted on a PCI-e card is generally a good idea, as it will work faster than if connected via a SATA 3 controller. But this solution also has a drawback. A disk mounted on a PCI-e card cannot be installed in a laptop, but a simple SATA SSD can be used in any computer - a regular one, a laptop, an all-in-one computer, or a nettop.

Common mistakes when using SSD drives

Error one

Moving a large number of files to a regular mechanical magnetic disk (HDD). Some people install only the operating system and programs on an SSD drive, and transfer everything else to the HDD drive. Temporary file folders, browser cache folders, documents, and even the entire user profile.

They do this in order to save space on the SSD drive and increase its lifespan by reducing write operations. After all, for example, folders of temporary files are permanent write operations.

Indeed, space on the SSD is saved and the lifespan is increased. But this significantly reduces the speed of the computer. After all, the faster the disk reads or writes temporary files, documents, profile files, the faster the work is done.

My categorical opinion is that everything related to the OS and programs should be placed on an SSD drive. Working documents also need to be stored on an SSD drive. It makes sense to store only large amounts of data on the HDD - music, movies. Or data that is very rarely used - archives. Only in this case will you get the highest speed from your SSD drive. Don't forget - the main reason to buy an SSD drive is speed! And that means you need to squeeze this speed to the maximum.

Error two

Disk Defragmenter. Out of habit left over from using HDD drives, people also defragment SSD drives. There is no need to do this! The speed of access to arbitrary data blocks on an SSD disk is approximately two orders of magnitude higher compared to an HDD. Therefore, data fragmentation no longer affects the reading speed of this data.

Summary

Basic parameters of SSD drives

• Manufacturer. The best manufacturers of SSD drives are Intel, Micron (Crucial brand), Samsung, Plextor, SanDisk, Toshiba, Corsair.
• Disk capacity. The minimum disk size, which provides greater speed and a good supply of free space to extend life, is 240/256 gigabytes. For drives with a capacity of 60 - 128 GB, the write speed will almost certainly be below 200 MB per second. Although there are some models of such disks with a writing speed of more than 200 MB per second.
• Controller. The best controllers today are Samsung, Marvell, Intel, Silicon Motion. Intel and Samsung controllers are used only in drives from these manufacturers. Marvell and Silicon Motion controllers are used in drives from different manufacturers.

Secondary parameters of SSD drives

• Memory type. SLC memory “lives” the longest, but such memory is not available in retail today. MLC and TLC memory, in descending order, have a shorter lifespan. In 2018, there are already few disks with MLC memory; most disks use TLC memory.
• Memory process technology. Memory crystals created using a 19 or 20 nanometer process have a shorter lifespan than crystals created using a 25 nanometer process. In 2018, memory is produced using a 14-nanometer technical process.
• Hardware encryption with support for TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE-1667 standards.
• Power Loss Protection.

Which SSD drive to choose

Something like this:

• Manufacturer: Intel, Samsung, Plextor, Corsair, Micron (Crucial).
• Memory type: NAND Flash MLC or TLC.
• Disk capacity: ranging from 240 - 256 Gigabytes.

For example these models: Intel 730, Intel S3500, Plextor M5 Pro, Crucial M550, Samsung 840 Pro. From these models Samsung 840 Pro And Crucial M550 will give the highest writing and reading speeds to date. A disk Intel S3500 will give the highest guarantee of data integrity and safety.

Attention! These are old models, no longer in production. See the update sections at the end of the article - the current models are listed there.

Of course, when choosing a disk, you need to take into account the tasks that will be performed on the computer. If this is an ordinary home or office computer on which the main work is the Internet and documents, then the cheapest SSD drive with a capacity of 120/128 GB will do.

If this is a gaming computer, then firstly you need to take a volume of at least 240/256 gigabytes, and secondly, select a high-speed model. Because one game sometimes takes up to ten gigabytes on the disk, and during the launch process and during the game, large amounts of information are read from the disk.

If you have a computer for video processing, you need a capacity of more than 240/256 gigabytes and a model with the highest sequential writing and reading speeds.

If the computer will store and process critical information that cannot be lost, then apparently the best choice would be Intel S3500 or even Intel S3700.

If you plan to use the SSD with an old OS, such as Windows XP, it makes sense to think about the effect of “speed degradation” and how to avoid it (more details in the section).

Data recovery

SSD drives have one drawback compared to HDD drives. In the event of a breakdown, recovering data from a “dead” SSD drive will be much more difficult, and most often completely impossible.

This is due to the fact that physically, pieces of data are stored in different cells and even in different flash memory chips. And only the disk controller “knows” how to get complete data from this “mess”. And the loss of some cells, especially those where service information is stored, can lead to the impossibility of data recovery.

There is one more feature. Even on a working SSD, recovering previously deleted files may not be possible. If TRIM is enabled for the drive, then the controller will destroy data from deleted files.

On HDD drives, data from deleted files is not destroyed until space is needed for new files. And this makes it possible to recover deleted files (not always, but often).

So, follow the most important computer rule - it is necessary to make copies of important data. This rule, however, applies to any type of disk in general, and not just to SSD. Any disk can die at any moment.

Update 2015

In rubles, SSDs have become more expensive and plus the general crisis is bad news.

The good news is that there are SSD drives with a 10-year warranty - these are some Samsung 850 Pro series models. And Intel even gives a 5-year warranty for its budget 535 series. Despite the fact that the smallest disks (120 GB) from these companies already cost around $100.

Prices (in dollars) go down, productivity goes up.

An interesting five of the inexpensive SSD drives at the end of 2015 (from the Yulmart assortment) in order of increasing price:

• Samsung 650 MZ-650120Z
• SanDisk Ultra II
• Samsung 850 EVO Series, MZ-75E120BW
• Intel 535, SSDSC2BW120H601
• Samsung 850 PRO Series, MZ-7KE128BW

Update 2016

The good news is that SSD drives that use TLC memory can have a lifespan comparable to drives using MLC memory.

This became possible thanks to the development of a new algorithm for removing signals from memory cells - LDPC decoding. Today (in 2016) there are three controllers that support this algorithm:

• Samsung MGX, SSD drives Samsung EVO 750 and 850.
• Marvell 88SS1074, SSD drives Plextor M7V.
• Silicon Motion SM2256

According to memory wear resistance tests, Samsung EVO 850 and Plextor M7V drives show very impressive results. At the level of good disks with MLC memory.

And the speed of work is very good. For example Plextor M7V 128 GB, on an Intel SATA 3 controller, gives a read speed of 497 MB/sec, and a write speed of 247 MB/sec (measured in the proprietary Plextool program). But Plextor M7V is a budget model, one of the cheapest among all SSD drives in mid-2016.

A disk Samsung EVO 850(250 GB) gives speeds (measured in Samsung proprietary software):

• On the SATA 2 controller (Intel ICH9): 268 MB/sec read and 250 MB/sec write. This speed was also confirmed by measurements in Ubuntu Linux.
• On the SATA 3 controller (Intel): 540 MB/sec read and 505 MB/sec write.

On SATA 2, the speed practically rests on the limit of the SATA 2 standard itself. On SATA 3, the reading speed also rests on the limit of the standard. And at the same time, Samsung gives a 5-year warranty on drives of the line EVO 850. And the result is an extremely fast and very reliable disk.

Update 2017

Many M.2 format SSD drives have appeared on sale, at prices comparable to the 2.5" SATA format. But more importantly, motherboards with an M.2 connector have appeared.

However, a clarification needs to be made. Not all M.2 format drives can provide read and write speeds significantly higher than through SATA III, that is, significantly higher than 570 MB per second. There are models that, having the M.2 format, nevertheless provide speeds at the level of only SATA III.

Speeds closer to 1 GB per second (or higher) depend on whether both the drive and motherboard support the NVMe (NVM Express) protocol. This is a protocol for working with disks via the PCI-e bus. It is similar to the AHCI protocol, but has advantages over it. The NVMe protocol places an emphasis on parallelizing read and write operations. And it has a greater job queue depth.

Before purchasing, you need to check the specifications of the SSD drive and motherboard. To support NVMe on the motherboard, not only the SATA III line, but also the PCI-e lanes (2 or 4) must be connected to the M.2 connector.

Here, for example, are several motherboards with an M.2 connector and NVMe support:

• ASUS H110M-A/M.2
• ASUS H170M-PLUS
• ASUS PRIME B250M-A
• ASUS B150-PRO

And accordingly, for example, SSD drives with NVMe support:

• Plextor M8Pe, PX-128M8PeG(N)
• Samsung EVO NVMe M.2

In addition, to support NVMe you need to use a fairly recent version of the OS. Windows supports NVMe out of the box starting with version 8.1. For Windows 7, you need to install an update and this is non-trivial, because the driver needs to be integrated into the installation image. Microsoft has instructions. There is another instruction in this topic, in Russian.

On Linux you need to use kernel version 3.13 19 or higher.

What are the benefits of using an NVMe-enabled SSD drive? At a minimum, today, this is approximately twice the speed of operation compared to SATA III. And in reading mode, the speed is already 3-4 times higher than through SATA III. And over time, this gap will increase. So it makes sense to bother.

If you are buying a new computer in 2017, then I advise you to buy a motherboard and an SSD drive with NVMe support.

Update 2018

Cheap models

There are many SSDs on sale with the cheapest possible hardware platform. Manufacturers are reducing the number of processor cores, the number of memory channels, and removing the DRAM cache (the so-called DRAM-less controllers). For example, the Phison S11 controller is not only single-core, but also dual-channel and without DRAM cache. Such disks have a low price and beautiful figures for read and write speeds, in the specifications

Manufacturers of such SSD drives draw beautiful numbers in the specifications using a software trick called pseudo-SLC cache. The essence of this software solution is that part of the TLC flash memory operates in pseudo-SLC mode, that is, one bit is written to the cell instead of three. This makes it possible to significantly increase the recording speed. However, this only works as long as the write size does not exceed the size of this pseudo-SLC cache or until the disk is completely full so that there are no free cells for the pseudo-SLC cache. And then the disk produces real, sad performance. Under high recording load, such disks can be even slower than HDDs.

And of course, given the weak controller processor and the lack of a DRAM cache, such drives have low performance in access mode to arbitrary blocks with a queue depth of 1-4. And this is the most common operating mode for a disk in a home (non-gaming) and office computer.

Some of these models:

• WD Green and Blue
• Toshiba TR200
• Kingston A400
• Sandisk SSD Plus (SDSSDA)
• GoodRam CL100
• SmartBuy Jolt

Be that as it may, even such an SSD drive will generally be faster than an HDD.

SATA goes down in history

Of course, SSDs with the SATA interface will be produced for a long time. To replace HDD in work computers. But all major manufacturers make their best models in M.2 format and with NVMe support. The reason for this is that the SATA interface no longer allows for the data transfer speed that modern SSD drives provide. The speed limit for the SATA3 bus is approximately 570 MB per second. And modern SSD drives can transfer data at speeds of more than 1 GB per second.

So if you're looking to buy a new computer or upgrade, look for a motherboard with an M.2 connector and NVMe support. And put an M.2 NVMe SSD there. However, you need to take into account that a motherboard with an M.2 connector, or a disk in M.2 format, may not have support for the NVMe protocol - in this case, the disk will operate at SATA3 speed (SATA mode). It is necessary to clarify whether a specific motherboard and a specific M.2 SSD drive have NVMe support.

3D XPoint (Intel Optane memory)

The first disks (from Intel) made on a new type of memory - 3D XPoint - appeared in retail sales. This memory is fundamentally different from NAND flash memory. Firstly, it is not processed in blocks - each cell can be addressed individually. Secondly, the cells do not need to be erased before recording. Thirdly, it has a higher recording resource.

In linear read and write operations, these 3D XPoint memory drives provide speeds comparable to the fastest TLC NAND drives. But in operations of reading and writing small blocks at arbitrary addresses and with a short queue, 3D XPoint memory is faster than NAND flash. And this mode of disk operation is most common in practice.

The capacity of the first (for the retail market) 3D XPoint disks is not yet sufficient for their individual use (16 and 32 GB). And today Intel offers Optane memory technology for these drives. The 3D XPoint disk is installed in the M.2 slot and this disk is used as a cache for a regular HDD disk. It seems to me that this solution is too complicated to implement and insufficiently effective in terms of price. It's easier to use SATA or M.2 SSD. And if you use an M.2 NVMe SSD, it will also be faster than an Optane drive + HDD.

It will be interesting when Optane disks with a capacity of at least 60 GB and at a competitive (with NAND) price will appear in retail.

Good and inexpensive SSD drive models

SATA Samsung 850MZ-7LN120BW- just 850 without the EVO suffix. There is only one model in the line so far, 120 GB. Costs around 3,500 rubles (summer 2018). In this model, everything is mature - DRAM cache, a good controller, plus a new 64-layer TLC 3D V-NAND memory. The result is very good speed performance. A good recording resource is 75 Terabytes.

SATA Hynix SL308- the line includes models with 120, 250 and 500 GB. DRAM cache, own controller, own memory, aluminum case. Like Toshiba, Intel and Samsung, Hynix also produces SSD drives from its own components. The 120 GB model costs around 3,500 rubles.

SATA Crucial MX500- almost the twin brother of the disk Intel SSD 545s. The differences are that a dynamically variable pseudo-SLC cache is used and there are capacitors to protect against sudden power loss (so that the write operation can be completed).

SATA Crucial Micron 1100- the minimum volume in this model line is 256 GB. This model costs around 6,500 rubles. It uses a Marvell controller, DRAM cache and its own TLC 3D NAND memory.

M.2 NVMe Samsung 960 EVO- the minimum volume in this model line is 250 GB. The 250 GB model costs around 7,000 rubles. It has the same impressive read and write speed figures: 3.2 and 1.5 Gigabytes per second. These are the numbers when using a pseudo-SLC cache, but its size changes dynamically and, if there is free space, in the 250 GB model, it can reach 13 GB. However, this disc is worse than Intel 760p, copes with reading and writing arbitrary blocks and a short queue. And this disk is option number two, if not available Intel 760p.

Update 2019

The good news is that good quality TLC memory has appeared, with a large recording resource. And SSD drives with TLC memory, on average, provide higher write and read speeds than drives with MLC memory. Moreover, they are also cheaper. A good 250 GB SATA SSD can now be purchased for $50-60.

So, now, in the budget segment, there are models that are more productive and more capacious than they were in the premium segment a few years ago.

The bad news is that the number of frankly cheap SSD drives has increased. Which are of course very cheap, but buying them is very risky. Every year the number of “manufacturers” of SSD drives increases. And in these mountains of crap it is not easy to find a good product.

The best SATA SSD options for February 2019:

• SATA Intel SSD 545s- 256 GB.
• SATA Samsung 860 EVO MZ-76E250BW- 250 GB.

Best M.2 SSD options for March 2019:

• M.2 NVMe Intel 760p- 256 GB.
• M.2 NVMe Samsung 960 EVO- 250 GB.

Cheap, capacious, fast disks. More details about these models in the 2018 section.

Ivan Sukhov, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 .

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