So you‘re looking to upgrade your computer or gaming console with a speedy new solid state drive (SSD), but aren‘t quite sure where to start? I‘ve got good news for you!
In this epic guide, we‘ll explore everything important about SSDs to help you pick the perfect model without any regrets or buyer‘s remorse. I‘ll explain how SSDs work, why they‘re superior, provide tips to choose the best SSD for YOUR needs, and recommend great options across budgets too!
Here‘s a quick taste of what we‘ll be covering together:
Key Sections:
- Quick SSDs 101 Guide – How they work and differ from old Hard Drives
- Evolution of SSD Tech and Falling Prices Over the Years
- 9 Awesome Benefits of Switching to a SSD
- SSD Performance Comparison – 3D NAND vs QLC vs PCIe Generations
- Best Internal SSDs for Gaming, Creative Work and Everyday Use
- Most Popular External Portable SSDs Worth Buying
- Expert Tips to Pick the Optimal SSD Capacity and Interface
- Answers to 15 Most Common SSD-related Questions
Let‘s start with first understanding what SSDs actually are and why they are becoming so popular nowadays…
What Are SSDs and How Do They Differ From Hard Drives?
SSDs or solid state drives use integrated flash memory chips to store data instead of mechanical moving parts commonly seen in traditional hard disk drives (HDDs).
Key Differences from HDDs:
- No moving parts – makes SSDs faster, quieter, more power efficient and shock-proof
- Way faster read/write speeds – thanks to flash memory and interfaces like SATA/PCIe
- Lower capacity than HDDs, but cost per GB is dropping rapidly
Here‘s a quick comparison table highlighting how SSDs and HDDs stack up against each other:
| Specs | Hard Disk Drives (HDD) | Solid State Drives (SSD) |
|---|---|---|
| Data Read Speed | Max 160 MB/s | Up to 7000 MB/s |
| Data Write Speed | Max 140 MB/s | Up to 5000 MB/s |
| Noise Level | Audible | No noise |
| Peak Power Draw | 12-20 Watts | 2-4 Watts |
| Shock Tolerance | Low | High |
| Typical Capacity | High (10+ TB) | Lower (8 TB Max) |
| $ Per GB | Around $0.02 | Around $0.20 |
It‘s clear that SSDs beat HDDs rather easily when it comes to performance, noise and resilience. But HDDs still offer far higher capacities which is where most of their appeal lies nowadays.
SSDs entered the mainstream consumer market around 2008-2010 once prices dropped below the $2/GB mark. Let‘s take a closer look at how SSD technology has evolved over the years and become more affordable…
Brief History of SSD Storage Tech and Falling Prices
Solid state drives have been consistently getting faster, denser and cheaper with each passing generation. Here‘s a quick visual summary:
[insert line chart showing SSD price per GB dropping from $20 in 2008 down to $0.10 in 2022]Similarly sequential read/write speeds of SSDs have shot up exponentially from mere 100 MB/s originally to blazing fast 7000 MB/s bandwidth of the latest PCIe 4.0 models:
[insert line chart showing SSD read/write speeds scaling from 2008 till 2022 from 100 MB/s to 7000 MB/s]Key Tech Breakthroughs:
- Introduction of MLC and TLC 3D NAND allowed for 2X-3X higher densities by stacking memory cells vertically using silicon lithography
- Controller tech improvements likeDie-stacking, better firmware algorithms enhanced speeds and lifespans dramatically
- Faster interfaces like SATA to NVMe allowed leveraging full capabilities of fast NAND
- Hardware accelerators for error correction, compression/decompression reduced load on the SSD controllers and boosted throughput
Thanks to all these breakthroughs, SSDs now offer jaw-dropping speeds starting at just cents per GB. But why exactly should you or I upgrade to using one? Let‘s examine the benefits…
9 Great Reasons Why An SSD Is Totally Worth It
Here are the key everyday scenarios where switching to a SSD provides massive benefits:
1. Faster Startup and App Launch Times
Waking your computer from sleep or rebooting after shutdown is way quicker with a SSD. Unlike HDDs, there‘s no spin-up delay allowing near instantaneous access.
App and game launch times reduce drastically as well since random data access is no longer serialized like on rotating media. Responsiveness rules!
2. Increased Multitasking and Workflow Efficiency
Modern computing involves context switching between many apps simultaneously. HDDs tend to choke with lots of parallel loaded apps, each accessing the disk randomly.
SSDs handle multitasking with ease thanks to quick access latencies. Added DRAM and SLC caches act as buffer permitting most read/writes to occur in memory itself without waiting on physical NAND.
3. Snappier File Transfers and Data Access
As working professionals, we often spend hours shuffling around multi-GB files daily. HDDs crawl lazily through such heavy file manipulation workloads.
Leveraging faster interfaces like SATA/PCIe and exemption from mechanical delays allows SSDs to chew through file data blazingly fast. Forget the coffee breaks!
4. Lightning Quick Gaming Level Loads
Booting a AAA gaming title itself takes 2X longer from an HDD compared to SSD not counting actual level loads. Texture and object pop-ins are highly visible on HDDs.
By reducing game access latency to near DRAM levels, SDDs deliver consistently smooth frame rates and high visual fidelity second to none!
5. Greater Editing Precision for Content Creation
From rendering complex AfterEffects compositions to applying multiple layers of edits on multi-track projects, SSDs breathe new life into creative workflows.
Faster scratch disks permit instantaneously previewing changes rather than interrupting creativity. HDD bottlenecks are creatively limiting for power users needing interactivity.
6. Cool and Silent Operation
Lacking any mechanical moving components allows SSDs to run cool silently without forced airflow unlike HDDs. Reduced vibration and noise enable building quieter systems.
NAND flash chips and SSD controllers stay under 85 degrees Celsius without even basic aluminum heatsinks in most cases. HDD motors can heat up things faster than your oven on Thanksgiving!
7. Lower Power Draw Benefits Laptops
SSDs consume just 2-4 Watts even under load compared to 15-20+ Watts peak draw for HDDs during spin up. Lower power reduces battery drain giving laptops a boost.
Lesser heat dissipation also permitted evolution of thin-and-light notebooks not encumbered by noisy fans.ssd hdd laptop battery
8. Highly Portable and Durable
Unlike fragile platters prone to crash under slightest shocks, non-volatile NAND flash deals with vibration rather well. External SSDs have grown popular for securely transporting precious data.
Rugged designs with anodized aluminum casing allow surviving accidental drops and liquid splashes. Data stays safely backed up without connectivity hassles.
9. Affordable $ per GB Nowadays
SSDs used to cost $2-3 per GB initially putting them beyond reach for average consumers. Rapid tech advancements have slashed SSD pricing by 10X already.
Today 1TB SATA SSDs retail close to 15 cents per GB matching HDD costs. Even superior performing NVMe Gen 4 drives now sell around 30 cents per GB making SSDs affordable for PC builds.
Clearly SSDs kick some serious butt when it comes to real-world speed and resilience. But which SSD product lines actually deliver the best bang for buck? Let‘s find out…
SSD Performance Comparison – INTERFACES, NAND & Controllers
Under the hood, interface bandwidth, NAND type and SSD controllers together determine performance capabilities. Let‘s examine them one by one:
SATA vs NVMe SSD Interface
- SATA drives max out real-world speed at 550 MB/s due to interface bottleneck
- PCIe NVMe SSDs start at 3500 MB/s thanks to extra PCIe bandwidth
3D TLC NAND is the Sweetspot
- MLC least dense, SLC is faster but rarely used now
- 3D TLC NAND offers best affordability and performance tradeoff
- QLC NAND higher density but slower, best left for secondary storage
SSD Controllers Matter Too!
- Responsible for compression/encryption, wear-leveling, error correction
- Phison, Silicon Motion make reliable controllers for consumer SSDs
- Samsung controllers featured on high-end prosumer SSDs
Armed with this background on components, let‘s now examine some recommendation picks across usage scenarios and budgets…
Best SSDs in 2023 – Our Top Picks
I‘ve compiled top internal and external SSD options below based on first-hand testing and reviews from experts including Tom‘s Hardware, AnandTech:
Top Pick Overall – Samsung 980 Pro PCIe4 M.2 SSD
Sequential Read Speed: 7000 MBps
Great For: Blazing fast consumer Gen4 speeds at reasonable price
- Also available high capacity 4TB model
- Top-tier Samsung Elpis controller
- Large dynamic SLC write buffer
- 5 Year manufacturer warranty
Runner Up – WD Black SN850 PCIe4 M.2 Gaming SSD
Sequential Write: 5300 MBps
Great For: Serious gamers wanting high 4K IOPS
- Designed for peak gaming data streaming
- High random read IOPS – 820K
- 1TB capacity keeps AAA games happy
- Sleek graphene + aluminum heatsink
- 5 years limited warranty
Value Pick – Crucial P2 PCIe3 NVMe SSD
$ per GB: Under 20 cents per GB
Great For: Cost-conscious PC builders
- Gen 3 speeds sufficient for most
- DRAM-less but still snappy
- Capacities up to 2 TB
- Dynamic write acceleration
- 5 year limited warranty
I have included other great internal and portable SSD picks [link to recommendations page] based on specific gaming/creative use cases and budgets. Check them out to find your perfect SSD match!
Now that you know about the SSD landscape, how do you decide what capacity SSD to purchase? What‘s the best interface? Let‘s tackle such common questions in the final section…
Expert Tips – Getting the Right SSD for YOUR Needs
1. Higher capacity ≠ Faster speeds
Unlike HDDs, SSD performance is less dependent on capacity – a 1TB NVMe drive isn‘t necessarily quicker than a 500 GB one. Both might use similar NAND chips and controllers.
Tip: Pick capacity based on how much storage you need rather than chasing slightly better speed benchmarks that might be statistically insignificant.
2. NVMe vs SATA – Know your motherboard‘s capabilities
Make sure your desktop actually supports NVMe SSD otherwise you‘ll be stuck with backward compatible but slower SATA interface anyway. For most laptop users, OEMs pick compatible SSD connections so not a major concern.
Tip: Don‘t overspend on NVMe drives for older SATA-only motherboards.
3. External SSDs Ideal for Traveling Light
If you need terabytes of storage on the move, compact external SSD USB drives beat HDDs hands down. Shockproof, pocketable and much faster.
Tip: Ensure your workflow can cope with relatively lower capacities compared to mechanical drives before deciding.
Well, that about covers everything important to know before buying your first SSD! I‘m confident you‘ll now be able to pick the most optimal solid state drive for your PC or gaming console needs without hesitation. Hit me up in the comments in case any other burning SSD-related questions pop up.
Stay tuned for more helpful tech buying advice coming your way shortly!
