It is no doubt that the solid-state drive, also known as SSD, has become very relevant for use in desktops, laptops, and servers.
Given their wide range of services in our daily life ranging from business to website hosting, we can see why it’s everyone’s choice.
This article discusses the different types of SSD but firstly, let’s take a peek into what an SSD is.
What is an SSD?
A solid-state drive is a storage medium in a computer that stores and manages data using flash memory while also functioning as secondary storage.
The usual read and write speed of an SSD is around 550MB/s, and some may even deliver a speed of 600MB/s. They have become a better substitution for hard drives in laptops and computers.
Unlike hard drives, SSD has no moving parts, which gives it more superiority, such as faster speed and low energy consumption.
They’re also resistant to drops, shocks, and wear and tear, assuring you that it secures your stored data. If you’ve ever had to make a data recovery, you know it is much of a big deal.
Designed with excellent durability and reliability, it is a perfect tool for researchers, vloggers, and utility workers.
However, since not all types of solid-state drives or connections are the same, we will further the different types of SSD.
Different Types of SSD
The different types of SSD are; SATA SSD, M.2 SSDs, PCIe SSDs, and NVMe. Now, let’s get to know them!
1. SATA SSD
It is a solid-state drive that uses the Serial ATA hardware interface. These drives have a form factor of 2.5inches which is practical because it is similar to the size of notebook hard drives.
Also, SSDs around this form factor produces a read and write speed of about 550MB/s. Since it connects over SATA cables, it gives an experience to what many are already familiar with.
SATA SSD is one type of SSD installed in older devices, although that comes with a drop in performance. All notebooks and laptops connect to the interface, which is why they are more relevant among home users.
2. M.2 SSD
M.2 SSDs give a similar experience to the standard 2.5 SSDs. One of their noticeable features is the versatile size; they come in a flat, compact plug-in card format for mobile devices.
Also, due to its variety of length and width combinations, they allow for more flexibility in their usage.
The most common length is 2280 (80mm) but is also available in 40mm and 110mm. Additionally, M.2 SSDs support the NVMe form factor, which works if you need faster speed for a higher transfer data rate.
They are among the different types of SSD that offer good value for money and boost performances by using up to 4 PCIe lanes. However, they can cause confusion between the M.2 SATA SSDs and the M.2 NVMe SSDs.
3. PCIe SSDs
PCIe means Peripheral Component Interconnect Express and is a form factor that uses PCIe technology and the NVMe protocol.
These drives are bigger than the M.2 drives and allow more chips per card and their exact sizes depend on the lane used.
As a result of their high capacities, they are specially used for servers and enterprises and are ideal for users who need fast performance with the lowest latency. Also, they’re most likely to be recommended to gamers.
Even with its trendsetting technology among other types of SSD, its price tends to be a disadvantage as they are comparatively expensive.
4. NVMe
NVMe is non-volatile storage access for a computer with an interface specification that provides efficient performance for many business tasks.
It accesses flash storage through a PCIe which supports multiple parallel command queues and is thus much faster than hard drives.
NVMe storage is used in businesses where every second counts, such as artificial intelligence and finance. In addition, they store multicore CPUs and gigabytes of memories.
Conclusion
SSDs have become a popular choice for everyone who needs their device to work at great speed and still give reliability. We can not overemphasize the different types of SSD and their numerous advantages. Also, their affordability is fair, considering that the price has decreased recently.
