Articles about SSD

If you still haven't made the leap from HDD to SSD, what the heck are you waiting for? OK, true, mechanical drives are more affordable when capacity is considered, but come on -- the speed makes it totally worthwhile. It's not like you need a fancy NVMe drive either -- for most consumers, an inexpensive SATA-based solid state drive is more than adequate. Let's be honest -- outside of benchmarks and bragging rights, a blazing-fast PCIe SSD is probably overkill for the majority of consumers.

Today, Kingston unveils a new line of SATA-based SSDs. They are available in three form factors -- 2.5-inch, M.2 2280, and mSATA. Capacity ranges from 120GB to 1920GB depending on which of the aforementioned styles is selected. For instance, the mSATA model maxes out at 480GB, while the M.2 goes up to 960GB. The 2.5-inch takes things to another level, as it features capacities up to a massive 1,920GB! Best of all, they feature 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption.

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While prices for NVMe solid state drives are dropping, it is important to remember that all such drives are not created equally. We recently shared a new Kingston NVMe drive with you -- the A1000 -- and while I am sure it's a fine product, it only uses PCIe Gen 3.0 x2, making it slower than drives utilizing x4. Consumers will have to decide if the speed trade-off is worth any potential savings.

Today, Western Digital launches the Black 3D NVMe SSD, and it looks amazing. While it is affordable, like the aforementioned Kingston drive, it uses PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, giving it insane performance. In other words, with this drive, you don't have to sacrifice speed for savings.

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If your computer has a compatible PCIe-based M.2 slot, and you aren't currently using it, you are making a big mistake. Why? Because NVMe solid state drives are insanely fast -- putting SATA variants to shame. If your desktop doesn't have an M.2 slot, don't worry -- you may be able to add one using a PCIe adapter card.

Unfortunately, NVMe drives can be expensive comparatively. Thankfully, they are dropping in price all the time. For example, today, Kingston launches an all-new affordable such drive called the "A1000" and it looks quite nice. Unfortunately, it leverages PCIe NVMe Gen 3.0 x2 rather than x4, so it is slower than offerings from some of its competitors. With that said, it is still significantly faster than SATA.

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Solid state drives are much faster than mechanical hard drives. From a capacity perspective, however, the old-school hard drives typically offer more storage space. It is for this reason that many individuals and businesses still rely on hard disk drives for larger backups.

Today, Samsung throws all logic out of the window by announcing it is mass producing a solid state drive with monstrous capacity. The "PM1643," as it is called, offers an insane 30.72TB of storage space! This is achieved by using 32 x 1TB NAND flash.

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Solid state drives are all the rage nowadays, and it is not hard to see why. Not only are they much faster than traditional mechanical hard drives, but they consume much less electricity too. While power consumption might not be a big deal for home users, it can really add up in the enterprise where many drives are in use. In other words, a reduction in energy use can really benefit data centers and other business uses.

Today, Samsung unveils a new high-performance SSD aimed at the enterprise. The "SZ985 Z-SSD," as it is called, uses special Z-NAND memory. The drive is designed for The Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, supercomputing, and more. With that said, there is no reason enthusiasts can’t use it on their PCs.

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If you haven’t yet upgraded your operating system drive from a mechanical hard disk to a solid state drive, you are really missing out. Prices have dropped dramatically over the years, while at the same time, reliability has improved. Swapping an HDD for an SSD can be very easy too, thanks to cloning software that often comes with the drive.

Before you buy some random SSD, please know that they are not all the same. True, SATA models largely have equal speeds these days, but the brand really matters from a reliability standpoint. If you want a dependable solid state drive for your data, you should take a look at Samsung. Its offerings are top notch, and today the  company launches its newest SATA models -- the 860 PRO and EVO.

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I love my MacBook Pro for many reasons, but one in particular is the Thunderbolt 3 ports. If you aren't familiar, Thunderbolt 3 is insanely fast at 40Gbps, but also, it is very versatile. It can transmit video and data, for instance, but also, it is compatible with USB-C devices too. By connecting a single Thunderbolt 3 cable to my Mac, I can simultaneously charge it and transform it into a desktop thanks to a docking station. Seriously, folks, TB3 is amazing.

The company Patriot is leveraging Thunderbolt 3 for data storage, and its new EVLVR (pronounced "evolver") Portable SSD is blazing fast as a result. Not only is it very speedy, but it is physically small too -- a big win for portability. Despite being diminutive, it has big capacity -- up to 1TB of storage. Wow!

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Ever since game consoles first started seeing internal hard drives, I've been fascinated with hardware previously reserved for PCs rearing their head inside living room systems. The PlayStation 2 toyed with the idea of an expansion bay that could take an HDD, even though it was near useless for 99+ percent of games. But it was the original Xbox which finally shipped with an HDD built in, making this concept a mainstay from then onward.

This holiday I took the chance to treat myself with an Xbox One X to replace my original edition Xbox One. I've loved the Xbox One ecosystem so far, and previously outlined all the major reasons why I feel the Xbox One is the clear choice (IMHO) over the PS4. Yet the one area that Microsoft continues to boggle my mind is with its choice of drive type for internal storage. Xbox One game install and patch storage needs were already growing, and now with the Xbox One X, 4K game asset patches are getting crazy large. Quantum Break is one egregious offender, with 4K assets coming in the form of an additional 94GB it has been reported -- putting its total install size at almost 178GB.

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It’s 2018, and there will likely be a lot of new hardware to excite and delight computer builders this year. In 2017, we saw solid state drives continue their climb in popularity -- a trend that will absolutely continue in the new year.

Today, Plextor launches a new solid state drive with a focus on gaming. The M9Pe series, as it is called, is an M.2 NVMe SSD drive that will be sold in capacities up to 1TB. It uses 64-layer 3D NAND Toshiba flash and the Marvell 88ss1093 controller.

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For computer enthusiasts, we are living in a very exciting time. Hardware is faster than ever, while prices for parts are quite reasonable. You can build a very capable PC without breaking the bank.

One of my favorite components is the solid state drive. Not only are they much faster than traditional mechanical hard disk drives, but they can reduce power usage too -- a big win for battery life on laptops and tablets. Today, Toshiba unveils its latest such drive and it looks amazing. The 2TB XG5-P is NVMe based, meaning it will be blazing fast.

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There are two very important technologies changing the computer landscape nowadays -- solid state drives and USB-C. SSDs are flash-based storage devices, meaning they are faster than traditional hard disk drives, while having no moving parts either. USB-C is just a connection type, but its reversible nature makes it an absolute dream for users -- Type-A connectors were a hassle as you had a 50-percent chance of inserting it incorrectly.

When these two things come together, you get a fast portable drive that can easily connect to the newest computers, such as the Apple MacBook Pro. I have been testing a very intriguing such external SSD lately from renowned company ADATA. This manufacturer is known for its high-quality memory products, such as RAM, flash drives, and solid state drives. The 512GB SSD I am testing, called "SE730H," is extremely small, very fast, and quite durable. It uses the USB 3.1 generation 2 interface.

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NVMe solid state drives are rewarding computer users with exceptional speed nowadays. Compared to SATA, they are much faster, and thanks to the M.2 form factor, they are much smaller too. While 2.5-inch drives are fine for a desktop, they are too large for modern laptops -- especially as manufacturers try to push the boundaries of thinness.

If you are looking to upgrade your laptop or desktop with a fast PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD, ADATA has a new product which might pique your interest. Called "XPG SX9000," it offers tremendous performance using the M.2 2280 form factor. The "XPG" in the product name indicates this ADATA has created this drive for both gamers and enthusiasts. The company is even including a very impressive 5 year warranty.

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Portable solid state drives are better than mechanical hard drives for a few reasons. Obviously they are faster, but more importantly, they are more durable, as there are no moving parts. For those that travel a lot, for instance, a portable SSD is a safer product for throwing in a bag. Another big benefit is size -- modern portable SSDs are getting quite small, meaning they take up less room on a desk or in a backpack.

Today, Samsung launches its newest such drive, called the "Portable SSD T5." This beautiful drive features a USB-C connector and comes in two color options -- Deep Black and Alluring Blue. Since this is a Samsung product, it should last. If there are any issues, however, the company is including a three year warranty.

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SATA is so out of style. Nowadays, all the cool kids are using much-faster NVMe PCIe-based solid state drives that utilize either U.2 or M.2 connectors; I prefer the latter, but I digress. Of course, to maximize the performance of these ultra-fast drives, you will not only need the appropriate connectors, but PCIe 3.0 too. If you don't have the correct connector, all is not lost. Thanks to PCIe adapter cards, you might able to add compatibility to your system without the need of a new motherboard.

While M.2 adapter cards are very commonplace, U.2 variants are not. Today, StarTech is back with another very useful product -- the U.2 to PCIe Drive Adapter Expansion Card. If you don't have a U.2 connector port, but do have a PCIe 3.0 x4 or higher slot, this card will allow you to connect a compatible drive at top speed. It will work with PCIe 1.0 and 2.0 too, albeit at much slower speeds. You can mount the 2.5-inch U.2 drive (15mm, 12.5mm, 9.5mm, 7mm, and 5mm height) directly on the card, meaning there are no unsightly cables.

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Solid state drives are all the rage nowadays, but as fast as they are, they don't often compare to mechanical hard drives from a capacity standpoint. Heck, my pricey MacBook Pro came with a very fast NVMe drive, but with a mere 256GB of storage. This is quite paltry when cheap laptops using a HDD can often exceed four times that capacity. Of course, there is a big speed tradeoff, making the smaller capacity preferable to some. It stinks that many consumers have to choose between a fast yet small SSD or a slow and roomy HDD.

What if consumers didn't have to choose though? A new NVMe SSD series from Micron, dubbed 9200, offers both extreme speed and monstrous capacity. How much storage, you ask? Up to 11TB! The drive is more focused for businesses, however, as it will likely be priced well out of reach of the average consumer. In other words, it isn't designed for your fancy gaming rig, but instead, servers. Still, it is exciting to think that these large capacity SSDs will trickle down to consumers eventually.

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