Which ssd to buy? What is the best way to organize the data? Failure time

Good afternoon dear readers, today we will look at what volume free space needed for ssd for installation operating system Windows, how to predict further data growth so that everything works like a clock and does not damage the device.

SSD(Solid state drive) is a storage device that does not have moving parts, like a regular hard drive. An SSD uses flash memory to store memory. In simple words, this is such a large flash drive that has become very firmly entrenched in our lives.

Why do you need an ssd drive?

And so we’ve sorted out the definition, now let me answer the question of what an SSD is needed for and where it is used. Literally 5 years ago, all computers and server solutions had hard drives HDDs that are already limited in their performance due to their design and spindle speed. The world demanded further development, especially in the mobile device industry, they became the locomotive that pushed new technology,Solid state drive. SSD drives were brought to us by:

• hundreds of thousands of input/output operations (IOPS) compared to HDDs that produced a maximum of 150 iops,
• reduced electricity consumption,
• reduced the required amount of physical space inside servers and computers

• Stopped warming up
• They have become more durable and are not critical to a fall or a light blow to them
• Reduced the weight of devices
• Laptops have increased battery life

I think you now understand why you need an SSD drive to make your life more comfortable and less stressful. How many times have I seen people at work whose hard drives began to die, after checking their condition with a special utility, I stated that the disk was soon destroyed, there was nothing to change, be patient. And so a man with gritting teeth and wild brakes of the operating system tried to work, getting more and more irritated with every minute. There is no risk of this with an SSD, it only comes from the manufacturer warranty period 5 years, and with average use in companies, it will last the full 8-10 years, saving employers a lot of money.

SSD volume in 2017-18

And so, we’ve sorted out the question of why an SSD drive is needed, now let’s talk about its capacity, which is what interests the modern user most of all. When I told you above about hdd comparison and ssd, about all its advantages, I forgot to mention, two significant disadvantages that are currently holding back its massive displacement from the server and personal computer market:

1. Much smaller volume compared to HDD
2. The price may be several times higher than hard drives

Although the volume of SSDs is increasing and the price per gigabyte is decreasing every year, they still leave much to be desired; HDDs, according to the formula volume and price per gigabyte, are still winning. In such situations, a compromise is reached in which a solid-state drive (SSD) is used for a clean installation of Windows 7 and higher, and a regular HDD 3.5 is used for all kinds of data.

On current moment the largest ssd capacity is 15 TB and costs $10,000, which only large companies can afford for very fast RAID arrays. This is what this solid state drive looks like from Samsung.

But this, as it turns out, is not the limit, Samsung is already developing SSDs with a capacity of 60 TB and this is already a very serious volume, I think that in the next 5-7 years this market will grow significantly and increase the price SSD is smaller than hard drives.

What size ssd is needed for windows 10

Let's now figure out what size a solid-state drive should be that has Windows 10 Creators Update installed on it. Here I can give figures from my practice, which includes servicing more than 700 computers with this OS.

• For Windows 10 itself you will need volume solid state drive 20 GB ssd
• At the time of installation of updates, the operating system Windows system 10 may require an additional 15 GB from you, just an example of moving from threshold 2 to anniversary update, at this moment the Windows.old folder is created so that the user can roll back the system at any time.
• Third party programs from 10 GB
• Space for temporary files, about 5-10 GB

To summarize, for Windows 10, an SSD size of 120 GB or more is suitable for you; at current prices, it will cost you from 3,200 rubles, which is not very expensive, the only thing is that you will have to tune it to reduce its wear and buy an additional screw for your main files (Music, photos, videos)

What size ssd is needed for windows 7 and 8.1

Let's now figure out what size a solid-state drive should be that has Windows 7 or 8.1 on it.

• The seven itself will require 12-15 GB, but with constant updating The folder can grow up to 30 GB, so you will have to constantly clean out old updates.
• Office Microsoft package Office will require another 5-7 GB of space from you
• Third-party programs from 10 GB

To summarize, the seven will fit 60 GB, but I advise you not to waste your money and buy 120 GB. The most joyful thing is that this technology It’s only getting better every year, we’ll wait. Today we looked at what an ssd drive is and why you need it. If you have questions, write them in the comments, I will try to answer.

If you are collecting powerful computer or want to speed up the old one, then an SSD will come in handy. Finally, the cost of these drives has dropped enough that they can be considered as a reasonable alternative hard drives(HDD).

The following SSD features will help you choose best drive compatible with your computer and meeting your needs.

1. Which form factor to choose: SSD 2.5″, SSD M.2 or another

SSD 2.5″

This form factor is the most common. An SSD looks like a small box that resembles an ordinary hard drive. 2.5″ SSDs are the cheapest, but their speed is sufficient for most users.

Compatibility of 2.5″ SSD with computers

SSD of this form factor can be installed in any desktop computer or a laptop with a free compartment for 2.5-inch drives. If your system only has room for an old 3.5" hard drive, you can fit a 2.5" SSD into it too. But in this case, look for an SSD model that comes with a special lock.

Like modern HDDs, a 2.5″ SSD is connected to the motherboard using the SATA3 interface. This connection provides a throughput of up to 600 MB/s. If you have an old one motherboard with a SATA2 connector, you can still connect a 2.5″ SSD, but throughput storage will be limited old version interface.

SSD M.2

A more compact form factor, making it suitable even for particularly thin ones that do not have room for a 2.5″ SSD. It looks like an oblong stick and is installed not in a separate compartment of the case, but directly on the motherboard.

To connect to the board, each M.2 drive uses one of two interfaces: SATA3 or PCIe.

PCIe is several times faster than SATA3. If you choose the first, then there are a few more things to consider: the interface version and the number of lines connected to the connector for data transfer.

• The newer the PCIe version, the higher the throughput (data transfer speed) of the interface. Two versions are common: PCIe 2.0 (up to 1.6 GB/s) and PCIe 3.0 (up to 3.2 GB/s).
• The more data lines connected to the SSD connector, the higher its throughput again. Maximum quantity there are four lines in the M.2 SSD, in this case in the drive description its interface is designated as PCIe x4. If there are only two lines, then PCIe x2.

M.2 SSD compatibility with computers

Before purchasing an M.2 SSD, you should make sure that it will fit your motherboard. To do this, you need to check first the physical and then the software compatibility connector on the drive with a slot on the board. Then you need to find out the length of the drive and compare it with the allowable length of the slot allocated for M.2 in your system.

1. Physical compatibility of interfaces

Each connector on the motherboard intended for connecting M.2 format drives has a special cutout (key) of one of two types: B or M. At the same time, the connector on each M.2 drive has two cutouts B + M, less often only one of two keys: B or M.

The B-connector on the board can be connected with a B-connector. To the M-connector, respectively, a drive with an M-type connector. SSDs, the connectors of which have two M + B cutouts, are compatible with any M.2 slots, regardless of the keys in the latter.

M.2 SSD with B+M key (top) and M.2 SSD with M key (bottom) / www.wdc.com

Thus, first make sure that your motherboard has an M.2 SSD slot at all. Then find out the key for your connector and select a drive whose connector is compatible with this key. Key types are usually indicated on connectors and slots. In addition, you can find all the necessary information in the documents for the motherboard and drive.

2. Logical compatibility of interfaces

In order for an SSD to fit your motherboard, taking into account the physical compatibility of its connector with the connector is not enough. The fact is that the drive connector may not support the logical interface (protocol) that is used in the slot of your board.

Therefore, when you understand the keys, find out what protocol is implemented in the M.2 connector on your board. This could be SATA3, and/or PCIe x2, and/or PCIe x4. Then choose an M.2 SSD with the same interface. For information about supported protocols, see the device documentation.

3. Size compatibility

Another nuance on which the drive’s compatibility with motherboard, this is its length.

In the characteristics of most boards you can find the numbers 2260, 2280 and 22110. The first two digits in each of them indicate the supported drive width. It is the same for all M.2 SSDs and is 22 mm. The next two digits are the length. Thus, most boards are compatible with drives with lengths of 60, 80 and 110 mm.

Three M.2 SSD drives of different lengths / www.forbes.com

Before purchasing M.2, be sure to find out the supported drive length, which is indicated in the documents for the motherboard. Then choose one that matches this length.

As you can see, the issue of M.2 compatibility is very confusing. Therefore, just in case, consult the sellers about this.

Less popular form factors

It’s possible that your computer case won’t have a bay for a 2.5” SSD, and your motherboard won’t have an M.2 connector. The owner of a thin laptop may encounter such an atypical situation. Then for your system you need to choose a 1.8″ or mSATA SSD - check the documents for your computer. These are rare form factors that are more compact than 2.5” SSDs, but inferior in data exchange speed to M.2 drives.

In addition, thin laptops from Apple may also not support traditional form factors. In them, the manufacturer installs an SSD of a proprietary format, the characteristics of which are comparable to M.2. So, if you have a thin laptop with an apple on the lid, check the supported SSD type in the documentation for the computer.

External SSDs

In addition to internal ones, there are also external drives. They vary greatly in shape and size - choose the one that is most convenient for you.

As for the interface, they connect to computers via USB port. To achieve full compatibility, make sure the port on your computer and the drive connector support the same USB standard. The highest data transfer speeds are provided by USB 3 and USB Type-C.

2. Which memory is better: MLC or TLC

Based on the number of bits of information that can be stored in one flash memory cell, the latter is divided into three types: SLC (one bit), MLC (two bits) and TLC (three bits). The first type is relevant for servers, the other two are widely used in consumer drives, so you will have to choose from them.

MLC memory is faster and more durable, but more expensive. TLC is correspondingly slower and withstands fewer rewrite cycles, although the average user is unlikely to notice the difference.

TLC type memory is cheaper. Choose it if savings are more important to you than speed.

The drive description may also indicate the type relative position memory cells: NAND or 3D V-NAND (or simply V-NAND). The first type implies that the cells are arranged in one layer, the second - in several layers, which allows you to create an SSD increased capacity. According to the developers, the reliability and performance of 3D V-NAND flash memory is higher than that of NAND.

3. Which SSD is faster

In addition to the type of memory, the performance of an SSD is also affected by other characteristics, such as the model of the controller installed in the drive and its firmware. But these details are often not even indicated in the description. Instead, the final indicators of read and write speed appear, which are easier for the buyer to navigate. So, when choosing between two SSDs, other things being equal, take the drive whose stated speeds are higher.

Remember that the manufacturer indicates only theoretically possible speeds. In practice, they are always lower than stated.

4. What storage capacity is right for you

Of course, one of the most important characteristics when choosing a drive is its capacity. If you are buying an SSD to use it for fast work operating system, a 64 GB device is sufficient. If you are going to install games on the SSD or store them on it large files, then choose the volume that suits your needs.

But do not forget that the storage capacity greatly affects its cost.

Buyer's checklist

• If you need a storage device for office tasks or watching movies, choose a 2.5″ or M.2 SSD with a SATA3 interface and TLC memory. Even such a budget SSD will work much faster than a regular hard drive.
• If you are engaged in other tasks for which high drive performance is critical, choose an M.2 SSD with a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface and MLC memory.
• Before purchasing, carefully check the compatibility of the drive with your computer. If in doubt, consult the sellers on this issue.

We have already talked about SSDs several times and I am more than sure that many of you know what it is, those who don’t know.

So, if you want your computer to work better and faster, then SSD drive will help you with this. Access to data occurs almost instantly and this speeds up loading, for example, systems or launching programs. In other words, whatever you try to open will open almost instantly.

If you replace your HDD with such a device, the benefits will be noticeable to a greater extent than if we simply replaced the RAM. As I have said in many of my articles, the only drawback of these devices is that they are very expensive, so many cannot afford them.

Also, information on the service life of the SSD is considered important, since memory cells are subject to wear. To increase service life, I will tell you several methods, but this is only for solid-state drives, this practically does not apply to regular hard drives.

Purchase and operation

In this article, we will look at 5 points of operation of SSD drives, you need to know them before choosing a disk. In paragraph 6, we will look at the principle of operation, the differences between SSDs and conventional hard drives, for example, when deleting data.

Choosing a universal hard drive

For those users who want to purchase a new hard drive Instead of the old one, you should pay attention to an interesting 500 GB SSD drive. They cost approximately 13,000 rubles, but will provide you with both speed and plenty of space.

Even if we take into account that the SATA-3 interface limits the data transfer speed to 600 MB/s, then SSD drives have a speed 5 times higher than conventional hard drives. Also, solid-state drives can have a warranty of 3 years and are designed for such a volume of recorded information that would be achieved only after 10 years.

SSD Model - Transcend SSD370S has a capacity of 512 GB and costs approximately 15 thousand rubles, data access time is achieved almost immediately, and there is also optimal energy efficiency. There is a similar model - Samsung SSD 850 Evo for 500 GB, price 14 thousand rubles, warranty up to 5 years.

Let's look at the performance

In order to get the most out of an SSD, you need to use PCI Express 3.0 rather than SATA, the best option would be to purchase a motherboard.

Now you can find the following models of this product: Intel SSD 750 400 GB or 1200 GB, price from 37 thousand rubles to 98 thousand rubles, a little expensive, but this is the best option. Second model - Samsung SSD 950 Pro from 256 to 512 GB, price 17-29,000 rubles. The model also has a form factor - M.2, which creates compatibility with modern computer motherboards and laptops with an M.2 slot.

The data transfer speed of such SSDs is more than 2 Gb/s; as you can see, there is a big difference compared to SATA-SSDs.

Transferring the OS to an SSD drive

If your operating system is located on an HDD, then you should think about transferring it to an SSD. After this, the performance will noticeably improve and you will notice it charmingly.

There is a utility O&O SSD Migration Kit, which helps to transfer to SSD. Of course, there are failures, so you can use software, for example, from the manufacturer. Example - Samsung Data Migration. In any case, connect the SSD to your computer or laptop first.

In a computer you can use a SATA port, and in laptops, a special 2.5-inch compartment, and, of course, a SATA port. Or, to insert an SSD into a laptop, you need to purchase an external case with a USB connector and then you can easily connect the drive to a laptop or computer.

Using SSD and HDD in a laptop

Usually, in almost any laptop that has an HDD drive, you can change the drive to a SATA-SSD, and in a 2.5-inch form factor. If your laptop has a disk drive, you can replace it with OptibayHD-adapter into which SATA-SSD is connected.

Installing an SSD in a computer

IN regular computers There is no space for an SSD drive, since they are smaller in size. Although some computers have bays for these disks. Or you can purchase a special compartment.

Operating system optimization

Once you have installed the SSD, you need to be sure to install the software from the manufacturer. For example, if you install Intel SSD Toolbox software, your device will always have the latest firmware.

Also, you can use it to align partitions and configure the operating system.

If the tool for SSD optimization and there is no OS, then you can use the AS SSD utility to align the partitions.

If the value in the upper left corner is 1024 and green button OK, then this means that everything is fine, but if the red button BAD, then everything is bad. If the Bad button appears, then to fix the problem you can use the Live-USB Parted Magic utility, the program costs about 700 rubles.

What is the best way to organize the data?

When using a 500 GB SSD drive, the best option would be to use one partition for the system (C:), while preferably having some free space. There is also another option: use the entire SSD for the operating system, and a regular hard drive is suitable for storing files.

In any case, if you use the SSD as I wrote just above, it will increase the reserve area that you yourself have allocated, thus the number of memory cells will be increased, and they will replace the failed ones.

Periodically free up disk space

As we know, SSD capacity is very limited, and if you have a 120 GB drive, then naturally you can quickly run out of space. This is worth thinking about, especially since if the disk is used at the limit of its capacity, this greatly harms its characteristics. To solve this problem, you need to clean the disk from files that you no longer need and garbage.

If there is important files that you cannot delete, then move them to another hard drive. To remove files and garbage you can use CCleaner program. If after cleaning, the fill level is not below 90%, then you should run the disk cleaner.

How to securely delete data from SSD?

It is worth knowing that deleting files from an SSD will be more difficult than from a regular one. hard drive. To completely remove files from an SSD, you must first remove it using Windows or third-party tools, and then use the Eraser program to overwrite the free memory several times.

SSD ( Solid State Disk – Solid State Disk), strictly speaking, is not a disk. Unlike HDDs, which store information on rotating magnetic disks, SSD does not contain any disks. The data in them is stored on flash memory chips. This is where most of the features of this type of drive come from. Pros:

- SSD drives at times faster HDD. Read and write speeds on solid-state drives reach an average of 500 MB/s, and best models HDD these figures do not exceed 200 MB/s. Not only that, advantage of SSD speed increases noticeably when you need to work with more than one long file, but work with many small ones. At the same time, the speed of a classic HDD drops tens of times - after all different files can be located in different areas of the disk and accessing each new file requires a new positioning of the recording head. The speed of the SSD does not drop so much when working with various files; As a result, the SSD becomes hundreds of times faster than the HDD!
- SSD drives have no moving parts and are completely silent, unlike HDDs. Modern hard drives, of course, are not as noisy as their predecessors from ten or twenty years ago, but they still make quite noticeable buzzing and crunching noises during operation.

- SSD drives are much more resistant to shocks that are dangerous for the HDD (the gap between the disk and the HDD head is only about 0.1 microns and a strong shock can lead to the head touching the disk, leading to data loss, or even damage to the HDD). SSDs, on the other hand, can easily withstand shocks, shocks, and even falls from low heights - even during operation.

But SSDs also have disadvantages:
- high price. The price of 1 GB of SSD drives is generally in the range of 25-50 rubles (although there are models with 20 and 200 rubles per GB). For hard drives, this figure is almost 10 times lower - 3-6 rubles per GB. Simply put, the average SSD is 8-9 times more expensive than the average HDD of similar capacity. However, the development of flash memory technologies is still ongoing and their prices are constantly falling: over 5 years, from 2012 to 2017, SSD drives have fallen in price by about 5 times. HDD drives over the same period they fell in price by only 30%, so we can hope that in another five years SDD drives will cost the same as HDDs.
- limited number recording cycles. Flash memory chips have a limited resource (especially chips made using TLC technology) and misuse An SSD drive can cause it to fail. SSD drives should not be used for tasks related to frequent operations records (storing temporary files, swap files, accounts, etc.). Data compression and defragmentation should not be applied to SSD drives.

To summarize, we can say that it may be optimal SSD selection as a mobile external drive, used primarily for storage (audio and video files, installation kits, archives and databases). In this case limited quantity write cycles are no longer so important, and resistance to mechanical stress becomes a very important advantage.

The high price of SSD drives forces you to pay close attention to cheaper models, especially since their prices can be several times lower than for other models similar in speed and capacity. Why?
Firstly, the price may be lower due to a different type of memory. The cheapest chips are manufactured using TLC technology, but they also have the smallest number of write cycles: 1000-5000. The MLC chips most common in SSD drives today are more expensive and on average have a resource of 10,000 write cycles. Roughly speaking, a cheap SSD with TLC chips can last 10 times less than an expensive one with TLC chips.

Secondly, although most SSD drives are equipped with a cache on high-speed DDR3 memory, cheap models may not have a cache. Although this reduces the price, it also reduces the speed and life of the drive.
Thirdly, on cheap drives the manufacturer can save money and not supply power support capacitors. If the drive has cache memory, some of the data during operation is not written to the disk, but is stored in the cache. If there is a power outage, this data can be irretrievably lost, which is why most SSDs are equipped with power support capacitors that store electric charge, sufficient to maintain the operation of the drive during the transfer of data from cache memory to flash memory chips.
Fourthly, the price, of course, depends on the brand. A drive from a famous brand will cost more than its “nameless” counterpart, and don’t think that you are only paying for the label on the case. A manufacturer that values ​​its reputation is more likely to try to organize the proper production culture, which has a direct bearing on the quality and reliability of the product.

Comparison of SSD drives and flash drives.

The volume of USB flash drives is growing every month and is already reaching the volume of hard drives: for example, for 256 GB you can buy both an SSD drive, a flash drive and an HDD. And, if everything is clear with HDD, then the choice between SDD and USB Flash is not so simple: their prices are approximately the same.
The fundamental difference between SDD and USB flash(except for the form factor) no - both use the same technologies, the same interfaces (mainly USB) and the same flash chips of several varieties. The most common difference is that flash drives usually do not come with cache memory, so they are inferior in speed to SSD drives when working with many files. If the drive is intended to be used for work, an SSD with cache memory may be more efficient. If the drive will be used for storing and transferring, for example, video recordings, then it would be more correct to classify USB flash drives and SSD drives as one class of devices and select them based on their characteristics.

Characteristics of external SSD drives.

Volume– the main characteristic of any drive, which primarily determines its price. When choosing the volume of any drive, you should understand that the dimensions are software, and media files are constantly growing, so some stock never hurts; In addition, SSD drives, due to certain features of the organization of data recording, “do not like” dense filling of all available memory. On some SSD drive models, the write speed may drop significantly when the capacity is close to 100%.

Up to a capacity of 512 GB, it is more profitable to take larger SSD drives: up to this limit, the price per gigabyte decreases with increasing volume, as with HDDs. But after a certain limit, the price per gigabyte practically stops falling. In addition, with large volumes, the price of SSD drives rises to impressive numbers of several tens of thousands of rubles.

Interface connecting an external SSD drive must provide a data transfer speed no less than the read/write speed to the SSD itself.

Interface USB 2.0 provides a maximum data transfer speed of 480 MB/s, which is very close to the maximum read speed from an SSD, so, other things being equal, it is better to prefer a drive with a different interface.

USB 3.0 seems for today the best option interface for external SSD drive:
- its maximum transfer speed of 5 GB/s significantly exceeds the speed of an SSD drive and does not interfere with data transfer from it;
- USB 3.0 is supported by most computers, laptops and tablets
- thanks to feedback USB compatibility, a drive with a USB 3.0 interface can be connected to older computers that do not have USB 3.0 ports.

Interface USB 3.1 provides a maximum data transfer speed of 10 GB/s, which is already excessive for SSD drives. In addition, when purchasing SSD drives with a USB 3.1 interface, you should pay attention to what cable the device is equipped with: if the main cable is equipped with a USB Type C connector, for connecting to regular USB connectors an adapter will be required. And, although many SSD drives that support the USB 3.1 interface are equipped with this adapter by default, it can easily right moment not to be at hand.

Interface thunderbolt became widespread only in Apple computers,It provides the highest data transfer speed, but is completely incompatible with the USB interface. Therefore choose external storage with such an interface it would be appropriate only if it is intended to be connected exclusively to Apple technology. However, manufacturers understand this, and most devices with thunderbolt support also support USB 3.0/3.1.

These days, SSD drives are becoming increasingly popular. They work much faster than the usual traditional HDDs, and their reliability and price become optimal for ordinary users. SSDs are used to store data in personal computers, laptops and even tablets.

But there are various manufacturers And various devices. It may be difficult for a novice user to choose required device. In this article, we have collected some tips on which SSD drive to choose in 2018, as well as an overview of the best devices.

Flash memory is replacing the fragile and bulky traditional disk everywhere. It is much easier to use a silent SSD, which looks like a regular chip, instead of a 100 revolutions per second hard drive. The second reason for replacement is high speed SSD operation. Data will be read or written at speeds hundreds of times faster than on a magnetic hard drive.

SSD drives store data in non-volatile flash memory cells. You could say that this is RAM, which retains its contents after reboot. Thanks to high speed, the computer will respond to clicks much faster.

How to buy SSD?

As for the price, now SSD drives have become much more affordable. But when choosing, you need to pay attention not only to price, but also to speed and reliability. Three flash memory technologies are used to produce SSDs: SLC, MLC and TLC. SLT disks are more expensive, but the most reliable, one bit of information is written to one memory cell, MLC technology allows you to write two bits, it is cheaper, but does not last so long.

The next technology, TLC, is even cheaper and allows three bits of information to be written into one cell, but has an even shorter service life and even lower performance. The ideal solution would be MLC. You need to find a compromise between price, reliability and speed.

There are also several options for connecting SSD drives. Flash memory has a very high speed work, and increasingly the bottleneck is not the speed of working with memory, but the speed of the connection interface. Now M.2 PCIe type drives are gaining popularity; they provide maximum speed, but are still very expensive, so for most users the best solution There will be an SSD connection via a SATA III interface, which is capable of delivering speeds of up to 6 Gbit/s (or 750 MB/s).

In this article we will look at the best SATA SSD drives of 2018, since PCIe will still be very expensive for most users. If you are a laptop user, then you will also need to pay attention to the size of the SSD. All SSDs reviewed have a 2.5-inch form factor and a size of 69.9x100.1x7mm. Now let's move on to the list of the best SSD drives of 2018.

Best SSD drives 2018

1. Samsung 850 Evo

This SSD drive is available in capacities of 120, 250, 500 GB. This is not a new solution on the market, but it can compete with many budget drives. The 500 GB version can be found for $150.

It uses the cheapest data storage technology - TLC, three bits per cell. But in addition to it, the original Samsung-V technology is used, which provides greater reliability and speed. The carrier performs well in tests and outperforms many competitors.

2. Toshiba Q300 480GB

The new Toshiba Q300 SSD is cheaper than other competitors, but provides excellent speed working with data. It also uses Toshiba's own technology, which combines TLC storage cells and SLC cache to improve performance.

You can choose a volume of 120, 240, 480 and 960 GB. You can find a 480GB version for $100. Other drives offering the same speed are slightly more expensive. The manufacturer provides a three-year warranty normal operation. Read/write speed in tests: 563.9 MB/sec.

3. Samsung 960 Pro

Samsung 960 Pro M.2 gives maximum performance, but is quite expensive. To connect it, you will need a modern motherboard with PCIe support. You can purchase SAMSUNG 960 PRO 512 GB in M2 version for $329 and $149 for SATA version.

For data storage, Samsung's V-NAND technology is used along with MLC cell packaging technology, which ensures high reliability and performance. In tests, this media is capable of delivering up to 1984.1 MB/sec.

4. Samsung 960 Evo

This M2 form factor drive provides very high read and write speeds, even faster than Pro version and it is more affordable than its counterpart. The same technology, Samsung-V-NAND and MLC cells are used to store information.

From additional features supported here AES encryption 256 and TCG-Opal 2.0. You can purchase the Samsung 960 Evo 1GB for $400. Read/write speed reaches 2457.4 MB/sec. This is the best ssd 2018.

5. SanDisk Extreme Pro 480 GB

This is one of the most reliable SSDs. SanDisk Extreme Pro comes with a 10-year warranty and delivers excellent performance.

The device memory is divided into two parts, one of them is a high-performance dynamic cache based on SLC cells and persistent storage of the MLC type. This ensures maximum speed. The drives are available in three sizes: 120, 240 and 960 GB, all in the traditional SATA form factor. The price of SanDisk Extreme Pro 480 GB is about $200, and the operating speed is 525 MB/sec.

6. Kingston KC400 SSDNow

This is an excellent SSD that allows you to get maximum speed. It is available in 128, 256, 512 GB and 1 TB variants. You can find SSD size 512 GB for $153.

It uses a Phison 3110 controller with read/write error protection, as well as additional technologies to extend service life. The drive is capable of reading/writing speeds of up to 557 MB/sec.

7.WD Blue SSD 1TB

Very fast but expensive SSD. Available in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB capacity options. A 1 TB disk costs $320. You can also choose the SATA III or M2 form factor.

The TLC cell type is used to store data, recording three bits per cell. But in addition to TLC, a high-speed cache of SLC cells is used here. This combination gives high reliability and speed. The read/write speed for the disk fluctuates around 508.3 Mbit/sec.

8. PNY CS2211 240GB

The PNY CS2211 is a more affordable SSD for those looking to replace old hard disk. A 240GB device can be purchased for $69. The manufacturer provides a four-year warranty.

MLC technology is used to store data, allowing two bits to be written into one cell. This is the ideal solution for SSD drives. The read/write speed of this disk is 526.7 MB/sec.

9. OCZ ARC 100 240 GB

SSD disk from OCZ is available in capacities of 100, 120, 240 and 480 GB. You can purchase the 240GB version for $80. Initially the company made very bad SSD drives, but then it was acquired by Thoshiba and things got much better. The media comes with a three-year warranty.

The controller used here is an Indilinx Barefoot 3, which has 512 MB of DDR3 memory for fast cache and gives excellent speed. The device can deliver read speeds of 489 MB/s and write speeds of up to 447 MB/s.

10. Kingston HyperX Savage 480 GB

SSD drives from Kingston are capable of delivering excellent performance at relatively affordable price. It uses a Savage controller, which uses a quad-core processor with eight data channels. The manufacturing process for one memory cell is 19 nm. Read speed is 358 MB/s and write speed is 370 MB/s.

Conclusions

In this article we looked at the best ssd drives of 2018. There are also cheaper ones, budget options, and expensive, but highly productive. Now you know which one ssd is better choose 2018 and if you were planning to upgrade your equipment, now you know what to do.