Over the last decade we have been able to realize how storage in computers has gone from traditional hard drives (HDD) to solid hard drives (SSD) . Initially, units with very little capacity were offered, compared to HDDs, but each time we can access models that allow more than 1 TB of storage, which guarantees the death of the traditional hard disk in a few years.
But what are these records? ¿ Why they are faster than conventional , and what types are there? We will answer all these questions step by step.
What is an SSD disk?
Solid State Drives ( Solid State Drive in English) use flash memory to store data. This system is much faster and safer than that of the constantly rotating magnetic drives in conventional hard drives. In addition, these new drives are more resistant to movement and contact, and work with the SATA input, just like the most recent traditional hard drives, so they can be adapted to equipment that we already have at home.
Since 2010, the most widely used type of flash memory for SSDs is NAND . This memory allows to keep the information loaded even when it does not receive electrical current. Thanks to this, the data can be accessed in a much faster way.
SSD types
Within these high speed discs we have three types, the Single Level Cell, MultiLevel Cell and Triple level Cell . Let's see what they are and what are their differences.
SLC (Single Level Cell)
It is the first type of SSD drive ever made. It is the most expensive and with the greatest capacity limitation, because we can only store one bit of information in each cell. Thus, manufacturing them with a very large capacity is too expensive. However, it is the type of SSD drive with the longest lifespan, withstanding up to 100,000 deletions, as well as being the fastest . Due to its cost, this system is currently only found in the industrial field.
MLC (Multi Level Cell)
Despite the name, this next type of SSD does not have different cell loading capabilities. What it does do is double the capacity of SLCs, by allowing 2 bits per cell. This greatly reduces the cost of manufacturing units with large capacities, making the final product more affordable. Its counterpoint is that both the lifespan and the read and write rates are slower .
TLC (Triple Level Cell)
The newest type of SSD disk can store up to 3 bits per cell, and was originally developed by Toshiba. It follows the same line of MLC disks in that they are cheaper to produce and allow more storage, but on the other hand, they offer a slower data reading and a lower durability (1,000 erasures compared to 100,000 for SLC drives). They are also the most common today in mid-range laptops that include this type of disc.
Which to choose?
In practice, the main SSD drives available for the domestic market are the MLC and TLC, although we can find everything on the Internet. In many cases, we are not going to specify the type of architecture it includes , so we will have to be aware if we are really interested. When it comes to hard drives with a very large capacity and an affordable price, it is most likely that they are TLC drives.
An example of an MLC drive on the market would be this 128GB Transcend SSD370, which can be had for 90 euros. Another example, in this case of a TLC-type SSD disk, we would find it in this Intel SSD 600p Series, 256 GB for 112 euros. Double the capacity, almost the same price .
Now that you know the pros and cons, it is up to you to make the final decision about what type of SSD disk interests you the most for your team .