How Does a Solid State Drive Work? | SSD vs HDD Difference in 2024 -

What is a solid-state drive?

They are generally more resistant to vibration than other electromechanical drives, but it has taken time for them to become as good as they are. They have improved a lot in recent years; if you are interested in the details, see the list below.

• 1958 - The first hard disk drive was invented.
• 1970 - Sun StorageTek created the first solid-state drive (SSD).
• 1980 - Toshiba's Fujio Masuoka invented flash memory-based SSD storage.
• 1998 - SanDisk introduced 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SSDs with a PATA interface.
• 2009 - Micron Technology released an SSD with a 6 Gbit/s SATA interface.
• 2016 - Seagate launched a 60 TB SSD in a 3.5-inch form factor.
• 2019 - GIGABYTE Technology released an 8 TB SSD with 16 lanes of PCIe 4.0.

So we're seeing SSDs being used in many, many places, and when would you use an SSD?

When do we use SSD?

SSDs can be used anywhere a hard drive can be installed. They're found in PCs, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, digital music players, phones, tablets, and thumb drives. They also work with graphics cards. So, whether you want to migrate your operating system to an SSD or clone a hard drive to an SSD, the right capacity of an SSD can accommodate these needs and keep data secure. However, SSDs are more expensive than traditional HDDs. I've also listed some prices from different brands for your reference.

ADATA XPG Atom 50: $99

Intel SSD 670p: $179

Samsung SSD 870 EVO: $58

Addlink S70: $35

Addlink S70: $39.99

And it costs quite a bit more than a traditional hard drive. So, is it worth it? How does it work? Let's take a look.

How does an SSD work?

Ever wondered how an SSD works? Does it work the same way as other drives? Of course not! Let's dive in and explore how an SSD works.

1. How does a Solid State Drive (SSD) store data, and can it retain data without power?

Unlike an HDD, an SSD has no moving parts or spinning disks. It writes data to a pool of NAND flash memory. This pool consists of floating-gate transistors. NAND flash is a type of non-volatile memory that doesn't need power to maintain its charge state. While it's not as fast as main memory, it's much faster than a regular HDD. Even though write speeds are slower than read speeds, they're still far quicker than those of other mechanical hard drives. Now you might be wondering, if SSDs are so reliable, what happens to the data when there's no power available? Don't worry; it can store data without power. But how does it do this?

As mentioned, SSDs use NAND flash to store data, which is a type of non-volatile, electronically programmable memory. When a cell is programmed, NAND flash stores a small amount of charge on the floating gate. This charge is supposed to hold for a long time without power. That's why SSDs can retain data without power. While SSDs can store data without power, you might be concerned about the safety of your data on an SSD and how long an SSD can keep your data.

2. How long can data be stored on an SSD?

The amount of time an SSD can store data depends on several factors, though most SSDs will retain information for 5 to 10 years without power. In terms of data safety, you have to consider the lifespan and reliability of the SSD. Because HDDs have moving parts, data is more susceptible to problems. On the other hand, SSDs have no moving parts, making them more reliable in terms of hardware. As such, users tend to back up their data less. Dropping one won't result in anything terrible happening.

Why is SSD better for laptops?

As older hard drives fade away, many laptop users are turning to SSDs. Here's why.

• How do solid-state drives work in laptops?

Unlike a CPU or a GPU, a laptop's storage device is even more important because it can significantly affect your computer's speed, even when you're not opening files or launching applications. The operating system and software use virtual memory in the background. That's why an SSD is great for laptops. An SSD is also a good backup destination, and many users prefer to back up their hard drives to an SSD. Since an SSD has no fragile moving parts and reads and writes data much faster than a regular hard drive, your laptop will be faster with one. Besides, if you're into animation, you'll love an SSD. I'll explain how an SSD works with animation in the next section.

• How does SSD work with animations?

While animating, your CPU, GPU, and RAM are all crucial, but choosing the right storage device is also key. And nothing affects performance more than your hard drive.

SSDs perform better in terms of both operating speed and data security. They can have read speeds of up to 550 MB/s and write speeds of 520 MB/s. They store data in flash memory, significantly reducing loading times. When working with animations, having a reliable storage device is crucial. Since SSDs have no moving parts inside, they fare much better in handling vibrations and external damage.

If reliability and speed matter, SSD is the way to go. But why can't we choose HDD? Isn't it also a suitable storage device? What's the difference between HDD and SSD, then? Let's find out in the next section.

SSD vs HDD: How Do They Differ?

Before we get into the differences between SSD and HDD, let's first understand what an HDD is.

What is HDD?

As a hard disk drive, an HDD can host an operating system and allow users to perform a system backup. It comes with different capacities ranging from 1GB to 2TB, giving users the option to choose based on their needs. Whether you want to clone a system or just store data, an HDD can get the job done. Do you know how an HDD works?

How does an HDD work?

Most HDDs consist of multiple disk platters that are arranged around a central spindle inside a sealed casing. The platters spin via a motor attached to the spindle. Also inside the enclosure are read/write heads that magnetically record information on the platter's tracks. Unfortunately, due to its moving and fragile parts, an HDD is not durable nor reliable. Thus, users often clone HDD to SSD or clone SSD to a larger SSD for data safety. Now, it's time to discuss the differences between HDD and SSD.

What is the difference between an SSD and an HDD?

Here's a table that shows the differences, if you're interested.

Conclusions

In short, HDDs are great for storing extra data, movies, or other non-critical files. But if your data is essential and you want it kept safe for a relatively long time, an SSD is the way to go.

This page explains in detail how SSDs work and how they differ from HDDs. Hopefully, it will help shed light on the issue you're currently dealing with.