SSD vs Flash Storage

[Alir]

What is the difference between SSD and flash storage?

 

And how does the Wear Levelling in a flash device (such as a USB), differ to wear levelling in an SSD?

 

I used to think an SSD was a type of flash storage before today. my life has been a lie

 

Please don't tell me to google it, I don't give a crap about MacBooks.

[Alir]

This article is terrible at explaining it

http://www.examiner.com/article/flash-storage-vs-ssd-what-s-the-difference

 

Don't link it!

Edited July 25, 2015 by Alir

[AlwaysFSX]

The controller for it. Thaaaaat's pretty much it.

[Godlygamer23]

Both SSDs and flash drives utilize flash technology.

[KemoKa]

SSDs are based on NAND flash memory. The only difference between them and USB is that normal flash drives use only one NAND cell and a cheap, quick-and-dirty memory controller. SSDs use multiple NAND cells in a striped array attached to a much more powerful controller that can address many more cells at the same time. You can get USB sticks with SSD controllers, but those come at a price premium.

[GER_T4IGA]

SSDs are based on NAND flash memory. The only difference between them and USB is that normal flash drives use only one NAND cell and a cheap, quick-and-dirty memory controller. SSDs use multiple NAND cells in a striped array attached to a much more powerful controller that can address many more cells at the same time. You can get USB sticks with SSD controllers, but those come at a price premium.

Are you an engineer... just in case...

Youd don't need to tell me if you don't want to.

[Alir]

oooh

 

So they are the same thing, SSDs are just, obviously, better and more expensive?

[KemoKa]

Are you an engineer... just in case...

Youd don't need to tell me if you don't want to.

Not at all, I'm no such thing and I hardly intend to be, unless you count software engineering. I just know this stuff because I researched it. Most people on this forum would have told you something similar to what I said.

[Godlygamer23]

oooh

 

So they are the same thing, SSDs are just, obviously, better and more expensive?

They are based around the same technology - they just have more powerful controllers and can write more data per second than an ordinary flash drive.

[KemoKa]

oooh

 

So they are the same thing, SSDs are just, obviously, better and more expensive?

They are pretty much the same idea, solid-state memory attached to a controller mounted through a serial bus. SSDs are just much faster. I don't know if you'd call them more expensive, as the benefits of SSDs and their cost per gigabyte in my mind make them better value than flash drives. If you need just a space to throw your spare pictures on, then sure, USB sticks are great, but some of us have different needs with our storage. I don't really buy flash drives anymore for that reason. I get SSDs or mechanical hard drives, as they are orders of magnitude larger and faster than most USB sticks, and in the case of mechanical drives, have far lower cost per gigabyte.

[Glenwing]

Flash drives use lower grade flash as well, basically all the stuff that's rejected for SSDs.

[GER_T4IGA]

Not at all, I'm no such thing and I hardly intend to be, unless you count software engineering. I just know this stuff because I researched it. Most people on this forum would have told you something similar to what I said.

I have already met some people here that would have asked my why the heck an "SSD needs a controller". I am just doing a workshop at a local micro engineering company and therefore just getting into all the little things that make up microeletronics so I was pretty impressed by your detailed and and precise description. I hope I haven't lost track of what I acctually wanted to say while writing all this nonsense

[Godlygamer23]

I have already met some people here that would have asked my why the heck an "SSD needs a controller". I am just doing a workshop at a local micro engineering company and therefore just getting into all the little things that make up microeletronics so I was pretty impressed by your detailed and and precise description. I hope I haven't lost track of what I acctually wanted to say while writing all this nonsense

All drives require a controller to handle the data coming in and going out. It's in charge of getting the data the computer requests.

[KemoKa]

I have already met some people here that would have asked my why the heck an "SSD needs a controller". I am just doing a workshop at a local micro engineering company and therefore just getting into all the little things that make up microeletronics so I was pretty impressed by your detailed and and precise description. I hope I haven't lost track of what I acctually wanted to say while writing all this nonsense

Not really a problem . Once a question on this forum has been answered, the thread becomes much more lenient, like if the OP or someone else has more questions about the subject, or something pertaining to it, we can go to those questions. That's pretty cool, though, that you have that sort of experience under your belt.

[Alir]

They are pretty much the same idea, solid-state memory attached to a controller mounted through a serial bus. SSDs are just much faster. I don't know if you'd call them more expensive, as the benefits of SSDs and their cost per gigabyte in my mind make them better value than flash drives. If you need just a space to throw your spare pictures on, then sure, USB sticks are great, but some of us have different needs with our storage. I don't really buy flash drives anymore for that reason. I get SSDs or mechanical hard drives, as they are orders of magnitude larger and faster than most USB sticks, and in the case of mechanical drives, have far lower cost per gigabyte.

 

Don't you still need flash drives though for things like installing Windows, Linux, etc.?

[GER_T4IGA]

Not really a problem . Once a question on this forum has been answered, the thread becomes much more lenient, like if the OP or someone else has more questions about the subject, or something pertaining to it, we can go to those questions. That's pretty cool, though, that you have that sort of experience under your belt.

The stupid answers I always get are the short first ones...

EDIT: OP?

[Godlygamer23]

Don't you still need flash drives though for things like installing Windows, Linux, etc.?

You can use optical drives as well.

[Alir]

You can use optical drives as well.

 

Doesn't it cost more to purchase spare CDs, every time?

[Alir]

The stupid answers I always get are the short first ones...

EDIT: OP?

 

-.-

[GER_T4IGA]

-.-

No, it is more like when you are asking a question and for example if some guy came into your thread and gave the first or second asnwer and he said:

"WTF is wear level. SSDs are clearly better you(insert swearword)." And then I am always like: WTF?! why are these people allowed to walk around in public or worse... use PCs connected to the internet???!! WHY.

This is MY painful story. Luckily my life was not a lie

 

I used to think an SSD was a type of flash storage before today. my life has been a lie

[KemoKa]

Don't you still need flash drives though for things like installing Windows, Linux, etc.?

They're useful for that, though you can use any media to install OSes to something.

[Godlygamer23]

Doesn't it cost more to purchase spare CDs, every time?

Yes, but it's still doable. You can get a stack of blank DVDs for like $10. You tend to have better luck using an optical drive than a flash drive anyways.