Manufacturers build SSDs by stacking chips in a grid to achieve different densities. How do SSDs work?Īn SSD reads and writes data to underlying interconnected flash memory chips made out of silicon. They can also help to alleviate boot storms with virtual desktop infrastructure, or inside a storage array to store frequently used data locally using a hybrid cloud. Those characteristics make enterprise SSDs suitable to offload reads from transaction-heavy databases. High-performance servers, laptops, desktops or any application that needs to deliver information in real-time can benefit from solid-state drive technology. That lower latency stems from the ability of a flash SSD to read data directly and immediately from stored data. Because SSDs offer lower latency than HDDs, they can efficiently handle both heavy read and random workloads. This configuration is optimized to deliver high read/write performance for sequential and random data requests.īusinesses with a rapidly expanding need for higher input/output (I/O) have fueled the development and adoption of SSDs. The two key components in an SSD are the flash controller and NAND flash memory chips. The magnetic properties, however, can lead to mechanical breakdowns.īy comparison, an SSD has no moving parts to break or spin up or down. An HDD reads and writes data magnetically. With an SSD, the device's operating system will boot up more rapidly, programs will load quicker and files can be saved faster.Ī traditional hard drive consists of a spinning disk with a read/write head on a mechanical arm called an actuator. But SSDs are significantly faster in comparison. SSDs replace traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) in computers and perform the same basic functions as a hard drive. This non-volatile storage media stores persistent data on solid-state flash memory.
Gillis, Technical Writer and EditorĪn SSD, or solid-state drive, is a type of storage device used in computers.