December, 2018 | Learn how to build a computer

Upgrade The SSD’s Firmware

SSD firmware is the software that works as an interface between your PC hardware and the SSD. Fixing performance and compatibility issues or bugs is done by firmware changes. That’s why you need to keep the firmware updated.
You’ll need to go to the official site of your SSD manufacturer and follow their guide to
update the SSD’S firmware. If the SSD is not empty, back up your data before updating the firmware. Sometimes it may end up in a drive failure because of the conflict between the hardware of your PC and new firmware.

When possible, is a good idea to reduce unnecessary writing on SSDs. This is the key to maximizing an SSD lifespan. The following tips help you accomplish that.

Do Not Use Data Wiping Software On SSD

When a user performs a delete command, the data will be deleted entirely. There is no possibility to recover it. Using a data wiping software on SSD to write with 0s and 1s your SSD’s empty space, will consume a full write cycle and will reduce its lifespan.
On HDDs, the delete command marks sectors as deleted. A data recovery software can quickly recover data from these marked sectors. A data wiping software will overwrite these sectors with 0s and 1s making them free from recovery.
Though, there is an exception. Recent research shows that data will not be permanently destroyed when you delete an entire drive. You need to use specialized data eraser software that supports SSDs.

Do Not Store Large Files On SSD

I do not recommend you to use your SSD for your large media files such as movie files.
Every write counts for an SSD’s lifespan, and larger files will consume your writing cycle quota faster.
Your media files don’t need the speed provided by an SSD. There’s no noticeable difference in speed when you play movies from HDD or SSD.

Set The Temporary File Location On HDD

Your operating system, your browser and other programs installed on your PC create temporary files. Since these files are created very frequently, it can be a burden to your SSD if they are written on it. If you use two drives on your PC, I recommended you to set temporary files to be written on HDD.

The last three tips are for Windows OS users.

Disable Hibernation

Every time you hibernate Windows, the memory currently in use is saved to a file. If this file is written on an SSD, it can stress your SSD and degrade its lifespan.

Turn Off Indexing

Unlike conventional HDDs, SSDs don’t need any indexing for finding files, because they are fast enough.

Do Not Store The Page File On SSD

Windows may write several gigabytes in the paging file, depending on the size of your RAM. If you use your SSD as the location for the page file, it can degrade your SSD life.
Add more RAM to your PC and turn off the page file, or move its location to an HDD if you have a secondary drive in your PC.

In this post, I want to help you choose between an HDD and an SSD. We’ll see the difference in the way these storage devices work, advantages and disadvantages, specifications to be considered in operation, how to select the right option for you, and some maintenance tips for SSDs.

A hard disk drive (HDD), is an electromechanical data storage device that uses magnetic storage to store and retrieve digital information using one or more rigid rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material. (Wikipedia)

A solid-state drive (SSD) is a solid-state storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies as a memory to store data persistently. (Wikipedia)

Main advantages and disadvantages of HDDs and SSDs

Both HDDs and SSDs are non-volatile storage types, meaning that stored data is retained even when powered off. That is their common feature. The difference between a hard disk drive and a solid-state drive is: HDDs use a paired magnetic head that reads and writes data while the platter spins and SSDs use interconnected flash memory.

There are three main attributes that can be used to compare HDDs and SSDs:

speed
storage capacity
cost efficiency (cost per GB)

An HDD advantages over an SSD: total storage capacity and cost efficiency.

SSDs main feature is speed. An SSD is 25 to 100 times faster than a typical HDD. SSDs are fragmentation-free, while HDDs are prone to fragmentation. An SSD is more expensive than an HDD in terms of dollar per GB. This is one of the primary disadvantages of a solid-state drive.

Other specifications to be considered when comparing HDDs and SSDs

Power draw and heat

For an HDD more is required to rotate the metallic platter and move that magnetic head. SSDs operate at lower temperatures than HDDs. This reduces system power and cooling requirements and helps to prevent premature component failure.

Noise and vibration

Because operation relies on moving parts, HDDs vibrates and produce noise. Since there are no moving parts in SSDs, there’s no sound or vibration

Lifespan

SSDs have a shorter lifespan than HDDs. The flash memory of an SSD can only be used for a finite number of writes. An SSD cannot write a single bit of data without first erasing and then rewriting very large blocks of data at one time. As each cell goes through this cycle, it degrades further.

Reliability

HDDs are prone to integrity failure or data loss. Disk surface can be damaged because magnetic heads can crash into the spinning platter.

Magnetic sensitivity

An SSD is safe from any effects of magnets, while on HDDs magnets can corrupt data.

So which is the better option, an HDD or SSD?

There’s no straight-forward answer to this question; you have to evaluate the decision based on what you’ll use the PC for, and the budget you have.

An HDD might be the right option if:

you need more capacity
you don’t want to spend much money
you don’t care too much about how fast the PC boots up or opens programs

An SSD might be the right option if:

you need a fast PC
you are willing to pay for speed
you don’t mind limited storage capacity or you are willing to pay for it (consumer SSD now go up to 4TB)

There is also the option of using one of each in a PC. You can use SSD to host the operating system and programs, which will speed up booting and application launching. You can use the HDD for storage of other files and data where speed is less important.

Don’t forget that whether you’ve chosen an HDD, an SSD or both you need to back up your data regularly. I recommend having a local backup and a cloud one. You can read more here.

HDD or SSD and PC advertisements
In a typical PC advertisement, the price and manufacturer’s name are listed at the top, followed by the processor’s name and the DRAM and HDD sizes are given in gigabytes or terabytes, below. Thus, the larger capacity of a hard disk is used as a sales argument. SSD is more expensive than an HDD in terms of dollar per GB. In this case, if you choose the HDD the purchasing decision has more to do with storage capacity than performance.

Essential tips for SSDs maintenance

Reduce writes to SSDs

This is the key to maximizing an SSD lifespan. The latest operating systems have SSD-friendly settings that help reduce unnecessary writes.

Never use more than 70% of an SSD’s total capacity.

While SSDs are way faster than HDDs, they dramatically slow down performance as you fill them up. When you’re getting close to the 70% threshold, you should consider upgrading your computer’s SSD with a larger one.

Archives for December 2018

7 Important Tips For Your SSD Maintenance