We have spoken repeatedly about the advantages of SSDs over classic hard drives: they are more energy efficient, silent, compact, and most importantly, they are much faster. Their main disadvantage (at least for now) is still a fairly high price per unit volume and, therefore, they are more preferable in combination with standard hard drive larger capacity, i.e. when the SSD is used as a system disk on which Windows and several important programs. This allows you to speed up the system several times, while the HDD serves as storage space for a collection of movies and music, photos, etc.
This is, of course, an ideal combination that can be found in many desktop systems today. However, in the case of laptops, everything is somewhat different. Since space is strictly limited in the ultra-compact case of a modern mobile computer, users often have to choose between a solid-state drive and a classic drive, that is, between high speed and lower capacity or high capacity but with much more modest performance.
Of course, you can find models on the market that offer the option of installing two HDDs/two SSDs or combinations thereof, but they are relatively rare and therefore expensive.
Fortunately, for several years now there has been a new and still relatively little-known alternative that combines the “best of both worlds.” We are talking about the mSATA (Mini-SATA) standard, which is sometimes found under the name M.2 or NGFF (Next Generation Form Factor). In all cases we're talking about about the same thing - a special class of new generation disk devices that are both fast (since they use SSD technology) and ultra compact, which makes them extremely suitable for laptops, ultrabooks and hybrid systems.
mSATA SSD
The main contribution to the Mini-SATA standard was made by Intel company, which originally developed it as an ultra-fast buffer memory that speeds up computers using motherboards with the silicon giant's chipsets.
Today, however, it's in the laptop world that the format is most widely used, largely because it's miniature and gives laptop users an easy path to SSD speeds without having to make the difficult choice between an SSD and a HDD.
Unfortunately, not all modern laptops provide the ability to use mSATA SSD. In other words, support for the standard and a slot for installing such a device must be provided by the laptop manufacturer. But if your laptop supports this technology, then you can easily add such a drive or replace an existing mSATA SSD with a newer, faster device with more capacity.
How can you tell if a laptop supports mSATA SSD?
The easiest way is to look at the manufacturer's official website. If you have a Lenovo model manufactured after 2011, then it almost certainly already uses an mSATA SSD, or at least has a slot for installing such a device.
Quite a lot of models from Dell, Toshiba, HP, Acer and other leading manufacturers offer support for this technology. Here is a detailed (albeit incomplete) list of models that are equipped with a slot for mSATA SSD:
- Acer Aspire: M3-xxx, M5-xxx, R7, Timeline
- Acer: Iconia Tab W500, W700
- Alienware: 18, m14x r2, M17x R4
- ASUS Eee Slate EP121
- ASUS VivoBook: S400CA, S551LB,
- ASUS Zenbook: UX21, UX31
- Clevo Notebook: P150SM, P151SM1, P157SM, W350STQ, W650SR, W230ST, W350SKQ, W355STQ, W650SH, W651SH, W651SR, W655SH, W655SR, W740SU
- Dell Inspiron: 14Z (5423), 15 (7537), 15z (5523), 15R SE, 17R, 17R 5720, 17R SE
- Dell Latitude: 6430u, ST-LST01, XT2, XT3
- Dell Precision: M4500, M4600, M4800, M6400, M6500, M6600, M6700, M6800
- Dell XPS: 12, 13, (L321X), 14, 14 (L421X), 15 (L521X), 18
- Dell XPS One 2710
- Dell Vostro: 3360, 3460, 3560
- Fusion Garage JOOJOO
- Fusion Futro: S700, S900
- Gigabyte: Q1742N, U2142, U2440M, U2440N, U2442
- Google: CR-48 Chrome
- HP Pavilion: dm4t Series (DM4T-3xxx)
- HP ENVY: 15 Series (15-3xxx), 17 Series (17-3xxx), TouchSmart 15t-j100
- HP Folio: 13-1000
- HP ZBook 15: Has both a standard 2.5" HDD/SSD bay and an additional mSATA SSD bay
- Lenovo: K26, K47A, K47G
- Lenovo IdeaPad: S210, S400, U300, Y460, Y470, Y480, Y500, Y510, Y560, Y570, Y580
- Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13
- Lenovo ThinkPad: X220, X230, T420s, T420, T430, T430s, T520, T530, L420, L430, L520, L530, W520, W530
- Lenovo ThinkPad Edge: E220s, E320, E330, E420, E420s, E430, E430s, E520, E530
- LG Xnote:P330
- MSI: Windpad 110W
- Samsung: Series 7 Slate, Series 9 Ultrabook
- Samsung Chromebook Series 5
- Sony VAIO E Series
- Toshiba Qosmio: X70
- Toshiba Portege: Z830, Z835, Z930
- Toshiba Satellite: P70, P770
- WeTab
Installation
The mSATA SSD installation process itself is not complicated, but it does require some technical knowledge. If you're feeling unsure, then your laptop manufacturer's official hardware support site should be your first stop. Also, information about installing mSATA SSD can be found in the official documentation that came with your mobile computer.
The market for such devices is constantly growing and the offers are already quite impressive - Samsung, for example, offers a model with an impressive capacity of 1000 GB (1 TB). The price, of course, is no less impressive - $600!
Of course, you can also find cheap offers, which are quite enough for most users. They provide enough space for Windows installations and programs such as MS Office and Adobe Photoshop, and can significantly speed up both the work with them and the performance of the laptop as a whole. At the same time hard drive will remain to perform the normal function, i.e. as a place to store data that requires less high-speed disks: documents, games, movies, music, photos.
Have a great day!
The mSATA standard - also known as mini-SATA - was officially introduced in September 2009. It was intended for laptops and other compact PCs that did not have enough space for a 2.5-inch drive. Now you can even find motherboards equipped with this port on sale. Externally, this interface is similar to the PCI Express Mini-Card connector, but at the electrical level there is a difference that cannot be noticed from the outside. In order to be able to install an mSATA drive into the PCI-E Mini-Card slot, intervention from the manufacturer is required. Namely, the installation of multiplexer chips. These chips will monitor which particular board is connected to the PCI-E Mini-Card slot, and depending on this, connect this connector to a PCI-E controller or to SATA. Such an upgrade is always done at the factory, during the assembly of a particular board, and, as a rule, the purpose of the Mini PCI-E slot is either reflected in the specifications or signed next to the port itself.
As for the mSATA form factor drives themselves, now they can be found in almost every ultrabook, because they are much smaller and thinner than their 2.5-inch counterparts.
From bottom to top: regular 3.5-inch hard drive; SSD 2.5 inches; mSATA SSD
In addition, using a ready-made mSATA connector in an ultrabook is cheaper than inventing your own port, as well as producing drives for it. Although some ASUS ultrabooks or Apple laptops use their own proprietary connector and drives of the same type.
mSATA connectors in motherboards ah for desktops they are extremely rare. But if such a port is soldered, then the drive installed in it can be used either as system disk, or as an SSD cache. Intel Smart Response - good example such technology, although here you can get by with a regular 2.5-inch drive instead of mSATA.
If we talk about the disadvantages of mSATA drives, then, in addition to their low prevalence, there are only two of them: volume and price. Due to the size of the drive, it is impossible to solder more than four memory chips onto it, which means that some of the controller channels will not be used, and in theory, the read and write speeds of such drives may not be very high. However, the manufacturer can to some extent compensate for the small number of channels involved by installing fast memory or one of the LSI SandForce controllers, which supports on-the-fly data stream compression.
⇡ Test participants
In this comparison test we decided to go against the rules a little. This time we will test regular SSDs together with mSATA drives. This is to see if there is a performance difference between the two formats. And if there is, how big is it?
Here is a list of devices representing the mSATA camp:
- mSATA Crucial M4 256 GB (CT256M4SSD3)
- mSATA Kingston SSDNow mS200 120 GB (SMS200S3/120G)
- mSATA Plextor M5M 256 GB (PX-256M5M)
- mSATA Transcend 128 GB (TS128GMSA740)
As for 2.5-inch form factor drives, we have recently tested a lot of such devices, but for this comparison we decided to take only two of them:
- 2.5-inch SSD Kingston HyperX 3K 120 GB (SH103S3/120G)
- Plextor M5 Pro 2.5" SSD 256GB (PX-256M5P)
The first, Kingston HyperX 120 GB (SH100S3/120G), was chosen because of the LSI SandForce SF-2281 controller - a similar controller, LSI SandForce SF-2241, is installed in one of the mSATA drives. Another drive, the Plextor M5 Pro 256GB (PX-256M5P), was also chosen for its controller. It uses Marvell 88SS9187-BLD2. The exact same chip is found in another mSATA drive, Plextor M5M. The Crucial M4 256 GB (CT256M4SSD3) also uses a Marvell controller, but the previous generation is the Marvell 88SS9174-BLD2. There was no analogue for SSD Transcend in the list of devices we tested. Alas, it uses a little-used controller from JMicron.
| Manufacturer | Crucial | Kingston | Plextor | Transcend | Kingston | Plextor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series | M4 | mS200 | M5M | HyperX | M5 Pro | |
| Model number | CT256M4SSD3 | SMS200S3/120G | PX-256M5M | TS128GMSA740 | SH100S3/120G | PX-256M5P |
| Form factor | mSATA | mSATA | mSATA | mSATA | 2.5 inches | 2.5 inches |
| Interface | SATA 6 Gb/s | SATA 6 Gb/s | SATA 6 Gb/s | SATA 6 Gb/s | SATA 6 Gb/s | SATA 6 Gb/s |
| Capacity, GB | 256 | 120 | 256 | 128 | 120 | 256 |
| Configuration | ||||||
| Memory chips: type, interface, process technology, manufacturer | MLC, ONFi, 25 nm, Micron | MLC, Toggle-Mode DDR 2.0, 19 nm, Toshiba | MLC, Toggle-Mode DDR, ND, SanDisk | MLC, ONFi 2 (sync), 25 nm, Intel | MLC, Toggle-Mode DDR 2.0, 19 nm, Toshiba | |
| Memory chips: number/number of NAND devices per chip | 4/ND | 4/2 | 4/4 | 4/ND | 16/1 | 8/4 |
| Controller | Marvell 88SS9174-BLD2 | LSI SandForce SF-2241 | Marvell 88SS9187-BLD2 | Jmicron JMF667H | LSI SandForce SF-2281 | Marvell 88SS9187-BLD2 |
| Buffer: type, volume, MB | DDR3 SDRAM, 128 | No | DDR3L-1333 SDRAM, 256 | DDR3-1066 SDRAM, 128 | No | DDR3 SDRAM, 512 |
| Performance | ||||||
| Max. sustained sequential read speed, MB/s | 500 | 550 | 540 | 530 | 555 | 540 |
| Max. sustainable sequential write speed, MB/s | 260 | 520 | 430 | 270 | 510 | 460 |
| Max. random read speed (4 KB blocks), op./s | 45 000 | 86 000 | 79 000 | 68 000 | 87 000 | 100 000 |
| Max. random write speed (4 KB blocks), op./s | 50 000 | 48 000 | 77 000 | 69 000 | 70 000 | 86 000 |
| Physical characteristics | ||||||
| Power consumption: idle/read-write, W | ND | 0,4/1,8 | 0.2/ND | 0,3/2,1 | 0,46/2,0 | ND/0.25 |
| Impact resistance | ND | ND | 1500 g | 1500 g | 1500 g | 1500 g (1 ms) |
| MTBF (mean time between failures), h | 1.2 million | 1 million | 2.4 million | 1 million | 1 million | > 2.4 million |
| AFR (annualized failure rate), % | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND | ND |
| Overall dimensions: LxHxD, mm | 50.88x29.88x3.6 | 50.88x29.88x3.6 | 50.8x29.8x3.6 | 50.8x29.85x4 | 100x69.85x9.5 | 100x70x7 |
| Weight, g | ND | 6,86 | 9 | 8 | 97 | 70 |
| Warranty period, years | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Average retail price, rub. | 7 100 | 4 200 | 7 300 | 4 800 | 6 500 | 8 400 |
⇡ Crucial M4 256 GB (CT256M4SSD3)
The first mSATA SSD we reviewed, the Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD3, uses a Marvell 88SS9174 controller. At the time of writing this article, it can be considered obsolete, because there are already solid state drives with Marvell 88SS9187 controller. However, the use of the old controller is fully justified by the fact that this drive was introduced in mid-2012.
We will be testing the Crucial M4 256 GB drive (CT256M4SSD3), but this SSD can also be found on sale in 128, 64 and 32 GB capacities. Latest model, in our opinion, is best suited for an SSD cache rather than for installing an OS.
Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD3
The Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD3 drive is equipped with four memory chips manufactured by Micron with an ONFi 2.x interface. Accurate version interface is not specified, although this is not surprising: many SSD manufacturers have been doing this lately. The number of NAND devices located in each memory chip is also unknown. Paired with the controller is a 128 MB DDR3 cache memory.
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As for the memory, we can say that this is MLC memory made using the 25 nm process technology. Well, speed: the established reading speed should be 500 MB/s, and writing - only 260 MB/s. As for the random read and write speed, according to the manufacturer, it reaches 45,000 IOPS for reading and 50,000 for writing.
If we talk about the number of rewrite cycles, the manufacturer does not directly state them, although on the official website you can find information that the drive will withstand 40 GB of daily recording for 5 years.
If we talk about cost, the average price for Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD3 is about 7,100 rubles at the time of writing this review. Although in Moscow online stores you can buy this drive a little cheaper - for 6,600 rubles.
⇡ Kingston SSDNow mS200 120 GB (SMS200S3/120G)
If a manufacturer wants to make an SSD on the SandForce platform, then in the vast majority of cases he will choose the LSI SandForce SF-2281 controller. In the case of the Kingston SSDNow mS200, another controller was chosen - LSI SandForce SF-2241. Like all SandForce controllers, the SF-2241 uses compression for all recorded information. If the data can be compressed well, then the speed of the drive should be good, otherwise it will drop catastrophically.
The 120 GB model we are considering is considered the most voluminous in the line. In addition to it, you can find Kingston SSDNow mS200 mSATA drives with a capacity of 60 and 30 GB on the market.
Kingston SSDNow mS200 120 GB (SMS200S3/120G)
The differences between the LSI SandForce SF-2241 and SF-2281 are that the 41st controller supports MLC and SLC chips with capacities up to 128 and 64 Gbit, respectively. As for the LSI SandForce SF-2281, it does not have such strict restrictions - it can work with MLC and SLC chips with a capacity of up to 512 and 128 Gbit. In general, the SF-2241 and SF-2281 controllers are very similar to each other.
LSI SandForce SF-2241 controller
The drive board contains four Flash memory chips with a Toggle-Mode DDR 2.0 interface, which is very unusual for a SandForce controller - ONFi chips are usually used in conjunction with it. The memory manufacturer is Toshiba, all chips are made using a 19 nm process technology. Judging by the markings of the chip cases, each of them contains two NAND devices and, as a result, all eight controller channels are used (except that the SSD has lost the advantages of interleaving NAND devices on channels, which would have been possible if these same devices were in twice as much). Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not say anything about the number of rewrite cycles. Kingston says that the established write speed should be 500 MB/s, and read speed - 520 MB/s. The speed of random reading and writing of 4 KB blocks reaches 86,000 and 48,000 IOPS, respectively.
Memory Kingston SSDNow mS200
Average retail price for Kingston drive SSDNow mS200 with a capacity of 120 GB at the time of writing this review is 4,200 rubles. But if you search properly in Moscow online stores, you can buy this drive cheaper - for about 3,950 rubles.
⇡ Plextor M5M 256 GB (PX-256M5M)
The Plextor M5M PX-256M5M uses a Marvell 88SS9187 controller, replacing the outdated Marvell 88SS9174, which we already saw in the Crucial M4 256 GB drive (CT256M4SSD3). The new controller features support for SATA 3.1 specifications, and also allows you to queue the TRIM command along with read/write commands. In addition, the developers of Marvell 88SS9187 promise to increase performance and reduce power consumption - the latter should appeal to owners of ultrabooks and other mobile PCs. Also on the drive board is a DDR3L-1333 SDRAM cache memory with a capacity of 256 MB.
The Plextor M5M 256 GB drive (PX-256M5M) is considered the “largest” in the line. In addition to the 256 GB model, mSATA SSDs with a capacity of 128 and 64 GB can be found on sale.
Plextor M5M 256 GB (PX-256M5M)
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The memory used in the Plextor M5M PX-256M5M drive is Toggle Mode DDR 2.0. It was produced by Toshiba using a 19nm process technology. Each chip contains four NAND devices, so all eight controller channels, and even with alternation. As always, the memory manufacturer is silent about the number of rewrite cycles. As for the speed characteristics, the established read speed should be 540 MB/s, and write speed - 430 MB/s. The random read and write speeds of this drive are similar. Thus, the stated reading speed of 4 KB blocks is 79,000 IOPS, and writing speed is 77,000 IOPS.
At the time of writing this article, the average price of a drive is 7,300 rubles, although in Moscow online stores you can actually find this drive for about 400 rubles cheaper.
⇡ Transcend 128 GB (TS128GMSA740)
The last drive considered in this test - Transcend SSD TS128GMSA740 - is equipped with a Jmicron JMF667H controller, which has four channels for Flash memory, and up to eight NAND devices can be “hung” on each channel. The wear leveling function and support for Toggle Mode DDR 2.0 memory made using a 19-nm process technology have not been forgotten. This controller can also blink LED indicators, if they are soldered on the board.
128 GB is the maximum capacity for this line of Transcend mSATA drives. Also on sale you can find SSDs from the same series with a capacity of 64 and 32 GB.
Transcend SSD 128 GB (TS128GMSA740)
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At the time of writing this article, it was not possible to find accurate information about the memory chips soldered on this SSD. It is only known that the memory interface is Toggle Mode DDR, although it is not clear what version it is and what process the memory was manufactured using. As for the speed characteristics, the established reading speed should be 530 MB/s, and writing speed should be 270 MB/s, which is not very much. Random read speed is 68,000 IOPS, and write speed: 69,000 IOPS.
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At the time of writing this article, the average price for a Transcend 128 GB drive (TS128GMSA740) is approximately 4,800 rubles, but if you try, you can find this drive in Moscow online stores at a lower price: approximately 3,600 rubles.
This is where we finish the description of mSATA form factor drives and move on to the story about other test participants. All the drives described below have already participated in our group testing of 14 SSDs with a capacity of 240-256 GB, so we will simply provide excerpts from this article.
⇡ Kingston HyperX 3K 120 GB (SH100S3/120G)
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As simple calculations show, SSD in client computer becomes morally obsolete long before its memory cells wear out. This means that you can save part of the cost of the drive by using chips with a shorter lifespan of rewrite cycles. The number in the name Kingston HyperX 3K means exactly this - 3 thousand rewrite cycles, in contrast to the “simple” HyperX, which has a resource of 5 thousand cycles. The interface and technical process for producing microcircuits remains the same. There is also almost no difference in performance between them, and 3K is still cheaper.
⇡ Plextor M5 Pro 256 GB (PX-256M3P)
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The M5 Pro is the first SSD to use the Marvell 88SS9187 controller instead of the well-deserved Marvell 88SS9174, designed to increase performance and reduce power consumption of the device.
The Plextor M5 Pro is equipped with Toshiba Toggle-Mode DDR 2.0 memory produced using the 19 nm process technology. The M5 Pro also features DDR3 chips with a total capacity of up to 768 MB in the 512 GB model. With such a buffer volume, it is obvious that, in addition to official information, the controller also stores user data there.
Plextor M5 Pro supports full-disk encryption using AES-128 and AES-256 standards. To control data integrity, along with the 128-bit ECC mechanism, a certain algorithm is used in the firmware called Robust Data Hold-out. According to the manufacturer, each device undergoes rigorous hardware testing before delivery.
The performance data shown in the table is valid for devices with firmware version 1.02, which the manufacturer also calls Xtreme. With earlier versions of firmware, the speed is not much, but still lower. Therefore, we recommend that all M5 Pro buyers, as well as OCZ Vertex 4 owners, check the firmware version and update.
First SSD, or solid state drives using flash memory, appeared in 1995, and were used exclusively in the military and aerospace fields. The huge cost at that time was compensated by unique characteristics that allowed the operation of such disks in aggressive environments over a wide temperature range.
If your fear of flash memory wearing out reaches panic levels, then it's worth looking at new (and expensive) technology in the form of storage formats 3D NAND. All jokes aside, this is the future. SSD– high speed and high reliability are combined here. Such a drive is suitable even for important server databases, since the recording resource here reaches petabyte, and the number of errors is minimal.
I would like to highlight in a separate group SSD drives with interface PCI-E. It has high read and write speed ( 1000-2000 Mb/s), and on average more expensive than other categories. If you put performance at the forefront, then this best choice. The disadvantage is that it takes up a universal PCIe slot; motherboards of compact formats may only have one PCIe slot.
Beyond competition - SSD with NVMe logical interface, the reading speed of which exceeds 2000 MB/s. Compared to compromise logic for SSD AHCI, has much greater queue depth and concurrency. High price on the market, and best characteristics- the choice of enthusiasts or professionals.
As for the specification, it consists of additional components.
Only a large number of manufacturers support a specific specification, because all characteristics will directly depend on compatibility, and other standardized equipment packages, such as expansion cards.
Some manufacturers prescribe the abbreviations SFF and LFF, which replace the designation in inches. This characterizes the form factor 3.5″, its parameters are accordingly worthy.
Computer accessory
All computer companies use the concept “form factor” to describe any of the components of a device, for example, a hard drive.
As hard drive Design specialists used a magnetic plate with a diameter of about 8 inches.
It took up quite a large size on the hard drive, so it determined the size of the entire metal case, which in turn protected all internal accessories.
The height of the body itself depended on the number of “layers,” which was typical for each model separately. The largest was made up of 14 of these. Therefore, starting from that time, it was possible to determine the required dimensions for a harddrive based on the diameter of the magnetic plate.
After the usual 8-inch disks, they appeared with a size of 5.25, which could be considered the main component of a desktop PC.
SSD form factor parameters
The whole problem is that due to its large size the cost increases finished device. After all, for the SATA connector to function multifunctionally, you will need to solder it firmly to the board.
A positive aspect was the creation of drives that act as an interface - This is the extreme location of the board, similar to an expansion board.
To connect this type of connector, you will need to plug it into a specific slot without the presence of other connectors and wires.
Due to the need for disk mineralization, JEDEC designed the MO-300 model, which had dimensions of 50.8x29.85 mm and also had a mini-SATA connector. This connector model is the same size as mini PCI Express, but they are not electrically compatible. A large number of solutions have been presented for this form factor. For example, to create drives with increased capacity, there is a form of sublines to mount several chips into memory.
Disk NGFF
At the beginning of 2012, they released a new device with an impressively reduced size - NGFF (later renamed M.2).
This standard defines many different board sizes and introduces a connector that is electrically compatible with PCIe and mSATA.
Based on its shape, you can determine certain details of the interface.
When designing laptops, Apple often used a proprietary interface that is identical to M.2.
He changed his parameters every year. To achieve more high speed, specialists switched to the PCIe interface in 2013.
There are cases when a large number of standard form factors are not suitable at all, in which case manufacturers design highly specialized solutions to this issue that work at a niche level.
Well, now let’s take a closer look at a familiar interface option - this.
Important! The number of platters that can be placed in a 2.5 form factor disk is exactly 3 pieces with a height of 15mm, and for HDD 3.5 - no more than 5 platters.
What to do if it is not possible to use modern form factors
Manufacturers suggest installing a regular 2.5″ drive instead of the standard type.
The latter is installed at the factory by the manufacturer himself, mounting it in a special housing.
Important! Before launching the device into production, engineers analyze in detail the level of dimensions and rigidity of the structure, and also ensure the optimal level of cooling of the disk itself. Thus, some manufacturers do not provide a guarantee for removing the disk from the mounting housing.
What to do when you can't avoid downgrading to a smaller drive
There are some differences between the two drives, which include both advantages and disadvantages.
It becomes obvious that the number of internal disks on the server depends on the disk size.
As you can see, the 2.5 form factor is better here, because more disks can be installed there. However, the disk capacity is the same in both cases.
In this case, the use of a disk subsystem allows you to increase the capacity of the storage itself.
Because of this, the use of two hard drives will be the same.
The advantage of 2.5-inch drives is their small size, which in turn increases the performance of the device.
Important! All modern ones are manufactured in the 2.5″ form factor, they are compatible when using SSD drives. And what is important for the future is that they are universal, if there is a need to modernize the server.
Small systems are used hard drives smaller sizes, due to their high design density. Consider Flagman Servers
Unfortunately, disk space is not important in all cases.
In the operation of server disk subsystems, the functionality of the disk subsystem is much more important than the total volume of disk storage.
An important characteristic is the LUN (RAID groups) in disk subsystem, whose performance increases with the number of disks running simultaneously.
It is important to note that the more disks, the higher the massiveness of the device.
According to all the theoretical rules of the linear type, reading and writing 3.5″ should differ significantly from 2.5″.
Advantages
Model 3.5″ LFF:
- the higher the recording density, the more information can be recorded on the platter;
- the available HDD memory capacity is significantly higher;
- affordable price in relation to disk capacity.
Model 2.5″ SFF:
- small size and about twice the storage capacity;
- high performance compared to the previous model;
- lower power consumption, regardless of the robot mode;
- normalized cooling of the mechanism;
- resistance to various mechanical factors;
- Quiet operating mode of the device.
Where are “form factors” used?
Model 3.5″ LFF:
- in the box of a regular server.
Model 2.5″ SFF:
Conclusions
We can summarize and say that the most important quality of SSD design is miniaturization.
But as with everything, there are many exceptions.
On at the moment A connector model “SFF-8639” is being designed.
The great advantage of such a device is that it is able to support a large number of interfaces on one connector.
The main purpose of the new device is a complex information storage system.
The absence of various mechanical components ensures miniaturization of the device and increases the possibility of convenient use in contrast to standard disks.
The different types of keys are marked on or near the end contacts (gold plated) of the M.2 SSD, as well as on the M.2 connector.
The illustration below shows M.2 SSD keys on M.2 SSDs and compatible M.2 slots with slots to allow the drives to be inserted into the appropriate slots:
Please note that M.2 SSDs with B key have a different number of end contacts (6) compared to M.2 SSDs with M key (5); This asymmetrical design avoids the mistakes of placing an M.2 SSD with a B key in slot M, and vice versa.
What do the different keys mean?
M.2 SSDs with Key B end pins can support SATA and/or PCIe protocol depending on the device, but are limited by the speed of PCIe x2 (1000MB/s) on the PCIe bus.
M.2 SSDs with M key end pins can support SATA and/or PCIe protocol depending on the device, and support PCIe x4 speeds (2000MB/s) on the PCIe bus if the host system also supports x4 mode.
M.2 SSDs with B+M key end contacts can support SATA and/or PCIe protocol depending on the device, but are limited to x2 speeds on the PCIe bus.
More details
Which M.2 and connector configurations are not compatible?
SSD Key M.2 Key B Key M
SSD end contacts SSD edge connector - B Key SSD edge connector - M Key
Incompatible sockets Not Compatible Sockets - B Key Not Compatible Sockets - M Key
What are the benefits of having a B+M key on an M.2 SSD?
B+M keys on M.2 SSDs provide cross-compatibility with various motherboards, as well as support for the corresponding SSD protocol (SATA or PCIe). Host connectors of some motherboards can be designed to connect only SSDs with M keys or only with B keys. SSDs with B+M keys are designed to eliminate this problem; however SSD connection M.2 into the slot does not guarantee it will work, it depends on the common protocol between the M.2 SSD and the motherboard.
What types of M.2 SSD host connectors are found on motherboards?
M.2 host connectors can be B-key or M-key based. They can support both the SATA protocol and the PCIe protocol. Conversely, they can only support one of the two protocols.
If the SSD terminal pins are B+M keyed, they will physically fit into any host connector, but you must check the motherboard/system manufacturer's specifications to ensure protocol compatibility.
How do I know what length of M.2 SSD my motherboard supports?
You should always check your motherboard/system manufacturer's information to verify supported card lengths, but most motherboards support 2260, 2280, and 22110. Many motherboards have a removable retaining screw that allows the user to install a 2242, 2260, 2280, or even 22100 M.2 SSD . The amount of space on the motherboard limits the size of M.2 SSDs that can be installed in the slot and used.
What does "socket 1, 2 or 3" mean?
Different connector types are part of the specification and are used to support special types of devices in a connector.
Socket 1 is designed for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, NFC and WI Gig
Socket 2 is designed for WWAN, SSD (cache memory) and GNSS
Socket 3 is for SSD (SATA and PCIe, speed up to x4)
Does Socket 2 support both WWAN and SSD?
If the system does and does not use Socket 2 to support a WWAN card, it can be used for an M.2 SSD (usually a compact form factor such as 2242) if it has a B key. M.2 SATA SSDs can be inserted into WWAN compatible slots , if the motherboard supports it. Commonly used M.2 2242 SSDs small capacity for caching along with a 2.5-inch hard drive. In any case, you should review the system documentation to verify M.2 support.
Is it possible to hot-plug an M.2 SSD?
No, M.2 SSDs are not hot-pluggable. Installation and removal of M.2 SSDs is only permitted when the system is powered off.
What are single-sided and double-sided M.2 SSDs?
For some space-constrained embedded systems, M.2 specifications provide varying thicknesses of M.2 SSDs—3 single-sided versions (S1, S2, and S3) and 5 double-sided versions (D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5). Some platforms may have specific requirements due to space limitations under the M.2 connector, see image below (Property of LSI).
Kingston's SSDM.2 meets the specifications of dual-sided M.2 and can be installed in most motherboards compatible with dual-sided M.2 SSDs; Contact your sales representative if you require single-sided SSDs for embedded systems.
What's planned for the future?
The next generation of M.2 PCIe SSDs will move away from using the older AHCI drivers currently built into operating systems to a new architecture using the new Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) host interface. NVMe was designed from the start to support NAND-based SSDs (and possibly newer persistent memory) and delivers even higher levels of performance. Preliminary production testing shows its speeds to be 4 to 6 times faster than current SATA 3.0 SSDs.
It is expected that it will begin to be implemented in 2015 in the corporate sphere, and then transferred to client systems. As the industry prepares the ecosystem for NVMe SSDs, many operating systems Beta versions of drivers already exist.
