SSD Lifespan: How Long do SSDs Really Last?

[superadmin]

Until a couple of years ago, many IT administrators and managers were concerned about the risk of losing valuable data because of a sudden failure. That’s why it took manufacturers a long time to convince the public that SSDs are safe to use, even when handling sensitive data.

A NAND Flash chip based SSD is a totally different storage media than the traditional hard disk drive which saves its data on a magnetic plate. It consists of an electronic controller and several storage chips. A hybrid drive – also called SSHD – consists of both storage technologies: A normal magnetic hard disk drive as well as storage chips.

What are the benefits of SSDs?

The main benefit of electronic chips for storage is that they are much faster than HDD with a spindle inside. That is due to the fact that a normal HDD consists of many mechanical parts and rotating discs. Also, the re-positioning of the read/write head takes much more time than just pushing data through electronic interfaces. Additionally, SSDs have a very short access time, which makes them perfect for being used in environments where real time access and transfer is a necessity.

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[Michael J. Ramos]

That's a great overview of SSD benefits! The speed difference really is night and day. I remember the frustration of waiting for large files to load on HDDs. Makes me think of how crucial fast load times are in things like gaming. You wouldn't want lag when you're trying to pull off a perfect drift in a game like Drift Hunters, for example! The quick access time of SSDs definitely improves the whole experience.