SSHD is a new marketing term coined by Seagate employees to refer to drives in the market known as hybrid hard drives, which are a combination of a traditional hard drive (HDD) and new technologies.

Today we will talk about the pros and cons of this type of drive and whether they are worth your attention and, importantly, money.

What is the advantage of SSHD?

Seagate's advertising headlines read: “SSD Performance. Hard drive capacity. Affordable price". Essentially what they are trying to say is that SSHD combines the benefits of both technologies without any significant cost. But if this is true, then why hasn't hybrid hard drive technology revolutionized the storage market yet? We’ll talk about this later, but for now let’s try to take a closer look at these “hybrids”.

SSHDs are essentially regular HDDs, but with a compact, small-capacity solid-state drive added to the disk controller and acting as a kind of cache for frequently used files. Therefore, you should not be surprised that the memory capacity of SSHDs is not inferior to classic hard drives.

SSHD

As for cost, hybrid hard drives cost about 10-20% more than traditional HDDs - this is the result of adding additional cache memory and firmware to manage that cache. On the other hand, they are much cheaper than solid-state drives, many times cheaper.

It all sounds quite cool and optimistic, but...

Is SSHD performance really the same as SSD?

The performance issue of hybrid hard drives directly depends on how the user uses the system, and the limiting factor in that very performance is the small amount of cache memory (currently about 8 GB), which is simply not enough to perform more or less serious tasks.

If a user “uses” his PC to a minimum, well, let’s say, surfs the Internet, sits on social networks, reads email, plays solitaire and plays chess, then such a user will have the greatest benefit from using hybrid hard drives, because in this scenario what is happening The cache memory is quite enough to fully process all data at a speed corresponding to an SSD.

But, if we take into account another user who, let’s say, plays a variety of “heavy” computer games, then we can safely say that this user will not notice any difference in performance if he changes the HDD to an SSHD. Why? Because the cache volume is quite small and the files of that same computer game in it will be constantly updated and cannot be reused (from the cache), since they will be deleted and replaced with new files. And if the files are not reused, then there will be no real benefit from the SSD cache.

The same applies to copying data. If you copy, say, a folder of files and want to move it from one place to another, and it takes up more than 8 GB, then, accordingly, not the SSHD cache will be used, but its regular memory on a magnetic hard disk, and the copying speed will be the same , just like on a classic HDD.

But, as a “sweetener”, it is worth noting that the system boot when you turn on the computer will be approximately 10 seconds, which practically corresponds to the speed of the SSD.

So who needs an SSHD?

The primary market for solid-state hybrid drives is laptops. The fact is that the limited space of the case does not allow installing more than one disk in these systems. Installing only one SSD can provide greater performance, but limit the amount of data that can be stored on it. On the other hand, installing a single HDD will provide a lot of space, but the hard drive will not perform as well as an SSD.

SSHD, on the other hand, can offer a simple and affordable way to provide higher performance with the same amount of internal memory - a great compromise. Plus, since most laptops are used for work rather than gaming, the benefits of SSHD drives become even more attractive.

For desktop systems, however, I do not yet recommend installing hybrid hard drives, since the case of a personal computer allows you to easily install several drives, namely SSD (for system operation) and HDD (for data storage), which will give excellent performance and large amount of disk space.

An exception would be mini-desktop systems, which only have internal space for one drive.

There is no doubt that solid-state drives are the future: such drives are significantly superior to classic hard drives in speed, compactness and reliability. However, they are also superior in price, and this is the only thing that prevents them from dominating the market.

Many manufacturers quickly realized that until technologies for the production of solid-state drives became cheaper, they could combine the advantages of flash and mechanical drives in one device to ensure high speed and an affordable price. Such disks are called hybrid.

On hybrid disks, data that needs frequent access is written to flash, and files that are rarely used are stored in the main memory of the HDD. Such technologies are in demand, first of all, in laptops, where there is often simply no room to install both a mechanical hard drive and a solid-state drive.

Seagate considered this situation pure discrimination, and released a model line of Desktop SSHD drives - the first all-hardware hybrids designed specifically for desktop PCs.

We tested the Seagate hybrid drive, made in the 3.5-inch form factor (145x100x26 mm). The main line includes disks with a capacity of 1, 2 or 4 TB, each platter is a terabyte (respectively, up to four platters and two read-write heads for each). Clipboard - 64 MB.

The role of the solid-state cache is performed by a Samsung MLC Flash memory chip, manufactured using a 24 nm process technology, with a Toggle-Mode DDR 1.X interface. Inside the case there are two 64 Gbit NAND devices, which gives the interface bandwidth of about 266 MB / s. Spindle speed is 7200 rpm (for 1 TB and 2 TB versions) and 5900 rpm for 4 TB. Disk connection interface - SATA III 6 Gbit/s with NCQ technology. Typical power consumption under load is 6.7 W, and in sleep mode - 0.8 W.

The amount of solid-state memory here is only 8 GB, but even on them we cannot write anything ourselves. Flash recording occurs automatically using a special Adaptive Memory algorithm. It uses fast memory as a kind of cache, transferring the most frequently requested data there.

At any given time, the cache contains only the data that is most likely to be needed by the user or system. For example, if the computer is turned on and off frequently, then space in the semiconductor buffer will be allocated for system files.

If the user often runs a program or game, then the executable file also has a good chance of ending up in cache memory. The same can be said about pictures, electronic documents, videos, and so on. Seagate specialists claim that their algorithms are self-learning: the longer the disk is installed on the computer, the faster it works. Write operations are also cached, which significantly speeds up copying.

As they say, everything is learned by comparison. Adaptive Memory technology functions, and quite successfully: an SSHD-type drive is significantly faster in operating speed than a regular HDD. On a computer with such a disk, installation, loading and running of applications and games, loading the operating system and copying data are much faster.

The boot time of Windows 7 installed on this drive was halved after several reboots. Impressions from use are supported by test results. We analyzed two 2TB Seagate drives in various synthetic tests: the ST2000DX001 (hybrid) and ST2000DM001 (mechanical), which otherwise have similar characteristics.

When you run the test for the first time, the results obtained are almost identical, but when you run the test 3-5 times, the results improve noticeably. So PC Mark 7, for example, gives a computer with an SSHD 3618 points, and for a computer with an HDD this figure was 2930 points; in the AS SSD Benchmark utility, the tested drive scores 40 points, and its rival - 32.

The results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the Adaptive Memory algorithm. The average write and read speed is 160-170 MB/s. At the same time, the CPU load at the time of reading and writing does not exceed 1%. Disk access time is on average less than 15 ms. The performance is, of course, lower than that of a full-fledged solid-state drive, but at the same time, it significantly exceeds the characteristics of conventional HDDs.

The manufacturer did not leave the opportunity to regulate the algorithms for using flash memory. The user cannot force any application there, but the smart algorithm is much more convenient and reliable - unnecessary files will not be left and forgotten in the cache, which will only clutter it and not increase performance.

The price of a “smart” drive is affordable: 5,000 rubles for a 2 TB drive. We recommend this disk volume for purchase: it has a high rotation speed and an optimal price-capacity combination. At the moment, the price of this model is comparable to the prices of hard drives from other manufacturers.

Hybrid drives are a successful technology that allows you to combine the best qualities of SSD and HDD. Now it is available for desktop PCs, and there is no doubt that other manufacturers will follow Seagate's example.

Test results

Program	parameter	SSHD read/write	HDD read/write
PC Mark 7	points	3618	2930
AS SSD Benchmark	points	40	32
Anvil's Storage Utilities	points	174/145	162/102
AS SSD Benchmark	access time, ms	14,4/9	16/12,4
HD Tune Pro	access time, ms	14,1/9,2	15,8/12,5
Lometer	access time, ms	19/10	21/13
HD Tune Pro	speed, MB/s	172/165	162/155
ATTO Disk Benchmark	MB/s speed	180/158	170/155

A few years ago, the choice was obvious... because there was no choice. On the shelves there were only classic hard drives (HDDs), differing only in rotation speed.

Manufacturers are now competing to provide more modern, efficient and smart solutions designed to not only provide faster transfers, but also set the bar high for data security.

In the last few years, with the advent of SSD (Solid-State Drive), the technology has improved markedly, but it has two serious drawbacks: price and capacity.

The idea of ​​combining the two technologies created a hybrid, that is, a mixture in which the system is installed on an SSD partition and the data is stored on a standard hard drive.

Classic hard drives - HDD

Since time immemorial, hard drives have been used to store data. Nowadays HDDs can have more than a terabyte of space, although standard ones generally have 500 gigabytes.

Not only the power has changed, but also the technology itself. The hard drive sped up, offering a flat 7,200 rpm in most cases.

That is, the plates rotate evenly and more efficiently than at 5400 rpm.

One way or another, HDD is the best option for those looking for inexpensive gigabytes. They are significantly different from SSDs, but are sufficient for the average user.

High speed SSD drives

Expensive and fast - Solid-State Drive is the most expensive data “storage” drive. One thing you should know is that even the cheapest SSD will be faster than the most expensive HDD.

In computers, the connection is made via SATA or PCI Express. Data is transferred in the same way as in other drives.

How do SSDs differ from classic HDDs? Construction. Solid-State Drive has no rotating plates.

Instead, NAND flash memory is installed, which is not only faster, but also more resistant to mechanical damage.

Nowadays you can find this type of media in most ultrabooks, but the more power you have, the more money you have to spend.

SSD offers more than 2.5 times faster data transfer speeds than older technologies. The second thing is reliability and long service life, even with vibration or shock.

Only it has a fairly high price, but also greater resistance to different temperatures - SSDs always cope better in extreme situations than HDDs.

Intermediate option - hybrid drives

Hybrid solutions - the idea is simple in theory. Their control system is designed to read NAND flash, which will result in reduced processing time.

It works relatively cheaply... and of course, it's convenient. If you choose them, you will get an average shelf - a little more expensive than an HDD, a little cheaper than an SSD.

What could be wrong? There may be minor outages or configuration issues.

A lot depends on the cache, if you can't handle it, patience will be important, you may need to adjust something manually. Their algorithm takes some time to adapt to the new environment.

If you can afford a lot of expense, take the most capacious SSD. If you want to reduce costs to a minimum, look for the most suitable HDD. Good luck.

It is impossible to choose a capacious, fast and, most importantly, reliable hard drive for a laptop from the huge number of different hdds and ssds that are now on the market without understanding what parameters you should pay attention to when choosing. It's like playing in a casino or lottery - there is a chance, but it tends to be close to zero.

When choosing a laptop or netbook, everyone relies on the basic parameters of the device’s performance and reliability, such as: manufacturer, processor clock speed and/or model, amount (very rarely - type) of RAM, display diagonal, video card power (built-in or discrete) ). As for the hard drive, the choice is made only by its capacity (the larger the better), but this is not always the case.

A laptop hard drive has more critical parameters for reliable operation than its desktop counterparts. If, for example, spindle rotation speed, hdd and power consumption in ordinary computers are not critical for the reliability of its normal functioning, then when working on a laptop these parameters directly affect the reliability of the disk subsystem and the safety of your data.

Now let’s look at what is best for us to install in a laptop from commercially available drives for its long and uninterrupted operation.

Before the appearance of SSD drives on the market, the bottleneck in the performance of any computer was precisely their disk subsystem. Even the best and fastest (including server hdds) with rpm speeds of 10,000 and 15,000 are currently several times slower than the average ssd drive in terms of parameters. Next, we'll look at the pros and cons of using hard drives and solid-state drives in a laptop.

HDD

This is a traditional type of hard drive. It is based on mechanics and consists of a magnetic head that reads and writes information to magnetic disks. The number of these disks affects the volume of the hard drive and its overall dimensions.

pros

• The main and probably the only advantage is the best price-volume ratio.

Minuses

• low write and read speeds (90% of modern laptops have disks with a speed of 5400 rpm, which affects performance);
• extraneous noise due to the operation of mechanics;
• higher energy consumption;
• heating of the disk during operation;
• vulnerable to shock loads (if you drop the hdd, it will most likely be inoperable, it is especially dangerous if this happens while it is working). SSDs do not have this disadvantage;

SSD

This is a modern type of information storage device. SSD (Solid State Drive) is a solid state drive. Its design and internal structure are radically different from the previous generation of hard drives. It has no mechanical parts at all, as it is based on microcircuits and controllers. In principle, this is the same flash drive, only larger in size, data storage capacity and significantly increased operating speed. An SSD is a completely electronic device and calling it a hard drive is not entirely correct. Compared to the previous generation storage device (HDD), it has a number of advantages:

pros

• the speed of reading and writing data is on average 4 times higher (it all depends on the type of memory and controller used). There are already models that are at least 10 times faster than HDD;
• the absence of mechanics significantly increases reliability;
• delays and downtime when working with data are practically absent (data access speed in solid-state drives is about 1ms, and in standard hard drives 9-12ms);
• does not emit vibrations and does not make any extraneous noise;
• very low heat generation, which has a positive effect on the operation of the disk and does not require additional cooling;
• low power consumption, which is good news, as the battery life of the laptop will increase;
• has significantly less weight compared to HDD;
• your information will not be damaged if the drive or laptop with it falls, which can easily happen with a portable device.

Minuses

• What is a plus for an hdd is a minus for an ssd drive. This is the price per gigabyte of data stored. Of course, this ratio is gradually improving and as technology develops, I think this drawback will become obsolete;
• if used and/or configured incorrectly, the service life of an ssd is shorter than that of a hard drive (this depends on the operation of the operating system, the type and manufacturer of the memory used in the ssd);
• in the event of a disk failure and loss of access to data on the solid-state drive, it is more difficult to recover the data, and it will also be more expensive.

SSHD

It would be unfair to ignore this type of drive. This is a so-called hybrid hard drive. In short, the main data is written to ordinary magnetic disks, but they are received and processed in a large buffer of fast flash memory (up to 32GB in some models). Read the article for more details about this type of drive.

Selection criteria and parameters of internal drives for laptops

SSD drives: how to choose the best option

You can significantly strengthen your laptop by replacing mechanical drives with solid-state drives.

The cheapest 60 or 120 GB SSD, having the same form factor as an HDD, is much better than even a top-end device with a spindle speed of 10,000 rpm and a 32 GB cache.

So far, a high-capacity SSD drive for a laptop (500 GB, 1 TB) is expensive, and if you need to store a lot of information, then choosing a regular laptop hard drive will be preferable. If you need both performance and a lot of free memory, then you can disable the CD-DVD drive and instead . For example, a combination of a fast SSD for the operating system and an HDD for information may be optimal. Usually it is used for laptops, except in cases where only one device can be connected to the laptop.

Which disks to choose

Typically the form factor determines the purchase:

• size (2.5 or 1.8 inches);
• interface (connector or data transfer standard SATA 1, 2, 3);
• type of drive (mechanical HDD, solid-state SSD, or hybrid SSHD systems).

If it is almost impossible to change such indicators of an SSD for a laptop as size or connector (except by using adapters), then data transfer standards are not so critical; for example, any new SATA 3 drive works well on an old laptop.

When thinking about which SSD to choose, remember that there are the following cell standards: . The cheapest and short-lived TLC memory. If you need reliability and not too high a price, take a reliable drive with MLC memory; the fastest is SLC, but it is too expensive and is usually used for servers.

You can choose the best option for yourself only by clearly finding out for what purposes the device will be used and what the expected budget is. For example, if you need office work, then it is better to take an SSD, even a cheap one, for torrents - an HDD or a hybrid device. It should be remembered that solid-state drives have a limited number of cell rewrite cycles.

SSD Variations

In order for the laptop to please the owner with the speed and comfort of work, it is advisable to determine its characteristics before purchasing. In recent years, internal form factor has played a big role in mobile devices. Thus, many smart gadgets use permanent memory, similar to solid-state drive chips, and some devices, such as tablets or netbooks, ultra-cheap laptops can be equipped with removable eMMC drives. They have their own connector and in terms of performance occupy an intermediate state between HDD and SSD. Their memory capacity is small, about 32-64 GB, although there are also samples with 128 and 256 GB.

An inexpensive laptop should have at least 64 GB of memory, even if it is eMMC-type, otherwise you will have to constantly struggle with lack of space (Windows OS alone will require at least 20 GB).

Buy a laptop with a sufficient amount of RAM, since its constant lack of memory greatly affects, due to their constant loading, the data that, if there was sufficient RAM, would be loaded from it. This is the main reason why the laptop slows down very much. It's better to choose a model with a less powerful processor and more memory.

More accurate data on the main characteristics of the hard drive installed in the selected laptop model can be found on the manufacturer’s website, which is not a panacea, since manufacturers can easily replace a drive from one company with another in a later release of a given laptop model.

Conclusions and videos on choosing the right hard drive for a laptop

What we came to after all of the above:

1. The best option for upgrading a laptop's disk system is to use an SSD drive as the main (system) drive. A regular hard drive, which we remove from the laptop, can be used in two ways: 1. Installing it instead of a DVD drive. How to do this and what you need for this is described in a separate article, the link to which is above. 2. Make it an external drive connected via USB. To do this you will need to purchase a special box.
2. If the above option is not suitable, then we simply replace the hdd with an ssd, but here the requirements for the solid-state drive in terms of volume and reliability should be stricter, since you will not have the opportunity to save important data to another medium, although a flash drive can help out. It all depends on their volume.

I think that with this article I have closed for many the question of how to choose the right hard drive for a laptop. I myself have a Sony laptop from 2013 with 4GB of RAM, after upgrading according to option 1 it simply turned into a completely different device. Everything works quickly and is practically no different from a desktop PC, which also uses an SSD for the system (Samsyng 840 EVO 120Gb). By the way, I bought it on Aliexpress, like a more modern model (850 EVO) for a laptop. Everything arrived without problems or complaints. It's been on PC for almost 3 years now. The flight is normal. There is not enough statistics on the laptop yet, but so far everything is OK. If you want to make a turtle fighter out of your laptop, here is a link to the manufacturer.