How SSD power faults scramble your data

[dperecky]

SSD and RAM

Not everybody, probably not the majority of computer owners- have an SSD Drive. But everybody these days has RAM memory configured.. being that is 512K, 1G, 4G, 8G, or more. Isn't this the same technology that is employed in SSD drives? I tend to think so.

Unless these conventional RAM DIMM memories are blinking out on a regular basis- without our knowing about it- because of data-correction and programmed recovery (resending) schemes... I would venture to say that current SSD Technology is on par with any given DDR2/3 RAM used these days. Which nets out to pretty darn reliable devices, IMO.

ETA: The only caveat I can think of would be what the linked article supposes... power irregularities/glitches. External SSDs using an external power source would likely be more vulnerable.

 

[lehnerus2000]

SSDs use a different circuit construction to RAM chips.
Flash memory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dynamic random-access memory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nobody worries about their RAM chips wearing out due to "wear and tear".
People do worry about SSDs wearing out and they have special control circuitry to minimise this.
Flash memory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Flash memory is slower than DRAM.
Flash memory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[dperecky]

Good point... In checking out RAM technology, the following statement was found in the linked article you provided....

Unlike flash memory, DRAM is volatile memory (cf. non-volatile memory), since it loses its data quickly when power is removed.

A little different animal, I would say... so then they are different technologies , with different characteristics, strong and weak points.... ... and I mean that seriously.

hmmmm... Interesting...

 

[Night Hawk]

SSDs work on basically the same principles a usb flash drive uses. You are working two similar if not identical memories rather then comparing any SSD to DDR memory overall. And it's no suprise to learn that DDR is quite a bit faster while not as energy efficient since when booting off of flash drives for example the loading can be slow at times while DDR memory is instantaneous for the most part.

One thing to note is that SSDs are now actually seeing prices drop as the compacities grow in size. A Seagate 1tb SSD was just looked at for only $120-$130! It wasn't too long ago you paid that out for a 64gb at best!

 

[ACR731]

I have had 3 SSD's over the past 4 years and none of them have developed any problems. However, I could care less if they did as my SSD's are used only as boot/OS drives. All data is stored somewhere else, including an image backup. If one of my SSD's craps out its no big deal since there is nothing to lose except the time rebuilding the machine.

 

[indianacarnie]

I have had 3 SSD's over the past 4 years and none of them have developed any problems. However, I could care less if they did as my SSD's are used only as boot/OS drives. All data is stored somewhere else, including an image backup. If one of my SSD's craps out its no big deal since there is nothing to lose except the time rebuilding the machine.

Good point. Thats about all I use mine for now also. I must say though that as prices keep coming down I'll be using them for more things than now, storage, backups,more programs and games.

 

[Night Hawk]

Eventually I will be looking into the 1tb models in order to replace the 1tb host drive here. I would simply move the present host drive over a notch to use as an extra test drive or for storing system images and other backups like WET temps while redoing the periodic fresh OS installs.

Unfortunately the larger capacity models now being seen are mainly for laptops being in the 2.5" form factor which rules out replacing the present host/boot drive where that extra drive space is required. Video captures and other things cannot be simply redirected to any other drve but have to remain on the primary.