Recommendations for choosing an SSD for a laptop. Recommendations for choosing an SSD drive
A few years ago, users were choosing between solid-state drives of the same type. Recently, everything began to change. There are more and more controllers on the SSD market, memory is changing and new types of interfaces are appearing. It becomes unclear what innovations affect what and whether they make much sense, especially since buying a solid-state drive is not cheap.
I've noticed that people are asking me questions about the differences between SSDs in the same key. Once a new technology enters the market, after some time questions about it, and sometimes about specific products, begin to appear. It must be said that in many ways these questions were repeated and in one way or another related to the topic of choosing an SSD. Ultimately, I decided to write this piece to provide answers to frequently asked questions.
Is there any use in 3?D Nand Flash?
Having discarded everything unnecessary, we leave such concepts as the NAND class and the type of cells in it. Memory can be either regular or 3D. The essence of 3D chips is their architecture and manufacturing capabilities. This technology does not provide any particular advantages or disadvantages for the consumer. Of course, this is an opportunity to make more capacity at a lower cost. 3D NAND is also believed to have higher quality performance in the form of more rewrite cycles.
Samsung was the pioneer in this topic, but Micron and Toshiba also caught up and now there are quite a few products, both budget and high-end, that use 3D memory.
Result: There is no big difference, but the 3D memory on the disk is rather a plus.
NAND Flash memory cells, is there a big difference?
Initially, there were SLC (single-level cell) disks, then, to increase space, they began to make MLC (multi-level cell, meaning 2 levels) and finally, to save money, TLC (three-level cell). What does this all mean? The smaller the “depth” of the cell and the fewer levels, the faster and more reliable this memory is. But there is also a drawback: such memory is more expensive and has a much lower capacity.
For example, there are practically no SLC drives in the consumer segment, even when they appear, 60-120 GB drives cost the same as 1 TB or even more. Therefore, you have to choose between MLC and TLC.
It must be said that TLC discs are not only equipped with microcircuits that have a much more limited number of rewrite cycles, but they also operate much slower. This is especially true for write operations. For some time, wild speed losses during write operations caused serious problems for the promotion of TLC discs. Over time, manufacturers have optimized the operation of their drives and controllers for this type of cell. The main innovation was the use of SLC caching, when the memory is artificially accelerated, simulating work with single-level cells. This technology only works as long as the disk is not very clogged. Also, TLC SSDs are significantly inferior in the speed of continuous recording, which occurs, for example, when recording large files. Typically, the cheaper the drive, the smaller this internal cache is.
When the cache is full, the speed drops significantly. It looks something like this: the disk writes an 8 GB movie to you at a speed of 400 MB/s, but when the buffer overflows, for example, after writing 2 GB out of 8 GB, the speed drops to 50 MB/s, which may be even slower than hard drive.
Result: TLC - budget class. Lower cost, lower overwrite resistance, relatively low write speeds, low established write speed. MLC - middle and high class, higher cost, good write resistance, no problems with both read and write speeds.
Is it necessary to save SSD resources?
Since the advent of solid-state drives, a lot of useful (and harmful) information has emerged about how these drives age excessively quickly. In fact, many associated speed degradation with memory corruption, although these are not entirely related parameters. For example, the disk could remain slow, but its wear resistance was large.
A lot of tweaks have appeared to preserve the “health” of the SSD. If you are interested in tweaks, I recommend a program by compatriot Alexey, an enthusiast, called SSD Mini Tweaker, although I myself don’t see any great reasons to use it, but I checked it - it’s convenient, it works.
Also, some people mistakenly believe that someone’s disk “died” in six months was destroyed due to its rewriting capacity. In fact, even with a negative outlook, a cheap TLC-based SSD should last for years. If he died six months or a year later, this is not a memory resource, this is marriage and other reasons.
So how long should an average SSD last when used as a system drive, with antivirus installed, daily torrenting, reinstalled games and the like? The manufacturer specifies the minimum resource expressed in gigabytes of recording per day. For example, 20 GB per day for 7 years. You can open the CrystalDiskInfo program and view information for your disk: the amount of data recorded and its operating time in order to roughly estimate how much it costs you per day. For high-performance MLC drives this parameter can be higher, for high-capacity drives it can be even higher. That is, do you want to write a lot and every day? MLC drives 480 - 512 GB are waiting for you! In fact, many people still have drives from older series like Intel 320, OCZ Vertex 3, and so on, although they are now outdated.
Result: There is not much point in saving SSD resource, but you need to understand that if you take a small TLC disk, then its resource will be limited to relatively small rewrite values per day. For most home use scenarios, it will be enough until other disk components become obsolete or break down. For maximum reliability and overwrite capabilities of 50+ GB per day for ten years, you will need a 480 - 1000 GB MLC-based SSD.
SSD controllers. Is there a difference?
In ancient times, there was a significant difference between disks on different controllers. For example, SandForce worked well with fast synchronous memory, but with weak memory and when working with incompressible data, it “blown away” very quickly. Now, I must say that there is no such critical difference. All controllers support the latest technologies. Some chips lose extra channels, which does not make them slower in home tasks of the consumer market, some refuse buffer memory (not to be confused with the write buffer, used for large files).
The positioning of the models is very strict, so you won’t find an expensive controller in a cheap drive, and vice versa, you’re unlikely to find “inappropriate” hardware in models for the enthusiast sector. In their group, the microcircuits work at approximately the same level of damage, outwitting everyone and taking what is absolutely better will not work, competitors are neck and neck.
Result: The choice of controller should not become the main root cause, since in their cost sector they are approximately at the same level. Memory choice can have much more impact.
Form factor 2.5” or M.2?
The disk form factor does not play a big role. When connecting a 2.5” drive, you will definitely have to use a power cable and a SATA interface cable, but an M.2 drive can be plugged directly into the connector on the motherboard (if it has one, of course).
Platforms of recent years are equipped with M.2 ports, and individual boards have 2-3 of them, so you can safely choose these drives. If the computer is old (and by hardware standards, it may only be a few years old), then problems may arise. The board may not have M.2, or it may not support the drive you purchase, or it may only have an mSATA port, which is somewhat similar but not at all compatible with M.2.
Most are interested in the issue of speeds, since everyone has heard that M.2 SSDs are fast. In fact, it all depends on the disk itself. If this is a PCIe NVMe drive, then it will, of course, work faster than all SATA 2.5” drives, but many devices operate on the SATA interface using the M.2 form factor. This means that such a drive is no different from a 2.5” SSD and will be limited by the SATA interface limit (around 600 MB/s).
Result: 2.5” and M.2 - it makes no difference if SATA is used in both cases, but with NVMe M.2 will be much faster.
Heating of SSDs, do they need to be ventilated and placed in hard drive cages?
Solid-state drives do not have to be placed under a fan, since 2.5” versions, as a rule, practically do not heat up and remain barely warm, unlike HDDs.
But with the arrival of fast NVMe SSDs, we must keep in mind that some of them get noticeably warm. The controller heats up there, up to 70 and even 80 degrees Celsius. Temperature is not critical for the disk, although there is no reliable evidence that this does not affect its service life in the future. If we talk about the present, the user may encounter so-called “trolling” (not to be confused with trolling). This is a mode in which the disk controller begins to work artificially slower in order to reduce the temperature. During throttling, the SSD does not begin to slow down “visibly” to the user’s eye, but it significantly reduces peak speeds and it turns out that it loses the advantages of the fastest NVMe drive.
The problem is relevant only for M.2 NVMe fast drives. The matter is further aggravated because such devices are installed in M.2 slots located under video cards, or on the back of the motherboard, etc. places with limited access to cool air. For now, the problem can be avoided if you purchase an SSD with a radiator installed and direct one of the fans to it.
Result: heating is only relevant for fast M.2 NVMe SSDs; if you have a regular 2.5” one, you can install it even in the deepest case.
What capacity should I choose for an SSD?
For 2017 and 2018, the base capacity for most SSD models exceeds 60 GB. There are practically no models produced in such a small volume, and of those that exist, there are practically no devices that belong to a more or less high class.
There are several reasons for this. Budget models have now begun to switch to TLC memory, which is also quite slow in recording. And the disk capacity also affects the recording speed. Can be taken as 100% speed of a disk with a capacity of 240 GB or more. The 120 GB disk looks noticeably weaker in this case, the 60 GB SSD is completely inconspicuous.
If we ignore the aspect of speed, which immediately drops “out of the blue” just from the choice of capacity, then you can pay attention to such parameters as the health of the disk, and again, its speed, but depending on other circumstances.
The solid-state drive controller tries to save memory cells as much as possible, and therefore tries to “scatter” each piece of information across different blocks and “chips,” thereby systematically using up their resource. Naturally, the less free space on the disk, the less room for the controller to maneuver with data. The ideal situation is if your disk is occupied by 50% or even less of the total capacity.
Although it cannot be said that this is critically necessary for the survival of the SSD, if you are thinking about whether there is any sense in a more capacious device, then there really is.
Result: Try to take a more or less capacious drive, at least 120 GB, MUCH better than 240 GB. This way you will get maximum operating speed and more reliability; above this capacity, the disk resource increases, but, basically, not its speed.
Which disk manufacturer should you choose?
Another question that interests everyone is which manufacturers are reliable and unreliable. In fact, manufacturers mainly glue only labels, buying ready-made platforms. The exceptions here are development companies such as: Samsung, Intel, Micron, Toshiba. These “guys” make discs partially or completely on their own. There are also individual memory manufacturers, for example, Sandisk. Purely theoretically, companies that produce something themselves may have a better product. But, in fact, even the most expensive position can break just as much as a cheap one, failing due to defects. There is no super-obvious bias in any direction here.
Result: There is no visible difference between brands - there is between the platforms that these brands use.
Where is the best place to buySSD?
So, we (hopefully) understand approximately what kind of disc we will buy, and now our task is to purchase it on favorable terms. Where can this be done? If we are talking about domestic retail, I recommend going to the search and Googling different prices, or using price selection services to compare them. I cannot recommend any specific store, as I have noticed more than once that discs from different manufacturers cost differently in different stores.
It’s another matter if we are thinking of ordering an SSD via the Internet, and perhaps even from another country. I recommend using the global online hypermarket and, more precisely, the SSD section of GearBest.com. There may be several reasons for this. Firstly, there is a good selection of hardware, disks and accessories for them. Secondly, you can often get excellent discounts like -20% or -40%, and then the cost of devices becomes much more favorable than in a nearby store. Although you will have to wait a while for your package, the difference in price will make up for the short wait.
There are no complaints about delivery, everything is packaged well and arrives on time. A number of items have free shipping. Prices are immediately converted into rubles, so it is convenient to navigate them, unlike many other foreign online stores. There are no problems with delivery to Russia. We receive parcels from Geabest frequently; we have the option of choosing different delivery methods to suit every taste.
The second reason to buy the same disks in the Gearbest store is simply the availability of unique items. For example, at the time of writing this article there is no Samsung 850 EVO 120 GB in retail anywhere, but there is one there. And there are also interesting models from Asian manufacturers, such as KingFast and KingDian, which are rarely found in our bins, but are very popular in global sales.
I hope this short material has helped make it easier for someone to choose a solid-state drive in 2018 and answered some basic questions.
Solid-state drives (SSD drives) are increasingly becoming part of the life of the average personal computer user. Widespread adoption is made possible by the very high speeds at which SSD drives operate. Increasingly, laptop manufacturers are abandoning hard drives in favor of solid-state drives in order to ensure maximum system speed. The choice of an SSD drive has also become relevant, which may seem very difficult to a beginner. Well, let's talk about everything in order.
Looking ahead, I’ll say that it certainly won’t be superfluous. Today, replacing a hard drive is one of the easiest options for upgrading a PC or laptop. Yes, a solid-state drive is more expensive, but immediately after installation, the user will notice a significant increase in speed. It is worth mentioning that you should not expect a serious increase in games. A good SSD will only marginally improve the launch speed of some games. Its main “trump card” is fast loading of the system and opening of folders, files, and so on. Solid state drives perform especially well in laptops. Having installed it, you will notice that the device has become not only faster, but also quieter, lighter, and more autonomous. So, if you want to get a speed boost, be sure to consider an SSD drive.
Volume
A few users immediately decide on the required volume, while others think about this issue for a very long time before buying a high-quality SSD drive. As stated above, such drives do not have a direct impact on performance in games, so it makes sense to buy them for the operating system. See how much your system takes up, as well as the software required. Usually, 60 GB is enough for these purposes, and it is quite difficult to find a smaller volume today. A fast 60 GB SSD costs around 2,000 rubles. If funds allow, then it is better to take a closer look at the 128 GB capacity.
Types
So, we’ll assume that you’re interested in the solid-state drive and you’ve decided on the volume, so let’s move on to a more important question. Many users experience serious problems when choosing a drive type. The Internet is full of advice from experts that even a professional will get confused in. First, let's figure out what distinguishes inexpensive but good SSD drives.
SLC (Single Level Cell)
The technology involves recording 1 bit of information in 1 cell. This type of data is the fastest and most reliable. SLC drives are quite expensive, so they are used only in server computers.
TLC (three level cell)
The technology involves recording 3 types of memory in one cell. The process is slower and disk resources are consumed faster. TLC discs are distinguished by their low cost and low resources, although they will last quite a long time.
MLC (Multi-Level Cell)
Despite the name, this type of SSD drive writes 2 bits of data per cell. MLC combines a good resource, performance and an affordable price for most users. Today this type is optimal for purchase.
Connection types
Along with the question of how to choose an SSD drive, the question of options for connecting it is relevant. The most common is SATA 3, and this type is also the cheapest. Its bandwidth is 600 Mbps, which is enough for most home computer tasks.
With the proliferation of SSD drives, their speed also increased, which required manufacturers to develop a new type of connection. The solution was the M.2 interface. Its main advantages are speed and compactness. It is worth noting that not every M.2 drive is capable of demonstrating high speed. The reason for this is data transfer interfaces, of which today there are 3 types: SATA, PCI Express 2.0, PCI Express 3.0 (from slowest to fastest). To find out how fast a high-quality SSD drive will work, you should check the specification of the interfaces on the motherboard.
The third connection type is PCI Express, which involves connecting directly to the motherboard. A good SSD drive uses all available speed.
Speed
So, let's move on to a more interesting characteristic of a solid-state drive. Most users first look at the speed of operation. Typically, the drive manufacturer indicates it in large print on the front of the box. It is indicated in megabytes per second and indicates the read and write speed. An inexpensive but reliable SSD drive usually has a read speed of 450 MB/s and a write speed of 350 MB/s. Faster is better.
However, random read and write is much more important. The parameter is responsible for the disk’s ability to work with scattered data around its entire perimeter. The response speed of the system largely depends on it. The manufacturer very often tries not to inform the user about this parameter. If the value is not indicated on the box or store website, then you should refer to the official developer page. In the specifications you need to find the IOPS parameter; its value should be: reading – at least 70,000, writing – at least 50,000. Modern SSD drives often have larger numbers.
Many users may wonder: why do SSD drives with the same type of memory from different manufacturers differ in speed? The fact is that different companies install different controllers in drives - a small chip on which the operation of the disk depends. The total speed of the SSD is directly calculated from it. The better the work done by the company’s programmers, the faster the controller’s operation.
Resources
The resource of a solid-state drive is the number of cell rewrites. Typically, this parameter is specified by the manufacturer, and a special utility helps monitor the health of the disk. Many users are worried that their fast and high-quality SSD drive will very quickly exhaust its supply of overwrites. These experiences are far-fetched. Before your drive cannot be rewritten, it will simply become obsolete, and you will most likely be using a different one. It is also a misconception that the data from the drive disappears. In fact, the user will not only be able to record, but the files will remain on the SSD. Therefore, you don’t have to think too much about the resources of the solid-state drive.
To choose a good SSD drive, you should also pay attention to the access protocols. It would take a long time to describe the moment in full, so I’ll keep it short. The vast majority of modern hard drives and solid state drives use the AHCI protocol. The technology is quite old, it appeared even before the era of fast SSD drives, so it does not take into account their specifics. It was replaced by the NVME protocol, which was developed for the needs of solid-state drives. The main advantage was the increase in speed with frequent access to information. They are usually used for server computers or for very serious work. They are characterized by high speed, but are expensive. Before you buy the best SSD drive like this, make sure your motherboard supports the protocol. Sometimes a BIOS update is required for it to work.
Speed increase
Despite a bunch of articles, there are people who still doubt the speed increase. It is quite significant and is observed even with very old hardware. The operating system loads much faster - 2 times, or even faster than a regular HDD. When using a high-quality SSD drive, resource-intensive programs that require a very long wait to run on the hard drive become more responsive. Fans of computer games will also receive, albeit a small, increase in launch speed.
Today, more and more companies are appearing on the market that produce good and inexpensive SSD drives. However, only a few companies have gained particular popularity and distribution.
- Intel. Expensive and high-quality SSD drives from a well-known company are now the standard. Used for servers and serious tasks. A 5-year warranty is provided.
- Crucial. It produces flash memory together with Intel, so the drives are quite similar. A significant difference from its popular colleague is the budget cost, which determines such distribution.
- Samsung. He is engaged in production independently. It produces inexpensive but good SSD drives, thanks to which it is located at the top of the market.
- Corsair. A popular company that produces various components for personal computers. Solid state drives are of decent quality and affordable cost.
- Sandisk. The company is new to the market of high-quality SSD drives, but has already presented several models that have attracted the interest of users.
The question of how to choose an SSD for a computer is asked by almost every PC user. If for experienced people the acquisition of this element of “hardware” does not cause any particular difficulties, then beginners, as a rule, rush between different models, not understanding which one is right for them. Today we will find out what an SSD drive is and what to look for when purchasing it. So let's get started.
What is an SSD for a computer - basic information
By its nature, an SSD drive is a solid-state drive, which is based on NAND flash memory chips. Such devices can have different dimensions (the so-called form factor). The most common models are those with a form factor of 2.5 inches. These SSDs are similar in size to regular hard drives, but are thinner (often 7 mm). Thanks to this, drives can be installed in small computer cases. 1.8-inch drives are used much less frequently. They are purchased in cases where installing a 2.5-inch model is physically impossible (due to lack of space in the case).
The devices in question are connected via the Serial ATA interface (abbreviated as SATA). Modern drive models use the SATA rev channel. 3.0. Also, on the market you can find models with a version of the SATA2 interface, but such a connection is already considered obsolete.
Please remember that the SATA interface is backward compatible. Even if the system does not support version 3.0, the drive will still work, but its performance will be limited by the throughput of the SATA2 interface.
Some 2.5-inch models include adapter brackets. With their help, you can install the drive in a 3.5-inch drive bay (that is, for floppy disks). The mentioned adapters are a real salvation for users whose computers are not equipped with mounting spaces for 2.5-inch devices.
After the announcement of Intel 9-Series chipsets, some motherboards began to be equipped with a special SATA Express connector. It is needed to increase data transfer speed without limiting the performance of drives. In this case, the connection is made using a special cable. So far, models with the SATA Express interface are not widespread and are considered a kind of exotic.
Some SSDs may come in expansion card format. Such models are equipped with a PCI Express interface. In most cases, the type of SSD in question is used by people for whom the capabilities of the SATA rev channel are not enough. 3.0. Drives with a PCI Express interface have 4 bus lines at once, capable of delivering transfer speeds of up to 2 Gb/sec. In order to increase performance, this type of drive is equipped with a pair of controllers, as well as a special chip that supports operation in RAID array mode (combining several disks into one logical element, which leads to increased productivity).
People who have compact computer equipment (desktop PCs or laptops) should focus on mSATA format models. Such devices operate on the same principle as their 2.5-inch counterparts. The only difference is that all the technical elements of the drive are placed on a small printed circuit board. The connection is made through a special connector that looks like mini-PCI Express. To ensure that the device is accurately connected to the device, it is better to consult a specialist before purchasing it.
Another type of drive that can be found on the market is M.2 standard models. They look like compact expansion cards and are somewhat similar to RAM sticks. The length of these devices can vary from 30 to 110 mm. It is clear that these hardware elements are produced for installation in desktop PCs or laptops.
So, we have looked at the fundamental parameters by which SSD hard drives for a computer may differ. Now let's find out what technical features these devices have and how they are superior to classic hard drives.
How does an SSD drive for a computer differ from a hard drive HDD?
As mentioned above, an SSD drive is a hard drive based on NAND flash memory chips. A classic hard drive (or HDD) is also a device for storing data, but in its case, recording is done on magnetic disks. These design differences also led to differences in technical characteristics. We have outlined the key parameters of both types of devices in the table below.
| Characteristic type | SSD drive | Winchester HDD |
| Physical memory limit | Up to 4 TB | 5 TB and above |
| Maximum speed of reading and writing information | Up to 100,000 IOPS | Within 100 IOPS |
| Limit value of power consumption | Within 5W | Up to 9 W |
| Power consumption during idle phases | About 0.6 W | Up to 6 W |
| Data recovery in case of failure | Almost impossible | Maybe |
| Average trouble-free service life | About 5 years | More than 10 years |
| Data overwrite function | Yes, but limited | Present (almost without restrictions) |
Judging by the table, we can come to the conclusion that SSD and HDD are approximately equal in quality. However, solid-state drives are purchased not for their re-writability or service life, but for their data processing speed. And here SSD has an unconditional advantage.
Fast reading ensures rapid loading of the operating system, which cannot be achieved with any hard drive. In addition, solid-state drives unload game files as quickly as possible, which eliminates image slowdown when running modern large-scale projects. It should be noted that computers equipped with SSD drives work better in multitasking mode, when a browser, several applications, a game, and so on are open at the same time.
Additional advantages of SSD drives include:
- Almost silent operation.
- Increased strength.
- Lack of response to vibrations.
- No heating or minimal increase in temperature under load.
- Less prone to breakdowns.
- Light weight.
- Use of multiple data transmission channels when operating.
What to look for when choosing an SSD for a computer?
There are several factors to consider when choosing an SSD. First of all, you need to look at:
- Space in the system unit- this way you will choose a model with the optimal form factor.
- Connection interface- knowledge of this aspect will allow you to choose a disk that will work as productively as possible. In addition, only devices of a specific type may be suitable for certain motherboards (for example, if there is no separate landing point, but with a bay for 3.5 mm drives, only SSDs equipped with special adapter brackets will be suitable).
The purpose of using a solid state drive is extremely important. The optimal amount of memory directly depends on it. So:
- 32 GB models. Suitable for computers that are used exclusively for work. These devices are very cheap. They can only install the operating system and undemanding programs (for example, Microsoft Office).
- 64 GB models. This option is also suitable exclusively for office machines. In addition to the operating system, all working applications (with the exception of large programs) can be installed on such a disk.
- 120 GB models. This is a more universal option. It can store both work and entertainment programs. But given how much modern games weigh, the user will have to wisely distribute disk space. You will not be able to assemble an impressive gaming collection on these drives.
- 240 GB models. These devices are considered ideal for most users (in terms of price/features ratio). Such disks will contain an operating system, work programs, and several games. If you use it correctly, you won't have any problems with free space. But try to store on the SSD only those programs that are dependent on reading speed (for example, games). There is no point in spending precious gigabytes on movies and music.
- Models with 480 GB and higher. In terms of technical characteristics and capabilities, these devices are the undisputed leaders. But they are still purchased much less often than 120/240 GB models. The reason for this is the high price. High-quality models with this volume cost about 14,000 rubles. You can only spend money on buying them if you have a solid budget when building a PC.
Speaking of manufacturers. This point also needs to be taken into account in order to definitely buy a product that is suitable for the price and the capabilities provided. Today, SSDs from the following manufacturers are in greatest demand on the market:
- Samsung- drives of this brand are famous for their speed.
- Intel produces reliable and durable discs, but you will have to pay a lot for these qualities.
- Kingston- the products of this brand are especially popular in the domestic market. If you are looking for high-quality and relatively cheap SSDs for your computer, pay attention to the line of this manufacturer.
- Plextor- is not yet a very popular brand that produces good solid-state drives. This brand produces models with high read/write speeds, and due to their low popularity, their price is quite affordable.
- Crucial- the best option for people with a limited budget. The drives of this company combine good quality and relatively low price.
Which SSD drive to choose in 2018: TOP 3
One of the following models may be suitable for a modern user:
- Samsung 850 EVO- a good 250 GB SSD. It has a standard 2.5-inch form factor. Power consumption in operating mode is 2.4 W; in standby mode - 0.05 W. Reading speed can reach 540 MB/sec. Recording is carried out at a speed of 520 Mb/sec or slightly lower. The model in question costs about 7,100 rubles. Thus, by choosing this SSD, the user will receive a productive product for a reasonable fee.
- Intel 545s- 512 GB storage. Its form factor is 2.5 inches. Read speed can reach 550 MB/sec, and write speed - 500 MB/sec. The model is quite economical in terms of power consumption - 4.5 W in active mode and 0.05 W in standby mode. The price of an Intel 545s drive in Russia is approximately 11,500 rubles. Of course, this is not the fastest model, but for its price it provides quite good capabilities.
- SanDisk Ultra 3D- spacious 1 TB SSD drive. Another representative of the line with a standard 2.5-inch form factor. During recording, the disk consumes up to 3.35 W; in read mode, the maximum power consumption is 2.05 W. On average, the drive consumes 0.052 W during operation. In standby mode, energy consumption drops to 0.007 W. The limit reading speed is 560 MB/sec. Recording takes place at speeds of up to 530 Mb/sec. The price of SanDisk Ultra 3D in Russia is approximately 21,200 rubles.
Well, now we have learned the intricacies of choosing an SSD drive. As you can see, there is nothing complicated about this. Of course, on some issues (for example, the connection interface) it is better to consult with specialists, but in general, the information provided is enough to independently choose a productive product at an affordable price.
Watch the video on how to choose a good drive for your computer:
Computer technology is improving in different directions, allowing users to more efficiently use software and work resources in general. The main competition has been observed for many years in the video card and communication segments, but more recently, hard drive developers have also made a small revolution. As a result, many home PC users are wondering how to choose an SSD drive? The tips presented below will help you find the right solution to this very important task.
Features of the SSD format
In terms of performance, the new format offers users many advantages. Among them are high files, compactness, and resistance to physical damage. Unlike conventional hard drives, such drives require less time to load the OS, and the difference is clearly felt - startup occurs in a matter of seconds. High speed is ensured by almost any SSD drive, which is the optimal model from a wide range? This issue should be resolved rather on the basis of reliability requirements. This is due to the fact that this format also has disadvantages that still stop many from changing the type of drive. For example, SSD, unlike HDD, loses in durability. Therefore, a new selection criterion arises - the period of failure. In addition, you will have to overpay for increased performance, since with the same volume such disks cost almost several times more.
Selection by volume
The most popular sizes are 64 and 128 GB. It would seem that such volumes are becoming rare even in the computers of undemanding users working with traditional HDDs. But this is precisely due to the high cost of SSDs. On the other hand, there are common cases when users purchase capacious storage facilities with a huge supply, which later remains unclaimed. In particular, you can find 1 TB drives on the market. But such a volume justifies itself only in rare cases, especially when it comes to using a PC at home.
Also, when considering the question of how to choose an SSD disk for a computer based on data capacity, do not forget about the effect of volume on reading speed. As is the case with HDDs, the SSD format demonstrates different operating speeds depending on the capacity. Even within families of the same manufacturer, 32 GB and 64 GB models may differ in performance indicators. In other words, the smaller the volume, the higher the speed. At the same time, you may not feel much of a difference at the everyday level. For many PC owners, the ability to fill the disk with information is much more important.
Interface Mapping
This format also differs in the type of interface. It must be said that even HDD drives have long been moving away from the classic PCI-Express cable, switching to connections via SATA. As a result, those users who do not plan to switch to non-mechanical drives should consider this nuance when purchasing a new HDD format. But if the old format has been acquiring the first and second generations for several years, then the SSD primarily works with SATA 3. This controller is the most preferable if you purchase an SSD drive for a computer.
How to choose the desired interface format? It is enough to familiarize yourself with the characteristics, which will indicate type 3. In practice, this means more stable interaction of the disk with other computer components. By the way, the noted speed of the drive is largely explained by the advantages of SATA. But if for one reason or another you purchased a device with IDE or older generations of SATA, then do not be upset, since manufacturers offer special adapters for connecting such drives to modern motherboards.
Memory type
The impact on the operating features of the device is not as obvious as in the case of the interface and volume, but it would also be useful to take it into account. So, there are 3 memory options - SLC, TLC and MLC formats. As for the first, it involves storing data for each cell in 1 bit. In this case, you can count on high speed and durability, but the price of such models is higher. Two other types of memory allow storage of 2 and 3 bits in each cell, respectively, for MLC and TLC formats. And in these cases, there is an inverse relationship between the speed of operation and the price at which an SSD drive for a computer is sold.
How to choose a disk in terms of memory type? Experts still recommend relying not on speed, but on durability, since this is the weak point of a non-mechanical drive. And in this regard, the best option would be an SLC device, since it allows up to 100 thousand rewrites. For comparison: MLC and TLC formats allow on average 3 and 1 thousand cycles, respectively. But, again, do not forget about the price issue.
Models for computer and laptop - what is the difference?
The differences between drives designed for desktop PCs and laptops are based on external characteristics and are practically not related to the performance of the device. Actually, the classic SSD form factor is primarily aimed at laptops. This is a 2.5-inch flash drive, which in its pure form can be integrated into a mobile computer. The main size issues arise for users of desktop machines. That is, the question of how to choose an SSD drive for a computer or laptop in terms of form factor should be decided depending on how you plan to physically install the drive. Again, the 2.5-inch size is not a problem for a laptop, but a regular computer may not have the appropriate connector.
There can be two ways out of the situation. Firstly, you can initially purchase a case that has space specifically for a 2.5-inch drive. Secondly, if we are talking about a block model with traditional 3.5-inch bays, then you will have to buy a special metal adapter that will optimally accommodate the disk.
Reviews of Intel models
Perhaps this manufacturer produces the highest quality models. But it is important to note that these products are rarely found in mass consumption. This is due to the fact that the developers are extremely responsible when it comes to components, which results in high quality. But the big disadvantage of Intel drives is their high cost, so the majority of users of these models are professionals.
Administrators and specialists servicing server stations note the reliability, impeccable assembly and performance that Intel SSD drives for a computer provide. How to choose the optimal model from this family? Unfortunately, you can’t count on budget, so you need to immediately prepare for large expenses. You can safely purchase a model that meets its main characteristics, including the same amount of data.
Reviews of Crucial models
Discs from the Crucial line, unlike the previous company, are produced for the mass segment. At the same time, some series are being developed jointly with Intel, so these drives will also have a certain quality reserve. As for the practice of use, the owners point to stability, high service life and good speed. If the question arises about how you can choose an SSD drive for your computer so that it is of high quality and inexpensive, then you can completely trust this company. Popular sizes of models from this manufacturer are in the range of 32-128 GB.
And so on. The time has finally come to move from words to action and see (or keep an eye on) which SSD drive for a laptop to choose for the planned upgrade. Because there is no need to convince anyone that in terms of speed characteristics, solid-state drives are preferable to conventional hard drives. I will divide the material into 2 parts, and in the first of them we will focus on SSD drives of the M.2 form factor.
Selection criteria
As usual, let's outline some criteria. First of all, let's decide on the purpose of the disk. The SSD drive will have to work as a system drive with all the ensuing consequences.
Next, I will consider those models that are currently on sale (end of April 2017), leaving out of the review semi- and completely unknown drives that are offered in abundance on Ali and other similar sites.
Another criterion is capacity. In my opinion, a 240-256 GB drive is by far the best option in terms of sufficient space and cost of such a drive. If you have the opportunity to buy a more capacious option, that’s good. As a last resort, you can stop at the 128 GB version, but this should be done with a limited purchase budget or if, in addition to the OS and the bare minimum of programs (office, browser, messenger), nothing else will be installed.
Perhaps that's all. Go.
Which interface do you prefer?
I have already written about SSD drive interfaces, in particular in the M.2 format, and I will briefly repeat that such drives can operate on two buses: SATA or PCI-express. They differ in the key in the connector, and also in the fact that if the laptop has an M.2 connector operating on the SATA bus, then drives designed specifically for this interface can be installed in it. Models designed for the PCIe bus will not be suitable, including mechanically.
If the installed M.2 connector operates on the PCIe bus, then, as a rule, you can use SSD drives with a SATA and PCIe interface. The possibility of installing a SATA drive must be clarified in the specifications. Another thing is that it is not entirely reasonable to attach a slow SATA drive to a high-speed interface.
If your laptop model is equipped with an M.2 connector that supports the PCIe bus, then it is better to use SSD drives designed for the same bus. They are much faster than their counterparts running on the SATA bus, although they are more expensive. True, not always, and we will see this when we look at specific models.
SATA
If we talk about ordinary hard drives, then the capabilities of this interface in the SATA III version are too many for them. Strictly speaking, even SATA II is quite enough for most hard drives.
SSD drives are another matter. They quickly exhausted the capabilities of this interface, which is clearly seen from the characteristics of solid-state drives. Almost all of them have a stated read speed that corresponds to the maximum interface throughput – approximately 520-560 MB/s. It must be said that the real reading speed, at least linear reading, is really close to the declared values.
The difference is manifested in the read/write speed on blocks of different lengths, with random read/write, as well as when working with a large request queue and with mixed loading, when read and write operations alternate. True, this no longer depends on the interface used, but on the characteristics of the memory used, the capabilities of the controller, the quality of firmware optimization, etc.
Models with memory made using TLC or MLC technology are available. Considering that one of the main tasks facing manufacturers is to reduce costs, the process of actively replacing MLC with TLC is underway, whether someone likes it or not. As reliability tests of drives with this type of memory show, including the test I conducted of the Plextor S2G drive, this memory is not as terrible as they say.
A few words should be said about capacity and why it makes sense to consider models with larger capacity. Most manufacturers offer SSD drives of different capacities within the same model. If you look closely at the characteristics, you will notice that such a parameter as the TB recording resource (also known as TBW), which shows the maximum amount of information that can be guaranteed to be written to the drive, changes.
So, for more capacious models this parameter is usually higher. For example, for a 128 GB capacity this parameter has a value of 75 TB, and for the same model, but with a capacity of 256 GB it is already 150 TB. Stress testing shows that these numbers have substance. So, my drive “gave up” after recording a little over 300 TB, and the tested 256 GB drive withstood more than 400 TB.
With some limitations, but we can say that the more capacious the drive, the more reliable it is, i.e. you pay not only for the available capacity, but also for more durable memory chips.
Let's move on to the review of the models.
And the table contains the main characteristics. Values are for drives with a capacity of 240-275 GB. For modifications with other volumes, the numbers may differ.
| Model | Intel 540s Series | Western Digital Green |  Samsung CM871a |  Western Digital Blue |  Patriot Ignite M2 |
| Available volumes, GB | 120, 180, 240 , 360, 480, 960 | 120, 240 | 128, 256 | 250 , 500, 1000 | 120, 240 , 480 |
| Controller | Silicon Motion SM2258 | Silicon Motion SM2258XT | Samsung Maia | Marvell 88SS1074 | Phison PS3110-S10 |
| Memory | SK Hynix 16nm TLC NAND | SanDisk 15nm TLC NAND | TLC NAND | SanDisk 15nm TLC NAND | Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND |
| Buffer | DDR3-1600 | — | — | LDDR3-1866, | DDR3-1600 |
| Last read, MB/s | 560 | 540 | 540 | 540 | 560 |
| Last recording, MB/s | 480 | 430 | 520 | 500 | 320 |
| 74000 | 37000 | 97000 | 97000 | 90000 | |
| 85000 | 68000 | 57000 | 79000 | 70000 | |
| Resource (TBW), TB | — | 80 | — | 100 | — |
| Model | Crucial MX300 | A-DATA Ultimate SU800 | Plextor M7VG | Kingston SSDNow G2 | Transcend MTS820 | |
| Available volumes, GB | 275 , 525, 750, 1050 | 128, 256 , 512, 1024 | 128, 256 , 512 | 120, 240 , 480 | 120, 240 | 120, 250 , 500, 1000 |
| Controller | Marvell 88SS1074 | Silicon Motion SM2258 | Marvell 88SS1074 | Phison PS3110-S10 | — | Samsung MGX |
| Memory | Micron TLC 3D NAND | Toshiba 15nm TLC NAND | Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND | TLC NAND | Samsung TLC V-NAND | |
| Buffer | LDDR3-1600, 256 MB | DDR3-1600 256 MB | DDR3-1600 | DDR3-1600, 256 MB | LPDDR2-1066, | |
| Last read, MB/s | 530 | 550 | 560 | 550 | 550 | 540 |
| Last recording, MB/s | 500 | 300 | 530 | 330 | 420 | 520 |
| Production speed reads, IOPS | 55000 | 50000 | 98000 | 79000 | 78000 | 98000 |
| Production speed records, IOPS | 83000 | 75000 | 84000 | 79000 | 78000 | 87000 |
| Resource (TBW), TB | 80 | — | 160 | 300 | — | 75 |
Intel 540s Series, estimated cost - 5500 rubles. One of the cheapest storage options based on the Silicon Motion SM2258 controller. The main advantage of this model is the price, and the main disadvantage is performance. This is one of the slowest drives on the market, and this is not due to the budget of the controller used. You can even get good performance out of it, as evidenced by the Plextor S2G SSD, for which the firmware has been significantly rewritten. As a result, performance has improved significantly, although the drive still remains in the budget class. In this case, only a big name can serve as an argument in favor of a purchase.
Western Digital Green, estimated cost - 5500 rubles. In fact, it’s practically analogous in capabilities to the previous drive from Intel.
SamsungCM871a, estimated cost - 6100 rubles. A budget option in everything, including speed indicators.
WesternDigitalBlue, estimated cost - 6200 rubles. Unlike the very budget Green series, this model is positioned as a mid-level drive, which, in particular, can be indicated by the controller used - Marvell 88SS1074. The disc has good reading characteristics, a little worse at writing, but, nevertheless, fully corresponds to the positioning. It’s quite a solid mid-ranger, and considering the recording resource (TBW) of 100 TB, it’s also a very reliable model. In general, a worthy candidate for purchase.
PatriotIgniteM2, estimated cost - 6200 rubles. The use of the Phison PS3110-S10 controller in this case means that this is a reference model from the manufacturer Phison, and Patriot only packages and sells a ready-made solution under its brand. Another strong mid-ranger, and one that works with the MLC memory type, if that’s important to anyone. Considering the potential reliability, performance and price, this model is highly recommended for consideration as an option.
Crucial MX300, approximate price – 6400 rub. A very worthy model for the money. It doesn't match the Samsung 850 EVO, but it outperforms many of its competitors using planar TLC memory. The used controller does a good job of autonomous “garbage collection,” which can be useful if the TRIM command cannot be used for one reason or another. It's worth taking a closer look at this drive.
A-DATA Ultimate SU800, approximate price – 6400 rub. This is the first drive with 3D memory from this manufacturer. If we talk about speed indicators, they are more than decent, and, starting with the 256 GB version, the drive shows everything that it is capable of. The younger version, with a capacity of 128 GB, loses in terms of speed due to the small volume and limitations of the degree of parallelism of flash memory (by the way, another argument in favor of not paying attention to the youngest modification of the SSD drive). Due to the weak controller, this model cannot correspond to the class of productivity solutions; however, the SU800 performs very well in mixed loads and in write operations. The disadvantages appear during random read operations. In this respect, it is similar to the Crucial MX300 drive, built on the same memory. Overall, a more than interesting model for reasonable money.
Plextor M7VG, approximate price – 6400 rub. The pluses are the Marvell 88SS1074 controller and its ability to automatically carry out such an operation as “garbage collection”, which is useful in those systems where the TRIM command does not work. Overall, it’s a very worthy model that doesn’t set any records, but is quite productive. Problems arise only under intense load; however, such modes are rare on a home computer. It's worth taking a closer look at this drive.
Kingston SSDNow G2, approximate price – 6500 rub. Based on the Phison PS3110-S10C controller, it has good read performance, a little worse write performance, but overall it is a balanced model based on a reliable type of memory.
Transcend MTS820, approximate price – 6700 rub. For some reason, the manufacturer is heavily “encrypted”, carefully hiding the controller used and the type of manufacturer of the memory used. In some places it is indicated that the controller is a Marvell 88NV1120, in others it is a Silicon Motion SM2256K. It’s also unclear about the memory; apparently, it’s a Samsung K9BFGD8U0D, made using a 16nm process. Memory, so to speak, is far from the fastest. The model does not stand out as anything special and, given the presence of competitors with similar performance and for less money, is not of great interest. The choice of SSD for this model, in my opinion, is very controversial.
Samsung 850 EVO, estimated price - 6900. For many manufacturers it remains a benchmark in terms of performance, although the model is no longer new at all. At the same time, it is one of the most expensive SSD drives; it justifies the cost with its capabilities. However, we must make a reservation that the younger models with capacities of 120 and 250 GB are not as fast as their more capacious counterparts. Nevertheless, if the issue of saving is not urgent, then you can take it, you won’t go wrong.
If we sum up the intermediate results of drives with the SATA interface, then using even the most budget-friendly of them will give a very noticeable increase in performance compared to a conventional hard drive. If we talk about purchasing options, then it probably makes sense to choose either the cheapest option, which will be enough for use as a system drive in a laptop in most cases, or take a closer look at the top options, which will allow you to achieve maximum performance and full using all the capabilities of the rather slow SATA bus.
PCI-Express
More and more laptops are appearing with an M.2 connector using the PCIe interface. There are several versions of it, these are PCIe 2.0 with two or four lanes, and the new PCIe 3.0 with four lanes and the NVMe protocol. These drives are for enthusiasts for whom SATA speeds are absolutely not enough, and who want to get everything these drives have to offer from an SSD drive.
Manufacturers of controllers, memory, and even SSD drives themselves are naturally “in trend”; all controller developers presented their models for this interface. Accordingly, drives are announced that differ in performance and price. This is good, because it allows you to choose a model that suits your “wants” and “wants”, that is, with the required level of performance and the allocated budget. So, let's see what the stores offer us. The transfer will be in ascending order of the average price.
First, I will summarize the main characteristics in a table. Speed indicators, buffer memory capacity, etc. are indicated for versions with a capacity of 240-256 GB.
| Model | Intel 600p | Patriot Hellfire |  Samsung 960 EVO | PNY CS2030 |  Plextor M8PeGN |
| Available volumes, GB | 128, 256 , 512, 1024 | 240 , 480 | 250 , 500, 1000 | 240 , 480 | 128, 256 , 512, 1024 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 | ||||
| NVMe | + | ||||
| Controller | SMI SM2260 | Phison PS5007-E7 | Samsung Polaris | Phison PS5007-11 | Marvell 88SS1093 |
| Memory | Intel TLC 3D NAND | Toshiba MLC NAND | Samsung TLC 3D V-NAND | Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND | Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND |
| Buffer | LPDDR3-1600, | LPDDR3-1600, | — | LPDDR3-1600, | |
| Last read, MB/s | 770 | 2700 | 3200 | 2750 | 2000 |
| Last recording, MB/s | 450 | 1100 | 1500 | 1500 | 900 |
| Production speed reads, IOPS | 35000 | 130000 | 330000 | 201000 | 120000 |
| Production speed records, IOPS | 91500 | 205000 | 300000 | 215000 | 130000 |
| Resource (TBW), TB | 72 | 115 | 100 | — | 384 |
| Model | Kingston HyperX Predator | Corsair Force MP500 | Plextor M6e Gen2x |  OCZ RD400 | Samsung 950 Pro |
| Available volumes, GB | 240 , 480, 960 | 120, 240 , 480 | 128, 256 , 512 | 128, 256 , 512, 1024 | 256 , 512 |
| Interface | PCIe 2.0 x4 | PCIe 3.0 x4 | PCIe 2.0 x2 | PCIe 3.0 x4 | |
| NVMe | — | + | — | + | |
| Controller | Marvell 88SS9293 | Phison PS5007-E7 | Marvell 88SS9183 | Toshiba TC58NCP070GSB | Samsung UBX |
| Memory | Toshiba 19nm MLC NAND | Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND | Toshiba 19nm MLC NAND | Toshiba 15nm MLC NAND | Samsung MLC V-NAND |
| Buffer | DDR3-1600 | LPDDR3-1600, | DDR3-1600 | LPDDR3-1600, | LPDDR3-1600, |
| Last read, MB/s | 1400 | 3000 | 770 | 2600 | 2200 |
| Last recording, MB/s | 600 | 2400 | 580 | 1150 | 900 |
| Production speed reads, IOPS | 160000 | 250000 | 105000 | 21000 | 270000 |
| Production speed records, IOPS | 119000 | 210000 | 100000 | 140000 | 85000 |
| Resource (TBW), TB | 415 | 349 | — | 148 | 200 |
Intel 600pSeries, approximate price – 7200 rub. As in the case of SATA drives, the first product is from Intel. There is probably some kind of pattern in this, because in terms of price and performance this drive, although it uses high-speed PCI Express 3.0 with the NVMe protocol in addition, is rather a competitor to SATA drives. Its performance is rather dull, and it is prone to overheating. But the price... If the budget is very limited, but you definitely need a PCIe drive, then why not. There are no other arguments in favor of this disc.
PatriotHellfire, approximate price – 7700 rub. The weak point of the drive is reading with a small depth of requests, i.e. exactly the situation that is most typical for home computers. However, it doesn't go down to Intel 600p levels. We can say that this is a budget drive for the PCIe bus. Considering the price, a better option than the previous model.
Samsung 960EVOSeries, estimated cost - 8700 rubles. You expect incredible power from Samsung, but in this case it is a budget-class drive, with its own characteristics. One of its features is that in terms of speed, the younger model (250 GB) is the slowest. When recording, when the SLC cache is exhausted (admittedly, it is by no means small, 13 GB), the speed is very low, and in this parameter it is inferior even to the Samsung 850 PRO SATA drive. Although he is good at reading, he does not cope very well with a mixed load. And again, only the oldest version with a capacity of 1 TB shows decent results. In general, I would think carefully before buying this particular drive, and if you decide in its favor, then take at least the 500 GB model. If you need a drive with a capacity of around 256 GB, then perhaps this is not the best option, primarily because of the recording problems of the younger model. The terabyte version is very fast, as befits a Samsung. With all due respect to the manufacturer, in this case there are more interesting proposals.
PNY CS2030, approximate price – 9000 rub. The new model is very similar in configuration to the Patriot Hellfire. However, despite the same Phison PS5007-E7 controller, the performance is noticeably higher, and in general, the drive looks very, very attractive.
Plextor M8PeGN, approximate price – 9000 rub. Available in two versions, with and without a heat-dissipating cover. The drive is prone to overheating under heavy load, so a heatsink is desirable, although it increases the thickness of the drive, which may cause it to not fit into the intended slot in the laptop. Overall, it’s a very good option for quite reasonable money.
Kingston HyperX Predator, approximate price – 9000 rub. This is quite an old model, using not the latest Marvell 88SS9293 controller. With a comparable price to the same Plextor M8PeGN, it loses to the latter in all respects. At the moment, the drive no longer justifies its price, because there are more tempting offers.
Corsair Force MP500, volume – 240 GB, memory – MLC, estimated price – 10,000 rubles. Another model based on the rather successful Phison PS5007-E7 controller. The drive shows very good read/write performance. Although the 240GB model is slower than higher-capacity options, there are still pros and cons to choosing the 240GB SSD model.
Plextor M6eGen2x, approximate price - 11,300 rubles. Quite an old model, with good linear read/write performance, considering the fact that it uses PCIe 2.0 with two lanes. In my opinion, there are currently no arguments in favor of this particular drive; it has already outlived its usefulness.
OCZ RD400, approximate price - 11,400 rubles. The Toshiba controller is used, which is, in fact, a modified Marvell 88SS1093, which in itself is not bad. And even very good, because in terms of the totality of qualities it is inferior only to the recognized leader - Samsung 950 PRO, and in some disciplines it is even ahead of it. In particular, the RD400 performs very well in mixed loads, that is, in the most typical situation encountered when operating a regular computer. A more than worthy candidate for purchase, if the price doesn’t bother you.
Manufacturers offer drives for the PCIe bus to suit every taste, at any price and with different levels of performance. The cheapest ones show results that are at the level of good SATA drives, the most advanced ones raise the performance bar to a completely different level. True, you have to pay a considerable amount for this. You should also take into account the fact that performance tends to increase with increasing capacity, and the same model, for example, 128 GB and 512 GB, can differ significantly.
I do not have a Samsung 960 PRO drive listed, because the minimum capacity is 512 GB, which does not fit into the selected criteria. However, if you are ready to shell out about 22,500 rubles. for the junior model, you will get a truly top-end drive with the highest operating speeds.
Conclusion. SSD drive for laptop in M.2 form factor
SATA has practically exhausted itself, and, by and large, there is no fundamental difference between SSD drives on this bus. Yes, MLC memory is faster and more reliable, but TLC is cheaper and, by and large, also quite reliable. There is practically no difference in reading, especially with linear reading; problems can only arise when writing, especially with mixed loads (which is typical for a home computer) or with a large queue of requests (which is NOT typical for a home computer).
The future belongs to the PCI-Express interface, which is confirmed by the increased interest of manufacturers in this segment. Surely in the near future we will see new models and modifications of such drives. Here the difference is much more noticeable, especially since such drives are often purchased by those who know exactly what and how much they want. If only for the sake of it, there are cheap options, although among them there are very interesting models; for those who are not ready to make compromises, there are top-end solutions. The only question is the cost.
