What is SSD server storage? Fast web hosting explained
If you’re as old as A2 Hosting is, then chances are you remember the spinning hard drive disks inside your computer. If you shake it, you break it. Those were HDDs (hard disk drives) – self-contained storage devices containing spinning platters (sometimes also referred to as “spinning rust”). But then along came SSDs (solid-state drives) – the flashy and fast successor with its flash memory chips. SSD is the next generation of storage, faster than the clunky mechanical hard disks. But what exactly is SSD server storage? It’s one of the pillars of fast web hosting, and in this article, we’ll show you why.
What is SSD?
Developed by SanDisk in 1991, an SSD (solid-state drive) is a storage device that uses memory chips to record data. SSDs perform like a hard drive, but are much faster in performance. They are similar to a USB flash drive, minus the USB connection, and are designed for installation inside of the computer. SSDs have no moving parts and, as such, are more reliable than their HDD counterparts.
How does an SSD work?
Like a hard drive, SSDs store large volumes of data. But instead of reading and writing data to a spinning platter like an HDD, SSDs store data on flash memory chips (sometimes known as NAND flash memory). An SSD also contains a controller chip. This chip is responsible for keeping track of where the data is located on the device, and finds the requested data within nanoseconds, making SSDs speedy storage drives indeed.
Types of SSDs
The two most common types of SSDs are SATA III and NVMe. SATA III is the older SSD type. It has a legacy connector initially designed for HDDs, and is therefore compatible with a wide range of devices. However, it is slower than the new standard, Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe), and is slowly being phased out.
Non-Volatile Memory Express drives are faster, with lower latency and sustained read-write speeds of 2000MB per second, than SATA III drives which max out at 600MB per second. Also, NVMe drives connect to a computer through the PCIe interface rather than SATA. PCIe sockets transfer more than 25 times more data than the SATA equivalent.
Where are SSDs found?
SSDs have replaced many HDDs in desktop computers and laptops. SSDs are more expensive than HDDs (though the gap is continuously shrinking), so some computer manufacturers use smaller SSDs (combined with larger HDDs to store additional data).
SSDs are also found in some servers. Here at A2 Hosting, we offer both SATA III and NVMe SSD drive options.
Most of our plans offer SSD storage, but if you see the word Turbo attached to a plan name, then it offers NVMe storage:
- Any Turbo web hosting plan at A2 Hosting includes NVMe SSD storage.
What are the benefits of NVMe storage?
NVMe was developed to allow SSDs to operate at the highest speed flash memory is capable of. NVMe enables flash memory to go directly through the PCI Express (PCIe) interface. It offers high bandwidth because it’s directly attached to the CPU. Apart from its performance and speed, NVMe drives are power-efficient. In standby mode, NVMe drives barely consume any power.
The newest update of NVMe is more secure than previous releases. NVMe 2.0 uses 32/64 bit CRC (in other words, data protection expanded from 32 to 64 bits, allowing more protection for larger-scale data systems). NVMe 2.0 also maintains backward compatibility from the previous NVMe generation and works with most operating systems.
NVMe drives are becoming the industry standard for servers, but A2 Hosting remains the leading host in fast web hosting.
Testimonials
Are you still not sure about the benefits and power of SSD hosting?
Read a few of our testimonials:
“The A2 team never ever disappoints! Speed, support, service, sales…every experience has been fantastic. I have an A2 account for myself, my current job, and even my last job. I have recommended A2 numerous times and when my reputation is on the line, I only recommend the best!” Chuck C. November 16, 2021
“A2 Hosting has been a fantastic hosting provider. The servers are fast and the support is great. I will never consider using anyone else.” Conner T. November 7, 2021
Customers appreciate our fast servers. We refresh our servers with the latest and greatest technology to provide our customers with the speediest servers on the market. To find out more about our Turbo servers, contact our sales team today.