PCIe SSD: What It Is & If You Need One
Solid State Drives vs. PCIe SSDs: A Performance Overview
The performance gap between solid-state drives (SSDs) and traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) is significant. SSD technology has matured over time, and now a newer generation, known as PCIe SSDs, is gaining prominence.
How SSDs Differ from HDDs
Conventional SSDs utilize internal flash memory chips for data storage. In contrast, HDDs rely on a mechanical, rotating disk to store information.
The advantages of SSDs over HDDs are considerable. These include a smaller physical footprint, reduced energy consumption, and substantially improved speeds. Consequently, systems equipped with SSDs experience quicker boot times and faster application launches.
The Advancement of PCIe SSDs
PCIe SSDs represent a further evolution in storage technology. They leverage the PCI Express interface, which offers a significantly higher bandwidth capacity than the interfaces typically used by standard SSDs.
By utilizing this high-bandwidth channel within a PC, PCIe SSDs achieve exceptionally fast data transfer rates. This results in even more responsive system performance.
Essentially, PCIe SSDs push the boundaries of speed, offering a noticeable upgrade even when compared to conventional SSDs.
Understanding the Specifications
It's beneficial to understand the distinctions between the communication channels utilized by Solid State Drives (SSDs) when interacting with a computer. The vast majority of SSDs currently available connect via SATA III. This interface, in its 3.0 standard, theoretically achieves data transfer rates of approximately 6.0 Gigabits per second, equivalent to 750 Megabytes per second.
While actual speeds typically fall short of this theoretical maximum, these figures serve as a useful benchmark for comparison. A speed of 6 gigabits per second is sufficient for the majority of desktop and gaming tasks, enabling operating system boot times under 5 seconds with a fresh installation.
Conversely, the PCIe slot – commonly used for graphics cards and expansion cards – offers significantly greater bandwidth, capable of handling around 15.75GB/s at its maximum capacity. This substantial data throughput explains the impressive transfer rates demonstrated by PCIe SSDs, often ranging from 1.5GB/s to over 3.0GB/s.
For context, a SATA SSD typically achieves read speeds around 550 MBps, with write speeds slightly lower, between 500 MBps and 520MBps. These values are not fixed and can differ based on the specific SSD model.
The Progression of SSD Technology
Generally, SSD performance is approaching the limitations of the SATA III interface. Continued technological advancement suggests that the PCIe slot represents the natural next step in SSD evolution. This progression mirrors the historical trajectory of hard drive technology.
Therefore, a comparison of specifications clearly highlights the potential advantages of a PCIe SSD over its SATA counterpart. However, it’s important to consider the practical applications for everyday users.
The Cost Factor
Currently, the substantial performance benefits of certain storage solutions do not come without a significant price tag.
Related: Upgrading to a Solid State Drive (SSD) is a beneficial step, yet spinning hard drives remain more practical for data archiving (for the present time).
A comparison of Samsung models reveals a considerable price difference. A 500GB 850 Evo SATA SSD from Samsung typically costs around $170. However, the company’s PCIe equivalent, the 950 Pro M, nearly doubles that expense, reaching approximately $330.
This pricing trend persists across various models. Consequently, justifying the investment in PCIe SSDs can be challenging unless a specific server application or game can fully utilize the enhanced speed they offer.
While PCIe SSDs are ideally suited for enterprise-level and server environments, they currently represent an over-specification for many typical users.
For individuals who do not routinely transfer massive amounts of data where every second is critical, SATA III SSDs provide sufficient speed for nearly all tasks.
Furthermore, most motherboards have a limited number of PCIe slots available.
These slots may be occupied or obstructed by a high-end graphics card, or even two cards configured in an SLI setup.
When space is constrained, a decision must be made: prioritize increased storage speed or enhanced graphics performance.
It is likely that in just a few years, SATA III connections will be viewed similarly to the older IDE ribbon cables.
However, at this time, PCIe SSDs remain a niche product for a select group of users.
A PCIe SSD might be a worthwhile investment for gamers demanding peak system performance, those managing multiple servers requiring frequent backups, or individuals who enjoy testing file transfer speeds.
Conversely, if your computer usage is limited to basic browsing or everyday work tasks, the speed offered by a SATA-based SSD should adequately meet your needs, all at roughly half the cost.
Image Sources: Wikimedia Foundation, Intel, EVGA, Samsung